The majority of American endurance rides are sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), founded in 1972 as a governing body for long-distance riding. AERC's motto is "To finish is to win." Though the first horse and rider to finish the race are technically the winner, the majority of AERC riders aim for a "completion" rather than a placing. As with human marathon running, many riders will participate to improve their horse's personal best performance and consider finishing the distance with a proper vet completion record to be a "win". In addition, each distance race has a time limit. For example, a fifty-mile ride must be completed within twelve hours and the hundred mile ride competitors have twenty-four for completion credit. The majority of competitors are amateurs that participate in endurance as a hobby rather than a profession, generally owning a small number of horses and riding them themselves. More competitive riders race for Top 10 placings, but the horse's welfare is still a top priority and putting a horse's health at risk for the sake of competition is heavily frowned upon.