A Funny Thing Happened...

[cberto@juno.com (connie B Berto)]

Tricia, what a great idea to collect funny/peculiar incidents about
endurance rides.  If we can't laugh at ourselves once in a while, life
can get pretty grim!
   The most memorable ride experience I had was on my first Swanton
Pacific 100 in August  1988.  I'd done the Tevis in '86 and I knew my
horse was up to another 100, so I packed the rig and off we went.  I'd
had bought sliced roast beef at a local deli for vet check meals because
my husband, who crewed, likes it.  So at the 69-mile mark there he was
with an RB sandwich, but I could only eat half of it, which probably
saved my life!
   We left the vet check but as we trotted along my stomach started
feeling sort of queasy...and pretty soon it was impossible to ignore.  
Yes, it is possible to "hurl" from the saddle!   Billy felt great, lots
of energy, but every so often I just had to dismount and stretch out on
the trail until my head stopped spinning.  By then it was pitch dark. 
Along came the drag riders -- Emma McCrary and two of her 4H kids --
staring down at me.  I mumbled something feeble, got on, kept going until
the next dizzy spell.  Emma said "Here's a short cut back to camp, why
don't we take you?"    I said "Heck no, my horse is going great and my
husband expects me to finish!"    At the 96 mile check people helped me
from the saddle, sat me in a chair, put a horse blanket over me and
vetted my horse through.  Barbara McCrary,  Emma's daughter-in-law and
ride manager, gave me a cup of tea (which I lost a short way down the
trail) and we actually finished around 4 a.m.   I  asked my husband how
he had felt, and he allowed that his stomach had been a little upset but
he just laid down and slept it off!   Well, I haven't been able to eat
another roast beef sandwich since that night, and that's the truth.   
I've done the wonderful Swanton Pacific 100 twice more, and lots of other
rides since then, but nothing  has ever come close to that  awful night
when I thought I'd die and was afraid I wouldn't!   Cheers (;-), Connie
Berto (California)

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