Quicksilver Classic Ride Report - sort of...

["Michael Maul" <Michael.Maul@nsc.com>]

I don't normally post my ride write-ups that I do for our local club but 
thought I would share the thoughts at the end of this note with RC.

They can apply to us all.

Mike

**************

The Quicksilver Endurance Riders club put on the Quicksilver Classic 
Endurance Ride on Oct. 14 in Calero and Quicksilver Parks with a 30 
and 50 mile ride It started in Calero - went to Quicksilver - and finished in 
Calero.  The weather was excellent - 40 started in the 50 mile ride and 
32 in the 30 mile ride. Vet checks 1 and 2(lunch) were both at Mockingbird
with vet check 3 back in Calero.  The lunch vet check for the 50s was at 33
miles.

The head ride vet was as usual - Nancy Elliot - assisted by Craig Evans of
Adobe and a last minute addition - Stephanie Flowers.  The ride entries 
went from 30+ on the previous Sunday to 61 on Wednesday to 78 at the vet-in
with not all starting.  Very nice that Stephanie came at the last minute.

QSER members finishing were Judy Etheridge on Orion(1st), Gloria Vanderford
3rd and BC on Dardanelle, Rick Gomez/Monterey 4th, Robert Oram/Splendent 6th, 
Steve Lenheim/Ibn 7th, Dom Freeman/Proud Legacy 8th, Kathy Mayeda/Beau 9th, Mike 
Maul/Thor 12th, Mike Sofen/Nick 13th, Kathy Webster/Fire Alaarm 14th, Ervin 
Quinn/Ebony 18th, Robert Ribley/Quigley 19th, Julie Suhr/War Hymn 23rd, 
Jill Kilty Newburn/Blue at 25th, Jennifer Kurtzhall on Connell 
and Kay Allison's stallion Nusaam at 28th and 
Jack Enderle/Step Aside(stallion) at 30th(horses first 50). Ken Cook/Rocky 
pulled at the lunch vet check. Nancy Twight, Carolyn Tucker and Georgina 
Wallbridge finished in the 30. QSER members took 10 of the first 14 places 
and 7 of the top 10 in the 50.

There were 5 stallions in the ride and they all got along fine.  Carolyn Tuckers
Oman at 18 was still looking good in the 30. 

There were lots of volunteers from the club - Connell cooking, Jan 
assisting the vet and taking digital pictures to later appear on the QSER
website, MB as secretary(always be nice to MB when you change things), Scott
Sansom, Diane Enderle, Val Weizer, Skip Lightfoot donated water tanks, Kathy 
Miller, and others.  Bing Voight, Hugh Vanderford, Bob Suhr crewing.  I am 
sure I missed someone here.  Not Brian - of course - he's the ride manager...


Some things to remember the ride by.

Steve Lenheim donated a week in his Hawaii condo to the winner of the drawing -
Ervin Quinn.  Will he be the first to actually use the condo from three drawings
so far?

The race to the finish between Joyce Souza and Judy Etheridge was really close.
Both horses looked terrific and Steve Lenheim's comment on being passed as they
lapped him on the last loop - "they both went by us at a flat out gallop".
Pretty good for Joyce's horse at 17.  It was a tough ride - any time you get
to climb Cardiac twice you know it is tough.

Really great crewing by Hugh Vanderford for many people at Mockingbird.  I heard
several offers to get him as a permanent crew but he kept saying that if
he didn't make it to the 3rd vet check before Gloria did - he was in deep trouble.

Mike Sofen and Mike Maul rode together the whole 50 miles.  Thor was so bonded
to Nick at the end that Mike was told that he could leave but Nick had to stay.

Dennis Rinde was running as usual and slipped - put his hand out to catch his
balance - then had his horse step on it.  Looked bad but the vets taped it up 
and he took off running again.

Jennifer coming back over to the trailer at the end and when asked by Bing how
Nusaam did in the final check saying - "Dead lame - no completion" . Bing knew 
better but I got caught.  Nusaam had done fine in his second 50.

Mike Maul and Robert Ribley both gave short speeches at the ride meeting
introducing themselves as candidates for the Director-at-Large positions.
Robert finished his by saying - if you elect me - you get two opinions for the 
price of one - Melissa's will always be in there.

Finally - the ride could not have gone from Calero without the help of Jim
Green.  The ride went through his property and there was no way without his 
permission.  He helped Brian mark trail in Calero and even more - because he had
sold the part of his property that the ride went through last time - he went
out and cut a new trail for us.

And he is something that I believe illustrates a real difference in life
today in Silicon Valley and what the Santa Clara Valley used to be. When
Mike and I came up to him on the way back - he was sitting in his chair
there waiting for us.  He got up - gave us 3 peppermints each and said he 
would keep doing it for the next riders until he ran out.  

He told us about how pleased he was to be able to do this for us and how
he had changed the trail so we could get through this year. He was happy 
to be talking with us and participating in our experience.

Jim Green seemed proud that he could do this and that we were all enjoying 
our ride. It's nice to see this in people and perhaps - unusual today.
 
When I compare his view of life with the "normal" dweller in today's Silicon
Valley - the Santa Clara Valley view has a lot going for it.  Our daily
"how's the market doing - are our options underwater - let's keep the horses
out of our new clean community" isn't something that reflects the  values 
that Jim does.  And I think Jim's views are closer to what we do with our horses.

I live in Silicon Valley myself but I think we are all missing something that 
Jim has and will continue to have.  Perhaps our horses can bring us a little 
closer to the Santa Clara Valley way of life.

So - it was a nice ride - challenging - with people we know and horses we love.
Think about the part that Santa Clara Valley can play in our life too.

Mike