Angie's Liberty Story

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

O.K. So, my story is anticlimactic after Jock's win, but I'm gonna tell
it anyway.

Like I said before HOT, HOT, HOT!!!  The camp for the Liberty Run is in
the middle of Fort Gordon in Augusta GA.  It's a great place because it's
about 9 miles into the middle of the base, with tons of dirt roads and
fire breaks, no outsiders, no traffic. The camp is a long park like area
with tall pines, bath houses and a picnic pavillion.  There's a beautiful
lake that runs the length of the camp. (and another 5 miles)

This was by far the best run Liberty Run yet.  In the past it's been
notorious for incredible backups in the vet check.  They changed the
order of the loops, added 2 vets, and staggered the vet times differently
and there was never any sort of line.  It was great.  All that tape
they'd hung up to organize an extremely long line sort of got in the way
though. >g< They also moved the dinner (which is the BEST) to Saturday
night, and presented ALL the awards Sunday morning.  This made it much
easier on management, and kept us more aware that it wasn't over and the
100's were still out there.  They also re-routed the trail so it did not
pass THROUGH camp on the last loop.  It has some drawbacks, but sure kept
congestion down to take the out timer away from the vet area.

It was really weird.  There wasn't so much as a fly in camp, no mosquitos
no nothing.  Several people commented on how bad they were on the trail
and I pretty much brushed it off.  Got on Kaboot and rode ACROSS THE ROAD
and got SWARMED by deer flies.  I don't mean a little, I mean a bug
version of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"!  Kaboot totally freaked,
something he's never done over insects and I had to return to camp to
warm him up so I could leave at a flying trot for my test ride.  I have
no idea how they were able to mark the trails.  The markers weren't quite
as heavy as they've been some years and I'm sure this was the
reason...they were still ample though.  I would not have wanted to be on
a slow horse, since the little suckers were pretty handy at going 8mph. 
Felt VERY sorry for the 100's late in the evening.

Management agreed to move up the start time, so the 100's started at 5:00
and the 50's started at 6:00.  The 25's didn't start until 8:00 so that
helped the first vet check.

It was VERY muggy in the AM.  The first loop turned out to be really fast
(hard to remember but I think I did the first 15 miles in 1:15 and was
10th into the check).  This is the first time I've actually gotten
aggressive with the water/sweat scraper method.  Went to the vet check
and vet was Ooohing and Ahhing saying he had the lowest pulse yet (48)
and looked great etc. when I did my CRI and it was 48/60 >SHRIEK!< She
took his temp and it was 101.8 so she just said she'd need to recheck
him.  Left the check and he peed first thing.  At the re-check he was
44/44 and the vet agreed it was probably he "had to go" >whew!< They
accidentally gave me the wrong card, had to go switch, missed my out time
by a couple of minutes >fume!< Saw Valarie Kanavy.  She'd been pulled at
the first check.  Later saw her in shorts and she had a HUGE hematoma on
her thigh where a horse had reared and struck her that morning.

Rode most of the rest of the ride with Adele Dennard.  Neither of us had
any idea what place we were in, figured maybe around 15.  This year on
the last loop we had to do the 10 mile lake loop twice trotting past camp
1/2 way.  I didn't like the idea of 3 long loops on such a hot day and
gave electrolytes practically every time he drank on the trail (sometimes
1/2 dose), averaging about a dose per hour, maybe 45 minutes at times. 
MANY horses had diminished gut sounds.  Kaboot's taste changed for the
day.  He never touched the apples or carrots...ate a little beet pulp
only because it had some grain in it, lapped a little bran, but ate well
at the stand of cane that bordered camp.  CRI's actually better than
usual.  Generally level all day, even at his 10 min. post finish check.


With 6 miles to go, we were moving on at a pretty good canter when
suddenly I felt my right stirrup give.  Looked down and the bracket that
holds the stirrup bar to the saddle had broken (actually the screw
sheered off).  About that time the whole thing flew off.  Stopped and got
it, remounted holding it and tried to go off at a canter with one
stirrup.  Unfortunately, the metal bracket started banging against the
big metal seatbelt type buckel and makeing all kinds of noise.  Kaboot
stuck his nose up, tucked his tail and HAULED it out of there and was
still getting faster when I decided I didn't think I could do all this
one legged and had to jettison the stirrup and leather.  Once I got him
stopped, and Adele regained her composure (wiping tears from her eyes) I
told her thanks for waiting but you'd better go on.  It wasn't easy to
even get him to come with me to pick it up. I took the time to remove the
bracket, put it in my pack and let the leather out and sling it over my
back.  Remounted and had a grand old time trying to post with one
stirrup, or canter with one stirrup on my foot and the other banging me
on the back.  

About that time I came up on the spotter and he held Kaboot while I
pulled all the *stuff* out of my pack and got down to that 4' long 1/2"
wide strip of leather I've been carrying for 10 years.  I ran it through
the stirrup and ran it through a ring that's on the pommel of my saddle. 
He warned me to tie it short because it was sure to stretch.  I thought I
did, headed out posting with my left leg in the dressage position, and
the right leg on the dash board.  Made it at least 200 yards before it
stretched until I could barely reach it. :-/

Galloping was easier than posting, so I galloped until I came up on Bill
in the truck.  He held Kaboot while I cut the leather (knot was stretched
VERY tight) and tied it shorter.  Headed out again and made
it....probably 1/2 mile before I could no longer reach it. >sigh<  This
time I cut it between the knots, trying to keep from ruining too much of
the leather.  Bad idea.  I now had to tie a knot with two big fat knots
in it.  Ended up with a dressage stirrup on the left and a jockey stirrup
on the right that hangs IN FRONT of my saddle. 5 miles to go! Started
really wishing I knew if I had a chance at 10 place or not.  Was
wondering what Donna Snyder Smith would say if she saw a picture of my
riding style when I came around a curve and saw another 50 miler at the
creek. >eg<  Kaboot tanked up and we just blew on out of there and didn't
look back (much) >g<.  Since Jockey stirrups work best at the canter, we
pretty much cantered on in.  

Vetted through really well, 72/72 at the 10 min. and I think 56/56 at
completion which was as soon as I could get him back in. (they kept my
card. :-(  He looked great at the BC judging.  After he sailed around on
his trot out (he loves to trot out) the lady after me said, "I think I'll
just take my horse and crawl back to my corner...don't you think you
should be doing 100's?" >BG< I was hoping that the vet score would be
enough to pull it off, but Nicki Young's mare must have looked really
good too.  She finished 49 min. ahead of me, but I know I got her pretty
good on the weight, so she had to have a really high vet score too.
(Kaboot's was 492 out of 500)  Sooo.... looks like I'm batting 1000 at
coming in 2nd BC at rides that give big nice wooden tack trunks for
first. :-P

Management did a WONDERFUL job putting out TONS AND TONS AND TONS of
water.  I think the low metabolic pull rate is a testament to that.  I
love this ride and will definately be back in the Fall Good Lord willing
and the creek don't rise!

Angie McGhee

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