Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

We kept expecting the wind to blow sooner. It was supposed to start  
yesterday bringing in a cold front. Then last night, but it was  
cloudy and warm all night (I woke up roasting under all the covers...  
or maybe it was just hot flashes), and this morning it was still calm  
and just right - not too hot, not too cold. But just when we got in  
from the 2nd loop and settled into the hold, a monster gust came in,  
blowing our buckets hither and yon, sweeping the hay off the ground,  
grit in the eyes.  It sort of settled down again, and we left on the  
last loop with a nice cooling breeze, but still not too bad.

Now we're done, hunkered in the trailer which is rocking in the wind,  
ghostly howlings through the vents and windows and under the  
gooseneck. The horses are standing in the lee of the trailer, eyes  
closed and just being horses. (maybe a little tired too - we had a  
FUN ride... and you know what that means :)

The start was lively - everybody was circling for a while waiting for  
the starter to say go, taking numbers, and all the horses were first- 
day-fresh. Kevin's lovely gentle Redford was bucking pretty good, Mac  
and Jaziret were doing the gallop in place thing, and it was a  
classic yeehaw start. We zoomed over two track roads, and single  
track cross country, and winding through the trees and brush and then  
there were lots and lots and lots of gates to open once we got into  
the big grazing allotment with all the cattle . This was actually  
good because the horses started getting their brains back after the  
umpteenth stop-open-go through-close-go. We did the first 20 mile  
loop in 2 hours - a good steady pace, and came into the first hold   
somewhere between 10th and 15th place.

We cruised through the second loop nice and easy, John/Mac, Kevin/Red  
and Jaziret and I taking turns leading. We rode some with Kevin  
Waters on his pretty palomino firecracker and Stephanie Palmer on her  
campaigner - another 'mature' horse at 17 and still going strong. The  
wind was getting stronger, but pleasant riding. When we left on the  
3rd and final loop the horses were still strong, but not pulling as  
much - just right really. Coming in on the last 4 miles we could see  
a couple riders (Dominique and Joe) ahead of us and we sort of picked  
up the pace a little. We kept gaining on them and sure enough had to  
pass them and figured they'd just let us go by and we could trot on in.

We were thinking that we were close to top ten and passing two riders  
we'd be fer-sure top ten and after we passed them they picked up  
speed and so did we and before you know it we were galloping in. We  
came upon Marilyn McCoy (high energy ride manager) who was out there  
fixing the trail markings - 'last loop? that way!' - and I sort of  
hesitated and broke into a trot and then heard a little 'go!' and so  
I did :)  We ended up finishing 4th, 5th and 8th (John held Mac back  
a little) and everybody was grinning, it was energizing. Dian and  
Kim  had left on the last loop in front of us, but taken a wrong  
trail and did some extra miles, but still finished close behind us.   
We were surprised with our placing, and of course that made it even  
more fun!

Susie Kelly and Christoph Schork finished 1st and 2nd (at least 40  
minutes in front of us), and Mary (?) finished 3rd.  John and I are  
going to ride slower tomorrow, and Kevin is going to ride his other  
horse Far. (and fast I think).

Steph

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