Florida Cowgirl goes to Idaho!

[Cowgirgoof@aol.com]

I just had to share this wonderful experience with fellow ridecampers. 
Especially now that a few ridecampers I met last weekend are friends as well.
A couple of months ago, this Southern gal decides to plan a trip to Idaho to 
photograph a Northwest region AERC ride. I had a two-fold mission; to visit 
with my long time friends and breeders of my favorite distance horses, the 
Moyles, and to photograph the Hell's Canyon Ride. It had been about eleven 
years since I had seen Marge Moyle. (many of you "old timers" out there may 
remember her and her notorious endurance horse "Moyle Hawk"). I have kept in 
touch with the family, and had even purchased a three year old gelding from 
them in 1994 by video, but a real visit to Idaho was what I was craving.
By using the AERC calendar on the web, and e-mailing with Dot Wiggins, we got 
the ride plans all hashed out. I would fly in on Thursday, stay with Marge 
that night, then come up to Payette Forest on Friday. I actually packed my 
pup tent and air matress on the plane, and was all set for a great weekend of 
mountain camping. (of course I packed my wool cap, gloves, and heavy sleeping 
bag just in case!). 
From the minute I arrived in camp, I was taken under wing. Dot and her 
daughter were most helpful, and I immediately met fellow ridecampers 
Virginia, Karen, Sonny and Marilyn, plus Bob Morris and his wife.(and yes 
Truman, they asked if I knew you!). Everyone was most excited to have a 
photographer at the ride too. That afternoon I kept real busy shooting 
portraits of horses, dogs and happy "moms" in camp. I also got to go out with 
Dot and Susan to see where I would take pics the next day on trail, and the 
scenery was breath-taking to me. When you come from a region where the 
highest hill is called Sugarloaf Mountain and is only 320 feet above sea 
level, those Idaho mountains are spectacular! 
The ride day was beautiful and cool in the morning with the temps rising to a 
hot 90 or so in the afternoon. It seemed like everyone was having at least as 
much fun as in the southeast region, and the completion rate was pretty high. 
I honestly love photographing rides, but I have to admit that on this one I'd 
rather have been riding! 
Needless to say it was a fun ride, and I can sure tell Dot has been managing 
it for a number of years; it shows... Everything went smooth right down to 
the awards. 
I finished the weekend by going out to Weiser with Marge Moyle and her son 
Dan to see about thirty Moyle colts they have up for sale this summer. Nice 
looking bunch; who knows, I might just pick me out another one next spring...
Missing Idaho already, 
Becky


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