ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: 20 Mule Team race

Re: 20 Mule Team race

Jane Sheppard (jane@deltanet.com)
Mon, 17 Feb 1997 08:40:37 -0800

Trilby pulled at noon, she
>had a flu bug.

There I was sitting around with some new-found friends (chair jockeys all
of us) waiting for our riders to come in and I was delighted to see my
rider coming in with Trilby. Then my rider says take care of Trilby, she
doesn't feel good. So then I find myself holding the reins of a strange
horse (who is considerably taller and scarier than a pony) and poor Trilby
laying in some man's truck moaning. I'm dancing around holding this critter
thinking "oh,crap, now what do I do. Okay,okay, okay.....it's just a large
pony...don't cry. Food, water..yeah that's a good idea" Excuse me but I
turned into the hay and water thief of the vet check. Wherever the horse
wanted to eat I let him and if that was your water bucket he drained I
appologize.Finally Trilby was able to say she wanted to pull, so I found
Jim Bumgartners big red trailer and handed the horse to some man. I rush
back to Trilby(please don't die! I'm not really a doctor) and the nice man
is going to take her back to base camp.
So it goes back to being a normal chair jockey experience, one of my
riders gets to go on and alas the other is pulled and gets to ride the big
red trailer back to base camp. The evening draws near back at base camp and
the big red trailer finally comes in with my rider and OH NO, I find myself
holding Trilbys horse again." It's just a big pony,remember...stay
calm..whimper." I locate Trilby who is staying with a man (another hundred
miler) He has a big beautiful camper and trailer , don't let the dogs out
of the trailer. These words will become very important in about half an
hour. The nice little horsey gets tied to his trailer and gets his blankie
and some food and water.I go back to my little tent and little grey trailer
to monitor activities between my riders. All is well so we go back to take
care of Trilby. One of my riders is cooking chicken soup and playing house
in this really fabulous camper when someone who shall remain nameless looks
inside the trailer....and lets out the dogs. The next 3? hours are spent
running all over the desert trying to catch this very expensive tiny scared
show dog. It got very dark and pretty soon the dog looked just like one of
the desert shrubs. All ended well when the nasty little dog jumped into the
camper when Trilby called him. So the real endurance race for me that day
was the twenty-mule team dog chase. Next time I'm riding. Jane

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