Florida Endurance Classic

["Linda Durkee" <silkyn@gate.net>]

> Hi Ridecampers!
> I did it!!  I just completed the Florida Endurance Classic 100
> mile ride that took place this last weekend at the Withlacoochee State
> Forest in Inverness.  I have had a day of rest and a day to
> reflect......thought I would share some of it with you.   First, I want
> to thank Deena and Carl Myers and all of their volunteers.......what a
> great job!  
> 
> I have done several 50 milers on my Arabian gelding, Silkyn.  I
> purchased Silkyn 3 years ago on Valentines Day.......it was love at
> first sight and he has been my best friend ever since.  He is only 14.2
> and small framed........a game little horse who thinks he is as big
> as the world......and I don’t tell him any different!   My fellow riders
> felt that Silk was ready to do a 100 for some time now.  So last
> October, we went to Long Leaf in Laurel, MS to do the 100 there.  I was
> told that is was good terrain and an easy ride for his first 100.   So I
> arranged to meet a friend there.... the plan was that we would ride the
> 100 together.  Out first attempt ended at 80 miles when darkness and 32
> degrees settled in on those beautiful piney trails and we could no longer
> find markers (and believe me, we went back and forth several times
> trying to pick them up again).  So, we both pulled.  YUK!  I also
> attempted this without a pit crew........can you imagine someone being
> so naive as to think you can do a 100 without a crew......especially
> your first one?!  The rule is....you must have a crew!!!  Believe me!  I
> was disappointed that the job was not done but also pleased with Silkyn
> in that he never seemed to tire........his vet checks were great and he
> was like a little kid skipping through the woods.  So with that behind
> us, we came home and started thinking about another 100 (I knew I had to
> do one........I am not the kind that leaves things unfinished).  The
> Florida Endurance Classic was the ride that I thought might be good for
> us......but again,  didn’t have a crew lined up.
> 
> I waited until the last minute to enter this 100 because of the crew
> rule (I was entered for the 50).  Judy Fahley said she would crew for
> me, however, Judy is on crutches as a result from a driving (horses)
> accident we had on January 1st.  There are limitations one can do on
> crutches.  I had been talking to Cindy Bell about the 100 and my desire
> to do it.  She encouraged me to go ahead and even offered to share her
> husband as a crew person.  I was impressed with her horse, Wameco, when
> I saw them on the trail at Far Out Forest .  He is a wonderful horse
> that settles into working and thought he might be a good riding partner
> for Silkyn.  We agreed, if I entered, we would try to ride together if
> the horses were compatible.  This made me happy to have a seasoned rider
> and horse to go with and a half of a pit crew (her husband) and Judy! 
> When we checked in on Friday, it was hot......going to be hotter on
> Saturday and possible rain.  That meant hot and humid!  Too late
> now.........we were going forward!  And then a bonus happened!  My
> friends Lanie Marie and Donna Marie (Donna Shoaf) both agreed to crew! 
> Wasn’t this something..........I was going to have the biggest crew in
> the world.   I had to complete this 100 for all of us!
> 
> Of course, I did not sleep the night before the ride.......I never do! 
> Wish they would have planned activities for people like me that have to
> be up all night worrying about the day to come.  The ride started at
> 6:00 A.M., DARK out there.  Cindy and I let all the other riders go
> first so as to keep our horses fairly calm.  We weren’t 2 miles down the
> trail and WACK.........didn’t I get a tree in the face ( well it felt
> like the whole tree)!   Scrape under the eye, long scrape on the check
> and cut over my lip about 2 inches long.  I almost fell off, but was
> able to bend back and regain myself.  On with the ride!  
> 
> It was already humid, couldn’t imagine this being a fast ride.  Our
> first 15 miles took us over 2 hours, but I didn’t worry too much about
> it, had my trust in Cindy in that she knew how to pace for a 100.  The
> next loop we did a lot of cantering and made some time up.   We were
> doing good together, the horses were instant buddies and Cindy and I
> rode the same........we both have had several years of CTR experience
> which we both still use as our basics.  Neither of us were concerned
> about placing high, just out there enjoying the day and taking care of
> our horses.  We laughed, we were like kids cantering our horses through
> the woods.........Cindy would say, “Linda, isn’t this fun?”  It was
> fun!   
> 
> But then it got HOT on the 4th loop of the first 50 and the sand seemed
> to be growing!!  And growing!!!  There was also a breeze out and you
> know how tricky that can be in Florida!  I could tell Silk was getting
> hot........I took advantage of all water stops to soak him.  When we
> left the water stop at approximately 43 miles out, I let Cindy go on in
> front of him and let him go at whatever felt good to him ......we were
> now coming through the woods and it was a little cooler with the tree
> cover.  After about 3 miles, he perked right back up and decided he was
> going home (or so he thought).  
> 
> We were now back in camp and waiting out our one hour hold before
> starting the next set ........we knew we would have to make up some time
> or we would be doing a lot of night riding.  He was eating like he may
> never see food again and very alert.  Doing great!  It was still hot!! 
> We heard some had been pulled,  but did not know where we were in the
> placings.  We headed out again and got the next 15 miles in before dark
> settled in.  Out crews met us on trail with water for the horses to
> drink and wear.
> 
> We also picked up Joylynn Carlson on that 15 mile loop because the gal
> that she had been riding with was going to pull.  She asked if she could
> tag along, we said, "sure".  When we got into the next vet check,  we
> heard that some more horses were pulled and we were moving up!  Our
> horses looked good!  We now had a group that were following our horses
> and watching them come into the checks.  Silkyn felt good and was
> eating, drinking,  peeing and recoveries were great.  He was use to the
> Florida sand and heat.  He was Florida bred and raised.   
> 
> Then came the night riding!!  Let me tell you.......I loved it!!  These
> horses are unreal, I knew the trail because I live in this area and
> Silkyn knows it better than I!  We were going up trails that I would
> have thought was not a trail at all.......but he was right.  Once I
discovered
> that, I let him do the driving.
> 
> The night air was a good bit cooler and a gusty wind was coming
> in......they were expecting rain.  In all the night riding we made
> excellent time, the darkness did not hold us back.  The boys got into a
> beautiful, easy trot and kept it up.  It was like they weren’t expending
> any energy at all.  There was now one horse in front of us!  We heard
> that he was having some trouble and would be going slow.  We caught him
> very quickly in the last loop and trotted on past like a breeze.  There
> were also two horses behind us that were going a slower pace than
> ours.   We didn’t worry that they would catch us..........we were on a
>"high", we felt good and our horses felt better!!   
> 
> At about 5 miles to go, Joylynn’s horse seemed to be off and she decided
> to walk him in.  Cindy and I made sure she was ok and we went on to
> finish this ride up.
> 
> We cantered the last mile in with us laughing and whooping and carrying
> on!  I couldn’t believe it, Silkyn and I just did a 100 miles!!  And, he
> was "fit to go on"!  My crew was crying and it wasn't because they were
sad!!
> Wameco was first and Silkyn was second!  We were so proud!  Cindy was a
> wonderful team mate........anyone that starts doing 100’s needs to have
> such a friend!  She was great!  THANK YOU CINDY!   And my crew was
> outstanding!!  Judy and Donna both have Silko babies, so they would
> remind me that I was doing this for all the Silko babies of the world. 
> And you know what the best part is.......I have another Silko baby at
> home, too!   AND YES, I AM HOOKED AND WILL DO IT AGAIN!!
>