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The Carolina Ride



After falling off my horse at the Liberty Run and losing my horse for 36
hours, it really felt good to cross the finish line of the fifty at
JD's, even if I did almost knock Danny Herlong down when I dismounted.
(I lost my balance for a second. The cold and damp had made me stiff.)

My plan had been to just maintain a steady working trot for the whole
ride, which I knew Bukkura could handle. Juliette Maybay rode Trinity.
That was the monkey wrench in my plan. Bukkura, as mothers are wont to
do, wanted to keep up with her son, so we hand galloped and cantered
while I worked at getting her to relax. It took to the animal shelter to
get her to settle. Even then she tried to move faster than I felt was
right. I compromised with her a little, rather than fight her on that
first loop, which was 26 miles long. She came down quickly and had good
vet scores, even moving faster than our plan. She even managed to keep
her pulse down in the vet check with her son getting ready to leave
camp. She ate well during the hold, but did not drink much. It was cold
and rainy and none of the horses were drinking much, at least from my
observations. She was ready to leave McGougan's Pond at a brisk pace,
and trotted out fine for much of the fifteen mile loop. She slowed down
for a while when she heard horses behind her. I guess riding with my
grandchildren so much has caused her to want company on the trail. We
came in to the second check, and she was down almost at once. She ate
well, and slurped up some very wet beet pulp, whichk made me feel batter
about her not drinking much. It was still cold, and wet. That was a good
thing in a way because it compacted the sand, but we were all chillled
to the bone. We were in tenth place when we left the check for the final
eight miles to the finish. Bukkura trotted and cantered alternately for
about five of those miles. Then she decided she'd had enough, and slowed
to a walk. She was very reluctant to trot at that point, so I let her
walk. Five riders passed us on the way in. That was OK. Bukkura was
telling me she was tired, and although she did that to herself by
fighting for speed early on, she finished sound, with good vet scores.
She still had that spark in her eye that tells me she wasn't too tired.

Her son, "The one that got away at Liberty Run", crossed the finish line
in fifth place. He did not pass at the vet check due to a limp. As it
turned out the limp was caused by a small wound on his right front
pastern. He knicked it somewhere on the trail. It was enough to keep him
from getting a completion, but he is moving sound today, and the wound
is just a small one. He will be out there another day.

After my last "incident" I just want everyone to know that things are
improving here, and I also want to remind everyone to wear your helmets.
Having my helmet at the Liberty Run made it possible for me to be here
to ride at JD's. I'll be around to start my other grandchildren on the
endurance trails if that's what they want me to do. That's the greates
joy. It's enough of a blessing to ride horses through the nature God has
given us. It's even better to share the experience with a child. 
God bless you all.
Lucie Hancock, Bukkura, HH Trinity, and Star.



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