Ha, ha, ha! Isn't it fun to talk about how great we were :) I haven't had this much fun since the Qualifer 100 in Utah (mid 80s)...when ride management and the vet just "didn't realize" a 100 miles would take all night to finish and "they had supper to feed their families and cows to milk," so they LEFT the ride...I mean really left the ride and went home to bed! I had the misfortune to be the only rider left standing "so to speak." So, I was out totally alone on a trail with no night markings (and not much day marking) and no ride management and no vet! There was one point when I just laid down in a little ditch beside the trail and cried my eyes out...had a major pity party. My wonderful horse just watched in disgust. You could almost hear him thinking that if this stupid woman doesn't get up and find the trail, I'll never eat again! So, I got back on and we finally finished around 4 in the morning. All the riders who were there for the 50, and those pulled from the 100 (or quit), stayed up to wait for me. They cheered and checked my horse and wrote down my time, did PRs, etc. The next morning the vet and management showed up after their breakfasts. I won a pocket knife etched with one of those cheap hand-held etchers. That stupid pocket knife is still up on my mantel over 20 years later...just to remind me of the good ole days :) Thanks for the memories, girlfriends.
