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Pan Am Ride



Here is a Pan Am story from a Texas novice doing my first FEI ride:

 We left Canada at 8:00 Monday morning last week and arrived here at 1:30
Tuesday afternoon. I had to start teaching Wednesday morning with a new
class of 3rd graders. I haven't finished unpacking or writing thank-you
notes yet.
    The drive was up and down the Great Plains, aka "Tornado Alley". It is
virtually the same scenery all the way, as well as across Manitoba to Spruce
Woods Park. There were huge farms and ranches with corn, wheat, canola,
alfalfa, potatoes, and crops that we did not recognize. In Manitoba, every
little village had a huge silo in town and every little farm had small ones.
     It was cold enough in Manitoba for me to sleep in long underwear and
wear a fleece jacket in the morning, but warm enough for a T-shirt and
shorts in the afternoon. The Canadians wore shorts in the mornings! They
couldn't believe me in my fleece jacket. It is that Southern blood! The camp
and ride area were amidst big fields interspersed with groves of aspen and
spruce, with the Assiniboin River meandering through it all.
    The week before the ride was a busy time with our chef d'equipe calling
meetings every day to keep the squad informed of the rules and the plans. We
trotted out for our team vets twice before the real vet check. Our vets
examined our horses daily and gave them all Legend shots a couple of days
prior to the ride. We rode some every day, trying to become familiar with
the trails and to get the horses ready. Rebecca and Kelly, my crew,  took a
day to explore Winnipeg. They  made daily trips to the little village nearby
to get ice for our four chests.
    On Thursday we had a big opening ceremony, with all the horses, grooms,
and riders parading down to the grandstands full of officials. The parade
was led by a Scottish bagpiper. There were Ojibwa Indians in the parade. We
were lined up in our squads. We held our breath as the piper played and the
Indians danced to their drums, wondering if some horse would spook and start
kicking or rearing. Thankfully, none did.
    That night there was a banquet and a "dance" in the huge tent. It was
fun watching Brazilians, Australians, Americans, Canadians, and others all
dancing in the same huge tent. Everyone was friendly. If you look through
the photos on Teddy's website, you can see that there were three tents. The
two large ones were for the food and the vendors. The smaller one was where
the vets and other officials held meetings every day.
    On Friday at the official vet-in, all 12 of our squad vetted through.
Some of the other squads had horses pulled at that time. I believe that 90
horses vetted through out of some 110. Friday evening our chef d'equipe
named the team of four and the individuals who would ride. I would ride as
an individual. The team of four was made up of three riders with several
international rides behind them and one of our Texas riders with a very fast
horse. It was a great team. The teams were judged by the combined times of
the fastest three riders finishing. Three of our team finished. They got the
bronze medal! We were so proud of them. It was a tough course.
    It began to rain Friday night, lasting into Saturday morning. We started
the ride in rain at 5:30. The first loop, through rolling hills and woods,
through big fields and along the river, went very fast. I started out near
the back of the pack, but by the time we finished and Pippy had settled into
his big trot, we had passed all but about 11 horses, coming in at 7:28 from
the first 24 miles. The second loop, which contained the infamous 2.5 miles
of sand dunes, went fast also. We walked through the dunes. I felt as if I
was crossing some Arabian desert. After that we rode with several other
squad members, going at a fast trot and canter where there was no sand.
    After the second loop, Pippy began to suck up his mash, eat hay, and
drink a lot. There was no water on the trail except the P-stops set up by
the crews. There, volunteers sponged the horses down and offered them
whatever we had sent out there to eat. Each time we finished a loop, our
crew met us in the crewing area for Central (see photos). Pippy was
surrounded with people sponging, feeding him mash, taking his pulse, pulling
his tack and putting on his blanket. He was amazed, as he usually has only
me. Rebecca and Kelly had food and drink for me ready, and I was to sit in a
chair or visit the restroom while they took care of the horse. They were
wonderful.
    On the third and fourth loops, I was surprised to find MORE sand dunes.
Pippy was getting tired of struggling up and down steep hills in the deep
sand. He was slowing to a walk a lot. I began to wish I had held him to a
slower pace during the first two loops. We finished the fourth loop and I
gave him to Rebecca to vet through while I went off to the restroom. When I
returned, he had been pulled. The vets had detected a Grade I lameness, very
slight. They had discussed with our team vet whether or not to pull Pippy.
Our vet knew me and knew that I would have pulled him myself if I thought he
was in pain. It was disappointing to be pulled 10 miles from the finish, but
I would not have asked Pippy to go ten more miles, one and a half of them
over the steepest dunes of all. It turned out to be pulled pectoral muscles,
and he is fine now. I can ride him again soon. Had I gone on, it would have
been at risk of more serious injury.
    I went down to thank the vet who had pulled him, even though we had been
told not to talk to FEI vets unless they asked us a question. I thanked him
for taking care of my horse and let him know that I agreed with his decision
to pull. Later, the wife of one of the FEI vets came to meet me and to tell
me how much my attitude had meant to all of them. I was glad I had taken the
time to tell them how I felt. They had a tough job to do.
    Being there, meeting and riding with top riders and horses from so many
countries, was a wonderful experience. Louise Reidel and Maggy Price, both
in their late 70's, were there as officials. What an inspiration to meet
ladies that age who still ride endurance!  Dr. Ridegeway, the vet who
invented the CRI, now used at many rides, vetted Pippy in at the preride
check.
    More hill training at home, difficult in Texas, and less speed on the
first two loops might have given us a finish. I'm not sure. But my ride
strategy will be different at my next 100 on September 4. We learn and we
grow. I am proud of my great horse and his big heart. He tried so hard to
finish. I will take better care of him next time.
    Grace Ramsey, our chef d'equipe, was wonderfully supportive of all of
us. She kept us updated on all information from the officials. She worked as
hard as any crew member on ride day. It was a privilege to learn from her.
    Glad to be home with Jerry and our two new Anatolian/Akbash puppies,
learning from the big one how to guard our livestock!
Mary Fields


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