NCR 50 and a (long) mule story

["Arco Farm" <arcofarm@gulftel.com>]

Here is some reading for you bored Ridecampers.
You can go to www.enduronc.com and look at the photos for the 50 mile finish
and see the Rudy racing across the finish line.  There is one other photo of
Ru' at the finish that is not so flattering.   He shied at last minute a few
feet away from the line and dodged going through the finish line banners.  I
was able to get him back on track and across the line.

Rudy' Story
Rudy and I went really fast the first 23.6 mile loop and came in 3rd place
at the first vet check.  May have gone too fast on this loop as Rudy hit his
'take care of my muleself' mode and we mostly trotted the second loop with
only occasional cantering.  Rudy ate good at the 2nd vet check and we hit
the trail heading back to camp and the finish line.  He hit his mule trot
gait and I did not ask for any more.   About seven riders passed us on this
loop but Rudy and I let 'em go and did not try to stay with them.  I
calculated that I was in about 16th place.  I was happy with that!!  This
was the National Championship Ride, after all.  16th was Good!!   About 6
miles from camp I caught sight of two riders, a lady on a gray mare and a
man on a gaited type horse.  As soon as they realized I was back there, they
took off down the trail.   Rudy and I continued at exactly the same pace we
had maintained since the second loop..... steady trot, not so fast... but
steady.  In about 10 minutes I caught sight of them again.  Zoom!!  Off they
went again!!!  This scenario repeated itself over and over again the entire
way to camp. The last time I caught sight of them was right at the bottom of
the mountain.  Again they whooped and hollered and took off like the angel
of death was on their tail.  I continued to trot on in off the trail and
into the road around camp which eventually would lead to the  finish line.
I never saw this gray mare and gaited horse again until right at the finish
line.  I was trotting around the mowed circle path to the finish and heard
folks shouting "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!"   Come ON!!  Rudy!! "  Thought they were
just welcoming me to the finish.  Could not see the people or the finish
line because the path made a sharp right hand turn ahead of me and there
were a row of trailer rigs parked on my right which obscured the view.  I
had assumed the pair of horses in front of me had already crossed the line
way ahead of me but when I made that right hand turn and the finish line
came into view..... THERE THEY BOTH WERE!!!  NOT  ONLY WERE THEY NOT ACROSS
THE FINISH LINE YET BUT THEY WERE BOTH OFF THEIR HORSES, ATTEMPTING TO DRAG
THEIR HORSES BY THE REINS DOWN THE FINAL STRETCH TO THE FINISH!!      Folks
were cheering and shouting as I realized what was going on here.  I whooped
at Rudy and we took off in a gallop to the finish.
We galloped right between these two who had tried so hard to stay in front
of me most the last loop!  They eventually did get their horses across the
line with  but I think they were both pulled as I ended up in 9th place
overall;  I saw the 10th place horse stand for BC  and it was neither of
them.
(The moral of that story is those folks should have ridden their own ride
and not let me and Rudy  push their horses beyond their capabilities - which
if we did that-- we did it unintentionally)

Anyway, we were handed a card which indicated we placed 14th.  Just what I
had calculated my place was on the trail, plus the two places I gained at
the finish line.  So I took ole' Ru' back to his pen and washed him down and
let him relax and do mule things in his pen.  I knew I had an hour to get
back and get a completion so I was in no hurry.  Just let Rudy stand in his
pen and munch hay and roll.  Then I heard them announce my name to come get
my completion check or be DQ!!!  I freaked out, grabbed Rudy and ran him in
hand back over there and got his completion. I had 20 minutes to spare
before my hour was up but since I have a reputation for being late for vet
checks, I think some folks who know me got nervous and made the
announcement.  After the completion exam, someone asked me if I was going to
stand for BC.. I said I would love to but I did not place in the top ten.
Then I went and put Rudy back in his pen again.  Then I walked  back over to
the finish line to watch the activities.  Immediately someone with RM came
over to me and said there were several more DQ ahead of me and that put me
in 9th place..... I could stand for BC!!  YIKES!!!   I  RAN back to  camp.
Threw the halter and lead rope on Rudy and rode him at a long trot bareback
over to the vet check area and presented him for BC!  Rudy did incredibly
well in his BC presentation.  He trotted out perfectly, stayed right at my
shoulder the whole trot out on  a loose rope. He had not even one mark on
his legs or saddle area.  Showed no sensitivity to any palpation.  CRI was
great!!  Attitude was super.  I was very proud of him for not being a grouch
after the way I had treated him in the last hour.  After the BC judging, I
rode Rudy around for a while bareback, showed him off doing his laying down
trick and then went over for his finish photo in the ring. He was a happy
mule the whole time.  No stiffness, not sore at all.  At the awards
ceremony, I could not have been more proud when Connie said " I am not sure
how this will look on the cover of Endurance News and I don't think we can
put longer ears on this......."  Everyone in the tent knew who won the
award!!!  I have never had a moment in my life that is more of a highlight
than winning this BC!"   I love this sport!!!!
Cindy Brasfield, DVM
Arco Rudy the NCR 50 BC mule