Tevis 2014 Part Two, Ride Day

Tevis, 2014, Ride Day

August 9, 2014

I had a great 5 hour sleep on Friday night and woke up Saturday at 3:00 a.m. for the 4:45 a.m. Tevis start.  I fed Rio his breakfast of grass hay, checked his water, and went back to bed just to be cozy.  I got back out of the warmth of my bed and husband to get myself ready at 4:00 a.m. and at 4:35, Rio was tacked up and we headed to the start.  There are two pens for the start of Tevis. Pen A is for those who want to go a faster pace and you have to apply for qualification to get in the pen. I did not bother applying to be in pen A because I knew I would not of qualified that year.  With Rio's being out of competition for a year and a half,  my AERC races in 2014 were more conservative than usual. I did qualify to be in pen A for our first Tevis in 2007. One of the benefits of being in the first pen is that you are less likely to get stuck behind people and groups riding a slower pace.  Much of the Tevis trail is single track and it is not easy and/or safe to pass others. 

It is dark when we start this ride/race.  It is a controlled start and at 4:45 a.m. the horses and riders leave at a walk from pen A with 3 front leaders assigned.  Then pen B follows with 3 front leaders assigned.  Riders are informed not to pass the front leaders of either pen during the controlled start.  I knew where I wanted to be, which was right behind the pen B leaders.  I thought it was a very smooth start.  My horse was so calm while waiting to start, as well as the controlled walking start, that I thought something might be wrong.  Well, once we got to the official start and we were able to move out, I knew that nothing was wrong.  Rio felt great. 

This was our fourth Tevis start.  We had successfully finished twice before, so we are both familiar with this trail.   This year's ride was the best ever.  Because of the recent rains, there was literally no dust on the first section.   I guess the riders in pen A had really moved out, because once we were 3 miles or so down the trail, there was only 1 horse/rider in front of me, who I did not need to pass because she was moving along down the trail.  When we crossed the highway, we passed one horse/rider, and we did not see any others until we got to the Squaw Valley hill climb.  It was really nice to ride with the 2 woman I rode with briefly on the first section, but we all knew that we were riding our own ride, taking care of our horse on the vet checks individually.  If we met up somewhere down the trail after the vet checks, great, if not, have a good ride.

One of the best parts of  Tevis for me this year is that for the majority of the trail, it was just Rio and I, which is quite unusual for Tevis.

When we left the Hobson Canyon vet check (trot out only), there were only 2 riders in front of me.   There was room to pass, but I did not need to pass because they were going a similar pace as me.  I did pass the two riders at one point about 2 miles before Cougar Rock.  These riders were riding mules.  One of the riders asked if I was going over Cougar Rock, and I replied no, that I was taking the bypass.  They were going up Cougar Rock.  I took the bypass, and than it was just Rio and I heading into the Granite Chief Wilderness with no one in sight in front of us.  I had the biggest smile on my face (all day).  A few miles later, a different rider caught up to me and I asked her if she would like to pass, but she said no.  This part of the trail is quite technical and a steep uphill climb.  There are parts where you can move your horse out, but other parts are just too steep. 

I soon arrived at the first major vet check, Red Star, and Rio vetted through just fine.  I am sharing some info that I have learned through experience, but it is just my experience.  I used to not let my horse eat until his heart rate got to criteria or less, because eating makes horses' heart rate increase.  After doing several endurance rides, especially 100's, I now let Rio eat if he wants to when we first arrive after he has drank..  Since changing my protocol, Rio pulses down sooner than usual.  By allowing him to eat, his head is down and he is more relaxed.  At Tevis,  the volunteers and I are sponging Rio down to cool him while he is eating.  Previously, when I did not let Rio eat until he was pulsed down, his pulse rate would go down to 60 and then bounce up to  68-72, taking sometimes 10 to 15 minutes before becoming stable.  Now, even if his HR is at criteria when we arrive at a vet check, I let him eat 5 minutes or so before I get his official heart rate taken.  It takes 60 seconds or less of not eating for his pulse to come down.  Also, for a horse to successfully complete a 100 (IMO) it is helpful if he eats more and mandatory that he is drinking well.  So, for many gate and go vet checks at Tevis, I took at least 5 to 10 minutes minimum to let Rio eat before getting Rio's official pulse. I realize that riders going a slower pace  might not have this luxury, but Rio makes up this time on the trail. 

The next 8.5 miles from Red Star to the Robinson Flat vet check is on a dirt rode.  We cantered a lot of this section and when we arrived at the Robinson vet check at mile 36, my amazing crew, Jeanlaurie Ainsworth and Peter, helped me cool down Rio and get his pulse down pronto.  Another successful vet through, and then we had an hour hold to take a break and have some food before the second part of the trail:  the canyons.

Robinson Flat Vet Check

 

Good to go!

 

After the one hour lunch hold we left 2 minutes late, but it worked out great.  Two riders were ahead of us, so it was nice for Rio to see some other horses.  There was another horse/rider behind me.  We rode similar paces.  I never caught up to ride with the two in front of me, and the person behind me only passed me when I had to take a pee break.  Rio and I left Dusty Corners (not a vet check, but water and food for the horses, and awesome volunteers to assist us riders with snacks and hydration)  with the same 2 riders in front of me and the same rider, behind me now, but we were spaced apart. 

 

In my previous post (Tevis, 2014,  Part One, Robie Park), I explained that Paul Sidio contacted me prior to Tevis to ask me if I wanted to wear his #113 Tom Quilty bib that he wore at the T.Q. endurance race (Australia), as my Tevis number this year was #113.  I said it would be a privilege, which is why you see me in the orange vest in the photos here.

 

When I arrived at the Last Chance vet check, I gave them my rider number, and then they gave me the little slip of paper that indicates my time in that I give to the vet.  I looked at it and asked if that number was correct because the time said 1:13.  I thought they might of accidentally written my rider number on the paper instead of my time in, but it was the correct time in.

 

One of the benefits of riding in my own little bubble during most of the trail that day was that there were less riders/horses at the vet checks when I arrived.  I do my own thing at vet checks and often take longer than others, but when we left Last Chance, the same 2 riders that were in front of me coming into L.C.  were about a minute ahead of me, and the same rider who was a little bit behind me coming into L.C. was a bit behind me. 

 

When we were approaching the first canyon decent, 2 new riders caught up to me.  When you start the canyon decent, it is single track with nowhere to pass until you reach the bottom, and it is technical.  It was perfect timing for Rio and I.   I  asked the 2 new riders as well as the other rider who was riding behind me to go ahead of Rio and I because Rio is not a good/fast downhill horse.  All the riders disappeared from site within a minute.  I had gotten off Rio to walk this section.  We did not see anyone else on our entire decent down to the American River.  No one caught up to us, which I am very happy about because then I would of felt pressured to go faster. 

 

We arrived at the American River and took our normal 5 minute plus break to cool off.  It was just Rio and I and the volunteers.  There were more volunteers than usual  here because a fire from the previous year had burned down the Swinging Bridge, which is the normal route that we take.  The bridge is being repaired but had not been completed.  We had to cross the river to get to the other side.  The volunteers were there to show us where to cross the river and ride up to meet the trail.  Thanks volunteers! I was almost done cooling Rio and myself off and taking off for the climb up when a group of 10 or so horse and riders showed up.  2 riders left ahead of me, and the climb out was fantastic.  Just Rio and I again. 

 

When we arrived at the top of that canyon, which is not a vet check, but a great stop to cool horses off and let them drink, I got off of Rio and took close to 10 minutes to let Rio eat, drink and relax. Although this is not a vet check, there are many volunteers, port a potties, water, hay and mash for  horses, and refreshments and snacks for riders.   A super great volunteer saw me cleaning my sunglasses, and he took them from me and did a pro cleaning job for me.  The next vet check, Deadwood, is only a mile away.  Many riders who had ridden out of the canyon behind me arrived and stayed a few moments at this stop and then moved on to the Deadwood vet check,  as this is where they were planning on taking extra time to let their horse eat, drink, etc.  I was able to get in and out of Deadwood quite fast because of the break I gave Rio at the quieter place. However, after we vetted out, I took extra time for Rio to eat because he was so hungry.  I also syringed him with electrolytes before heading out.    

 

Guess what my in time was at Deadwood?  Haha, 3:13.  I was only a minute off arriving at Robinson Flat at 10:14, and only 4 minutes off arriving at the finish at 2:17.  See here:  http://teviscup.org/webcast/webcast.php

 

On to the next canyon, El Dorado, and I headed out with an endurance acquaintance, Amber Clark, and her friend.  I actually think that Amber and I are more than acquaintances.  I consider here a friend.  In any case, she is a wonderful human being and horse woman who I have been privileged to of met though endurance riding.  We rode together with others off and on from that point on until the bottom of the canyon, including endurance rider extraordinaire, Barbara White. We were riding similar paces at that point, but because Rio is not a good downhill horse, I asked to go last.  This canyon is not nearly as steep as the first one.  It was a really nice section riding with good company.  When we got to the bottom of the canyon and crossed El Dorado Creek, the horses had a drink of water/break and Rio and I started the climb out first.  Rio did great on this uphill section.  There were 2 riders in front of us, but not too close.  One rider, Barbara, caught up to us, and I asked if she wanted to pass, and she replied, when it is safe, which is the answer that most riders should ideally say.  (I did come across a group of riders later that night when I was wanting to pass who were not polite, but I will get to that later).  I pulled over when it was safe and continued our climb up to the top of the canyon to Michigan Bluff, which is not a vet check, but there is water for the horses, and crews can meet the riders there.  I have never had a second crew person besides Peter in my previous Tevis starts and finishes, but this year I had a second crew person, Jeanlaurie, who I had only met at my previous endurance competition, the Wild West endurance ride in Nevada City, CA 6 weeks previously, along with her husband and endurance riding daughter, Rachel. Jeanlauri met Rio and I at Michigan Bluff and between the 2 of us we were able to give Rio some extra cooling relief while he ate and drank, and then we were off to the Chicken Hawk vet check. 

 

Rio vetted through great at Chicken Hawk.   This was another one of the vet checks that I took extra time before and after vetting through to let Rio eat more.  There was water, hay, and mash for the horses after the horses vetted through, and I let Rio eat for an extra 10 minutes or so at this check.  He was just inhaling the mash. 

 

The next major vet check, Foresthill, was only  6.5 miles away, This is where our 2nd and last one hour hold would be, and where I would be meeting my full crew.  It is always a great experience coming into the Foresthill vet check.  The people who live in Foresthill, along with riders' crews, line the street that we ride into and cheer us on.  It is like a parade.  Rio was pulsed down when we arrived at this vet check because I had taken his tack off and hosed him down with the hose that one of the generous Foresthill residents who lives on the street that we were on provided for Tevis riders.   I went ahead to the vet check right away versus letting Rio eat since I knew he would have an hour break to eat.

Peter put glow sticks on Rio's breast collar and my headlamp on my helmet.  I put my headlamp on my helmet as well as take a small flashlight with me, but they are for emergencies only.  Horses can see well in the dark, but light hinders their sight at night.  Although it was quite early in the evening, Rio was cool and shaking, so I put his cooler on him.  I put ice boots on Rio's legs and  then sat down and tried to eat. 

Another helpful hint here I want to share is that a fellow endurance rider had recently told me about a human electrolyte called Tailwind that had really helped her on endurance rides. I had purchased some a few months previous to Tevis and tried it with great success on the Wild West endurance rides I had done prior to Tevis.  I have a really hard time eating on endurance rides, especially 100's.  This is what I ate all day:  A yogurt for breakfast, a few bites of my sandwich at lunch, a few bites of pasta for dinner, and 3 power bars out on the trail for snacks and some fruit available at all vet checks.   That's it.  I felt great and strong all day and night long because of the Tailwind.  I am not a good eater during endurance races, but I am a great drinker.  I rode all day with a Camelback filled with Tailwind electrolytes in the water.  I  also had a glass of water with Tailwind with my breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  When I arrived at the Robinson Flat vet check/ one hour hold, Peter refilled my Camelback with more electrolyted water. 

I ride with a Camelback for my water needs as well as 2 water bottles attached to my saddle to cool Rio, which I refill with horse water on the trail. 

 

 

Rio and I ready to ride home to Auburn.

New friend, Tevis Crew, Jeanlaurie Ainsworth.

 

We left Foresthill at 7:41 p.m.  It was nice to leave with an hour+  of daylight left.  We trotted through the town of Foresthill on the dirt trail and walked on the asphalt sections. Soon we arrived at the California loop trail, which is a single track trail that  gradually winds it's way down, down, down, down to the American River.  At the first section on the Cal loop,  I was riding with a few other riders.  I would guess 4 or 5.   Although Rio is not good at going down steep down hills, he is good at going down gradual grades.  I was in the middle of this group trotting the same pace as me.  One rider caught up and asked to pass when safe, and we did so when it was safe.  Soon we caught up to a group of 3 or 4 riders.  They asked if we wanted to pass, and the front rider said no, but one other rider and myself did want to pass, and we did so when it was safe.  It was still light at this time.  We 2 riders passed, and the other rider who was in front of me was out of site in a few minutes.  It was just Rio and I again-for many miles of trail. 

 

It was magical.  No one in front of us and no one behind us.  We arrived at CAL2 at 9:12 p.m. It was dark now.  There is water for horses at CAL2, and there are volunteers who take the riders numbers as we go by as well as offer riders water if we want any.   A mile or so down the trail after leaving CAL2 I came across a group of 3 riders.  When I saw them walking in front of me, I slowed down to a walk and stayed a horse or two behind and let them know I was there.  They did not ask if I wanted to pass, so I asked if I could pass when it was safe.  The rider in front of me said to the other 2 riders in a tone like I was really putting them out:  "there's another rider who wants to pass".  I repeated that I only wanted to pass when safe.   I was not in a hurry.  I think that some riders are grouchy about people wanting to pass because not all of us are polite about it.

A note about riding at night.  The first time that I rode Tevis, in 2007, was the first time I had ridden at night on an AERC competition.  When I was riding at night, in the dark, it was trippy and magical.  Trippy because what I thought were rocks or boulders were only shadows from the trees.  If I would of tried to steer Rio, I might of steered him over a cliff.  Instead, I did not steer him at all.  I centered myself on him and did not lean one way or the other, as Rio flew down the trail at a fast trot. 

 

I passed when safe and then Rio and I moved on at a fast trot in the dark. We did not catch up to any other riders/horses until about a mile before Fransico's on the dirt rode.  I passed a few of them.  Rio vetted through fine here, but we stayed at least 15 minutes extra for Rio to eat.   There were many riders/horses at this vet check.  When I left, I lucked out again, and for that entire section of trail, from Fransico's to the Lower Quarry, it was just Rio and I. 

 

More magic.  Some of the section of this trail is in the open, and it was so beautiful with the full moon lighting everything up.  We arrived at the River Crossing with the usual great group of Tevis volunteers who are having a party while taking our rider numbers as we arrive.   Rio and I crossed the American river with the moonlight glistening on the water and glow sticks at the bottom of the river showing the best way to cross.  The water was high, going up past where my stirrups were.  I put my feet on Rio's back behind me to keep them dry. 

 

 It is only 9 miles from Fransico's to the Lower Quarry vet check, but Rio and I hit a bit of a lull about 3 miles after the river crossing.  I had not taken my Camelback for this last section of the trail (after Foresthill), and my energy level was low for the first time that day.  A rider's energy effects the horse's energy, so for about 2 miles before arriving at Lower Quarry, Rio and I slowed down more than usual and took more walking breaks. 

 

I always put the water from the water bottles on Rio's neck to cool him down if he is hot about a quarter of a mile before arriving at a vet check.  Then I dismount, loosen his saddle, and take his bit/bridle off of him.  He was pulsed down when we arrived at Lower Quarry, and my plan was to let him drink as much water as he wanted, vet him through, and then go back to let him eat and drink more where the food and water was.  The usual awesome volunteers came to assist us, and because there were very few riders at this vet check at that time, we received a lot of attention.  There are horse blankets available to put on horses rumps if needed.  This is a good idea, which I always do at this stop to help prevent Rio from cramping up.  This is the reason I wanted to vet Rio sooner than later.  One of the volunteers offered mash to Rio and before I could say that I was going to wait until I vetted Rio through, Rio stuck his head in the bucket and started gobbling it down.  It was hard to pull him away! 

 

I vetted Rio through and instead of leaving then, I advised I wanted to take Rio back to where the food and water was so that he could eat more.  On many of the gate and go vet checks at Tevis, there is more food and water for horses at the point where the rider out check is, but not at Lower Quarry.  I took Rio back and let him eat for 10 minutes or so.  I ate some fruit and drank some lemonade and felt fully revived. 

 

While we took our extra 10 minutes, many riders/horses arrived.  When we left, we were with a group of 3 or so.  Before the road crossing, a few more riders caught up to us.  There was probably about 6 of us.  This next section is single track until no-hands bridge.  This part is quite technical, especially in the dark; however, we were all trot/walking at a similar pace.  After crossing the bridge, the group of 6+ broke up.  Some went ahead and a few slowed down.  Even though much of this section after the bridge is pitch black, Rio knows this trail.  We passed the riders going slower than us when there was room, and then it was just Rio and I again flying down the trail, although now we were not going down.  We were going up, up, up.  We passed 2 more riders, and for the last four miles or so as well as the finish, there was no one in front of us or behind us.  Rio felt great!  I think he could of trotted up that entire 4 miles, but I took walking breaks.  We finished at 2:17 a.m. in 27th place. 

 

After Rio had his fill of water there, we proceeded to the Auburn Fairgrounds across the street and rode our victory lap. 



It's not over until Rio passed the vet check,  which he did with flying colors. 

 

We both finished feeling strong.  If I were to of given myself an overall grade at the end of this ride like the  horses receive, I would of given myself an A.  In 2012 we had a successful finish, but I was a pile.  I would of given myself a C- at best.  I had used up all my strength by mile 70 or so, and I was also nutritiously drained.  I vowed to not attempt Tevis again unless I was stronger.  I succeeded by joining a cross-fit strength training gym in May this year and discovering Tailwind electrolytes.

 

I was so elated.  What a journey I had that day with Rio as well as the last 9 years since purchasing him and riding endurance.  This last year has been a very good one for me/us. In 2012, two weeks after our Tevis finish, Rio was in a horrific barbed wire accident.  I have not written a blog about it yet because I did not start my blog until February, 2014.  Rio's rehab lasted for 9 months, and he was out of competition until January of this year.   

 

This is a photo of Rio's injury approximately 2 months after the accident.  You can see healing taking place, but proud flesh had developed so I took him back to the vet to have it cut off.  Four months of full leg wrap.

 



With the exception of the one 55 mile endurance race that I rider optioned out of, Rio has had 100% completions this year.  It is understandable why I have such a big smile here at the 2014 Tevis finish.  The icing on the cake is that after our Tevis finish, we were only 15 miles short of the 3000 mile AERC milestone as a team.  I will jump ahead here to say that we successfully finished one more 50 mile race in October, which brings our total endurance miles to 3035 for 2014.

It's been a great year!

  



I have one more blog to publish next week regarding 2014 Tevis: Part 3, Sunday Awards.

 

Links that may be of interest:

1.   The Tevis Cup:  http://www.teviscup.org/

2.   Google map video of the Tevis trail courtesy Endurance.net: 

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50mRSVybJfs

3.   Youtube video courtesy Jenni Smith of part of the Tevis trail.  This is how we do it!

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j4HN3x7bik

4.    Tailwind Electrolytes:  http://www.tailwindnutrition.com/

5.   Article written in my hometown newspaper regarding my Tevis experience:

         http://thesheetnews.com/2014/08/28/a-different-century/

Tevis 2014 Part One, Robie Park

Successful completion, and our best Tevis ride yet. 

100 miles of beauty, appreciation, and joy, joy, joy.





Lake Tahoe

Peter, Rio and I left for Robie Park near Truckee, CA on Thursday, 8/7/14.  I like to arrive at 100 mile races two days before the start so that Rio can have the entire day before the start to eat and drink.  We have a rather short drive. From Mammoth Lakes, CA it normally takes about 4 hours.  This is the first time we took a different route.  Instead of going through Reno and taking the 80 to Truckee, we took the 50 out of Carson City and went up and around Lake Tahoe.  This route was 45 minutes shorter, and much more scenic.

The first time that Rio and I rode Tevis, in 2007, we lucked out and picked a great spot to camp at.  I'm not going to reveal it completely, even though I am showing photos of it.  It's off the main road, and not so busy or dusty as some of the other camping areas.  We have camped in this same area on all of my Tevis starts.  

                            

We were set up by 5 p.m. and then it started raining lightly, which helped tremendously in keeping the well know dust down for the next few days.  It was lovely sitting on the entry/door of the camper listening to the rain and smelling the wonderful scents of fresh rain on the earth and trees. 

Friday morning was sunny and clear and cooler than usual.  I spent the morning hand walking Rio off and on and organizing various things, including my crew bag for the Robinson vet check, packing needed items in my saddle bags and my camelback, etc.  Around noon, I went and picked up my rider packet and checked out all of the vendors, as well as purchased some raffle tickets for the raffle to be held at the Tevis awards on Sunday.  I spoke with one of the volunteers when purchasing the raffle tickets who is one of the artist that contributed to the beautiful quilt that was donated to be one of the awards for the raffle.  The main item.  I did not win anything at the raffle, which is fine.  All the money raised goes to a good cause.  Dave Rave won the quilt!  How great is that!

After lunch, I took Rio to do his pre-ride vet check, and then I tacked up and went for a short ride. There was a woman riding in front of us, and when I passed her trotting, she asked if it was ok for her and her horse to join us, and I said yes (of course).  I meet the neatest people doing these endurance events.  We had a lot in common.  I could not remember her name, but when I looked on the Tevis website results, I recognized her name,  Patricia Smyth.  She and her horse Jazz finished!



Pre-ride vet check

Pre Ride



The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and talking with some old friends and new friends. Before leaving for Robie Park, an endurance rider named Paul Sidio contacted me via Facebook to ask me if I would wear his #113 bib that he wore in the Tom Quilty endurance ride last year.  He would be wearing his Australian friend's #76 TC bib.  He requested to be rider #76 from the Tevis folks.  Once rider numbers were assigned to the Tevis riders and he saw that I was rider #113, he contacted me.  I recognized him from his Facebook page when I was picking up my rider packet, and he told me where he was camping so that I could pick up the bib.  Paul is a super nice guy, and he was riding with an Australian woman named Grayson.  Paul loaned Grayson his horse to ride.  Unfortunately, Grayson was pulled, but Paul and his great horse, General Lee, finished.

Ride Meeting

Peter at the ride meeting, with the meadow in the backyard.

I took a video of the ride meeting when Peter Clayton was playing a song that he wrote about Tevis.  I will add it to my blog once I contact Peter and get his permission to do so. 

It was a beautiful evening with the big full moon as well as a gorgeous sunset.



Early to bed since I would be waking up at 3:00 a.m. to get ready for the 4:45 a.m. start.  Rio could not of been a better endurance horse on Friday.  He rarely took a break when he was at the trailer between eating, drinking, pooping, and peeing, except to take an occasional nap.  And no wasteful energy by silly antics.  This horse knows how to take care of himself, and I'm sure, this being his fourth time at Robbie Park, that he knew what was to come on Saturday. 

I'll be writing about our ride in my next blog, Tevis, part 2.

Links:

The Tevis Cup:  http://www.teviscup.org/

The Tom Quilty Gold Cup: http://www.waera.asn.au/





2014 AERC Ride Season: Wild West Pioneer Ride, Tahoe National Forest

Wild West Endurance Rides

June, 20, 21, 22, 2014

Tahoe National Forest

Cantering Photo Opp

(photo by Gaylor/Bore)

 

 This is one of my favorite rides that I try to attend every year (when my horse is not rehabbing from an injury).  It is located in the Tahoe National Forest in the Northern part of California near Nevada City and Grass Valley, CA.  The base camp is at Skillman Campground, which is a horse camp!  It is limited to 100 entries because  the campground has limited camping.  There are a few horse corrals at the camp, and if you pay extra and send your entry in early enough, you can get one of the corrals.  I have done this 3 times in the past, including this year.  Normally when I camp with my horse at AERC competitions, I have my horse, Rio, tied to the trailer, so it is nice to pay a little extra for the use of a corral, which is located right next to where I am camping. 

 

I was signed up to ride 2 of the 3 days, and I had planned on riding 55 miles on Friday and 50 miles on Saturday.  Rio vetted in fine on Thursday evening, and I visited with various friends after the ride meeting.  We were camped next to super nice people, Heather and Steve, and their 3 horses. 

 

Saturday ended up being a stressful day for me.  We started the ride out fine.  The weather was warm at about 85 degrees, and the first loop was about 30 miles with a one hour lunch hold at base camp before heading out for the last 25 mile loop. Rio had not drank the first loop, which is normal for him.  After pulsing to criteria, I took Rio back to his corral to untack him and let him eat and drink some before taking him through the vet check.  After taking Rio's tack off and cleaning him up a bit, I was waiting to watch how many gulps of water he drank before I went into our camper to get myself cleaned up. Rio was acting strange.  He would look down at the water, but not drink.  He started eating his hay, which was next to his water in a hay bag that was level with his head.  I went and used the restroom, and I asked my husband, Peter, to let me know how much water he drank.  Through the window of the camper, I saw Peter filling up a bucket with water and bringing it up for Rio to drink.  Rio drank and drank and drank from the raised bucket.  When I took Rio to the vet check, he would/could not bend his head down to the ground to eat the hay that was on the ground there while we were waiting in line.  This was not normal for him.  We vetted out just fine, and I took Rio back to finish his lunch for the remaining hold time, and he was still not able to put his head down to the ground.

 

I started worrying so much that I started feeling sick.  When my hour hold was up, I went and talked to the head vet, Melissa Ribley.  I told her what was going on with Rio, and I advised that  I was going to take an extra hour or two before deciding if I wanted to continue or not.  Rio ate and drank great, but I had to bring the water up to him to drink. 

 

I decided to Rider Option (RO) out and not continue.  It was a RO because Rio was not lame in any way as far as the vet judging goes, and his metabolics were great as well.  My thoughts were that if my horse can not bend down to drink the rest of the ride without me bringing a bucket of water up for him to drink from, then he could of/most likely would of, developed a metabolic problem.  I do have a collapsible bucket that I could of brought with me on the rest of the ride to use for water, but I just did not feel right taking Rio back out for 25 miles with this very bizarre neck issue that he was experiencing.   

 

After making that decision, I was able to relax.  I took a shower, drank a beer in the sunshine and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.  I was scheduled to ride 50 miles the next day, but I had decided that unless Rio's neck problem worked itself out, that I would not ride the next day either.  I went ahead and vetted him in for the next day's ride.  This time the vet was Rob Lydon.  I told him what was going on with my horse and advised that even if Rio's vet check was fine, I would not be riding the next day unless he was able to bend his neck/head to the ground by the next morning.  Rio vetted out fine with all A's, and then Rob asked if he could do a few adjustments on him to see if it would help his neck.  I normally have body work done on Rio, but not as much as I would like to.

 

Whatever Dr. Lydon did, it helped.  Rio was able to bend his head to drink out of his water bucket as soon as I walked him back to the corral.  The next morning, I got up early to feed Rio his breakfast with the intention of riding that day, but I had decided to have the vet recheck his gait and impulsion before making my final decision.  A's on both.  I tend to over worry.  Since I finally felt good about riding 50 miles with Rio on Saturday, I decided to not worry and enjoy the day, and man,  did I enjoy the day.

(photo by Gaylor/Bore)

The trail that day was spectacular.  Lots of single track that winds around and around, with big pine trees providing shade, and a lush forest floor with ferns and other beautiful greenery.  I normally do not ride with others for that long of a time, but after about 5 miles or so, I ended up riding with Gretchen, who I have known since I started endurance in 2006, and her friend Nick, for the entire ride.  It was a nice change and good company for Rio and I.  Rio and I were going slower than usual (we finished 2 hours later than the last time we rode the same trail 2 years previously), because I was being cautious because of Rio's neck issue the day before.  The 2 vet checks and holds were out of camp, which I prefer, but when we headed for home, Rio knew it.  I think we had about 12 miles or so to go, and I did not let Rio lead.  I put him in the back or the middle of us 3 riders, which he is normally fine with.  Well, not that day, or, that section rather.  I guess his muscle memory was remembering that he had flown home in the past on this section, and he was being totally obnoxious and fighting me to go faster and not looking where he was going, which is what he needed to  focus on because it was a technical, single track, twisty, turney, trail with lots of tree roots sticking out.  I think Rio hit his front hooves on every tree root on the trail.  We got to a water stop about 4 miles before the finish, and after the horses had a drink and we took off, Rio was completely lame on his right front.  I told Gretchen and Nick to go ahead because Rio was so off that I thought I was going to have to walk him home the rest of the way.  They watched Rio trot and could see that he was lame, but they saw that he had lost a shoe.  He must of just lost it, because he was fine until the water stop. 

 

Nick saved the day by lending us his Easyboot that just happened to fit Rio.  For the first 3 or 4 years, I always brought an Easyboot with me on my rides in case Rio lost a shoe.  In the 9 years of competing in endurance, this was the first shoe Rio had lost.  I will now be taking my Easyboot with me again on all future rides!  Not only did Nick loan me the Easyboot, he put it on Rio for me as well. 

 

It was a privilege riding with Nick and his horse, Donny, that day.  Nick is one of those A+ endurance horse people who I have heard about.  He is very experienced, knowledgeable and helpful.  I have extra respect for people who ride mainly one horse, since that is my situation, and Donny is the one/main horse that Nick has competed/rode for many years.  They are almost a decade team with many accomplishments.  I hope they get the AERC Pardner's Award some year.  They are a great team.

 

Once Rio had the Easyboot on, he was sound to continue the last 4 miles.  After finishing, I waited about 20 minutes before taking Rio to the final vet check so that he could eat and drink.  When I wait a while before vetting, Rio always has better gut sounds.  He vetted out with all A's,  accept his trot out, and a heart rate of 48.  He got a B on his trot out because he took a few bad steps on his front right, even though the Easyboot was still on.  I explained to Dr. Lydon what had happened and that I wasn't riding the next day. We received a succesfull completion!

I am not too good at the selfie photo with a horse.  

Not even cleaned up yet after the finish, but I look glowingly happy if you ask me. 

Rio cleaned up and fed etc. first, and then made to pose. 

 

Rio looks more like a Quarter horse that an Arabian. 

His nice corral at the Wild West Ride.

 

Our horse camp set up at Skillman Campground.

 

We had some hiccups on this ride, but overall it was a successful ride weekend.  The one thing that I still do not understand is what caused Rio's neck issue.  He had drank the night before.  Did he sleep on it wrong? Well, whatever it was, luckily, it worked itself out, with the help of Dr. Lydon.

 My shoer was able to come out a few days after we got home and reshoe Rio. 

I highly recommend this ride.  Besides the beautiful area and excellent trails, the ride managers, Melissa and Robert Ribley,  have managed this ride for many years and it is very well organized including great volunteers, vets, well marked trails, potluck dinners, ride photographers, nice completion awards, and even live music!  There is also a really nice catered dinner on the last night. 

 

Our next AERC competition:  The Western Sates Endurance 100 mile ride/race (Tevis Cup), August 9th, 2014.

 

Captain Shack!  Michael Shackelford and Miss Independent/Missy.

Successful three day horse and rider team.



Endurance youth at the 2014 Wild West Ride.

 

Trees at basecamp.  I love this ride!

Endurance History: 2007, Part III, Our First 100 Mile AERC Competition: Tevis and More

Our First 100 Mile AERC* Competition:  The Tevis Cup*, 2007

Next:  Virginia City 100 mile, 2007.

Swinging Bridge, Tevis, 2007
 

I have not written a post related to my past endurance competition history for a few months. Now that I am back at it, I realize that writing this blog about my last few races of my first year of AERC competitions in 2007 are huge events.  Two challenging 100 mile races and ending the season with a two day, 50 miles a day competition. 

My/Our First Tevis Attempt

If you read back in my previous blogs regarding my endurance history, I state that my first competition was a LD (limited distance) ride in August, 2006, and my horse, Caartouche CS (Rio) and I were both newbies to endurance.  I had read everything I found about the 100 mile endurance ride, The Tevis Cup  (Tevis), and I decided to enter it in 2007 after having a 100% completion rate our first year (9 AERC 50 mile+ races at that point) and being able to complete the two-day Tevis educational ride a month prior to Tevis.

Tevis is one of my favorite AERC rides/races.  I live in the Eastern Sierras in Mammoth Lakes, CA., and Tevis is practically in my backyard. 

We finished!  Not only did we finish, we finished strong.  16th place out of  183 riders that year.  Tevis has about 50% completion rate every year.  I figured that one of the reasons I placed so well was probably because 30+ horses were pulled at the vet checks who were riding ahead of me.  Tevis is an extremely challenging trail.  It is considered the most difficult endurance race in the world.  100 miles in 24 hours, including all of the holds and vet checks.

Rio and I finished Tevis with only a 1 crew person:  my wonderful husband, Peter.  Besides having a conditioned horse, I was also in good condition that year.  I was a runner and ran distances/races from  10k's to (2) marathons.  Unfortunately, when I was riding the Tevis educational ride, I sprained my left ankle when I was off my horse jogging down one of the canyons.  Because of this, I could not get off my horse at all in the canyons during the actual ride/race.  To this day, I still have issues with my left ankle.

Besides Rio and I both being in good condition, I was VERY organized for this event.  I had lists for each major vet check on what was needed, and I went over them in detail with Pete.  Before starting Tevis, I had already decided I would not be going over Cougar Rock.  I would take the alternate trail.  I know why people ride up and over Cougar Rock, but my thought, especially after taking the alternate route is-really?  Also, my horse has steel shoes which makes for less traction.

My favorite parts of riding (and completing-Yay!) Tevis that year:

1.  Having a well conditioned horse and being able to enter Tevis.

2.  Nothing seriously bad happening to my horse ("Tevis Gremlins") after entering Tevis and prior to arriving.

3.  Being at Robbie Park in Truckee and going through the pre-ride events: getting my rider packet, checking out all the vendors, vetting in, going to the ride meeting, and seeing friends.

4.  Going through the high country (first section/36 miles), especially after the first 10 miles or so from the start, which is congested and DUSTY on the (mostly) single track trail.

5.  Taking Rio down to the American river below the swinging bridge (in the canyons) to take a 5 to 10 minute break and letting Rio drink and cooling him off with the refreshing, cold, river water before our next climb out of the canyon. 

6.   The wonderful and amazing volunteers at this race.   Crew are not allowed for most of the many vet checks, but they are not needed.  For each vet check that I arrived at, I had a personnel crew of 1 to 4 volunteers.  Someone sponging my horse down on the right and someone on the left.  Someone holding my horse for me if I needed to use the restroom.  Someone offering me watermelon or some other refreshing nourishment.  Someone offering my horse mash.  I had my own pit crew! The volunteers at Tevis are one of the major perks of attending this race.  I appreciate it very much.  Thank you so much all you wonderful volunteers!

7.   Riding into the Foresthill vet check. People are lined up in the street 1/2 mile or so and cheering all the horses and riders in.  Endurance racing is not much of a spectator sport since we are out there in the wilderness. This is one of the few times where I have seen spectators. 

8.  Riding the last section, from Foresthill to Auburn, when the sun goes down and I was riding at night.  That was magical for me.  Mainly single track, a full moon but lots of trees with shadows.

I could not see the trail. I had glow sticks on Rio's breast collar, and I rode with a headlamp in case I needed it for an emergency, but I never needed to turn it on.  Horses can see at night, but lights hinder their sight.  Rio was flying down the trail at a fast trot, and I did not steer him.  If I did, where I thought the trail went at times would of been off a cliff.  Instead, I just focused on centering myself, and I did not look or lean in any direction.  I had to trust him completely. Not only did Rio keep us moving fast and correctly on the trail, he missed most of the rocks!

And then we finished and past the final vet check.  Finish time was 1:25 a.m.  At that time, there were no spectators at Auburn stadium watching the horses who finished.   That did not matter.  My husband/crew was there for me, and my good friend, mentor, Dick Dawson was there as well. Dick had volunteered that year, which is what he and his wife, Carolyn, to just about every year, except when Dick is riding the Tevis.

I love my horse.  I had Rio in a paddock with many of the other horses at the Auburn Fairgrounds, and every time I checked on him he was eating.  I had done so many multi-day rides with Rio that year prior to Tevis, I think he was thinking that he better eat and drink as much as he could in case we were doing another endurance ride the next day.  Most of the other horses all around him were laying down sleeping. 

It was a bit hard for me taking care of my own horse without a crew.  My husband helped me in many ways by driving to the two major vet checks and then to Auburn and setting everything up for when we arrived, but I took care of my horse.  It was ok.  The experience made me stronger. 

I give some of the credit for the successful completion to myself, but really, it was Rio who did it.  I just didn't screw it up.  I am lucky to have a horse who loves doing what I love to do. I am also lucky to have a non horsey husband who supports what I love to do. 

Today, June, 2014

We now have 2 Tevis completions out of 3 starts.  Rio was in prime condition in 2008, but Tevis was cancelled that year because of the fire that was occurring at that time.  I entered in 2009 and Rio was pulled for lameness at the first vet check at mile 36 at Red Star.  Rio was experiencing an off and on lameness issue that year that was not properly diagnosed by my local vets.  I will be writing in more detail about that in a future blog.  Briefly, Rio was diagnosed in October, 2009 with a suspensory injury.   I successfully rehabbed him and in 2012, I entered Tevis and we had our second successful finish.  A month after Tevis, 2012, Rio got caught up in barbed wire and had a horrific injury to his right hind leg.  15 months of rehab for that one, which I will be writing more about in another future blog.  In January of this year, we entered and completed a 50 mile AERC race and had a successful finish.  We had another successful endurance race in April.   We are entered in 2 of the 3 days of the upcoming Wild West ride this weekend, 6/20 and 6/21.  If Rio does well, I am thinking of entering Tevis again this year for our fourth attempt.

Virginia City 100, September, 2007

I entered and completed the Virginia City 100 mile race 6 weeks after Tevis in September, 2007.   That ride was more challenging for me than Tevis.  It is very rocky.  The most difficult part for me was coming back and leaving base camp 2 times.  Once is not too bad, but the second time arriving at basecamp at 9:30 p.m., neither Rio nor I were feeling enthusiastic about going back out for another 30+/- miles.  We finished at 2:30 a.m.  My favorite races, whether it is 25, 50, 75, or 100 miles, is either one big loop with out vet checks, or point to point like Tevis.  Although this race is not on my list to ride every year, I most definitely want to attempt it again.  The last time I rode it was their 40th anniversary.  If my horse is ok to go, I think I will attempt it again on their 50th anniversary.  Rio will be 17. 

High Dessert, Two Day 50's.
 

We did 2 days of 50 miles a day at the High Desert race in October, 2007 for 2 more successful completions to end out the year.  13 starts and13 finishes. We had done this same 2 day race the previous year.  This time, we had our warm camper to sleep in.  Rio felt great.  We finished in the top 10 both days.  Sorry about the below photo.  I don't know how to switch the orientation. 
 

 

Moving On Down The Trail

 

 



* The links below are  helpful/informative to learn more about AERC and the Tevis Cup.

 

1.  AERC (American Endurance Riding Conference):

http://www.aerc.org/

2.  The Tevis Cup:

http://www.teviscup.org/

3.  Excellent Google Map video of the Tevis Trail (thanks to Endurance.Net)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50mRSVybJfs&feature=plcp

 

 

 



2014 AERC Ride Season: Our First Two 50 Mile Competitions

Fire Mountain I, Ridgecrest, CA

January 18, 2014

Earlier this year I started a blog writing about my endurance riding history, which started in 2006.  I am not caught up to the present yet, but I want to write about my current AERC competitions that my horse, Rio, and I  have entered this year.  Our first ride of the season was the Fire Mountain I 50 mile competition in Ridgecrest, CA, which is located about 2 1/2 hours from where I board Rio.

This ride/race was very emotional for me because it was the first ride that we attempted since Rio's barbed wire injury in August, 2012.   I will be writing about the injury and rehab process in detail in one of my endurance history blogs.  Here is a photo of his wound about 2 months after the initial injury.  You can see healing taking place, but in this photo proud flesh had developed and I took him back to the vet to get it cut off.  4 months of full leg wrap.

15 months later, we were  back at it with a great ride and completion!  Wow-Rio never felt so good.  He felt more powerful and forward than ever.  Another really nice thing about finishing this ride is that this is the first ride that Rio got pulled (for a cramp in his hindquarters) in 2008.  We were able to finish the ride this time.  Yay Rio-we're back!

Nevada Derby I, Washoe Valley, NV

April 5, 2014

 

 The Nevada Derby I and II took place this last weekend.  Rio and I rode 50 miles on Day 1, April 5, 2014. I normally would of rode the second day 50 as well, but neither Rio or I are in condition (yet) to do a 2 day 100 miler. 

The ride location for this competition is normally in a different part of Nevada, but they changed it this year to Washoe Valley, NV.  where the Washoe Valley AERC rides take place in the first weekend of May.  The ride managers of the Washoe Valley ride, Gina Hall and Connie Creech, had posted that they would be taking this year off from managing the Washoe rides, so the rides were cancelled for this year.  This is the reason I decided to enter the Nevada Derby.  I love this ride location.  It is about 3 hours from where I board my horse.  The trails are challenging with a lot of hills, and the scenery is beautiful. 

Peter and I arrived at ridecamp about 4 p.m. and parked in a place that we have set up our camp before that we love.  Since I only have one horse,  he is most comfortable when he can see some of the other horses camping.  We were parked where he could see other horses, including one right next to us. 

The weather Friday evening was cool and windy.  We had about 10 minutes of light rain that changed to snow.  The sky was beautiful and dramatic.  

Unfortunately, the photo came out blurry.

When I did the pre-ride vet check,  the vet said that Rio had taken a few bad steps on his front right on the trot out.  Rio has always received a grade of A in every category on his pre-ride vet checks.  I was now worried and I had reason to be.  Rio had been reshod about 2 weeks earlier, and for the first time in the 9 years that I have owned him, he was lame when I went to ride him 3 days later.  I trot him out before I tack him up, and he did not want to trot.  Not normal. I did get him to trot out, and he was off on both his right and left front.  That was Saturday.  I called my farrier, Troy, to give him a heads up and left a voice mail message.  I have an excellent farrier.  My horse has never lost a shoe or been sore from getting his trims and new shoes (prior to this last time). Troy and his wife came out on their day off, on Sunday morning.  Troy took Rio's front shoes off and replaced the pads with Equipedic and put the shoes back on.  I went to check on Rio Sunday afternoon to hand walk him and turn him out, and he was 110%.  No more lameness.  I rode him lightly on Wednesday and Thursday and he was 100%.  I felt confident taking him to the endurance competition, that is, until the pre-ride vet check. 
Well, there was no need to worry. Rio felt fantastic the whole day and received A's on the 2 vet checks as well as the final vet check on his trot outs. 

We had an incredible ride.  It was a beautiful day with cool temperatures with a high of about 55 and little wind.  Many people clip their horses this time of year, at least a partial clip.  I did not clip Rio because I am not planning on doing a lot of endurance competitions this year.  The next planned race is at the end of May, and he will shed out his Winter coat by then.  So, I was happy with the weather conditions being on the cooler side.  The scenario was outstanding.  Beautiful views of Washoe Lake below after our climb, with snow on the Sierra Mountains on the other side of the valley. 

Rio is normally a very ratable horse, but I have had a hard time rating him these last 2 races.  Our normal pace is faster.  We do not  normally race to win or top 10, but we used to place in the top 10 often because of the pace we went.  I say I pace my horse-not race my horse.  However, because Rio had not done an endurance competition for 1 1/2 years, I was pacing him slower than usual for these first few competitions.  Rio was not agreeable.  A lot of head tossing and pulling on the first loop.  It wore me out.  My wonderful, awesome husband surprised me by being at the vet check when we arrived and helped me out a lot.  I normally take care of my horse and my self on vet checks, but it was very helpful to have Peter help me out on the 1 hour lunch break.  After taking care of Rio(vetting in, going back to our camp, taking Rio's tack off and giving him his lunch), I went and got the lunch that management provided along with a big glass of lemonade.  I think it was the lemonade that revived me.  I also wore my camelback on the 2nd and 3rd loops and drank a lot of water.  I felt back to normal leaving on the 2nd loop and felt strong the rest of the day.

Rio was back to his ratable self going out on the 2nd loop.  One of the best things I liked about this ride were the people I rode with off and on.  Everyone I caught up to or who caught up to me, were riding their own ride.  We rode with each other for awhile, had some nice chats, and then I moved on or they did.  Sometimes I caught up to others I had been riding with.  Sometimes others I had been riding with caught up with me.  None of us tried to keep up with anyone.  There were 2 riders in particular that I rode with off and on that day who I especially appreciated.  Michael, who I've known most of my endurance life, who is the father of Rachel, who I sponsored a lot as a junior one year and Lisa, who I had never met.  I met her on Friday evening because she was camping next to us with her one horse.  Both of us were riding conservatively on Saturday, and by the second loop we were headed out at the same time.  She is one of the most thoughtful, polite, experienced, smart, riders who I have been privileged to ride along with, for awhile. I loved watching her and her horse, Sammy, move on down the trail.  That horse seemed to be full of joy moving along with his ears pointed forward. Perky!.  I love seeing horses ridden by riders riding within their horse's limits, which includes doing endurance in the first place.  Endurance horses should love what they do as much as us endurance riders love it.  IMO, Lisa and Sammy are on the same page.  I heard a few days later that Lisa and Sammy came in 1st place the next day on the 50 and Sammy received the BC (best condition) award! 

I was also able to see and visit with some previous friends who I have met through endurance. It was especially great to see Michael, Amber, Gina, Dan, and ride photographers Renny and Bill.  A big thank you to the ride management, vets, and wonderful volunteers at this ride. 

Both Rio and I finished strong.  We came in 24th out of 93 riders.  I felt much better at the end of the race compared to how I felt at the end of loop 1, and Rio ate and drank like the champion he is when we were done.  His overall vet score at completion was an A with an A+ for gut sounds. This horse knows how to take care of himself!

 

 

 

Endurance History: Picking Out Our Camper

Our rig, camper roof down for traveling.

We started researching a new truck and camper to purchase towards the end of 2006.  Peter had been wanting to get a new used truck for awhile.  In the beginning of 2007, he found a truck that he liked and he purchased it.  A 2001 white Dodge (Cummins) 2500 Ram Truck. (Yah, I know, like every other truck you will see at an endurance ride.)

We live approximately 3 hours away from Reno, NV., and we go up there a few times a year for various reasons.  Sometime in early 2007 we took a trip to Reno to go to a R.V. show where a lot of different camper brands would be displayed. 

Pete had already decided that he wanted a pop-up camper versus a full size camper.  We had also already decided that we wanted a bumper pull  horse trailer versus a live aboard rig or a motor home, and I had already purchased my horse trailer in June, 2006.  I bought a 2 horse slant load Circle J aluminum bumper pull horse trailer.  We had decided we wanted a camper versus another type of rig because besides endurance riding, we like to go camping (without the horse). 

In Reno, we saw a lot of different pop up models at the show, but neither of us really liked what we saw.  They were all so small, not much bigger than our camper shell.  We did more online research when we got home, and Peter found a pop-up camper that he was really impressed with called Hallmark.  They are only sold where they are made in Colorado.  However, the owners/makers of the Hallmark campers would be at a sports expo a few weeks away in Sacramento, CA, so we drove over to check it out.  Peter's brother, sister-in-law and nephew live in Sacramento.  We stayed with them and had a nice visit. 

We both fell in love with the Hallmark pop-ups.  It was a done deal.  In the next few weeks we finalized our order.  Besides choosing which model we wanted, there were other choices to make such as choosing between an oven or a microwave.  We choose an oven.  In March 07, Peter drove the new used truck to Colorado and came home with the camper on it.

Here is the link for Hallmark campers:
http://www.hallmarkrv.com/
This is the model that we purchased:
http://www.hallmarkrv.com/campers/cuchara/

We love this camper so much.  First of all, it is such a luxury for my endurance rides.  It is roomy inside when the roof is raised.  Pete, our dog, Hana, and I are very comfortable in it.  We change the table area into a bed and that is where we hang out when we aren't sleeping or outside.  That is where Hana sleeps at night too.  It has forced air heating! Do you know how nice it is to be able to turn on the heat and warm up a place before getting out of a cozy, warm bed at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m.?  And to take a hot shower after riding 50+ miles?  Complete luxury!  The bathroom is small.  I have room to stand up and put the shower hose over me to shower.  Very quickly army style as to not waste water.    The walls of the bathroom fold up and down for when the roof comes down.  One of the best features of this camper are the two large windows on one side.  I am showing photos of the camper that are from endurance rides as well as various camping trips that Pete and I have taken.  Here is the whole set up with the horse trailer and the camper's roof raised. It goes up 12 inches.  It is also the only pop-up camper that  has a roof that raises up and down with a motor.  We just have to turn on a switch.

Roof Down

                                                                               Roof Up

Hanging Out Inside the Camper

 

2007 Endurance History Highlights:  Part II

Caartouche CS, 2014

Unfortunately, I did not have a camera to take photos of the first few (5+!) years of my endurance riding life. 

 

Briefly:
Twenty Mule Team 65 mile 2/3/07
Great ride out of Ridgecrest, CA, managed by Robert and Melissa Ribley.  There is also a 35 mile limited distance (LD) ride and a 100 mile ride.  The 65 mile is one big loop with out vet checks.

Eastern Sierra Mojave Scenic Pioneer 50 mile (Days 1 and 2) 2/17/07 and 2/18/07
Another great XP ride.  What I remember most about this ride is that we had sold our truck and shell and purchased a new used truck,  but we had not yet purchased a camper.  We had planned on tent camping. We brought all of our camping gear, but we forgot the tent!  Woops.  It actually worked out better because a wind storm started the evening before the ride with gusts so huge that it was hard to see because of the dust flying.  We slept in the truck bed, which gave us a bit of protection from the wind.  Sleeping in the tent in the wind storm would have been extremely uncomfortable with the tent flapping all night long.  The wind kept up for the first hour of the ride and then calmed down. Both days of this ride were one big loop (different trails) with an out vet check/lunch hold.  This is a 3 day ride (4 day ride now/2014), but I had to leave on Sunday after the ride/race because I had to be at work on Monday.

AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference) Yearly Convention, Reno, NV 3/7/07
It is very convenient for me that most years the yearly AERC convention is located in Reno, NV, which is just a 3 hour drive from where I live.  AERC holds it in Reno a lot because their office is located in Auburn, CA, which is close to Reno.  I learned a lot in the seminars I attended and purchased a few things at the trade show.  Approximately a month before the convention, my friend/mentor, Dick Dawson advised me that the Tevis ride management was going to hold its' first educational ride approximately one month before the actual ride.  There would be a limited number of riders who could do this ride and management was going to start taking entries at the AERC convention.  I was able to get in!  I will be writing more about the Tevis ride in my next Blog/post, but briefly,  Tevis is a 100 mile ride/race that takes place on the Western States Trail from Truckee to Auburn, CA. It is the oldest endurance ride and considered the most difficult one in the world.  Like all 100 mile AERC competitions, it must be completed under 24 hours, including all the holds.  It was my goal to enter and complete Tevis, but I had not planned on doing it in 2007 because I wanted more experience with my horse (this was my first full year competing in endurance for both myself and my horse).  I decided since I would be able to do the educational ride, that I would sign up for Tevis that year if the educational ride went well. 

Rides of March 50 mile, 3/17/07
I can not remember much about this ride.  Another successful finish.

Square Nail 50, 4/7/07
Same as above (Rides of March)

Washoe Valley I and II 50 mile, 5/17/07 and 5/17/07
I love this ride!  Two days, but you can only ride one day if you want.  I really like the 2+ day competitions because I get more bang for my buck.  The ride entries are the same each day, but I save a lot on gas money.  Also, it makes a horse stronger if riding conservatively. The trail both days are quite challenging, with a lot of steep hills to climb.  The base camp is located near a lake, and there are facilities to take showers.  The ride managers, Connie Creech and Gina Hall are outstanding horsewoman and put on a great ride weekend.  The evening meals are excellent and the completion prizes are great.  Wonderful vets and volunteers as well.  A+.  Many thank to these women!

Tevis Educational Ride, June 2007
The educational ride took place over 2 days.  The first night we camped at Robinson's Flat, which is the second vet check and the first 1 hour hold at mile 36 of the official Tevis Cup AERC ride.   We would be riding the last 2 sections of the Tevis/Western States Trail over 2 days.  We arrived on Friday afternoon and attended the educational seminars, which were extremely helpful.   There was a choice of 3 rider groups to ride with:  Fast pace, moderate pace, and slower pace.  I rode in the fast pace group.  We were told that if our horse took longer to pulse down at the vet checks than the others, we would need to wait for the next group and ride with them.  I rode with the faster paced group because  my horse and I had consistently been finishing in the top 20.  This was not an AERC competition, but the educational ride had vet checks to make sure the horses were fit to continue and to get the riders and horses familiar with the Tevis vetting procedure.  The first day we rode approx. 35 miles from Robinson Flat to Foresthill (the canyons). We had more educational seminars and a great dinner that night.  The next day we rode the last section of Tevis, approx. 35 miles, from Foresthill to Auburn. It was incredibly helpful to be able to pre-ride this trail before attempting our first competitive Tevis.  My horse and I both did great, and I sent in my Tevis entry when we arrived home.  The  Tevis ride date that year was on 7/28/07, 4 weeks away!

Today, Thursday, 4/3/14
I am getting caught up in my endurance history blog, and today I am organizing and packing for our 2nd 50 mile endurance competition of the season, which is this Saturday, 4/5/14.  I am competing  on day 1 of the 2 day rides of the Nevada Derby. The link is below.  I was not planning on doing this ride.  I was planning on riding 1 or 2 days of the Washoe Valley I and II rides, which are held the first weekend in May.  The ride managers of Washoe Valley have decided to take this year off.  The Nevada Derby has changed their normal ride location in Lemmon Valley, NV. to the Washoe Valley ride location.  This is the reason I decided to do it.  It is also the first test of the NASTR Triple Crown.  The second test is the NASTR 75 mile ride at the end of May, and the last test is the 100  mile Virginia City ride in September.  At this point, I don't have the goal to do the triple crown this year, but I may change my mind.  My main goal this year is to ride Tevis again. 

I am excited about this ride.  We leave tomorrow.
http://www.aerc.org/Calendar/2014NevadaDerby.pdf