Re: RC: Swanton NATRC ride story

["KIMBERLY PRICE" <kmprice51@hotmail.com>]

Thanks Beth, good suggestions and I'll take them to heart.  I was right on 
target with time until that saddle slipped.  I think all the people who got 
lost (12 of them) also were able to make up the time.  I enjoyed the ride 
and will definately do another one.  I think the CP was just as fast, not as 
many miles and 12 miles is just too short for me! <g>

Take care,
Kimberly





>From: "beth glover" <bgloverhrsewmn@hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: bgloverhrsewmn@hotmail.com
>To: kmprice51@hotmail.com
>CC: ridecamp@endurance.net
>Subject: Re: RC: Swanton NATRC ride story
>Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 07:37:46 -0700
>
>
>Hi Kimberley; Sounds like a good ride, wish I coulda gone. It's real nice 
>up there at the Big Basin redwoods!  When I do a NATRC ride, I generally go 
>a little faster in the a.m.--we don't go too fast to where you would beat 
>the judges at obstacles or show up before p&r crews. But you have a 30 
>minute window -faster or slower than the set time (mid-time). I like to use 
>my 30 minutes to get a little ahead in the morning and then go easier in 
>the afternoon if at all possible. I like to walk in the last two miles if 
>at all possible, they always time the last two miles at a walk.  Yes those 
>Open rides are quick, you can't complain that NATRC rides are too slow. I 
>always enjoyed doing the NATRC ride up in Santa Ynez (Sage Hill,in the fall 
>and  Cachuma River Romp in the Spring)  Yeah, ol Sylvia may be helping to 
>time Sage Hill after she is fresh back from Tevis, and its a brisk pace!!! 
>Nothing like a morning canter along the banks of the Cachuma Lake. We used 
>to grumble, "Well obviously they timed this ride on Possum and Harca after 
>the Tevis."  Kimberley, if you want a little slower pace on a particular 
>ride, maybe just for schooling or something, try out the Competitive 
>Pleasure division, it is fun too.
>happy trails, Beth Glover
>
>
>
>
>>From: "KIMBERLY PRICE" <kmprice51@hotmail.com>
>>To: okwus@earthlink.net, SF4Jamie@pacbell.net, greymare@jps.net,        
>>hapytrails@hotmail.com, katja.halfmeyer@uni-essen.de,        
>>romander@foothill.net, mtrinh@gene.com, mlsmith@marin.k12.ca.us,        
>>Peggy@bengaland.com, ridecamp@endurance.net, kidtomas@yahoo.com
>>Subject: RC:  Swanton NATRC ride story
>>Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 18:53:20 -0700
>>
>>I just got back from the Swanton NATRC ride down by Big Basin Redwood Park
>>in Northern Cal.  It was a tough ride and we rode in the Open division.  
>>We
>>left on Friday after I gave Mystery a bath and we arrived around 1pm for
>>great camping.  The camp includes a beautiful stream and redwoods with
>>plenty of Stellar's jays around to visit.
>>
>>My old friend Sue Flagg was there with her daughter and invited us to a
>>potluck Friday night so I was introduced to alot of the other riders.  I
>>rode under 'Open' which is suppose to be for experienced horses and riders
>>only.  I 'kind of' knew the NATRC rules so wasn't worried.  Each section 
>>of
>>the trail is marked from point to point and they give you a map with a 
>>chart
>>telling you how much time you are allowed to each, what average speed you
>>should be traveling and what the distance and elevation are.
>>
>>At the start each rider goes out in 30 second intervals so it is very
>>controlled.  Sue waited for me so we went out together.  Mystery was 
>>perfect
>>all day but it was tough.  Big climbs until we were up in the mountains 
>>with
>>the coast and ocean beneath us.  We had to keep a pretty fast pace going
>>with a lot of trot and then we started down, down, down.  Sue went on 
>>ahead
>>as her horse can plow downhill pretty fast but Mystery and I need to take
>>our time.
>>
>>This is where I got into trouble.  I had a newly resized restuffed saddle
>>which was working out great.  We were going down this long stretch of very
>>steep shale...loose flat white rock....normally I would get down and walk
>>but in NATRC you are not allowed to.  Well, the saddle kept sliding little
>>by little over his shoulders and a voice inside me said, stop, get off.  
>>Of
>>course, I didn't listen even though I know better and next thing you know 
>>I
>>am sitting on the saddle on his neck.  If he had put his head down I would
>>have tumbled forward and crashed down the hill.  I stopped him and tried 
>>to
>>get him to step sidewards to get off and he just could not.
>>
>>So, I slid my left leg over his neck and hopped down and of course fell, 
>>as
>>it was steep slippery shale and I went down hard.  Knocked the air right 
>>out
>>of me.  Man did I hurt.  When I could get up I had bruises all along my 
>>arm
>>and my ribs and right breast where very sore.  I was wondering if I broke 
>>my
>>ribs.  I could move my arms ok, just very sore to breath and so walked him
>>the rest of the way down.  He was very good, just stood there when I fell
>>and waited for me...had a concerned look on his face too.
>>
>>So this made me loose at least 10 minutes.  Things got slower as every 
>>time
>>I had to open or close a gate it was torture hopping down and finding
>>something to get up on.  We still had to trot fast to keep within the 
>>time.
>>At least he was perfect at the vet checks..this horse is in great shape!
>>The trail obstacles were 'ok' too....one made us back up between cones,
>>another back up a hill at an angle.  Alot of the judging is done from the
>>judges being 'hidden' in the trees watching you go up or down a trail and 
>>I
>>won't know how we did until they send me the score in the mail.
>>
>>Finally, we reach the 2 mile mark and I only have 20 minutes to go.  What 
>>is
>>worst is it is single track trail going downhill.  I ask him to please 
>>trot,
>>we are almost there, and he responds.  He blasts down this trail until we
>>catch up with another rider whose horse also gets encouraged and blasts 
>>down
>>ahead of us.  Note, we hardly ever trot downhill single track trails on 
>>the
>>side of mountains in training rides, but this is competition and you do in
>>competition things you don't do everyday in training rides.  All I could 
>>do
>>is keep balanced, sit back and guide him to the inside of the trail and
>>around corners and not look down!!!  We see the river crossing ahead and 
>>he
>>breaks into a canter so that is how we came in, ears forward, tails up, at 
>>a
>>fast canter and ready for more!!  (at least he was!) <g>
>>
>>Well, I vetted him out right after, his P&R came down immediately, back 
>>and
>>feet were fine, but I knew I would be very sore and so I was.  After a
>>sleepless night I knew I should not ride the 28 miles the following day,
>>especially since they were suppose to be worst with a climb up to 2500 
>>feet
>>(and what goes up must come down!).  So I pulled and instead headed home
>>early.  It is nice to know he could have done it no problem and believe 
>>me,
>>I am now in the market for a crupper!
>>(purple biothane, of course!).
>>
>>Comparing NATRC to Endurance...I like the controlled start and the late
>>start on Sat. as long as it doesn't get too hot. I also like the social
>>aspect of the ride where people seem to take their meals together and 
>>really
>>chat.  What I don't like is your pace is set for you.  In endurance you 
>>can
>>always go faster in the a.m. as trail and horse permits and slow a little 
>>in
>>the afternoon as the heat comes up.  At least you have a choice what to 
>>do.
>>NATRC seemed to be a fast pace all day long and I didn't like making my 
>>own
>>decisions on the pace.
>>
>>Thanks to Emma, Karen and all the great volunteers, judges and vets who 
>>put
>>on a great ride.
>>
>>Take care,
>>Kimberly (&Mystery the Morab..."I didn't dump her, I swear..she jumped!")
>>Fairfax, CA
>>
>>Kimberly M. Price
>>
>>
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