Re: Liberty Run II Part 1 Goat's tail.(LONG)

["Dyane Smith" <sunibey@sisqtel.net>]

Nina,
I really enjoyed your story!  If Goat ever comes out to California, I'd love
to meet him.  My kinda horse!
Dyane
N. Ca.

----- Original Message -----
From: <Coujurs1@aol.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 10:26 PM
Subject: RC: Liberty Run II Part 1 Goat's tail.(LONG)


>   Hope this doesn't get too long!  Here is part one!
>
>
>   Duane and I had been discussing all spring where we would take "Goat"
for
> his first 100.  We took him to Pa for the Fort Armstrong 75-mile ride.  He
> finished well, even after trying to drown us both in a creek (he thinks he
> can just keep easing out in the water not listening to me!), and falling
on
> the asphalt as we headed out on our last loop.  I was the only one injured
in
> the fall!  Well, my saddle, my helmet, and me!  We decided Liberty Run in
> Augusta, GA would be a good one since he handled the mountains of Pa just
> fine.  He had just finished well at the first day of the Big South Fork
ride,
> since I was manager on Saturday this was the only day I could ride.  So
here
> we were ready to take him to his first 100.
>   Goat is usually the best loader in the world, you lead him up to the
> trailer and he hops right in.  For some reason, did someone tell him he
was
> going to have to do a 100?  He decided to stomp on my foot first.  I
> questioned his heritage, and he hopped on.  It was a 5+ hour drive, so one
of
> the closest for us.  Duane, bless his heart, drove all the way.
>   The campground is absolutely gorgeous.  Set on a lake, with picnic
tables,
> water and some electrical hookups.  And primitive showers on the grounds.
We
> decided on some lake front property, and set up camp.  Goat has a picket
> line, that comes complete with it's own tie pole.  Duane's dad made it, it
is
> pretty cool.   And other than Big South Fork when Goat decided to take it
and
> the horse trailer visiting…it works well!
>   The ride is held on an Army base, and after setting up camp, I needed to
> run to the store and find stuff I had forgotten.  Charlotte Ladevig, bless
> her heart, is retired military and has an ID so we made up some huge story
> about me being her sister in law to try and get me in the Commissary.
> Despite our elaborate plans, I had to wait on her outside.  Charlotte also
> loaned me a ton of stuff, for some reason we came without reins.  Many
thanks
> Charlotte.  Note to all: Don't be my neighbor, I borrow a lot! It turns
out
> this ride is to be a first hundred for several people as well as horses.
> Vicki Parker held the ride meeting and announced loops etc.  So we are
making
> up pneumonic's to remember the order of the loops.
>   5 am comes quickly, I finally roll out of bed and get Goat ready to go.
27
> are starting the 100, with most of them doing either the person's first
> hundred or the horse's.  We head to the start line to try and find Nancy.
> Nancy Gooch is absolutely the best timer in the world.
>   At 7 am we are off!  I start off trying to make Goat trot, he can really
> trot…if he will (and you can convince him)!  And am riding with Lynn
Gilbert
> (from VA?).  We are trotting along and she asks Goat's name.  I tell her
his
> real name is Saint Patrick Z, but we call him Goat.  She misheard me and
said
> I can see why.  I said apparently you have seen him eat.  She looked
puzzled
> and she asked me again what we called him, I told her, she said she
thought I
> said we call him Go!  I had packed some Skittles for the slow dry times,
> since they help moisten my mouth.  Note to self: find quieter candy.  I
> didn't have a chance to eat any till mile 65 or so.
>   Pretty soon Valerie Kanavy, Betty Baker and Rita Swift take off.  They
> arrive a few minutes ahead of us after the first loop.  We untack Goat,
all
> holds were 40 minutes so you had plenty of time, so we thought!  The other
> distances, the 50 and the 25 left 30min. and an hour and a half behind us,
> the 25 milers did a different loop than we did.  So we beat everyone back
to
> the Vet check so no lines.  Goat vetted through quickly with all A's but
gut
> sounds, which totally baffles me since he will eat anything that doesn't
eat
> him first.  And eat non-stop.  Which he proves as we wait out the 40
minute
> hold time.  Duane has a good assortment of food stuff for him laid out, of
> course he decides Karen Clark's hay is better.  But that was okay since
Jeb,
> Karen's horse, decided Goat's was better, so we swapped hay bags for the
> duration of the ride.  Soon enough Lynn and I are out on the next loop.
It
> is also a 15 mile loop.  You do 15, 15 and 20 although you come double a
10
> mile loop and can stop in camp halfway through, then you repeat them all
> again.
>   You would not believe the water that Vickie and the rest of the Parker
> people had put out!  You sure didn't go far without any, natural or man
left!
>  It was great.  Not only that, the trail was one of the best marked I have
> ever been on in my life.  I have never rode at Liberty Run, have only
worked
> it, so I had never seen any of the trail.  The purple loop also went
around a
> lake.  Here is a little warning, don't get behind Goat in a water hole, he
> thinks I don't know how to sponge properly.  Now I'm no Angie McGhee, but
I
> can swing a pretty mean sponge.  He paws and splashes, on second thought,
it
> would save you from sponging if you get in behind him.  He actually
> considered putting his foot in the tubs Vickie had provided, I had to
> chastise him severely on several occasions.
>   All the vet checks were back in camp, great for crews, but not so great
for
> the horses.  I arrived back in less than and hour and a half, Duane met us
at
> the road with some jugs.  He was an incredible crew, not only for me, but
> took care of Karen and when we were out on the trail, helped vet horses
> through.  Plus had food for Goat and I when we got in.  Must have ran
> non-stop the entire day.  It's much easier riding than crewing, take it
from
> someone who knows!  Goat dropped fast, and we went to vet through.  The
line
> was huge!  Duane ran and got Karen and I our hay bags, we swapped so the
> horses would have each other's hay and be happy.  He also brought water
and a
> sponge and cleaned both our horses up while we waited in line!  We finally
> arrived at the vet, and no we didn't cut line!  Goat was at 44, and went
up
> on his CRI, considerably.  The vet looked under his brows at me and told
me
> to come back before leaving.  I wasn't as concerned as the horse got all
A's
> otherwise, and was being a jerk on the trail.  All I had time to do was go
> tack up and come back.  He went 44/48 and the vet said he was clear to go.
> So off we went on the 10/20-mile trail.
>   You may a loop around a lake and they still had tubs of water out!  It
was
> getting pretty hot, and I get heat stress.  Here is another helpful hint,
we
> caught a bunch of 25 milers.  Barbara Chu had three of the cutest little
> girls riding with her.  I stupidly made a comment about her ducklings, as
we
> passed Barbara had them doing a duck song, complete with flapping arms.
Goat
> was not amused; I almost got to go for a swim!  About 7 miles through the
> loop, we came up on a creek with concrete blocks in it.  I asked the
others
> if they remember what ride management said, as I talked too much through
the
> ride meeting.  They said she hadn't mentioned it.  Betsy Gilman, a 25
miler,
> pipes up and says, "I will go first since I'm only a 25 miler, and it
won't
> matter if my horse gets hurt".  Absolutely not!  We tell her.  It looks
> pretty good on one side so one of the 100 miles goes through first.  No
> problem, other than Goat soaking all behind him.  Paw step, paw step.
>   We had decided to stop in camp for a "mini" vet check.  We all got off,
got
> the horses to pee.  The command pee already works well for Goat.  He peed
at
> every VC, occasionally not much as if to say, "happy?"  They munched a
little
> and then back out on the other 10.
>
> Nina Gibson and Goat (Saint Patrick Z)
>
>
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>
>


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Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
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