The Swanton Pacific 100 has started

[Michael Maul <mmaul@flash.net>]

The Swanton Pacific Endurance Ride - August 15, 1998

The 16th Swanton Pacific(SP) 100 is off at 5:30 AM following the 5 AM
start of the 100 mile Ride and Tie held over the same trail.  The 
100 mile SP started in 1983 and grew out of the earlier Castle Rock
50 and Big Creek 70 - all started by Barbaa and Lud McCrary back 
in 1969.

The ride is a tough one with almost 12,000 feet of ups and downs
over the course.  It is held every year in early August - this 
year following the Tevis by only one week.  In addition - this 
year El Nino has taken its toll - causing almost 6 months of trail
repair going on right up to the day of the ride.

The  ride is held in a beautiful area near the Pacific ocean in
the Santa Crux mountains between Santa Cruz and Halfmoon Bay, CA -
south of San Francisco.  The area has steep cliffs dropping to 
the beaches, mountains  next to the ocean going up 2400 feet, 
redwoods 18 feet in diameter, - with great trails to ride.  There
are wild pigs and deer in the forest.  The fog rolls in off the 
ocean at night and is still there to greet you in the morning.
It's neat - beautiful country to see and to ride.

The 38 starters are listed at the end of this first note.  They
include 3 endurance riders from Brazil, riders from California,
Oregon, New Mexico, and one transplanted Californian  - Shelly
Bridges - now from Texas. One of the Brazilians  also rode in
the Tevis last week using one of Dominique Freeman's horses.

The trail starts out near sea level and rises to 2400 feet in the
first 16 miles.  There is a section called "kneeknocker" for the 
obvious reason - but here it is redwoods that hit your knees...
The first vet check(VC) is at 38 miles with water provided by
Lud at the 16 mile point.  The criteria at all the VCs is
68 pulse and 48 respiration - set by the group of 4 regular
vets headed by Jim Steer.  Melissa Ribley is one of the 
4 vets with two visiting vets from Brazil - Gerson Vieiro
and Paulo Fasano making up a total of 6.

The four  Ride & Tie teams have a criteria of 72 so that
the riders and horses don't get separated too much.  One of
the all time great horses of endurance - Rio - is competing
for the second time in this ride with two women vets from
Virginia.  It was great to see Rio place so well in the WEG
in Kansas(and win BC) and still see him doing yet another 
tough 100 at - I think - 21.

More to follw from the first VC.  Everyone started in the 
dark as usual...

List of entered Riders/Horses




#  First Name Last Name     Div  City          StateHorse Name       
Sex Age
 1 Sharon     Westergard    fth  Rogue River   OR   Taam             
G      9
 2 Julie      Suhr          fth  Scotts Valley CA   CF War Hymn      
G     18
 3 Gertrud    Walker        lt   Pescadero     CA   Veselka Iskra    
M     12
 4 Beth       Wachenheim    fth  Lafayette     CA   R.O.Drez-EZ      
M     13
 5 Scott      Wachenheim    md   Lafayette     CA   Fame and Glory   
G     13
 6 Jennifer   Klein         lt   Pilot Hill    CA   Caribbean Queen  
M      9
 7 B. Jane    Cloud         lt   Turlock       CA   Ezer's Cloud     
G      9
 8 Ona        Lawrence      lt   Estacada      OR   Dandy McCoy      
G     17
 9 Judith     Ogus          LT   San Jose      CA   Fames Excitement 
M      7
10 Wendy      Meredini      fth  Ridgecrest    CA   Fire Mt Flikka   
M      9
11 Ariel      Adjimon       md   Pescadero     CA   TOF Al Rumson    
G     13
13 Julie      Caprino       fth  San Jose      CA   Atlantys         
G     10
14 Barbara    Sanches       md   Bradley       CA   Calculator VA    
G     15
15 Linda      Johnson       fth  Oregon City   OR   MC Tron          
G     13
16 Kathy      Ruiz          fth   Loma Mar     CA   Fire Alaarm      
G      9
17 Jill       Kilty-Newburn fth  Los Altos     CA   RS Song Sung Blue
N     15
18 Pat        Fredrickson   fth  Red Bluff     CA   WA Admiral       
G     14
19 Jazon      Wonders       md   Bolinas       CA   Milarepa         
G     11
20 Crystal    Switzer       md   Davenport     CA   Ravi Das         
G      8
21 Shirley    Delsart       fth  Kensington    CA   KJ Destination   
G     15
22 Anita      Fiondella     lt   Sonora        CA   CF Precarious    
G      8
23 Dabney     Finch         fth  Murrieta      CA   Blazin' Tiki     
G      8
24 Iylla      Reissman      lt   Davenport     CA   Midtown          
G     10
25 Godfrey    Sullivan      fth  Saratoga      CA   Blue Max         
G      8
26 Suzanne    Sullivan      fth                     Bit 'O Class     
M     12
28 Jim        Brown         md   Healdsburg    CA   NL Starfire      
G     14
29 Sarah      Eaton         lt   Carmel Valley CA   LV Cardigan Bey  
G      9
30 Lori       Oleson        fth  Morgan Hill   CA   Kassiq           
G     11
31 Kirsten    Whitsett      md   Orinda        CA   Ginger           
M     11
32 Ed         Anderson      md   Fort Bragfg   CA   Webster          
G     13
33 Kraren     DiCamillo     fth  Las Cruses    MN   Zazarr           
M     11
38 Shelley    Bridges       fth  Aubrey        TX   Windswift Barak  
G      7
39 Amber      Boring        jr   Wadesville    IN   Sugar Creek Saki 
M      9
40 Larry      Bowers        lt   Chatsworth    CA   Elijah Z         
G      7
41 Suzy       Kelley        fth  Orange        CA   Zarafs Star      
G     10
42 Daine      Marquard      lt   Carmel Valley CA   Buck Mt Bez      
S     14
43 Leliana    Di Rocha Leao      Brasil             Fadjurs          
G     12
44 Antonia    Malta              Brasil             Kamaal Romeo     
G     13