At 03:13 PM 10/14/96 -0700, you wrote:
>When you drive up to the entrance of ride camp you are greeted with an offer
>of a cold soda and a map of the ride camp, then directed where to park.
>There are acres of parking available in a mowed down hay field, so you pick
>your spot and set up camp. Then when you go to check in you are given a
>bucket filled with goodies. Inside this bucket you find a water bottle, a
>Murphy's Law Calendar, two syringes of electrolytes, two trail bars, some
>candy, a coffee mug with the ride logo on it, another mug in the shape of a
>boot, a deck of cards, a pen, magnet and other stuff. :)
>
>You attend the dinner Friday night (yes, FRIDAY!), and are given a choice
>between hamburgers, cheeseburgers or hot dogs. Everything is included, cold
>drinks, bottled water, beer, wine, coffee, and desert. mmmmmm So you eat
>until you (almost) colic, stay for the ride meeting and then head off to
>sleep. You are awakened the next morning at 5 a.m. with a couple of people
>in a jeep driving around serving coffee and danishes to everybody in camp.
>If you want the more deluxe version you can walk up to the large barn and
>have your choice of coffee, juice, milk, danishes, bananas or donuts.
>
>Then the ride starts at 7 a.m. You go thru some beautiful country along the
>way. Pass thru the first trot by feeling great - it's going to be a
>wonderful day! Then you head up the mountain to do a 4500 foot elevation
>gain. All along the way there are cute little signs telling you what is
>ahead on the trail :). Talk about scenery, there are gorgeous views in every
>direction! Then you walk your horse into the vet check and you are happy
>because he vets in with a pulse rate of 36 and is happy to eat and drink.
>There is a table filled with snacks - bananas, cookies, apples and more,
>plus ice chests filled with bottled water and sodas. Since this is
>imaginary I won't mention that part about getting locked in the out-house
><g>. You then head back to ride camp, enjoying quite the roller coaster
>ride to get back along the way! Your horse meanwhile is drinking at every
>opportunity and feels great. As soon as you arrive in camp you P&R and then
>vet right thru, so that your horse can enjoy most of a full hour of rest,
>knowing that there are only 15 miles left to go. While you are eating lunch
>you notice how nicely your horse is eating and drinking and are quite happy
>about that. You also realize how well organized everything is, with clocks
>on ladders at every stop so you always know the time, signs showing where to
>go, what to expect and plenty of volunteers to help you. You even notice a
>truck and trailer parked at the vet check out on the trail, just in case
>somebody might need it.
>
>You leave from the lunch stop, and head out on the last loop. Your horse
>takes every opportunity to drink along the way, and is grabbing bites of
>grass whenever he can. You arrive at a radio check up on the ridge, and
>while your horse is drinking a volunteer fills up your water bottles for you
>and offers your something cold to drink and wants to know if you want
>anything to eat. Then they tell you that you are the first horse on the 50
>miler, and you smile and laugh, thinking they must be confused.
>
>You continue on, down the hill and thru some sandy washes and jeep roads.
>Enjoying the view and the fact that there are no horses behind you within
>site. So you slow down and allow the horse to eat, drink and do his
>business <g> along the way. You realize that for several miles the reading
>on his HRM has been staying at 88. That is until he realizes camp is right
>over >there< - so he picks up a canter and easily runs the majority of the
>rest of the way into camp, calling out so as to make sure everybody knows he
>is coming! You slow down to a jog as you go thru the finish line. You
>barely notice because of all of the people cheering that the finish has all
>sorts of ghosts and gobblins sitting on bales of hay. You are just about to
>get off and lead your horse the rest of the way into camp, however he has
>other ideas and decides he wants to trot, so you let him. Once inside camp
>you get off and lead them over to your trailer, pull tack, sponge and turn
>him loose. You can't hardly keep him still because he is eating the entire
>time, and finally just leave him be.
>
>Upon completing your final vet thru you turn in your card and are given a
>completion award of a t-shirt from the ride. You are just very happy to
>have completed this rather difficult 50 miler, and can't wait till they
>start serving dinner because you realize you are starving! The dinner is
>again very well done and is tri-tip, again all the drinks, beer and wine are
>included. The riders are entertained by fiddlers who do an awesome job!
>Then the awards are handed out. You watch while the junior riders are given
>their prizes of savings bonds, and then the adults are given their prizes
>consisting of a brand new horse trailer, trips, tons of hay and other really
>great things. People that got lost were even given awards, and most were
>pretty good sports about it. Then the top ten awards, of which you get to
>partake, and include a rain poncho and a top ten coffee mug. Then the first
>place award, of which you are given a couple of other nice things including
>an embroidered jacket, then to really top things off you're name is called
>when they announce the Best Condition award and for that you also get an
>embroidered jacket, and some other things, plus an award for first in your
>weight division. The horse even gets a 50 lb. sack of LMF! Wow! What a
>long day. You are so tired you are barely aware of everything going on
>around you. You leave with all intentions of coming back to the pancake
>breakfast they are serving the next morning......but you choose to take your
>horse for a nice long walk the next morning instead., and then to take the
>time to pry his EZ-boots off of his front feet. Time to unpack...
>
>What a ride!!!!!
>
>
>Karen
>in Gardnerville
>& Weaver
>& Rocky
>
>
>
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Alice and Shawn Steinke and Willie (for BP)in
Kentucky (Also Lacie, the honorary dachs, Sandy
the cocker and Turbo{get the Kittie}
Kittie, Willie's personal secretary)
Stand aside you other candidates.
GET A NEW LEASH ON LIFE--WIN WITH ROMMEL AND WILLIE
Chester and Hannah, the wonderful warmbloods
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