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Re: [RC] My LBL ride story (long) - Truman Prevatt
Before I describe my "LBL" I will freely admit, I hate mud. I will take sand any day because sand doesn't turn to mud by adding a tiny amount of water:-). I grew up not far from LBL and it is the world's epicenter of mud. I remember having to stomp through knee deep mud from the days of my youth. There are a number of reasons I left that area after college, and while "never wanting to see mud again" was not on top of the list it was in the top five. So I do come into this story with a bias:-). We got there Sunday afternoon to get in a little vacation time and visit with my sister. It was pouring when we got there. Monday, Tuesday and most of Wednesday were clear and the trail was actually in pretty good shape. A little mud in the low spots near camp but that was about it. Then the skies open up Wednesday late and that was it. A front that was predicted to moved through parked on top of my trailer and stayed till Saturday morning. This turned the trails very slick. My horse is a sand horse - 90% of his miles (training and competing ) are in the sand. The other 10% is in rocks. He knows how to handle sand. He knows that he can push as hard as he wants into the sand with his back feet and they won't slide:-). Well when we he hits mud he can't even walk without his hind feet sliding out from under him. On Saturday morning he was pretty much hyper extending his hind legs on every stride. The more he tried to push to keep from sliding the more he slid - even at the walk. The canter seemed to be the gait he could keep his feet under him the best, but we almost went down when I let him canter so the canter was out. So I decided about 1/2 way around on the 18 mile loop that if the remainder of the trail was this bad, nothing good could come of pushing on. The poor Jbird was out of his element and he was not handling it well and the risk wasn't worth going on. The old boy is not a mudder, yea like we ever get a chance to train in the stuff:-(. So I rode in slow - mostly walking and told Otis to check him out to see if he was okay (he was) and I was calling it a day. So I got dress in my street clothes and joined Angie in the circle of shame and crewed and helped. While the results of the ride were not what I would have liked I did have a wonderful time at LBL. From riding earlier and halping to mark the trail I'd seen the entire trail and it's a great trail. This is a top notch place to ride. The trials are very nice (when they are dry) and the camp is nice. The Fruths did a first class job on the ride and I am quite sure the LBL will become a premiere event that is a central location to three regions (SE, Central and Midwest ). I know I am sure going back next year. That's my story and I'm sticking to it ;-)! Truman
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