[RC] My OD...sometimes the bear gets you...part 1 - Laura Hayes
I have finally
had a night's rest after being awake for 40 hours, and = want to get this
down before I forget much.
To summarize all this in one sentence...The
bear got me, but I had a = heck of a good weekend...now the
story:
Along with some smashing successes at rides, my mare, Equal Terms
has = had some problems in the past with ulcers and colic and such, and if
she = belonged to anyone else, I would have advised them to get a new horse
= and quit messing around. But I knew in my heart she was the most
= physically talented of all the horses I have ridden, and we had a bond I
= was not ready to give up on - so we persevered. After riding her for
a = 1000 miles of competition, I backed off and started from the beginning
= again, and after almost another year of going slow and her learning to
= eat and drink, we were ready to step things up a little. We won and
= BC'd the Michaux 75 two weeks ago, and I was on cloud nine- I finally
= had the horse I knew she could be, and I was ready to tackle the trail
= at Old Dominion - one of the most difficult rides in the world.
In
1987 or 1988 I was at OD 100 with Rushcreek Noel and was pulled = riding
Calvary, at the 80 mile mark. I had not had a horse, or the = time, or
the situation in life to be able to try the 100 again until = this year- so
this was a 19 year grudge match between me and this trail, = and I decided to
do it Calvary. "Like it is not hard enough??" my ever = patient husband
asks. I signed him up to vet, so I didn't have a crew
= anyway....
Laura Hayes Vine Cliff Farms Brocton,
NY AERC# 2741
