Too long of a wait for 2015?

I think we'll all agree that Photo-Finish is an excellent horse racing simulation.  Yes, it has it's imperfections.  But they are being addressed on a case-by-case basis.  The game is a lot better now than it was 5 years ago.  There is progress on many fronts; from suggestions made by the rank and file and put into being by the sweat of Laurie's brow.

One fortress of concern however that has not been breached is the overlong off-season.  Three months is a period of time that will test the patience of even the most steadfast stable owner.

What can be done?  How can we bring this beast of an off-season to bay?

There are tasks that need to be done and they take time.  Perhaps, if we can cut out all of the fat, the best we can accomplish is cutting the off-season from 12 weeks to 8 weeks.  That would be a vast improvement.  I'd like to see it at 6 weeks.  Can this be done?

Suggestion One - Concerning Year-End Awards

Currently, Laurie makes the nominations then opens the voting process.  After the nominations are published, PF stable owners cast their votes and eventually the YE Awards are announced. 

I suggest a panel of 7 experienced PF owners with rotating membership that would make the decsions by vote.  These YE Award decsions could be made within a matter of days, saving a significant amount of time by removing the foot-dragging owners from the process.  This change could possibly save 1-2 weeks.

Suggestion Two - Concerning Year End Auction

This process can take up to 3 weeks from beginning to end.  First the time allotted to review the stock, then the auction itself, then the time to negotiate on unmet reserves, and finally the distribution of stock.

I suggest it be eliminated altogether.  Use the auction process during the year to buy and sell all horses, from breeders to foals.  Why not?  I see a potential savings of 3 weeks.

Suggestion Three - Concerning Breeding

This process consumes a month of Laurie's time and there is really no way to make a significant time savings with all of the manual labor that must be done. 

However, Laurie's idea of punishing owners who make mistakes by giving them a barren mare is OK with me.  This is a very important process and each of us should be willing to take a few minutes to make sure our information is completely accurate, rather than just haphazardly sending it in and expecting Laurie to sweep up after us.  Without her having to send incorrect spreadsheets back and wait for a revision, I would think that at least a week can be saved.

So, I envision a possible savings of 5-6 weeks if these suggestions were incorporated.  It seems that we could definately cut the off-season from 12 to 8 weeks and still give Laurie a little vacation as well.

Allright?  OK.  I'm glad that's settled.