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Debbi's Cosequine Story



Here's another story to enjoy, submitted by
Debbi Sanger.

-----Original Message-----
From: Novahpr@aol.com [mailto:Novahpr@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 5:22 PM
To: lf@mti.net
Subject: Story Time......


How I spent the week of September 14 to September 22, 1999.

I took all my days off this month so that I could go to the Cosequin
Challenge.  Its going to be a long month.

I started out on Tuesday morning at about 9am.  Novah just walked right into
the trailer.  He is so easy to trailer.  He had alot of hay, water, and
shavings to make his trip more comfortable.  We started eastbound on I-70, I
set the cruise on 79MPR and popped in a audio tape and boogied on down the
interstate.

When I would stop for gas or something to eat, I would check on Novah and he
would be looking out the rear of the trailer and have hay in his mouth.
Such
a guy.

We headed towards Kansas, what exciting landscape, hit KS and still saw some
of the same old landscape.  As we neared Kansas City, the hills started to
come and it got greener as we went.  Went thru the city and it was so easy,
hardly any traffic at all.  Found a rest stop before St. Louis and stopped
for the night.

It was a very nice rest stop, parked in the back unloaded Novah, feed him,
loaded up on water and bedded down for the night.

Got up the next morning at about 5 am MST and continued eastward.  Hit St.
Louis as rush hour traffic came about, drove south of the city and missed
alot of it.  But we did hit downtown area, that was pretty interesting.  Now
why did the build the St. Louis Arch?  It doesn't look like it does
anything.
 We didn't stop and just continued eastbound.

We drove in to Illinois and the Indiana, then Kentucky.  The grass in KY was
pretty brown, I figured they were part of the drought area.  Then I drove
into West Virginia, boy is that pretty.  I still really like Kentucky also.
It became dark as I hit the WV and Virginia stateboundries.  There was fog
and it was misting off and on.

I hit I-81 and boy are there alot of semis driving that interstate.  I
headed
to exit 279 and wound my way to Fort Valley.  I found the camp sight and
only
a couple of people were there.  I pulled in and just unloaded Novah and tied
him to the trailer, it was starting to sprinkle.  I just thought it was a
sprinkle.

I climbed into bed and a couple hours later the rain started.  Woke up the
next morning at about 8 am and it was still raining.  I went up to the
pavilion and found Ski and Virginia.  We found me a place to park down in
the
trees.

I took the trailer and Ski walked Novah down there.  I set up the coral and
Novah shelter and once he was settled in went back up to the pavilion.

They had the weather channel on they were talking about Floyd.  I was in the
outer edges of a hurricane.  Never been there before.  Stayed around there
and talked with them until TC and Mel came.  Ski took them down to the trees
and told them where to park.  They were just across the driveway from me.
Cool.

When the weather cleared, we went for a ride and followed part of the
trailer
up to Valerie's house.  Boy is the area beautiful.

On Friday, we checked in all the horses, and Novah passed with flying
colors.
 I also had the photographer take two rolls of fill of him in different
posses.  We had a great dinner underneath the tent and got our instructions
for the ride.  Ride started at 4am so off to bed early for all of us.

I feel asleep as soon as I hit the pillow and woke up at 2:30am, what an
ungodly hour.  Got Novah ready for the ride.  At about 3:45 am we had the
blessing of the horses and riders by the start line.  Majority of the horses
were all hyped up, especially Jedi, Larry had to hold him by the reins.
Mel's horse looked good and Novah stood to the side and ate grass.

The ride started and off we went into the dark.  And it was dark.  We did
the
first loop in a little under 2 hours and vetted great.  Then headed out on
the second loop, we did that loop in 3 1/2 hours.  Novah vetted great again.
Then we headed out on the third loop, which was the most difficult of them
all.  Terrain wise that is.  Came in off that loop and Novah vetted great
again.  He was down all three times at the 60 and it just took time to take
the saddle off.

The fourth loop, Novah got into one of his moods, he did not want to go out
alone and that's what we ended up doing.  He did his shitty walk put we made
it.  They thought we were lost, I just told them I had a stubborn horse.  We
did 1/2 that loop in the dark.  I was so tired when we hit the fourth vet
check, I was hoping they would pull me.  They said Novah was off a little
bit.  Its the way he trots slowing.  They said they may pull him at the last
vet check, but we went out anyway.

A very nice man, crewed for me on that vet check and followed me with his
pickup, just so I would not get into any trouble.  Novah did not want to
trot
up hills, so we made a deal.  Walk up hills, trot down.  With the PU
following up I didn't realize all the hills we climbed and went down during
the first loop, since I had light I could see them all.  As we walked up
hills, I would look off to the right and I would see motorhomes,
leprechauns,
apes, monkeys and all sorted other stuff.  When I would get close I realized
that they were just the leaves.  Boy talk about hallucinating.........I got
off and walked for a while and that helped.

We came into the final vet check, 5 miles from the finish.  Novah P & R'd
right away and when he trotted back his head bobbed a couple of times.  They
said they will probably pull you at the finish.  They trotted him three more
times, when he trotted faster he did not do the head bobs.  I told them, "If
I get to the end and they pull me, oh well, but we have come this far, we
will go to the finish."

A very nice lady who was helping at the vet check is a runner and she jogged
with Novah and I and the PU.  When we would trot down hill, Novah would get
in front of her and when she would move to the other side of the road, Novah
would move to that side.  You could see him looking at her.  We were
laughing
at that.  We got 1/4 mile away from the finish line, headed back into the
forest, down a hill, up a hill, and into Virginia's farm.  When we got
within
100 yards of the finish, we trotted across the finish lane to cheers from
the
people there.

Novah got his completion and a great big hug from me.  I put him in his pen
and gave him lots of food.  He was eating when I went and took a shower.
When standing in the shower I was weaving back and forth.  Boy was I tired.
When I climbed into the gooseneck, I had been up 25 hours.  I do not
remember
climbing under the covers.

The next day at the awards, I got lots of stuff.  A pair of Saddlebum
tights,
Cosequin, ABC plus, ABC samplers, hoof stuff, KER Electrolytes, KER MyGlo,
and some Leather Therapy.  I was only four placing out of the money.  Mel
was
9th in the FEI, she and Chabriel did great.

Everyone at the ride did great, the food, the help, trailer marking, you did
not get lost.  Virginia, Ski, Tracy, Valerie were all great.

Sunday I stayed around and talked with them and a couple of riders, heard
lots, learned alot and look forward to going back and trying for the money
next year.

Loaded Novah up on Monday morning and got home Tuesday evening.  Two full
days of driving.

I'm so proud of Novah, even though he had his stubborn streak during the
fourth loop, he did great.  If he lost any weight I cannot tell, and he
looks
like he is ready to go again.  This was his 10th 100, that he has completed.
So I'm a very proud mommy.

His next ride is down in NM at the end of October.

Talk with everyone later.

Debi  ;_))))))))


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