John Parke at XP2001

[KimFue@aol.com]

I would have sent this privately but I deleted the original post that was 
asking about John Parke.  I just spoke to John this morning and he is having 
a great adventure.  Today (not a ride day) he and Willie (his older son & 
crew) visited an area in Utah that his family settled in the 1800s.  He was 
able to visit the grave site of his great, great grandfather.   John and 
Skelder (sp) have ridden over 1,000 miles in the last month without a lame 
step - quite an incredible feat for any horse but especially proving that 
Icelandics are tough endurance horses.  Remmington has been ridden in fewer 
rides because of some early hock problems but did complete the tough 
Tevis-like course this week.  The amazing thing about Remmington is that 
after this ride he participated in  some kind of "cattle round up".  John 
told me the cattle did not respect Remmington at first because of his size 
but Rem got after them, biting them in the butt to make them move, proving he 
is a cow pony as well as a great endurance horse.  A couple days before 
rounding up cows, Remmington was ridden by one of the crew members of another 
rider at some kind of western event (pole bending, etc) in a town where base 
camp was set up.  
    All in all it sounds like he is having a great time - even with all the 
ups and downs that we have been reading about in Karen's posts.  If some of 
my facts are a little off it may be because the cell phone connection was in 
and out (what a surprise).  
     I can't wait until everyone comes home so we can hear all the great ride 
stories over chips and Margarita's :)

Kim Fuess