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[RC] Fire Mountain - long - GarnerT

Well, we just returned from this year's Fire Mountain and it was great!  Due
to the recent rains, the trails and footing were the best I've ever seen.
Nancy also changed the trails & loops & they were really fun!  There was a
lot more single track, cross country trail.  The turns and trails were the
best marked I've ever seen.  I was riding with a friend who has done this
ride many times, and she loved the changes.  It was fun to ride behind her &
watch her head swivel back and forth trying to figure out where we were!

The only thing to mar the whole experience was the sunshine and lack of wind
that is so familiar to Ridgecrest!  Seriously, it was warm, with not much of
a breeze in the morning.  Sixty-three 50 milers started and only forty-three
finished.  The head vet said it was equally divided between metabolics &
lameness, so a lot of people just rode a little fast.  He did compliment the
people who were pulled for listening to their horses and recognizing there
was a problem.  He also acknowledged, that due to the weather, quite a few
horses were a little underconditioned for the ride.

A lot of people had clipped, but since I live in foggy Bakersfield, and it's
been really cold here, I chose not to clip.  Accordingly, I rode a very
slow, conservative ride.  My friend Marci and I finished at 5:20 in the
evening, but our horses were sound and fit to continue!

There were 15 LD riders, and only 1 didn't complete.  Way to go LD riders!
I think I heard the horse won, but didn't meet criteria in time.  If I'm
wrong, I apologize right now.

The ride was a lot smaller this year due to competing rides, but we loved
it.  Vet lines were fast, and there was plenty of lasagna for everyone!

Thanks again, Nancy, vets, ride secretary, and volunteers.

Kathy Garner & Taz



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