[RC] "John Henry the Wonder Horse" and "The Gifts of Tevis" Part I - Bruce Weary DC
I am writing this little memoir at the flattering request of an
embarrassing number of good people who,
for some reason, have taken an inordinate interest in my horse and our
completion of the Tevis
this last Saturday (and a good part of Sunday).
There is so much to tell, that I just couldn't seem to boil it down to
one title, as it
is really a story of the wonders of the ride itself, as well as the
horse that
carried me through it. I will have to write in installments, as I want
to do this ride justice, but also don't wish to bore anyone. So if I
ramble
on too much, I hope someone will be kind-hearted enough to tell me to
please shut up!
Many people know that this was my seventh attempt at Tevis, and
though it honestly never occurred to me to quit trying or
to be embarrassed about my past failures, I was painfully aware of the
disappointment and vicarious suffering endured by my wife and
the many friends who have pulled for me over the years. It was really
for these people, more than myself, that I wanted to finish this time,
and
why we trained and prepared so fully over the last year. I felt it was
the least John Henry and I could do in return for the friendships and
support we had enjoyed all along.
Inspiration is where you find it, and I found it in some unusual
places: Winston Churchill's shortest and most famous speech,
"Never give up. Never, never, give up." The 2004 Tevis video. The match
race in "Seabiscuit." The immortal words of that
21st century philosopher, Rocky Balboa, who said, "It's not about how
hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit,
and keep moving forward." I know, it's cheesy, but it worked for me.
As far as inspirational people, there were many, some of whom
certainly deserve to be mentioned here. First and foremost, my wife,
Dayna. She is not only the love of my life and my very best friend, she
has offered the greatest support and the harshest critical insight when
I needed both. She has foregone her love affair with the Tevis trail
for several years so that I might keep trying. She is known in familiar
circles as the "Crewing Queen," a title that is extremely well
deserved. Though she owns a 50th anniversary buckle, she has more
Tevis dreams of her own, one of which is to wear a 1,000 mile buckle
someday. Thank you, honey. I could not have achieved this goal, nor the
life I have, without you. I love you.
Then there are people like Barbara White, who has become our friend,
confidante, advisor and co-captain in getting Dayna's horse, Crickett,
to the
Tevis finish line twice. Barbara earned her record 28th and 29th buckle
on Crickett, and we think it only fair that the least she can do now
is put him through college before returning him to us. :) Thank you,
Barbara, for wanting this as badly as we did.
Barbara's mother, Julie Suhr, is an inspiration to so many,
including Dayna and I, and I guess one can have no stronger mojo
working in your favor at Tevis, than to have Julie pulling so hard for
us. They say that in order to finish Tevis, you must make peace with
the "Tevis Gods." I think the Gods knew that if we didn't finish, they
would be hearing from Julie Suhr, and it wasn't going to be pretty, so
they left us alone on ride day. Julie's husband, Bob, though usually
content to quietly reside in the background while everything Tevis
swirls around him, is a man I would very much like to resemble when I
grow up. He is remarkably funny, principled, an accomplished endurance
rider, and openly adores his bride. Any man would do well to emulate
him. Thank you, Bob and Julie.
Without a doubt, the most important figure as far as actually helping
me to effectively prepare John Henry for what he would face on the
Tevis trail, thus assuring
our success, is Michele Roush, DVM. She agreed to be my coach very
early on in our training. She is extremely knowledgeable, detail
oriented, and thorough. I learned more from her about how to condition
a horse than I had learned in 25 years of endurance riding experience.
Michele, we simply would not have finished had it not been for your
coaching, insight, strategies and steerage on ride day. Though I was
often not the best student, we nailed the final exam! Thank you
so much for your friendship, patience and guidance.
Other notable people include Dick Dawson, Dr. Susan Garlinghouse,
Karen Chaton, Bruce Anderson, Dr. David Nicholson, Ron Barrett,
Jeanetta Sturgeon and a host of others who, at one time or another,
added inspiration or a piece to the puzzle. I hope you all know who
you are. Thank you.
