The WEC Adventure - 2005
The Ride - Performances - Keeping Perspective

Today is February 29, each day I'm trying to find time to write, tell the story, but it is hard to find the time - too much running around chasing OC/FEI stories and getting Argentina riders and horses ready to ship back. But I will eventually finish it - these individual ride stories are very important to understand. The 'viewers' tend to lump the whole event into a completion rate analysis, and moody reflection on the big picture - but just like 100 miles is composed of one hundred miles, with each mile having a story to tell, Each rider has their own story - some sad, some amazing, some surprising, - each story the culmination of years of hope and preparation, weather it be the Sheikhs of the UAE who snap their fingers for the best horse, or the grooms from Argentina who never ever in their life would have imagined riding the sands of Arabia, with 180 other horses from around the world. One has to remember what it is like to saddle up in the dark, anticipating the start, riding loop by loop - high energy and hope in the morning, afternoon slumps and worry, and for the lucky ones, a final loop where now there is nothing but to finish - in a flash, or step by step protecting the investment, reducing the risk of making a mistake so late in the day.

There is an enormous amount of pressure to succeed, or to not fail, to perform well for the sake of the friends and family that are here to help you - that you brought from your home country to help, to crew, the friends who have been at your side for weeks, leaving their own lives back home for friendship and adventure. It's not all about ego and racing - to insinuate that this is so, is to forget what it means to ride 100 miles. For some, the win is everything, but for the vast majority - simply to be here wearing your country's colors, riding the event of a lifetime, piloting the horse that will do it all for you - this can't be reduced to a 'completion rate' analysis. The 80 mile story, the 30 mile story, is still a very very big story for each individual.

But - regarding the US - riders and horses - they did not finish a team, and did not have a successful day overall. I'll see if I can do a recap:

The real star of the day was Becky Harris and her tough little mare Honey. They had been plagued by problems in Florida (truck, colic, shoeing..), but eventually everything was resolved, and good to ship. Again shoeing issues popped up here in UAE - but resolved in time for trot in. (so everybody hoped). Becky had a roller coaster ride during December and January, but on ride day she and Honey had a perfect day. She wasn't named to the team because of the previous shoeing issues, so rode as an individual. I don't know the sequence of events, regarding riding together as a team, and eventually splitting up to ride in groups of twos - probably by mid morning it was obvious that some horses were not having a good day, and the others would need to ride their own ride at that point. Becky and Honey rode faster and stronger as the day progressed, with a final 18th place finish - ride time under 9 hours. Her smile was blinding...

The other sleeper was Carolyn Hock and Sando. They had been on the reserve squad, assuming that they would have their day 3 weeks later at the President's Cup ride. When Meg Sleeper's horse Troilus started developing a subtle lameness, presumably related to shoeing, Carolyn was put on call. Both Troilus and Sando were vetted in, and both were sound at the trot out, but the decision was made to have Carolyn and Sando start. Meg and Troilus would have their turn at the President's Cup. Carolyn and Sando had a solid ride, finishing in 11 hours. Apparently the high strung Sando had some difficulty accepting water handoffs on the trail, not unusual for first time horses at UAE events, or horses that see something threatening about having two-legged creatures attacking them with shiny water bottles... but they had no real issues, and rode a steady ride, for a solid finish.

Bev Gray and Paladin's story was the saddest. Pal was not having a good day, Bev felt that he wasn't performing the way she knew he could, but all of his veterinary parameters were normal - all of the clinical signs were normal. After the 5th loop (at around 80 miles) they came in off of the trail and headed for the cooling area, but knew right away that he was not right. He began to tremble, and eventually stagger. They immediately sent him to the hospital area where he got worse fast, seizures, and unable to stand. He was in critical shape for close to 24 hours, but there was no clinical evidence of a problem - bloodwork was normal, no significant deficiencies in hydration or glucose levels. The symptoms appeared neurological - at one point there was some speculation that it might have been some sort of stress related stroke. Paladin eventually recovered and is now back to normal, he is bright, grazing, all seems normal. He's going to stay 3 extra weeks here for continued observation and quarantine and will eventually ship back to the US with the horses that are staying for the President's Cup.

Michelle Roush and PR Tallymark were not able to do the ride they were capable of. Tallymark never fully settled into the new environment and change of routine, and wasn't eating as well as hoped prior to the ride. Michelle said that he ate and drank well during the ride though, and was doing well - until the 80 mile point, where the heat and miles took their toll. He was pulled for elevated CRI, and diminished gut sounds. Michelle thought that the fundamental problem was dehydration, but it was a surprise - since he ate and drank well during the day. But, here, nothing is the same as it is back home...

Carol Giles and Stranger never quite got off the ground on ride day. He started in great shape, no problems, but didn't eat or drink well during the day - unusual for Stranger. At the final vet check, with 12 miles to go, Carol opted to retire him. There was no reason to continue in her mind - the team medal was not to be, Stranger was tired - basically there was nothing to gain.

Dennis Summers and Rosie - another great disappointment. Rosie had had a few minor shoeing issues, and a heel bruise from shipping in Easyboots to continue treatment of a prior abcess, but none of it was considered serious, and Dennis and Rosie started in good shape. I saw them on the trail, headed into the 88 mile vetcheck, looking great - her energy level was high, and she was picking up speed during the day. Dennis and Becky were riding together at this point. Rosie vetted lame at the last vetcheck - they're not sure, but speculate that the heel bruise may have gotten worse with the miles in the sand.

So - still the questions for the United States. How to get that increasingly elusive team medal? Lots of heads will be needed.

Many of us will write down our thoughts, observations, suggestions, and send them along to USEF. If we want to stay involved in this sport, at this level, we need to open up the process again - listen to everybody, ask hard questions. There are some good heads out there. I have my own observations and opinions... I'll make sure they are heard by the USEF, as will others, and then .. Insh'allah.

This event was a bit of a 'show' - the home court advantage was significant- most felt that the UAE trained horses would be impossible to keep up with. But when it comes right down to it 100 miles is 100 miles. You can't fake it. The course was not that difficult - there was sand (hey Florida...) and a fair amount of flat firm footing (hey forest roads) but nothing really challenging for a fit sound horse. Certainly horses that were capable of sustaining an easy rolling gallop were the horses that did the best here. But IMO the challenge to the riders of the Nations is not the course, it is keeping one's head on tight. The stress, excitement - both the months leading up to and the day of the race - is often the biggest challenge. Many try to ride their fastest ride ever - or fail to listen to their horse, missing subtle clues that would not have been missed on a 'normal' ride back home. It's 75% mental at these events.

There may be ways to obtain unfair advantages through drugs - I suspect that drug enhancement could shave minutes off of a ride time or recovery times, or possibly mask a lameness that might otherwise eliminate a horse - but drugs can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The bottom line is that the UAE really really knows how to train and condition their horses, and they have some awesome horses. There were some other amazing performances by French, Italian, Australian, US, Argentinian :) horses and riders - there are certainly plenty who are capable of selecting and training horses that can compete with the UAE on their own turf. No excuses really, we're talking about an extreme sport, and extreme performance - and that level of acheivement is probably not going to diminish at this level.

It is most certainly a different sport from the one that most of us participate in most of the time - so be it - but this should not be seen as a threat to the pleasure/challenge sport that predominates in the USA. There is certainly greater risk to the horses - with increasing speed and miles comes increasing risk - but this risk can be diminished by being better educated - on the risks, and on how to avoid injury and extreme fatigue. It's not something that should be taken lightly, but neither is it something to be shunned. As the level of competition increases, so must the level of preparation and education - and so must the quality of the horses.

I'll continue to do my multiday rides, and continue to do FEI rides - for me it is all a worthy challenge. I so love the International friendships that develop with the FEI level events, and the intensity of the challenge - the need to stay sharp and watchful, and keep learning, keep asking.

Steph

(but, enough digression - next... our Argentina/USA/UAE day on the trail)