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Land of the Neversweats 55 (story)



Hello everyone.  I've gotten a few requests for a ride story.  Though mine 
is probably a lot like Brian's....I think Steph just got my RC subscription 
fixed...so here goes.....

I finally decided to take Rocky up to this ride, near Susanville, CA.  Most 
of the trail is actually in Nevada, and ride management had luckily been 
able to find a new ridecamp location.  The weather prediction was for 
possible showers.  So luckily, I brought extra horse blankets and winter 
weather gear.  This is the ride where I won the infamous "skull" the year 
before.  For top ten awards they get all the local artists to donate items 
so they have some really nice stuff to give out - original artworks 
(drawings of horses), photographs (all matted and framed beautifully), 
pottery and handmade baskets, handmade wooden signs, clocks, chests, 
etc.  And then they had this really gorgeous custom made silver buckle.  I 
didn't even go look at the awards this year because I didn't think I would 
top ten.   I figured that I'd probably end up in the middle of the pack 
somewhere.

The weather was only a little cloudy on Friday.  We arrived in the early 
afternoon and set up camp.  Soon we had friends on each side and across 
from us...camp did indeed fill up.  I think about 60 horses in the 55 and 
26 horses in the 25.  I also got to meet a couple of new people (from the 
'net).

At 5:30 a.m. they gave us a wake up call that you'd have to be in a coma to 
sleep thru <G>.  I had already fed long before that so just lied there till 
6 a.m. and then got up.  Rocky was real ancy, spinning circles in his pen 
and tossing his head.  He was really geared up for this.  The day before I 
had glued easyboots onto his front feet (minus the heel strap).  He did 
stand still and was good for me to tack up and get on.  At the last minute 
I decided to change my polar fleece jacket for Dave's goretex ski shell 
(smart move).  I also had on lined deerskin gloves, a polarfleece headband 
and neckgaitor and a couple of layers underneath the shell.  We started the 
ride at 7:00 a.m., just as it was starting to sprinkle lightly on us.  I 
warmed Rocky up and he stood quietly (really!) at the start until it was 
time to go. Then I only had to work him lightly to keep him at a steady 
speed.  Originally they told us that we were going to have a 1/2 hour vet 
check hold at mile 15.  Luckily the third vet showed up so they changed it 
to a 15 minute hold.  At the start it was sleeting on us.  Brrrr!!!  Then 
about five miles into it it began to snow.  For awhile the snow blew 
completely horizontally to the right. Then a couple of minutes later it 
changed direction and blew the other direction.  I decided to keep trotting 
thru here, mainly because A) I was too cold not to and B) it didn't bother 
the horse.  We made it into the vet check and immediately P&R'd and went 
over to vet (Rocky was at 48!).....he vetted with all A's then we came over 
and he ate several carrots and a half a flake of hay - boy he's really 
learned to take care of himself.  I wouldn't have expected this of him only 
15 miles into the ride. Then I realized that riders were leaving that had 
come into the check after me.  So I checked my time, and sure enough - the 
in timer had added 15 minutes to my in time and the out timer (that you go 
see after you get your in time) added ANOTHER 15 minutes- so I was having a 
1/2 hour hold. (they were all new ride workers)   So finally they figured 
it out, while I ever so patiently waited and then they finally realized - 
hey--yeah those people came in after you --- you can go now!!  So off we 
went, and soon Rocky caught all the riders that had erroneously passed us 
and we got back into our position :).  By this time it was sleeting and 
blowing really hard.  My face was getting pelted and was bright red and 
RAW...it hurt really bad. The horse still didn't mind so we just kept 
cooking right along.  Went into one more check at mile 30 and had a 10 
minute hold.  Rocky ate and drank well here too.  On the way in we were now 
on common trail with the last of the 25's going in.  Everybody was 
courteous and polite.  The trail was such that I could pass safely, mostly 
I think Rocky just spooked his way around everybody <bg>.

By the time we made it back into camp at the 35 mile mark we were in first 
place.  I had a dozen riders within minutes though, so did not think that I 
would be able to stay in the front for the next 20 miles.  Rocky spent his 
hour eating like it was his last meal - boy he really has this figured 
out.  It rained on us for most of the hour hold, good thing for all the 
blankets I brought.  When I went to leave I told Dave that I thought Rocky 
would slow down.  He had gone faster on the first 35 miles than he has ever 
gone before and I just didn't think that he could maintain it. (he's 7 and 
has about 1200 miles and I've never let him go like this before, I've been 
really careful with him)   So I told him to expect to see me in about 3 hours.

Left camp this time, and Rocky decided this time that he was going to spook 
at some of the scary fence posts and piles of odd things on the side of the 
road.  He didn't notice the first time thru (probably because it was the 
start).  Pretty soon another rider caught us and I let her lead past all 
the monsters.  Once we got past that section our two horses went side by 
side on a road and we were doing just fine.  Soon we turned off onto a 
narrow trail and she went first.  Rocky was getting restless being in the 
back, and finally the other rider said "go ahead".  Rocky picked his pace 
back up and eventually I looked back and the other rider was dropping 
behind.  Rocky wanted to canter, so I let him - he is so strong at a canter 
and his HR never went over 115 on the whole ride so I knew I wasn't 
overriding him and just let him go.  We made it to the water stop and he 
tanked up again.  They tried to tell me that I had a 10 minute hold and I 
knew better - the 10 minute hold was on the FIRST loop.  They figured it 
out (finally), while I stayed there long enough to explain it to them.  The 
closer we got to camp the faster Rocky wanted to go.  I was just surprised 
that he had so much energy left.  I did stop to talk to Brian on the way in 
- our horses always seem to recognize each other (how could they not with 
the multitude of colors we both have!) <g>  Once we got closer I made him 
trot, and we actually walked across the finish line :).  They had warned us 
"no racing" at the finish, because there was pavement right there.  So this 
worked out well.  Dave came over - he was surprised that I was back in camp 
so soon - an hour and a half after I left.  REALLY?  I couldn't believe 
that we had done that loop (20 miles) so fast.  They told us at the ride 
meeting that they were absolutely sure this ride was not short.  It was 
very well marked.

I did show for BC, and Rocky did well except that he was in zone mode an 
hour after finishing and I've never practiced trotting him in circles, so 
he just didn't have a clue.  He really did look good though, and got lots 
of comments from people, which was nice :).  He also got a 10 on his 
scorecard on the part where the vet checks over for any sore spots - and I 
was really happy about that being that he had just done a 100 in 
February.  And I did take a lot of ribbing for not being able to trot the 
horse in a straight line, or even a round circle.....we really need to work 
on that part of it.

They served tri-tip for dinner along with beans, potato salad and bread.  I 
had three different kinds of chocolate brownies.  mmm mmmmmm   Completion 
awards were t-shirts.  First place got first pick of the numerous awards - 
and I of course picked the belt buckle :).  After that, first weight 
divison got to pick - so this time I picked a beautiful large framed 
original art (pen and ink) of an endurance horse.  I also got a plaque for 
first Arabian, which was nice since Rocky hasn't ever been first anything 
before (except maybe butthead).  Heidi S. took home this years skull....I 
told her earlier in the ride how it was a good luck omen.  I hope it brings 
her good luck too!  They also gave top ten awards to the limited distance 
riders.  Of the first horses in on the LD this year --- one got pulled - 
couldn't recover in 30 minutes and others took 25 minutes to 
recover.   They all want to race so they can win one of the awards - why 
not - most of the stuff they give away is pretty nice stuff.


Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV
& Weaver, 2,480 miles
& Rocky, 1,230 :)
www.greatbasin.net/~sportssaddle


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