Lone Raven Ridge (my first 50!)

[RDCARRIE@aol.com]

Since there haven't been many ride stories lately (c'mon folks, I love 
reading them!), and since I'm *still* excited about completing my first 50 
<G>, I'll take a few minutes to tell y'all about the Lone Raven Ridge ride, 
held Feb. 16th in west Texas.  This was actually supposed to be my second 50, 
but my horse decided to forget all of the work I've done with him on his "ear 
phobia", and completely wigged out when I tried to bridle him at Frigid Digit 
in January...I missed the start of the 50, but ride management graciously let 
me switch to the LD.

Anyhow, my husband and I loaded up my 16 yr old unregistered Arab gelding, HK 
Chivas, and headed to the Lone Raven Ridge ride the morning of Friday, Feb. 
15th.  I was a little apprehensive at trying a fairly rugged ride for our 
first 50, but figured I'd take it one loop at a time and see how it went.  
Chivas had done a few 50s back in 1998, I think it was, then enjoyed life as 
a pasture potato until I bought him about a year and a half ago.  Between the 
proverbial saddle fit problems and my crazy work schedule, it's taken us a 
while to get to this point, but I felt like we were finally ready to move up. 
 I was jazzed!

We got to the ride, and parked near Marilyn Weise from San Angelo and Cressy 
Drummond from Angleton.  I'd met Marilyn at the starting line of the first LD 
we both did in 1999.  She'd done her first 50 just 6 weeks ago...this would 
be her second.  Cressy has been doing 50s for, what, a couple of years now?  
My very patient husband, Ross, was along to crew and try to make sure I drink 
water...oh, and to help foam on easy boots!  <G>  We got everything set up, 
then tackled the boots.  Didn't foam the back ones on - I know they won't 
come off.  I'd foamed the fronts on at a rocky ride last fall, but didn't use 
enough foam, and lost one.  I resolved to use more this time.  I mixed the 
first batch and poured it in the boot.  As Ross put that boot on the horse, I 
mixed up the second batch, and he applied that boot.  In no time, the stuff 
was emerging out of the tops, backs, etc. of the boots.  As he frantically 
scraped off the excess, I told him to be sure and keep it off the heel 
strap...he said, "forget the $%#& heel strap, I'll be lucky to stop it at his 
knees!"  <G>  Fortunately I'd applied vaseline around the coronary band and 
heel bulbs (thanks to Karen Chaton's instruction page).  I think I need to 
use a little less foam next time...

Chivas vetted in with all As.  The ride meeting and dinner were at the Lone 
Raven hunt club lodge, on a ridge about 4-5 miles from camp.  Some folks 
unhooked their trucks and drove up there, but a bunch of us piled on a 
flatbed trailer with haybales for seating for a far more fun trip.  :)  The 
lodge was beautiful - stone, lots of windows, huge fireplace.  Dinner was 
some delicious venison chili with just enough kick to be interesting, 
cornbread, and chocolate chip cookies to die for.  There were door prizes at 
the meeting, too.  After the meeting, it was back on the trailer for a fast 
trip back to camp.

As usual, I laid awake most of the night...I don't sleep well before a ride, 
and I was really nervous about trying a 50.  When it was finally time to get 
up, Ross fed Chivas his beet pulp while I got dressed and downed some No-doze 
(gotta feed the caffeine addiction).  I was too nervous to eat, but finally 
managed to get tacked up and head to the start.

We hung back at the start, as I wanted to go nice and slow...we finally lined 
out in an easy trot.  Chivas likes to chase other horses and pass them, and I 
usually end up with blisters and aching arms and shoulders from fighting him. 
 I tried to hit a happy medium this time.  After a couple of miles, I found 
myself a little ways behind Gail Zeck and Heidi (not sure of last name?).  
Heidi was riding one of Gail's horses in its first 50, so they were going 
slow.  Cressy, Marilyn, Cressy's friend Pam, and a couple of others were a 
little behind us.  After the first few miles, the trail began to twist and 
wind through relatively steep areas.  I should mention that ride management 
didn't just clear trail...they BUILT it!  A lot of what we rode was new trail 
bulldozed through the junipers, with people then raking as many of the rocks 
off as they could.  We could see where they had chainsawed lots of limbs off 
junipers as well.  We alternated walking and trotting this section.  I 
finally caught up to Gail and Heidi, and joked that if I was up with her, I 
was definitely going too fast.  Gail said they were going slow since it was 
Magnum's first 50.  We approached a keyhole, with the ride photographer at 
the gate.  She was directing people through the gate, but Chivas decided to 
spook at her and shoot off to the left, missing the gate...she kept calling, 
"Through the gate!!, through the gate!!".  <G>  I finally got the goofball 
turned around and he sidled through the gate, keep one eye and one ear on her 
in case she decided to attack.  I tried to drop back several times, as Gail 
and Heidi were going just a *tiny* bit faster than I wanted.  Chivas had 
other ideas, and I finally decided it was less stressful on him to just stay 
with them for this loop (14.2 miles).

We arrived back at camp, and Chivas pulsed down quickly.  He vetted through 
with all A's and one or two A-'s.  He munched beet pulp and carrots during 
the 30 min. hold.  When our out time came, I let Gail and Heidi get a 5-10 
minute head start before I left, so that Chivas wouldn't fret over trying to 
catch up.  We headed out alone, and he was fine for a couple of miles.  Then 
I think he just got bored...he started his high, bouncy trot with neck bowed 
and ears almost touching at the tips...with that "I'm about to spook at 
something, but I haven't decided what yet" attitude, complete with little 
swerves and mini-half halts, etc.  He was tossing me all over the place, and 
refused to move out steadily.  We got to some water and I just hung out 
there, knowing that Cressy, Pam, Marilyn, and Monday (sorry, don't know last 
name) weren't far behind.  Sure enough, they came along in about 10 minutes, 
and we rode the rest of the ride together as the "Herd of Turtles," as we 
were in last place.  <G>  This was Monday's first 50 too.

The second loop (10.8 mi.) went quickly. Cressy led most of the way...Chivas 
kept passing her, but when he got in front, he'd start acting goofy again.  
He spooks a lot, and I think the rocks and cacti had him a little edgy.  <G>  
As always, Chivas started drinking on the 2nd loop, and didn't stop for the 
rest of the ride.  We all pulsed down together.  Chivas again got all A's and 
a couple of A-'s.  This hold was 45 minutes, so we took Chivas back up to the 
trailer.  He decided he didn't like the hay we'd brought (part of the same 
bale he'd been eating happily at home - go figure).  Cressy's husband gave 
him a flake of alfalfa, and Marilyn gave him a flake of her hay.  He ate 
alfalfa and beet pulp during the hold, and drank well.

We all headed out on loop 3 (the 14.2 mile loop again) together.  While 
walking around the trailer during the hold, I'd twisted my ankle on a 
rock...10 minutes later I'd forgotten all about it.  About 3-4 miles into 
loop 3, it started hurting, and by halfway through the loop I was in agony.  
I made it through the loop with visions of Ibuprofin bottles dancing through 
my head.  <G>  When we got to the water stop in the keyhole, we met up with 
Linda Huereca (sp?) and her adorable mule Mariah.  Seems that Mariah was 
bored with travelling alone.  They were inducted into our group and the Herd 
of Turtles swept onward.

Finshed loop 3 and pulsed down quickly.  I kept waiting for Chivas to seem 
tired, but he was perky and alert...I was really happy with how he was doing. 
 He again vetted through with all A's and a few A-'s.  Ross had to trot him 
out for me because of my ankle.  When Ross led him toward the food, Chivas 
practically dragged him the last 6 feet.  He didn't take his nose out of the 
buffet till Ross dragged it out to electrolyte him when we were ready to 
leave. 

The Herd of Turtles headed out together again, except that Marilyn stayed 
behind for a few minutes, catching up in a few miles.  She has bad ankles, 
and they were really bothering her.  Everyone's horse (and mule) looked 
great.  Only 10.8 miles to go to my first 50 endurance miles!!!  The loop 
flew by.  Marilyn and Monday slowed down about 2/3 of the way through and 
came in a little later, but with their horses still looking good.  The rest 
of us picked up speed as the finish line came into view.  Cressy warned me 
that she and Pam usually galloped over the line just for fun.  I told them to 
hurry up and pass me, since they'd led most of the way we'd ridden together 
and should finish ahead of me.  We flew toward the line, and Chivas and I 
crossed right behind Pam and Cressy, with Linda and Mariah right behind us.  
As we crossed, I couldn't help but give a whoop, and was ready for Chivas to 
spook in response.  However, a member of ride management stepped out of a 
nearby truck as I whooped - the combination was too much for Chivas' little 
brain and he shot sideways right through a big cactus.  :(  Got to the P&R 
and while he drank I pulled spines out of his legs.  He pulsed down right 
away.  Just the trot out remaining, but my husband was nowhere to be seen.  
One of the ride vets, who had vetted Chivas all day, saw my forlorn look as I 
hobbled toward him, and volunteered to trot him out, saying that he'd already 
pulled the rider (me) for lameness earlier.  <G>  Then I heard those magic 
words from head ride vet Gail Conway:  "He looks good!"  We'd done it - our 
first 50!!  I walked on air for the rest of the day!  Our ride time was a 
little over 8 1/2 hours.

A note about the ride - I loved the trails and scenery.  Ride management 
spent an incredible amount of time BUILDING trail.  There were a number of 
miles of raw trail bulldozed cross country, then painstakingly cleared of the 
worst of the rocks, with lots of chainsaw work to cut limbs, etc.  I've only 
been riding for 3 years, but I've never seen so much work put into clearing 
and building trail!  My hat's off to them!  There were lots of rocks and some 
stretches where you had to slow down and walk, but plenty of good flat 
stretches where you could really fly if you wanted to.  I thought it was a 
good mix of steep trail and flat - they seemed to mix it up, with a few miles 
of steep, then a few miles of flatter trail.  Chivas' easy boots gave him 
good traction on the patches of slick rock.  I thought the trail was marked 
well.  They used some ribbon, but also lots of spray paint on rocks, the 
ground, trees, cacti, etc.  There was plenty of room at camp for trailers.  
Those of you who didn't make it to this ride, you missed a fun one!!  Oh, and 
the smoked venison dinner Saturday night was pretty darned good, too!!  We'll 
be back next year for sure.

Dawn in East Texas (50 AERC miles!!)
and HK Chivas