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[RC] Hillsdale Kansas Ride story kinda long - Chastain, Shannon L.The Hillsdale ride was excellent the NEW 1st time ride manager did a GREAT job!!! The trails were very very wet and boggy they have had tons of rain in that area. Where it wasn't boggy it was rocky. My Arab thinks he does not have to drink at a ride just lay down every couple of water crossing and he will absorb the water through his skin:-) Well believe it or not we had at least 15 crossing and he did not lay down once and even stopped to drink and I even sponged him some. It was a cold ride so a lot of sponging was not needed. We were about 8 miles into the ride and my riding buddy Bev and I heard something coming at us fast crashing through the tree. Yep it was a run away horse just as I got my gelding turned around to let him see it was not a horse eating monster the rider fell off. I went to her and Bev went to see if she could catch the horse as we were within about 1/4 of a mile of a busy highway. The rider said she was fine just needed to catch her breath so I went to see if I could help find the horse. The horse was GONE. So I headed back to camp to get help and Bev stayed to help the rider. My gelding must have felt my anxiety and was flat flying at trot and spooked at something and down I went. I guess my horse decided he had had enough and he headed back to camp. He really surprised me as he always says with me when I come off. So my horse trots into camp very proud because in his horse mind he won all by his self. Finally a rider caught up with me and was able to get to camp and explain the first downed rider had a broken ankle and needed help and her horse (a pretty paint) was still missing but the crazy chestnut's rider was on foot to camp unhurt. The wonderful safety/drag rider got the injured rider out and found the paint. I was met with my horse after a nice walk to get the kinks out and Bev and I were off again. We ran into a very ill rider on the second loop but she already had help so we moved on. This was my second LD completion and Bev's first and even with all the excitement we had a GREAT time. There were 37 LD starters with 5 lame pulls and two rider option pulls one being the lady with the broken ankle the other was the sick rider. We had two GREAT Vets and 5 vet students I tried to recruit one as my vet is well beyond retirement age and someday I am going to need a vet. With the trail conditions only having 5 lame did not seem to high to me as many of the bogs were knee high. We rode a very concretive ride and used almost all of our 6 hours. Bev has attempted this ride twice and has been pulled for being lame she was determined to make it this time and she did. This park seem to me to be a lot like Steph described the park for the NAEC ride. And Susan and crew did a great job marking the trails. She even had her hubby help us across the busy highway after a wonderful controlled start. There were 11 50 milers and I had to leave before the last one came in so I am not sure how their numbers came out I believe there was 1 pull for lameness. My horse got one B on guts sounds at the mid check and 1 B for mucus membranes on the final check the rest were all A's. He took all the rocks very well barefoot all the way around. Shannon and Drinks R Served AKA Charlie Bean =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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