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Re: Battle Hollow ride story - Long



Thanks, Linda.  That's a nice story.  I was there too, riding the 50.  I was
sixth.  Keep telling the good endurance stories and maybe the ones about the
bad things won't seem so prevelant.

Laura Hayes


----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda Flemmer" <bluewolfranch@yahoo.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 9:52 AM
Subject: RC: Battle Hollow ride story - Long


Battle Hollow ride story
OR
What a limited distance ride SHOULD be:

After medical problems of my own and starting a new
horse from ground zero, Ive been out of actually
competing for about 2 years now.  My young gelding,
Razz was finally ready to be seen in polite company,
so we decided to inflict ourselves upon the good
graces of Dorrie Skarbek at the Battle Hollow ride in
Punxsutawney, PA.  (Yes  home of Punxsutawney Phil,
the great weather-prognosticating ground hog.)  We
signed up for the 25 mile LD as a TRAINING ride.

When we arrived in the large, grassy field after
driving thru drenching, traffic-stopping down pours,
the weather smiled upon us & eased up long enough to
check in & set up camp.  Then my husband (aka crew)
and I sat for an hour in more pouring rain in the
steamy dressing room of our trailer.  Are we having
fun yet?  It dried up in time for vetting in, then
just occasional showers hitting the roof of the
trailer thru the night

Ride morning dawns bright, sunny, and crisp.  I
actually wished I had brought a jacket to ride in!
The 50 milers started first, so we had probably 20 of
them warming up a few feet from Razzs butt.  He
didnt even blink an eye.  Wow!  (Saving his energy
for later, dont ya know?)

About 25 minutes prior to our start, I mounted the
sleepy beast, only to have him turn into a raving
lunatic!  We gotta go, Mom!  Those 50 mile friends
all LEFT!  He had a hump in his back like a beach
ball.  He tried to pop a rear, then buck, spin, dance
in place  Any thing except move forward.

The vets asked to see each horse trot out under saddle
before the start.  We kind-of trotted.  J  We tried
some slow dressage work  long, low, forward  It
helped a little.  Then the trail was opened with a
controlled start.  As everyone surged forward, Razz
danced in place again on pavement.  Little &^#@%.
After about the first mile, something seemed to
finally click.  He settled into a round frame and
started to stride out like we trained at home.  Within
the first 3 miles, we hooked up with 5 other people
who set a compatible pace.  One was girl new to
endurance on a new mustang mare.  One was an
experienced team who dropped to 25 miles since theyd
had limited training time.  The other three were
experienced riders on (very NICE) green horses.

I wish everyone had a chance to do a Limited Distance
ride like the one I had.  We took turns leading,
traveling in the middle & riding at the end thru
winding wooded trails & stream crossings.  We watched
out for each other.  We took time so that the green
horses had time to learn to eat & drink on the trail.
Braver horses helped more timid ones thru obstacles.
We came into the vet check in places 1-6 and pulsed
down within a minute or two of each other.

We waited for one another to all go out together
again.  This time the trail was open & rolling down
dirt roads and thru open fields.  We had fun chasing
nearly 2 dozen turkeys we surprised as we came up over
a hill at a gallop.  The horses played in mud puddles,
ate sweet grass, and goofed off.  The ride seemed too
short as we came into the finish!   I still had more
horse underneath me.  What a nice feeling for my new
horse.

I was so pleased with Razz as he pulsed right thru for
his completion.  He finished with all As.  What a
wonderful training ride!  What wonderful impromptu
ride partners!  I asked my husband to remind me just
how pleased I was with Razz just then (for the next
time Razz does something stupid).

I only hope that Battle Hollow will exist as a ride
next year.  Parts of the rides route used PA State
Game Lands which may be closed to riders by next year.
:-(

Thank you Dorrie & all the volunteers who puton such a
nice ride.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Ranch
West Virginia


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