We were on the road at 7 a.m. heading south. Traffic is lighter on Fri. mornings through Seattle - so even though it was slow going - it was moving & we'd take it! With only a fuel stop - on the way down, my girl stepped out the trailer & peed! We found a spot where we were up & out of the way - without too long of a walk to the Vet Check area.
2:24 p.m. Trot out for Dr. Jennifer
Dr. Jen notated on my Vet card that Farah had a Lot of up & down action over hind end. That was a first & I mentioned that she has some Saddlebred. Otherwise, for having just unloaded from a seven hour road trip - she was all A's.
Farah settled in~
After we completed settling up our little camp, we took the dogs out for a walk to visit our old camping spot at the far end of the valley - up on the hill.
3:30 - Ride Camp
To our disappointment - the view of the Mountain is now mostly gone :-( The
trees have grown so tall since our first visit here in 2000 - that they
now hide the peak. There's one spot at the highest point - where you
can just see the top. Not like the days when the the Mountain
dominated the skyline & we all took photos with it in the
background.
2002 My second completion
Trailers were pulling in non-stop - always a big ride, this year would be no exception. I put dinner in the oven, then we tacked Farah up & took her for a walk out the way the ride would start. A couple friends stopped by to visit & it was fun socializing. The ride meeting was well attended, I made plans to start with my friend Marie & her riding companions. Soon, it was time to be sure I had all my stuff ready for in the morning & to bed early!
I was awake with the first light - just in time to realize that the alarm hadn't gone off! We were up, I tried to eat a piece of toast & an energy drink that Joyce loves, but it just didn't want to settle with me. I decided to forgo the drink in favor of a few pears. We had Farah saddled, she was calm & ready, so I headed down to were I was to meet Marie. That was a Big Mistake! Spotting Marie, I tried to head that direction when the first of the bucking fits started! Out of nowhere, here came the big buck! The next one, the front legs came up off the ground, there was a slight rear before the buck & a big grunt! With the other three horses around me - I thought she'd calm down, but no - another bucking fit & we headed for the starting line!
Butch filmed the start, (first loop - Snow King - 15-mi.) I don't think it was too pretty for several of us poor riders on fit horses... Even though it looks like I was on my own, Marie & Leslie were just ahead. We went down the trail in a loose group - dodging other horses who were having tantrums. Once on the single track trail, Farah instantly settled. The Canadian rider in the lead - missed a turn - he & his companion tried to blow past us to re-gain the front. I let them know as they passed me on both sides - that if Farah kicked them to kingdom come - they'd deserve it!
Finally - things started to settle down, we too missed a turn - but then my friends wanted Farah in the front & once she was there - we were moving out! Marie & a friend dropped back, Leslie stayed with me & we were able to find clear trail, move out & enjoyed each others company.
8:20 a.m. coming in off the first loop with Leslie
I was being conservative, keeping Farah back off her usual traveling pace, my plan was to save some horse for the afternoon loops. After five times here - I know they can be long, hard & hot. We still finished the 15-miles in under 2-hrs. It was at this VC where we saw a rider take a terrible fall almost in front of us. The sound of her vest deploying is one I won't soon forget - it was like a gun shot! When she didn't move - the vet who was doing Farah - ran over to help. (Luckily - last word was that the rider just had a bruise!) That delayed us a bit - but that hold had been extended from 15 to 30-min. & that helped.
Farah w/Butch at one of the VC's - Thanks again Jessica Wynn!
(I'd spoken to Mary the evening before & had asked several people what they used to stay strong in the saddle - sick & tired of my propensity for heat exhaustion.) While I was out, Mary gave Butch some of the electrolyte tablets that have worked for her - for me to try. I ate, took them & felt darn good heading out on the second "Gotchen" 16-mile loop. Leslie had told me to go on without her & I wanted to keep up our momentum. This was a tough, beautiful loop - up & through the area that had been burned a few years ago. We'd been warned to stay On the Trail - since the fire had burned clear into the ground following the root balls of the trees. The holes that resulted have trapped Elk.
Gotchen Loop 9:54 a.m.
This loop, the horses were working, Farah was passing horses & moving powerfully. The sun had burned off most of the cloud cover & the wind sounded eerie in the burned branches of the trees. We came around a corner to see a small creek just off the trail. Farah was happy step in & took a good drink. I rode with Dale for a while - he invited me to his ride in ID - talking about how beautiful it is there :-) Around another corner & we saw the sign for the photographer!
Coming up on Jessica & her camera!
Mare on a Mission! :-)
I can't thank Jess enough for snapping that camera button when she did! Making incredible memories for many riders. This loop - we made it into a nice pocket! We came up on a few riders, soon moving to the front & leaving them behind.
Back to camp at 11:06
Farah was loving the trail & we were moving right along - finishing off the second loop again in under 2-hrs. Time for our lunch break & I was ready for it. I ate, took another of Mary's magic pills - that hadn't upset my stomach or bothered me at all! I was drinking my water & doing fine!
11:59 & ready to leave on the third loop
Dale hadn't finished far behind me, but had a couple more minutes to wait, so we left without him - he said he'd probably catch up before long... Ghost Loop - 13-mi. headed south too & I was familiar with most of it from other years here. It has some short steep climbs & rock areas. Farah dug in & at times it felt like we were flying when she bounded up the hills! During the day - when we'd have the opportunity to ride for a while with other riders, I was thrilled at the compliments Farah was getting. One rider said that Farah looked like she didn't even know I was on her back :-) Another said that she just seemed to float over the trails :-) I know that was how it felt! Having her on a loose rein - I let her set the pace she wanted to go & Go we did! It was a Blast!
1:36 & we're back for the final VC!
Now, we'd passed our envelope! Heading into unfamiliar territory for my gold girl... More distance than she'd ever done & at a much faster pace than we train. We had the miles, the hours, the days of saddle time, but not quite the speed work that I would have liked. I shouldn't have been worried, again Farah vetted through with all A's - except for that nagging B in gut sounds. She was eating on the trail & eating everything Butch put in front of her during our breaks! Still riding on our own, I had no idea where in the pack of riders we were, so asked Butch to go check. It was a very nice surprise to find that we were sixth!
1:55 p.m. Leaving on the Final Loop
My husbands parting words were; "Get out of here & don't waste time!" :-) OK! We could Do that! The day had warmed, I changed shirts & took another of those electrolytes - so darn happy to be feeling so good - so late in the ride! Farah hit her trot & we were out to finish that final ten-miles!
Again - we were on our own, after we left camp & moved past all the riders coming in off their various loops - the trail cleared & we started the climb. Not the climb from hell that I'd done in 2010 with Khari - when the trail was covered with snow & I'd hiked about half of that 15-mile loop. This time, we made the turn to head down in what seemed like short order. Soon though - I could hear riders coming up behind us & we came out on the open stretch of road. As with every intersection all day - I took the time to be sure of the flagging - or to find it! :-)
As we turned down the road, I didn't look back, but could hear a horse picking up speed behind us. Farah was more than up to the challenge & moved so smoothly that she just extended her trot as the other horse galloped along side. Finally, she broke to the gallop & we galloped to where the trail turned back to single track. As I slowed to make the turn - we weren't cut off. Farah made the turn - still in the lead. New to 50's - this rider said she wouldn't race me to the finish & asked about how that worked - since her experience was with LD's. I told her that I was not going to give up my position & we left it at that.
Farah hit that trail with a purpose & I knew that I had more than enough horse to maintain our placing. What else I knew - was that I'd just used up energy that could have been better spent showing for BC, rather than a short race in the last loop - that would only make one place difference in the final results.
Our Finish at 3:05 p.m.!
As we turned that final corner for home, I was humming a country tune & have never felt better finishing an Endurance ride! :-) Farah was amazing all day - ears forward, on the make & ready to continue on! She never faltered, never quit & let me know that she was having Fun!
Final Trot-out for BC
We went ahead & showed for BC - but our girl was tired & she deserved to be! We both actually had a little laugh at her expense - since it's the first time we've actually seen her tired at all! Even so, she showed really well, finished with all A's - except for that B in gut sounds! :-) It didn't take her long to remedy that!
Sunday morning - us with our Loot! 6th Place!
I loved the sound of her munching all night long & woke to her nicker - asking for breakfast! :-) This was my sixth time at this ride, with my best result riding Jas in 2002 - 14th place in 7 hours for 50-mi. Farah had finished sixth - doing the 55-miles in 7:05.
We had a few things that could have been better, I'd replaced the nose band on her Mylar combination bit & forgotten to shorten the cables that go to the chin strap, so all I had was the bit - which I didn't realize until the second VC. I didn't want to take the time to fix it. The saddle too - which I do love - sits just a little too low in front - which gave Farah waves on the withers & made it really hard for me on the downhills - my lower back felt it.
In closing, a heartfelt Thank You to Mary Nunn for giving me those electrolytes! It was so nice to finish feeling strong! Of course my husband - who's been my go to man for over 30-years now - takes amazing care of Farah & we both can't say how much we appreciate him! Not to forget Justin Foss - our Farrier! The padding stayed in until the final VC - when Mike noticed that the RF was partly Gone! :-)
This morning when I walked (a bit stiffly) up to the barn, my girl greeted me by putting the side of her face against mine & holding it there... Then did her usual strut out to the pasture!
I'm getting through these days one step at a time. Trying to keep my mind & body busy enough that I'm not overwhelmed by grief. Wishing that I hadn't gone on this ride & had stayed home to watch over Kitt - even knowing that she had the best of care.
Now - for my "Ride Story" & I'm sticking to it! The third "Rider Option" pull of my career... (The first was when Jas was unable to start, so Butch offered me Khaz for the 50 at this same ride in 1999. I Quit! Flat-Out Quit at about 35-miles. Khaz at that age was a mad-man... I started toward the back of the pack, tried to ride "conservatively" until we were caught by the front running 25's! Khaz lost his mind - I lost mine & decided to call it a day. The second time was in 2010 at Elbe Hills. The undo-able 50 where Lois F. was the last to finish in time - fifth place - that should tell you something if you know Lois F.! Even though I was top-ten & Khari vetted with all A's - I just couldn't see beating her up with another 25-mi. of slippery mud when we'd not be able to complete in time to get a completion even if we'd finished!
This ride - was the third...
We left home at 7 a.m. & made good time over the pass, arriving at Washtucna by noon. It was raining & didn't take long before the tractor came by - hooked us up & towed us through the worst of the mud. I know... you say; "mud"? Western, WA? Mud? We sat up camp, vetted the horses through & visited with friends. At the Ride Meeting, the group of Rancher's who hosted our event confirmed that the rainfall was very unusual. We received some really nice information sheets highlighting the historical features of the area. Head Vet Dick Root warned us about the cold weather & additional challenges this would present in keeping the horses warm at the VC's. We were expecting a cold & wet ride. Surprise! After raining part of the night, the morning arrived with clearing skies & the light of the sun peeking over the horizon! Khari had traveled Great, eaten everything in sight & was more than Ready to Go! Charlotte & I left just behind the front riders at the start. Before long we were moving up & passing horses. There were the unusual "obstacles", low underpass that we had to go through, train tracks (the trains were blocked while we were crossing), going through the yard with the barking dog etc. :-) Khari felt So Good that when a group of us started galloping up a short hill - she threw in a nice big buck! The loop went fast, we were back in camp at 8:43 a.m. & Khari was down! 15 min. hold, just enough time to eat a cookie & give Khari a few minutes to eat. Charlotte was held up in the VC. I didn't know why - but it was taking longer than our out time. I waited & waited, watched as a couple of my friends who had come in just ahead of me left. I'd lost momentum & decided to go ahead & leave. Another lady was leaving too. I asked her if her horse was "forward" she assured me that it was. After the first mile or so, it was obvious that we were going nowhere very fast. I went to move Khari around her & realized that I'd forgotten my stick...
Khari took the lead - where are the ribbons??? I asked myself with that sinking feeling that comes with knowing you haven't seen one for a while... My traveling companion hadn't seen any either so we split up to look. This loop was totally different terrain than the first. Three foot tall Bunch-grass & the going so deep that Khari was sinking in 6" with every step. Finally - I found ribbons & realized that we'd taken the loop out in the WRONG direction... ribbons were on our LEFT... Not our Right. My GPS said that we were about 3-mi. in - too far in those conditions to turn back & start over. I decided to continue on - to do the loop in reverse - figuring that with the GPS & the time - that Gail would allow me the mistake as long as I'd done the miles & the correct loop. Within a short time, the front-runners were coming at us. This actually helped - since I could see where they were coming "from" & get an idea of where we were going. Finding the ribbons was much more difficult! Soon, riders who'd been just in front of us on the first loop were coming at us. This made for some interesting conversation; such as; "WHAT are you DOING?!" "Do you KNOW you're going the WRONG way?!" At one point, we came to a water tank - relief - still on the trail - took off down a road where there were a LOT of prints in the mud... went on... no ribbons... Demoralizing - turn back... look & look... FINALLY find a ribbon that was smashed up against the back side of a fence post! Trail! This section - which was actually well marked - had NO hoof-prints! It was somehow being missed coming from the correct direction - but hay - who cared? FINALLY - we could see camp! We arrived at 10:45 a.m. Charlotte came in just a few minutes behind me. I'd lost so much time on that loop that her hold up at the VC brought us back together. Khari vetted through again in Great shape! All those miles of training had paid off. With a 45-min. hold, I changed out of my warm clothes into something lighter weight - the day was actually warming up! (Dick told me that Gail was in the process of making a change to the final loop - that the blue had been so tough on the horses that they didn't want to use it for the last loop as originally planned.) Charlotte & I left together just a few minutes after our out time of 11:31 a.m. The lady who'd followed me on the second loop, again "tagged" along. The good news - was that we went the right way - the bad news, for me anyway - is that I forgot to electrolyte myself... Heat & humidity are my enemy... They attacked about 1/2 way through. I started melting down. I stopped, got off, removed my helmet & drank a little of Charlotte's electrolytes. It helped. Back on & away we went - Khari Very strong & going Great. Up ahead at about ten-miles in, we could see two men at a water tank. We got there to find my friend David LeBlanc. He & his companion had driven out to let everyone know that the last loop had been changed. Instead of doing the infamous "Blue Loop" Gail had decided to send everyone out on the Red Loop again - but at the water tank, David was to send everyone down another way that would cut-off five-miles of the 15-mi. loop. I drank part of a V-8 & shared it with my companions. Coming back into camp for the third time, at 2:15 p.m. Charlotte discovered that Aliento was "off". The temperature was dropping quickly & dark clouds were rolling in. At the VC, Aliento was pulled. My friend Liz met me at the water tank when we arrived. She'd driven down from north of Spokane to ride the "Trail Ride" on her young Curly. I was so happy to see her! She asked what she could do to help me & I told her to go ahead & vet Khari - which she did. Khari actually jumped into the air on her trot-out & both Dick & Mike told Liz that I had plenty of horse left! By the time Liz brought her back, I was shaking with cold & my ankle felt like it was ready to fall off, even with the brace & pain patch. That's when I found out that Charlotte was done for the day. The wind came up, blowing the rain sideways... At that point, I decided to call it a day... I had plenty of time left to finish, but I just didn't have the will to go back out. I changed into warm clothes, walked over with Liz to the barns to pass on the news of my pull. Liz & I sat down & caught up a bit with each other - before she had to head home. I walked back to our camp to find that Charlotte had put my tack away & was warming up soup! Yum! Time for the Bloody Mary's! Even with Dr. Jen doing Khari's VC, she finished that 40-mi. with an A in attitude! Jen had marked her gut sounds at B-, but I don't think they were that low. We'd stopped several times on that third loop to let the horses graze & Khari had taken full advantage. She hadn't taken her head out of her food tub since we'd returned to camp. I was disappointed in myself, but it had been a stressful few days, first the ankle, then seeing Kitt run over - with the heartache & worry involved. The second loop had really taken it out of me more than the mare. I was very proud of Khari! At one point on that loop, we were making our way up a big hill & she started to "bog-down". I gave her my heels & she began attacking that mud & bunch grass - making huge leaps & taking us right up to the top! Hardly a deep breath & she was ready to go on! Meeting all those horses head-on, including her traveling buddy Aliento & still continuing forward without a battle really impressed me. She listened, did her job & gave me a really great ride!
Waiting our turn to be pulled out, Sunday morning~
Now - my personal "commentary" on what I do & don't like about rides. My favorite is going out - having one out check & returning to camp! Think - "The DUCK" & "XP Rides"! This type of ride is so much more fun! You see more country & have less distraction. Second, would be a ride where you head out - have an out-check, head back to ride camp on a different trail - have lunch, then a final loop. Renegade & Bare Bones were like this last season & it was great! What I don't like - are a lot of loops & a lot of VC's. My personal opinion is that it takes away from the momentum of the ride & is disheartening to horses & riders alike. I hate repeat loops...
Going over the pass on our way home~
My "companion" on the second & third loops had a younger mare, when Liz returned from the VC, she said that this woman had about come unglued when Liz went to walk away with Khari to go check on her horse, tied to her trailer. She started saying that Khari "HAD to stay" until her mare was vetted etc., etc. Here's how I see it -- if you've made a pact to travel with someone - then that extends to the VC. As most of us know, it can be hard to get your horse to pulse down if the other horse leaves. BUT - & it's a Big But... I'd made no such "pact" with this person. Liz finally told her that if her husband would hold Khari while she checked on her horse, that Khari could stay nearby. That's what finally happened. If it had been ME - I wouldn't have been so accommodating... I'm going to chalk this ride up as another "Learning Experience". Where to go from here? I feel like the wind has been knocked out of my sails...
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