Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

There was a huge buffet dinner with all the riders and runners, plenty of carbs, and of course, Ben & Jerry's for dessert.

Ride morning began with the alarm at 3:45 a.m.  Sure enough, the fireworks began at 3:55 a.m. with lovely music (was it Chariots of Fire?) playing, and it was awe-inspiring to see those beautiful fireworks over the darkened VT sky, standing beside your regal horse and partner, knowing just how privileged we are to be able to participate in such a sport as we do.

It was an odd morning, catching a nap, then running to the various vet check areas, and waiting to tack up until 1 p.m.

Normally, Ned and I are back-of-the-pack starters, given Ned's proclivity for airs above ground particularly during his younger years, but Carla and I ended up in the middle of the pack for this start.  Ned was pumped, but thankfully, mostly earthbound.

Ten miles to the Greenall's, where there was a 10-minute mandatory rest stop.  This part of the trail was probably the most challenging, technically, with a few switchbacks, climbs, twists and turns and a rocky area or two.  We stopped for a quick potty stop on trail, and realized Ned was in ground bees.  A little kicking and stomping and we were out of them.  Phew!

We pulled into Greenall's in a little over an hour, immediately soaked the horse's slurpies, and they dove in, and then spent all of the ten minutes just sponging them while they ate.  Great idea, nice stop, not terribly hectic since there was no pulse taking (although I'm quite sure our horses were down to 64) or tack stripping, and Julie Bullock watched us trot out to check for soundness after the rest time was up.  Good to go, and nine miles to the first "real" hold.

The weather was gorgeous.  Probably approaching 80, bright blue skies, fluffy clouds.  Carla and I oohed and aahed over gardens and the New England-charming houses and barns, and the lovely views up the mountains, and down into the valleys.  For pure wish-I-could-sit-back-and-hang-at-this-scenic-outlook-forever standpoint, this ride has to be tops.  The horses were traveling along at a nice clip, Miss Dee favoring the wooded, technical trails, Ned enjoying the dirt road country lanes where he could just get into big trot mode, and go.  With the occasional spook thrown in for kicks.

The trail into the vet check at Rhodes' took you through the back of their property, wooded, with a screened gazebo, and beautiful yellow barns and outbuildings and a house over a gorgeous stone barn.  Breathtakingly beautiful, and so exquisitely maintained that I just couldn't believe we had a vet check on their manicured green front lawn (complete with that most lovely sight of all, the portapottie).

Miss Dee came down to parameters immediately.  Ned hung for a few more minutes - he may have a low resting pulse, but he's also a big bodied ½ Trakehner.   And as Mary Coleman would say, it wasn't Morgan (or warmblood) Riding Weather yet.

Julie vetted Ned through with all As, and seemed to take a liking to the big lug, despite the fact that on the trot back, he did the Arab head whirl and then managed to trip over his own legs.  "Serves him right for showing off!" she said.  Back to our crewing area, where both horses made quick work of their slurpies and hay, and were munching on grass as our 45 minute hold came to an end.   

[End of Part Three]