Re: RC: Someone, Norco Results!

[Lynne Glazer <lynne@glazer.org>]

At 8:08 PM -0500 9/5/99, sshaw@pacbell.net wrote:
>Does anyone have any of the results of the Norco Ride? I know there were
>140 horses at the event, but maybe someone can talk about top ten of
>each event, and BC's?
>
>Also, who were all of the vets?
>
>Steve Shaw
>

Hiya, Steve.  Someone, well, that would be me.

Winner in an exciting finish was Wendy Merendini on Fire Mt. Flikka, 
in a blistering time of 3:47, and this wasn't a flat ride.  2nd was 
Larry Bowers on Elijah Z. and 3rd was Renee Bowers on Spring Showers, 
both at 3:48.  In 4th place was local rider Jim Kinder on his 10 yr 
old Arab gelding Candy Dansin AAN, less than a minute later.

In 5th, Toni Semple on Bask Concerto.  (Half Arab).  6th was Bonnie 
Wakeham on JT Sheena (13 yr old Arab).  7th was Kathy Klein on Redan 
JDW, her 15 year old Arab gelding.

8th was Cherry Stockton on Kim Fuess' grade horse Freebee. 9th was 
Sydney Vale on 6 yr old Bobbie, a TB.  10th was Dabney Finch on her 
new Arab, Orzo, who is 5.

The BC calculation was a squeaker, the difference was 1/2 point. 
Flikka won, and Wendy was happy to get the Tra-Lor tie donated by 
Nancy and Gary James.  She looked like she hadn't gone anywhere that 
day.  I think Wendy should tell the story of the finish!  Flikka was 
also the Region 1 Endurance Champion, and BC., Wendy was first FW.

Elijah Z was the Region 1 Purebred Champion, and Larry was first LW. 
Jim Kinder was first MW, Ernie Lohman was first HW, and Kelly Groh 
doing her first 50 with sponsor Gary James was first JR!

66 horses started the 50, 58 finished.  One metabolic pull (tying 
up), one pulled at the finish, the rest were lameness.  One DQ'd as 
ineligible to compete.

58 horses started the 25, 56 completed.  One of the pulls was 
metabolic (thumps), and one was lameness.

We had 11 Retired Partners do 2 1/2 miles each of the morning and 
afternoon's course.  Completion awards included their choice of Grand 
Hoof, Grand Flex or Grand Vite sponsored by Grand Meadows, plus a 
water bottle from SaddleUp.  We'll let Barb Thomas tell the story of 
their ride.  I thought it was gonna be an amble, instead, it was a 
competition!  Fire-breathing retired endurance horses, who didn't 
think THEY were out to pasture.

I'll put the full results up here later.

The vets were Mike Tomlinson, head vet, Scott Haskell, Mike Perales, 
and Alfredo Guzman.

Surprising this year were the number of horses who did not pass the 
pre-ride vet check.  I'm rethinking my policy of offering a full 
refund for horses who don't vet in, since all the admin work, 
catering, etc. is laid on.  Comments from other ride mgrs welcome.

We had special challenges due to the urban setting of this ride. We 
created an extensive communications network including REACT radio 
people, a complete cell phone network down to the team leaders and 
many of the individuals on each team who patrolled the trail 
continuously during the event, 5 mile radios that many of the trail 
team carried, and little Talkabout radios for control at crossings 
and within checks.

90 volunteers worked this ride, 60 of them on trail marking and evac, 
the rest on ride admin/vet checks.  Unlike Angie's story of spotters, 
these live trail markers all knew the trail inside and out, having 
spent the previous weeks planning and marking.  Sabotage occured in 
the same places as last year, starting on Friday, and even during the 
ride.  The communications network enabled us to correct the situation 
within as few as 10 minutes of the first ride admin person being 
apprised by a rider.

The worst tampering was probably the devious jerk who didn't just 
take markings, but rerouted them, putting a turn in which didn't 
belong, using proper turn warning and marking techniques.  Heinous!

One of Friday's sabotages was to strip a full 5 miles of markings. 
You'd have to have seen our trail, the most overmarked in history, to 
know the significance of the word "stripping".  We used 400 lbs of 
the white stuff, color-coded laminated signs with leg numbers, 
matching conventional ribbons, surveyor flags, fabric flags on dowels 
to be seen from a mile away in the open areas.  In the morning 
tunnels of arundo, we used glow sticks and battery-operated Christmas 
tree lights. Festive, eh?

Another Friday act of sabotage was done by a 4x4 truck and motorcycle 
in our hills, where vehicles are strictly off limits.  They were 
spotted but not caught by our patrolling crew for that leg.

I'm describing this for other people who might try to put on rides in 
urban areas.  Heck, my horse didn't get completion on her first 50 
because of an idiot who rode around on a dirt bike, pulling and 
moving markings in the pouring rain.  (9" in two days).  The next 
time they held that ride there was trail tampering again.  It's so 
completely demoralizing to me, but happily it was completely 
motivating to our teams of markers.  Now there's jockeying within the 
club from whom we drew the teams, for spots on next year's crew. 
These trail riders were so dedicated that they attended two planning 
meetings before the ride, 34 at the last one!

The trail master for this event was Pat Peters, who was also 
motivated by last year's sabotage to make this year's trail 
invincible--and it was the best it could possibly be.  My key helpers 
were Julie Herrera, who coordinated all the ride admin volunteers, 
Lorraine Baker who handled all of the food service except the catered 
dinner, Barb Thomas who conceived and executed the Retired Partners 
ride, Ken Herrera, indispensable base-camp pro, and Bobbie Lieberman 
for her extreme efforts on the photography (she can tell her own 
story!)  I can't say enough good things about our volunteers, they 
were superlative--ridecamp members like Jan Freed (I think she was 
Julie's MVP, tied with Cheri Briscoe), friends who gave up their 
holiday weekend, board barn draftees, and best of all, lots of 
returnees from last year's freshman effort.

Thanks to our generous sponsors, which really helped make the ride 
special.  I doubt there's been another ride which handed out gourmet 
chocolates after dinner!

And thanks to our PS and W riders for their support of this ride, and 
the groundswell to, yes, have another one next year.  With the 
volunteers, park dept and rider support, how can we not do it again. 
So plan on Labor Day weekend, next year.

Lynne

Ontario, CA
Norco Riverdance Ride (PS) 9/4/99
and Rem-member Me, Celesteele


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