Report on the Quicksilver Classic Fall ride

[Michael Maul <mmaul@flash.net>]

We had a lovely day for the Fall Quicksilver Classic ride this last 
weekend in Henry Coe Park south of San Jose. The park is huge - some 
84,000 plus acres and we used just a quarter of it for the 30/50 put 
on by first time ride manager Steve Lenheim. The weather was moderate 
and the views were spectacular.  The ride was challenging  - winning 
time of 5:48 - without being extremely difficult.  There were 
very few pulls with people riding their horses conservatively.

First the statistics:  QSER = Quicksilver Endurance Riders Club member

Starting in the 30 were 18 with one Junior and 16 finishing.  Club members 
in the LD included Eric Thompson riding in "drag" - he even shaved his beard 
and used makeup with eye shadow for his costume. Tom Stutzman was pulled.

Starting in the 50 were 30 riders with 28 finishing - 1 Junior.

Placing in the 50
1 Leisa Belser  5:48 ride time
2 Dennis Vaca   5:48:01  ******** BC**********
3 Rick Gomez    6:00  QSER Member
4 Mike Black    6:00:01
5 Pat McAndrews 6:21  QSER
6 Nina Bomar
7 Hugh Vanderford     QSER
8 Alex North
9 C. Pokorny
10 Robert Ribley      QSER
11 Nick Warhol
12 Dawn Perrine       QSER
13 Heather Bergantz   QSER

16 Jan Jeffers        QSER
17 Mike Maul          QSER
18 Becky Hart         QSER
19 Julie Suhr         QSER
20 Barbara White      QSER

23 Marilyn Orlando    QSER

28 Trilby Pederson 10:15    QSER  

Most of the club either rode or worked.  Volunteers or equipment 
contributors included Maryben, Connell & Kay Allison, Hillorie 
Bachman, Stephanie Beebe, Ken Cook, Linda Cowles, Jackie Davidson, 
Joyce Gomez, Diane Enderle, Judy and Ken Etheridge, Cathy Kauer, 
Kathy Mayeda, Pat McKendry, Bill and Sandie Parker, Jeff Luternauer, 
Melissa Ribley(Head Vet), Marvin Snowbarger, Nancy Twight, Georgina 
Wallbridge, Michele Shaw(Vet), Bing Voight, Bob Suhr, Lori Oleson, Jill 
Kilty Newburn, Frank Orlando, Richard Vargas(6 bales of hay), Browns 
Ranch, Jan Jeffers, Peggy Bullock,  Scott Sansome, and Gloria Vanderford.

BC was won by Dennis Vaca/Royal who called up at the last moment to 
enter.  Melissa Ribley said he seemed a little unfamiliar with endurance 
rides at the Wild West ride in Sept. but he won BC at that ride and this 
ride.  His last endurance ride was Tevis in 1978. Apparently you don't 
forget how to do endurance...

The BC award was a lovely framed, numbered, and signed artwork by 
Judith Ogus that had been previously used as the cover of our yearly 
calendar.  Julie Suhr donated some very nice shipping boots as an 11th 
place finish award - the bridesmaid prize. She also donated a $50 gift 
certificate to the winner of the "2nd Commandment of Endurance" Contest 
from the last Quips that was Mike Maul.  The LD "Horse of Excellence" 
award was another artwork from Judith.

The ridecamp was spread out over several meadows with lots of room.  
There were three dry creeks to get thru and the big rigs had to be careful 
not to bottom out.

The start was pretty laid back.  We got to the start about 3 minutes before 
7 AM and only 4 riders were there.  We thought we had missed the start and 
everyone was gone.  Steve honked the truck horn to let everyone know the 
ride had started and a few more riders appeared. The LD and the 50 both 
started at the same time.

The ride goes out for about 3 miles level for a warm-up and then starts 
some reasonable hills up to Wilson Camp for the trot by check. There was 
lots of water(2000 gallons) on the trail brought in by truck.  The views 
were spectacular - there was some haze so we couldn't see the Sierras but 
almost. There were a number of ups and downs with the toughest hill 
coming right after the lunch stop at Coyote camp.

We saw deer, lots of turkeys, pigs, hikers, bikers, and other horse people.  
It's really a great park for a ride.  In the spring - the wild flowers are 
incredible. 

Some observations on the ride:

I'm turning into a morning person for rides.  The light on the hills slowly 
creeps down as the sun rises.  The horses are alive and very alert.  As we 
trot out in the three mile flat area - I can feel his trot gradually starting to 
extend as he really warms up.  There's fog out in the distant valleys - as we 
climb the first hill - I can see horses down below on the flat getting ready 
for their first climb. Above and to the side - I see a pair of riders and 
horses keeping perfectly in stride as they go up the hill to come for us. The 
sun is golden as it comes up over the hills. We pass through areas 
where it's cold - then 15 degrees warmer in the next 100 feet - then back to 
cool again. Mornings like these are something to remember about our 
rides - we don't get out there just to ride - we are out there to experience 
something we don't see in our cities and towns.

You catch up with a friend - you talk about horses you have both ridden - 
Zayante for one in our case - horses and rides where you will ride together 
again in the future.

You come up over a hill and see all of Monterey Bay spread out before 
you hidden in the fog. You wonder what this park looked like 100 years 
ago.  Much like it does now probably but minus the pigs and turkeys. 
You wonder what Wilson camp looked like in the sunset when it was in use.  

On the west side of the hills - you see mostly oaks.  We go over the hill 
and it all turns to pines with these huge cones on the ground.  Interesting 
how the trees change this fast in such a small distance.  We look down and 
see the vet stop at Coit Lake to come.  You can see everything from up in 
the hills.

You don't appreciate what horses can do compared to cars until you try to 
mark trails by car.  On Friday - we went out in my little 4 WD Subaru to 
mark a part of the trail.  The dry creeks with the rocks are tough.  The turn 
and then steep up are more than my 4 WD can handle.  I smell clutch 
burning as I carefully back down.  The next day on my horse - it's easy.  
We don't even think about the rocks or the uphill.  A 4 WD truck with low 
gears could probably do it.  I end up with two flats and a real appreciation 
of where horses are king...

At the ride meeting - Steve Lenheim - a Vietnam vet - has his American 
flag out for the ride.  He says it's the first time in 30 years that he has put 
this flag up from that time.  Sept. 11 has had its effect on us all and will 
continue to do so.

We're following three riders in the afternoon.  The riders in front of us 
have more world championships, more Tevis buckles, and more miles 
between them than it would seem possible to find in any one place in the 
world. We catch up at the water - then quickly lose them again as they go 
on.  Becky Hart, Barbara White, and Julie Suhr...

At the very nice awards dinner - some of the outside world comes back.  
You talk about layoffs in the Internet world.  What will happen next in the 
tech world.  Maryben has a problem with the computer program used for 
BC and scoring. We are in the flight path for San Jose.  Still it's good to 
see them flying again after what happened. We live in a mix of the old and 
the new - mostly new here but for the weekend - we escaped back to the 
old for a while


This was a very nice first ride for Coe Park.  The club knows things about 
the trails and times so the next ride can be even better.  Whenever we do it 
in the spring - the yellow wildflowers paving the roads will make it look 
the yellow brick road in "The Wizard of Oz".

A great ride and hopefully the first of many as we explore the rest of the 
park.

Mike