Cascadegold Blog - Full Story
MONDAY, MAY 21, 2012
Monica and I went down to the Mt. Adams endurance ride this past weekend. This is a great ride – about 6 hours away, nice camping, just about perfect trails and views to kill for. We got there Friday night, got settled in and vetted and went for a short ride. My ankles were not happy, so we didn’t go far. We did some visiting around camp and then turned in for our early start the next day. We met Lisa Preston, who was there with her young Teke-Arab filly for her first LD ride. There was one other Teke cross there with Mona Thacker. Her Shiraz has been competing for quite a few years and has been racking up the miles.
Saturday morning dawned and we got ready. The weather was perfect – 60ish and sunny. Our plan was that I’d start behind the leaders and go fast, to save my ankles, and Monica and Danny would meander out later. As this is only his 3rd ride, she’s being very conservative (and rightly so). So, we waited until the majority of the 75 (yes, 75 riders in the 25 mile ride) went out. We walked out of camp after a bit of excitement – someone’s horse decided to warm itself up just as we were walking to the start line. They caught it after a few minutes and then we walked out on a loose rein. As soon as we got to the woods (there was about a half mile of pavement to walk on) we started our trot and passed and passed and passed people. Galen LOVES to pass other horses. We finished our first loop of 13 miles in around 1 ½ hours and vetted through just fine. We only had a short hold, so we went back to the camper and got resupplied and a bite to eat.
We headed out on our second loop and met Monica and Danny coming in as we went out. The horses felt that we should stand around and talk about it, but a small amount of ‘persuasion’ and Galen and I were off. This next loop was 12 miles...
Read more here:
http://cascadegold.blogspot.com/2012/05/mt-adams-endurance-ride-may-19-2012.html
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Biltmore - Heather Reynolds
Reynoldsracing.us - Full StoryThursday, 10 May 2012
This blog should have gone out several days ago but I am just now starting to feel human again as far as sleep deprivation goes! On Wed May 2 we loaded up our 7 horses plus our friend Bob's horse to head to the Biltmore. The eight horses got on the trailer around 8:30 pm. Our plan was to drive thru the night to avoid the heat and humidity.
The reason we had so many horses was because we would be continuing from the Biltmore to our summer training that would take place in Durango CO. Ever tried packing for 5 horses and riders to do an FEI race and then also packing for the entire summer training with a trip abroad with potentially two horses flying??? A little bit of work.
The drive was uneventful. Rachel Shackelford had flown out to FL to help us drive to NC for the Biltmore. She was also going to help us with the crazy drive from NC to CO! What a hero!! I love her!!
We arrived Thursday with the two trailers, 3 dogs, 3 people and 8 horses around 10 am. We were in Zombie mode for sure! When we arrived several friends jumped in to help us get water and feed for the horses. This is when Bob's horse went with Bob. We then headed to town to go to breakfast. Melody and Chad went with and we had a great time. After this we went back to camp to get things organized. Jeremy booted a few horses while Rachel and I tried to stay awake.
For dinner we went to a BB-Q at our friends Lynn and Mark Ashby's camp. Very nice and fun catching up. Lynn and Mark are who we got A Kutt Above, Merlin (the chihuahua), Cleopatrah and An Honest Crook from. It was super fun because Merlin's mom, brother and niece were there! The Chihuahua's had a blast. We were party poopers and headed to bed super early, go figure!!.
Friday, Garrett Ford came to camp, he had landed at some unreal time in the wee hours of the am, I think Friday at 3:30 am or something! Jeremy and he went for a run. Rachel and I went to the Biltmore hotel and had breakfast with Elaine and Guy Lemeiux. These are our friends that we bought our newest horse, Honor, from. I think we had a lot more fun than the boys! Barbara also arrived later in the afternoon on Friday.
The rest of Friday was spent getting things set up, vetting, then pre riding, followed by the ride meeting. Then another early bedtime.
Saturday Jeremy and Stirgess started their ride at 6 am, Rachel and I were 30 mins later, followed by Garrett and Barbara another 30 mins later. The start of the race went very well for Rachel and I, both horses were traveling well and were relaxed. Our goal was to get Riverwatch aka Marvel his final qualification for the London World Championship and get Cleo through her first 2*...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/393/biltmore
Foxcatcher Endurance Results
Fairhillinternational.blogspot.com - Full Story
MONDAY, MAY 7, 2012
I'm a little late on results - sorry!
Foxcatcher Saturday was bright and sunny for the first time in a few years. And DRY. Which, for Foxcatcher, is absolutely amazing. We had 64 starters in the 25 mile ride, and 85 starters in the 50 mile ride, plus three ride and tie teams. To make things more exciting, we also ran an FEI 1* ride in the 50 miler, in which 7 riders participated. And the 50 mile ride was also the Arabian Horse Association Region 15 50 Mile Championship, in which 7 riders participated.
The 25 Mile ride started at 7AM. The riders completed a 15 mile loop, came in to base camp for a 40 minute hold and vet inspection, and then went back out for a 10 mile loop. The first riders finished around 10:15 or so. The 25 mile riders finish on their pulse time, not when they cross the finish line. This is to discourage riders from riding their horses too fast at the end. Those who have horses with a faster pulse recovery will have a better finish time than those whose horses take longer to recover. The winner of the 25 mile ride was Steven Hay riding Gotcha Covered PW, with a ride time of 2 hours 42 minutes (ride time does not include the 40 minutes of hold time). Delanie Kite, finishing in a tie for fifth place, was the first finishing Junior rider (juniors are under 16 years and have to ride with a sponsor). Out of our 64 starting riders, 54 completed the ride. Congrats!
The 50 mile riders also started at 7AM. They completed a 25 mile loop first, with a 10 minute "stop" part way through the loop to give the horses a little breather. After a 40 minute hold and vet exam, they went out for a 15 mile loop. Another 40 minute hold and vet exam followed, and then one last 10 mile loop. The first riders completed a little after 1PM.
Sandra Fretelliere (riding Tikis Twistyr) and Carmine Villani (riding TEF Sunflash) raced to the finish, with Sandra just edging out Carmine for the win. The 50 mile riders finish at the time they cross the finish line, so there is sometimes a race to the finish. All riders, however, must meet pulse criteria within a specified time after finishing, or risk being eliminated from the ride...
Read more here:
http://fairhillinternational.blogspot.com/2012/05/foxcatcher-endurance-results.html
MONDAY, MAY 7, 2012
I'm a little late on results - sorry!
Foxcatcher Saturday was bright and sunny for the first time in a few years. And DRY. Which, for Foxcatcher, is absolutely amazing. We had 64 starters in the 25 mile ride, and 85 starters in the 50 mile ride, plus three ride and tie teams. To make things more exciting, we also ran an FEI 1* ride in the 50 miler, in which 7 riders participated. And the 50 mile ride was also the Arabian Horse Association Region 15 50 Mile Championship, in which 7 riders participated.
The 25 Mile ride started at 7AM. The riders completed a 15 mile loop, came in to base camp for a 40 minute hold and vet inspection, and then went back out for a 10 mile loop. The first riders finished around 10:15 or so. The 25 mile riders finish on their pulse time, not when they cross the finish line. This is to discourage riders from riding their horses too fast at the end. Those who have horses with a faster pulse recovery will have a better finish time than those whose horses take longer to recover. The winner of the 25 mile ride was Steven Hay riding Gotcha Covered PW, with a ride time of 2 hours 42 minutes (ride time does not include the 40 minutes of hold time). Delanie Kite, finishing in a tie for fifth place, was the first finishing Junior rider (juniors are under 16 years and have to ride with a sponsor). Out of our 64 starting riders, 54 completed the ride. Congrats!
The 50 mile riders also started at 7AM. They completed a 25 mile loop first, with a 10 minute "stop" part way through the loop to give the horses a little breather. After a 40 minute hold and vet exam, they went out for a 15 mile loop. Another 40 minute hold and vet exam followed, and then one last 10 mile loop. The first riders completed a little after 1PM.
Sandra Fretelliere (riding Tikis Twistyr) and Carmine Villani (riding TEF Sunflash) raced to the finish, with Sandra just edging out Carmine for the win. The 50 mile riders finish at the time they cross the finish line, so there is sometimes a race to the finish. All riders, however, must meet pulse criteria within a specified time after finishing, or risk being eliminated from the ride...
Read more here:
http://fairhillinternational.blogspot.com/2012/05/foxcatcher-endurance-results.html
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Whiskeytown Chaser 2012: Trust Your Instincts & Wear Fleece-Lined Britches
Redheaded Endurance Blog - Full Story
Sunday, April 15, 2012
It was an inauspicious beginning. It poured all Thursday night and hadn’t let up a bit when I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep at 4 am. We had waited to pack the truck hoping for better weather in the morning but it hadn’t come, so when it got light I put on head to toe rain gear and got seriously soggy feeding all the critters and getting ready. The husband and I got it all wrangled into place eventually, waterproof stuff in the back of the truck, sleeping bags, clothes, etc in contractor grade trash bags and stuffed into the empty hay manger in the trailer. I stored the hay bale in the trailer up in the corner out of Desire's way, even with the divider open, and that worked fine. Finally we were ready to load the horse and get on the road around 9:30 am.
It was still raining lightly as I pulled Desire, threw a polar fleece on her, and loaded her into the trailer already waiting outside the gate. She was all gung-ho to leave her screaming baby and come with me in the rain to hop in the trailer, trooper that she is. As she hopped in the trailer her right hind skidded forward on the black mats and as she slid forward her left hind still on the ground clipped the edge of the trailer pretty hard as she went in. J and I both had small internal heart attacks as she held her hind leg up for a minute but she put it back down and assumed her usual shifty, ready to go position so we decided to drive the 5 miles down to the Bangor feed store, see if they had shavings to help with the slippery floor, and re-check her leg. I alternately swore and prayed the whole 5 miles and when we pulled her out there was a dime sized bloody spot on her hind leg from the hit but she walked, trotted out, and circled sound and I finally started breathing again. I gooped some of Trail-Rite's Magical Ointment onto it right away. The feed store didn’t have shavings (argh!) but did have sand and I decided to not risk the further 10 miles into town for shavings; we spread a bag of sand in the back of the trailer stall where it was slippery and it made Desire’s reloading much smoother, not to mention peace of mind for me. She is a clever one, when she loaded again she did a nifty hop up in with the dinged leg so there was no way it could hit again.
A brief stop at Wal-mart for a new air mattress pump and, mercifully, some nice new camp chairs to replace our crippling $9.99 Home Depot specials from last year, and we were on the road. It was about a 3 hour haul plus a stop for gas and the rain was off and on until we reached Redding when it finally actually quit.
We got a primo camping spot up on the hill and A and a riding buddy ended up pulling in and camping right next to us again, with C and F, the folks that put on Cooley ranch and Mendo Magic and old friends from the coast, camped just across from us. They didn’t bring Desire’s brother to this ride so no sibling photo opportunity this time. N pulled in in the afternoon and nosed her truck in next to ours so we were camping neighbors which was awesome...
Read more here:
http://redheadedendurance.blogspot.com/2012/04/whiskeytown-chaser-2012-trust-your.html
Sunday, April 15, 2012
It was an inauspicious beginning. It poured all Thursday night and hadn’t let up a bit when I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep at 4 am. We had waited to pack the truck hoping for better weather in the morning but it hadn’t come, so when it got light I put on head to toe rain gear and got seriously soggy feeding all the critters and getting ready. The husband and I got it all wrangled into place eventually, waterproof stuff in the back of the truck, sleeping bags, clothes, etc in contractor grade trash bags and stuffed into the empty hay manger in the trailer. I stored the hay bale in the trailer up in the corner out of Desire's way, even with the divider open, and that worked fine. Finally we were ready to load the horse and get on the road around 9:30 am.
It was still raining lightly as I pulled Desire, threw a polar fleece on her, and loaded her into the trailer already waiting outside the gate. She was all gung-ho to leave her screaming baby and come with me in the rain to hop in the trailer, trooper that she is. As she hopped in the trailer her right hind skidded forward on the black mats and as she slid forward her left hind still on the ground clipped the edge of the trailer pretty hard as she went in. J and I both had small internal heart attacks as she held her hind leg up for a minute but she put it back down and assumed her usual shifty, ready to go position so we decided to drive the 5 miles down to the Bangor feed store, see if they had shavings to help with the slippery floor, and re-check her leg. I alternately swore and prayed the whole 5 miles and when we pulled her out there was a dime sized bloody spot on her hind leg from the hit but she walked, trotted out, and circled sound and I finally started breathing again. I gooped some of Trail-Rite's Magical Ointment onto it right away. The feed store didn’t have shavings (argh!) but did have sand and I decided to not risk the further 10 miles into town for shavings; we spread a bag of sand in the back of the trailer stall where it was slippery and it made Desire’s reloading much smoother, not to mention peace of mind for me. She is a clever one, when she loaded again she did a nifty hop up in with the dinged leg so there was no way it could hit again.
A brief stop at Wal-mart for a new air mattress pump and, mercifully, some nice new camp chairs to replace our crippling $9.99 Home Depot specials from last year, and we were on the road. It was about a 3 hour haul plus a stop for gas and the rain was off and on until we reached Redding when it finally actually quit.
We got a primo camping spot up on the hill and A and a riding buddy ended up pulling in and camping right next to us again, with C and F, the folks that put on Cooley ranch and Mendo Magic and old friends from the coast, camped just across from us. They didn’t bring Desire’s brother to this ride so no sibling photo opportunity this time. N pulled in in the afternoon and nosed her truck in next to ours so we were camping neighbors which was awesome...
Read more here:
http://redheadedendurance.blogspot.com/2012/04/whiskeytown-chaser-2012-trust-your.html
Monday, April 09, 2012
USA Time Trial, Mt Pleasant Texas - Heather Reynolds
Reynolds Racing - Full Story
Saturday, 07 April 2012
The USA Time Trail was held last weekend, on the 31st of March, in Mt Pleasant Texas. On Monday the 26th around 5 pm the caravan pulled out of Florida to head West to Texas. Jeremy and Ellen Olson, Melody and Jeff Blittersdorf and Jeremy and myself. In our road circus we had 13 horses, a Great Dane, 4 Chihuahuas, 2 Pit bull mixes and Jeremy O's hunting dog which I forgot the breed of!
The circus was making great headway. We had decided to keep each other company as well as keeping motivated to drive straight through the night to get to the camp as quickly as possible while the weather would be at its coolest. Around 2 am we got a phone call from the Olson's who were in the back of the caravan. They had blown a trailer tire. The Blittersdorf's and us pulled off at the next stop, which was almost 10 miles up the hwy. As luck would have it the stop we made had a live tiger in a cage for exhibit! It was the weirdest gas station hole in the wall place. We waited for a long while. Jeremy O was trying to get his wheel jack (plastic ramp thing for trailer tire changing) to work but it was slipping on the asphalt and when he tried pulling into the grass more, the trailer sat too low to get the tire off... you can imagine the frustration. When the jack snapped into pieces it really topped it off! It was early am and sleep deprived fun was in full action!
At this point we headed back to them so we could try to help out. Mel and Jeff went ahead to find food. We had another plastic wheel jack. With a team effort we got the tire changed. We were rolling again! Hurray! It took about an hour and a half.
We caught up to Mel and Jeff and carried on. I think we were all more energized than normal as we were headed to the race we had all been looking forward to the entire winter training session in Florida...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/390/usa_time_trial__mt_pleasant_texas
Saturday, 07 April 2012
The USA Time Trail was held last weekend, on the 31st of March, in Mt Pleasant Texas. On Monday the 26th around 5 pm the caravan pulled out of Florida to head West to Texas. Jeremy and Ellen Olson, Melody and Jeff Blittersdorf and Jeremy and myself. In our road circus we had 13 horses, a Great Dane, 4 Chihuahuas, 2 Pit bull mixes and Jeremy O's hunting dog which I forgot the breed of!
The circus was making great headway. We had decided to keep each other company as well as keeping motivated to drive straight through the night to get to the camp as quickly as possible while the weather would be at its coolest. Around 2 am we got a phone call from the Olson's who were in the back of the caravan. They had blown a trailer tire. The Blittersdorf's and us pulled off at the next stop, which was almost 10 miles up the hwy. As luck would have it the stop we made had a live tiger in a cage for exhibit! It was the weirdest gas station hole in the wall place. We waited for a long while. Jeremy O was trying to get his wheel jack (plastic ramp thing for trailer tire changing) to work but it was slipping on the asphalt and when he tried pulling into the grass more, the trailer sat too low to get the tire off... you can imagine the frustration. When the jack snapped into pieces it really topped it off! It was early am and sleep deprived fun was in full action!
At this point we headed back to them so we could try to help out. Mel and Jeff went ahead to find food. We had another plastic wheel jack. With a team effort we got the tire changed. We were rolling again! Hurray! It took about an hour and a half.
We caught up to Mel and Jeff and carried on. I think we were all more energized than normal as we were headed to the race we had all been looking forward to the entire winter training session in Florida...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/390/usa_time_trial__mt_pleasant_texas
Friday, March 30, 2012
2012 Red Barn Run - Keith Kibler
Shawneesunrisefarm Blog - Full Story
Posted on March 29, 2012 by Keith Kibler
Red Barn Run 2012
We love riding and competing in endurance races in the South. The folks, as a group, are friendly and genuinely glad to see new comers. The vets are used to seeing alternative breeds other than Arabians.
The location of the ride is Chester GA. It is so tiny that it could be a suburb of Mayberry. It has the claim to fame of having been the home town of Pretty Boy Floyd. I mean the famous criminal, not the speed racking horse. It seems that Floyd left town for greener pastures. In a classic southern tradition not unlike direction advice that starts with, “turn where the tavern used to be”, the ride is named after a red barn that is no longer on the property.
The ride site is owned by the Perry family. They own all 4000 acres of the ride site, and this ride is the only time the family place is open to the public. Camping is great but rustic. There is a water spigot and you have to haul water back to your trailer. The Perry’s own an off site winery, and they offer wine and wonderful concoctions they call “slushies” that many women, including my wife Sandy, loved. Both the Friday and Saturday evenings were catered as a part of the ride fee. Friday night was barbecue chicken and Saturday night featured barbecue ribs.
The Perry’s are great folks and they turn the dinners into a Mayberry- like impromptu skits where they end up making fun of their relatives or friends. The top awards feature things like hand-made wooden giant rocking chairs and mounting blocks. The vets included Otis Schmitt, Ken Marcella and Dee Dee Huff. Each of the 4 rides had about 60 entries. The trails are flat, fast and often a bit sandy. Each road crossing is manned and the crossing guards are usually the Chester volunteer fire department or friends of the Perrys. This is one of our favorite rides and I urge you to try it.
It is always great to see the Angie McGee family, Joe Schoech, and the other SE riders. We had to haul 11 hours to get there and that means getting up at 3:30 am. My plan was to ride my sweet heart twh mare Kate both days, and take the twh Jazz as my back up. Sandy took one of her twh mares Cheyenne. I loaded the horses in the dark and off we went. Shortly after leaving, the dash cluster on our 2007 Ford diesel 250 went dark and the gauges went dead and the battery light came on. The motor did not die and when the gas pedal was tapped, the power came back on. This happened on and off for the whole trip. It meant you could not really listen to the radio and required us to go to a “happy place” as we drove.
We got to Southern Ga. no worse for wear and set up in a cotton field. While unloading the horses, Sandy happened to mention that I had brought Savanah instead of Jazz as my backup. Oops. I loaded the wrong black horse in the dark. So, we brought the wrong coggins and travel permits. That will teach me to go to bed earlier...
Read more here:
http://shawneesunrisefarm.net/wordpress/?p=259
Posted on March 29, 2012 by Keith Kibler
Red Barn Run 2012
We love riding and competing in endurance races in the South. The folks, as a group, are friendly and genuinely glad to see new comers. The vets are used to seeing alternative breeds other than Arabians.
The location of the ride is Chester GA. It is so tiny that it could be a suburb of Mayberry. It has the claim to fame of having been the home town of Pretty Boy Floyd. I mean the famous criminal, not the speed racking horse. It seems that Floyd left town for greener pastures. In a classic southern tradition not unlike direction advice that starts with, “turn where the tavern used to be”, the ride is named after a red barn that is no longer on the property.
The ride site is owned by the Perry family. They own all 4000 acres of the ride site, and this ride is the only time the family place is open to the public. Camping is great but rustic. There is a water spigot and you have to haul water back to your trailer. The Perry’s own an off site winery, and they offer wine and wonderful concoctions they call “slushies” that many women, including my wife Sandy, loved. Both the Friday and Saturday evenings were catered as a part of the ride fee. Friday night was barbecue chicken and Saturday night featured barbecue ribs.
The Perry’s are great folks and they turn the dinners into a Mayberry- like impromptu skits where they end up making fun of their relatives or friends. The top awards feature things like hand-made wooden giant rocking chairs and mounting blocks. The vets included Otis Schmitt, Ken Marcella and Dee Dee Huff. Each of the 4 rides had about 60 entries. The trails are flat, fast and often a bit sandy. Each road crossing is manned and the crossing guards are usually the Chester volunteer fire department or friends of the Perrys. This is one of our favorite rides and I urge you to try it.
It is always great to see the Angie McGee family, Joe Schoech, and the other SE riders. We had to haul 11 hours to get there and that means getting up at 3:30 am. My plan was to ride my sweet heart twh mare Kate both days, and take the twh Jazz as my back up. Sandy took one of her twh mares Cheyenne. I loaded the horses in the dark and off we went. Shortly after leaving, the dash cluster on our 2007 Ford diesel 250 went dark and the gauges went dead and the battery light came on. The motor did not die and when the gas pedal was tapped, the power came back on. This happened on and off for the whole trip. It meant you could not really listen to the radio and required us to go to a “happy place” as we drove.
We got to Southern Ga. no worse for wear and set up in a cotton field. While unloading the horses, Sandy happened to mention that I had brought Savanah instead of Jazz as my backup. Oops. I loaded the wrong black horse in the dark. So, we brought the wrong coggins and travel permits. That will teach me to go to bed earlier...
Read more here:
http://shawneesunrisefarm.net/wordpress/?p=259
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
2012 H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan 6th Annual Equestrian Festival - Michelle Mattingly
This is an equestrian event not to be missed. It is an unbelievable event with much to offer for everyone. We even attended with our 15 month old son and had an absolutely fabulous time. It is truly a celebration of the Arabian horse within the UAE heritage. This magnificent festival reminds you how honored and privileged we are to be able to ride such an exquisite animal.
The festival was from March 1 - 10 and included the World Arabian Breeders Challenge, Riding show classes, Dressage, Equestrian Games for under 10 years, and a fantastic variety of Endurance races and Show Jumping.
The weather was fantastic!! Next time you are looking for a beach vacation consider Abu Dhabi, as there are beaches, city life and equestrian events to enjoy!! Not to mention lots of endurance racing. The camel races are something to experience as well. It is an amazing experience. It gives you more of an understanding how driving alongside your endurance rider may have begun.
The camel races begin with a mass start (the starting area can accommodate up to 80 camels). The gate lifted and approximately 30 camels blasted full speed (up to 40km/hr) out from behind the gate. They are all controlled by electronic jockeys (no live persons). As the camels gallop down the track the owners and spectators alike race along the track fence in their car enjoying the race up close. It is a real thrill.
We went around the track for several races and then enjoyed another option for watching. With this option you can enjoy the races from your car on a large drive-in movie theater screen, while viewing the camels, which are followed by a camera! A great treat with this option is enjoying Arabic tea or coffee served by Arabic men directly to your car window. There is also a grandstand where spectators may watch.
Unfortunately, we missed a highlight I was personally looking forward to and that was the Arabian racing at the track. This was something to be seen, but for such an intense trip I am not too disappointed as that was the only event we had to miss. Never wake a sleeping baby, right?
Boutheib International Endurance Village is spectacular. There was an exhibition with booths of the Arabian heritage, the Royal Family, UAE wildlife, tack shops and much more. As guests of H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan we were honored and privileged enough to be able to personally meet him. He is so incredibly kind. He had us treated like royalty. The endurance races are incredibly easy to spectate. The vet gate, the sheltered crew areas and finish and start are all in one area making it possible to see absolutely everything. The horses are amazingly fit, they go at great speeds and look fantastic at the end. The trainers and riders over here do this full time and it shows!
In the dining Tent the meals were sensational and served with a tremendous amount of gold and beautiful china. The tables are all immaculately decorated and everything is set upon gorgeous Arabic rugs. There are even wall murals hung around the royal table. The royal table is in a gigantic C shape with H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the center and his royal entourage and personal guests around him. The room is also filled with many circular tables to accommodate many, many more. The food is incredible with hors d'oeuvres too pretty to eat, main dishes of lobster, several different kinds of fish, traditional Arabic chicken and too many salads to even mention and then of course dessert. A meal truly fit for a King.
The show jumping was also exhilarating to see. H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan's son is an excellent jumper. The enormous indoor arena held the show where some excellent jumpers were shown. Their riders guided through a tough course of jumps against the clock. The footing was something to note. There was no dust. It consisted of sand with other synthetic materials and it appeared to make very superior footing.
HH Shk Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan 6th Annual Equestrian Festival
We were lucky enough to receive a guided tour through Wrsan stables. This is something we will also never forget or for that matter probably ever see anything greater. The entrance is heavily guarded and rightfully so. Upon entrance one can see that the desert area has been turned into a wildlife and horse paradise that is so beautiful and incredible to see it will be in your memory forever. The flower and greenery gardens are breathtaking as you drive through the grounds. We visited the breeding stables first. The horses all enjoy lush green paddocks and air conditioned stables when needed. Each stable also has a built in natural air conditioner. Quite interesting to see, it works by natural airflow and is quite cooling. I stood under it in front of the famous Monarch AH's stall and could feel probably a 5 - 10 degree difference in temperature. By the way, the stalls are really like indoor paddocks they are so huge. A wonderful place to be a horse. Miss Deirdre Hyde had a most impressive parade of horses for us to view. We saw the most famous and beautiful Arabians from around the world. A few of this and last year's wonderful foals were also shown. It was unreal.
The endurance and race stables were just as amazing. The facilities were absolutely the most fantastic training facilities one could ever dream (a trainer's dream)! There was the swim training pool, the underwater treadmill, the outdoor exercisers (one even air conditioned), the indoor arena, the impeccably man-made groomed mountain and 5k trail for the endurance horses with man made hills and the most unbelievable training track you will ever see. There was even an graded incline dirt track approximately 3/4 mile long. The training track is about 2 miles with an additional mile of turf and dirt training tracks also attached. Absolutely unbelievable unless you see it.
The falcon building is another sight to be seen. This is like a super dome just for training the falcons. Really spectacular! The falcons definitely live in luxury like the horses. There is 24 hour surveillance over the hatchery for these very difficult birds to breed. In the entrance of the super dome is a museum of the falcon quite interesting to see. There are also exotic wildlife areas throughout the property. Your eyes just grow bigger and bigger, there is just so much to see.
The hospitality and kindness is a wonderful experience and nearly everyone speaks English. The road signs are all in Arabic and English. It is a very friendly city. We cannot thank H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan enough for this remarkable experience.
Michelle Mattingly
The festival was from March 1 - 10 and included the World Arabian Breeders Challenge, Riding show classes, Dressage, Equestrian Games for under 10 years, and a fantastic variety of Endurance races and Show Jumping.
The weather was fantastic!! Next time you are looking for a beach vacation consider Abu Dhabi, as there are beaches, city life and equestrian events to enjoy!! Not to mention lots of endurance racing. The camel races are something to experience as well. It is an amazing experience. It gives you more of an understanding how driving alongside your endurance rider may have begun.
The camel races begin with a mass start (the starting area can accommodate up to 80 camels). The gate lifted and approximately 30 camels blasted full speed (up to 40km/hr) out from behind the gate. They are all controlled by electronic jockeys (no live persons). As the camels gallop down the track the owners and spectators alike race along the track fence in their car enjoying the race up close. It is a real thrill.
We went around the track for several races and then enjoyed another option for watching. With this option you can enjoy the races from your car on a large drive-in movie theater screen, while viewing the camels, which are followed by a camera! A great treat with this option is enjoying Arabic tea or coffee served by Arabic men directly to your car window. There is also a grandstand where spectators may watch.
Unfortunately, we missed a highlight I was personally looking forward to and that was the Arabian racing at the track. This was something to be seen, but for such an intense trip I am not too disappointed as that was the only event we had to miss. Never wake a sleeping baby, right?
Boutheib International Endurance Village is spectacular. There was an exhibition with booths of the Arabian heritage, the Royal Family, UAE wildlife, tack shops and much more. As guests of H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan we were honored and privileged enough to be able to personally meet him. He is so incredibly kind. He had us treated like royalty. The endurance races are incredibly easy to spectate. The vet gate, the sheltered crew areas and finish and start are all in one area making it possible to see absolutely everything. The horses are amazingly fit, they go at great speeds and look fantastic at the end. The trainers and riders over here do this full time and it shows!
In the dining Tent the meals were sensational and served with a tremendous amount of gold and beautiful china. The tables are all immaculately decorated and everything is set upon gorgeous Arabic rugs. There are even wall murals hung around the royal table. The royal table is in a gigantic C shape with H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the center and his royal entourage and personal guests around him. The room is also filled with many circular tables to accommodate many, many more. The food is incredible with hors d'oeuvres too pretty to eat, main dishes of lobster, several different kinds of fish, traditional Arabic chicken and too many salads to even mention and then of course dessert. A meal truly fit for a King.
The show jumping was also exhilarating to see. H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan's son is an excellent jumper. The enormous indoor arena held the show where some excellent jumpers were shown. Their riders guided through a tough course of jumps against the clock. The footing was something to note. There was no dust. It consisted of sand with other synthetic materials and it appeared to make very superior footing.
HH Shk Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan 6th Annual Equestrian Festival
We were lucky enough to receive a guided tour through Wrsan stables. This is something we will also never forget or for that matter probably ever see anything greater. The entrance is heavily guarded and rightfully so. Upon entrance one can see that the desert area has been turned into a wildlife and horse paradise that is so beautiful and incredible to see it will be in your memory forever. The flower and greenery gardens are breathtaking as you drive through the grounds. We visited the breeding stables first. The horses all enjoy lush green paddocks and air conditioned stables when needed. Each stable also has a built in natural air conditioner. Quite interesting to see, it works by natural airflow and is quite cooling. I stood under it in front of the famous Monarch AH's stall and could feel probably a 5 - 10 degree difference in temperature. By the way, the stalls are really like indoor paddocks they are so huge. A wonderful place to be a horse. Miss Deirdre Hyde had a most impressive parade of horses for us to view. We saw the most famous and beautiful Arabians from around the world. A few of this and last year's wonderful foals were also shown. It was unreal.
The endurance and race stables were just as amazing. The facilities were absolutely the most fantastic training facilities one could ever dream (a trainer's dream)! There was the swim training pool, the underwater treadmill, the outdoor exercisers (one even air conditioned), the indoor arena, the impeccably man-made groomed mountain and 5k trail for the endurance horses with man made hills and the most unbelievable training track you will ever see. There was even an graded incline dirt track approximately 3/4 mile long. The training track is about 2 miles with an additional mile of turf and dirt training tracks also attached. Absolutely unbelievable unless you see it.
The falcon building is another sight to be seen. This is like a super dome just for training the falcons. Really spectacular! The falcons definitely live in luxury like the horses. There is 24 hour surveillance over the hatchery for these very difficult birds to breed. In the entrance of the super dome is a museum of the falcon quite interesting to see. There are also exotic wildlife areas throughout the property. Your eyes just grow bigger and bigger, there is just so much to see.
The hospitality and kindness is a wonderful experience and nearly everyone speaks English. The road signs are all in Arabic and English. It is a very friendly city. We cannot thank H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan enough for this remarkable experience.
Michelle Mattingly
Monday, March 05, 2012
Fun In The Sun...Or Fun Melting in the Heat! - Heather Reynolds
Sunday, 04 March 2012
We went to the FITS ride this weekend. It is really great as it is only 20 mins down the road and it is three days of super well marked FEI racing.
On Wed night we headed over to the ride with the two horses that we would be riding on day one on Thursday. Cleo was slated to do all three days so that on day 3 she would be qualified for her FEI 1*. Bailey was the horse that I would ride on day 1.
We vetted in and said hello to a few people. Bailey and Cleo settled in at camp, they were obviously old campaigners by now, after all this was their 2nd ride!
It was SUPER hot and humid on Wed. It would have been a dreadful day to be racing. It was in the high 80's and was 91 percent humidity.
Thursday was foggy and warm. It was another hot humid day. Both horses did well and completed the ride, they ended up 13th and 14th.
After the ride the Donley's were in camp waiting for us. We took care of the two horses then we drove home to feed all of our other horses and to pick up Marvel and Chanses for day 2. They would be doing their first 2*...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/?y=2012&m=3
We went to the FITS ride this weekend. It is really great as it is only 20 mins down the road and it is three days of super well marked FEI racing.
On Wed night we headed over to the ride with the two horses that we would be riding on day one on Thursday. Cleo was slated to do all three days so that on day 3 she would be qualified for her FEI 1*. Bailey was the horse that I would ride on day 1.
We vetted in and said hello to a few people. Bailey and Cleo settled in at camp, they were obviously old campaigners by now, after all this was their 2nd ride!
It was SUPER hot and humid on Wed. It would have been a dreadful day to be racing. It was in the high 80's and was 91 percent humidity.
Thursday was foggy and warm. It was another hot humid day. Both horses did well and completed the ride, they ended up 13th and 14th.
After the ride the Donley's were in camp waiting for us. We took care of the two horses then we drove home to feed all of our other horses and to pick up Marvel and Chanses for day 2. They would be doing their first 2*...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/?y=2012&m=3
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Blazing Saddles - Jody Buttram
February 27 2012
Well, back from Blazing Saddles endurance ride in Laurel, MS. Ride management of Jack and Terry Price…..and just happens to be my favorite ride. But I think I have mentioned that before. Seems that this was a weekend from truck troubles, started with me, then spread to Angie McGhee and then on to Peggy Clark, both had issues on their way home. Joni and I were on schedule to pull into camp on Thursday, evening about 6:30pm. A little over an hour away, just hitting Meridian, MS we hear a popping sound under the hood, then a flapping, then smell burned rubber. The battery light goes on immediately, and I told Joni, we’re screwed. Started watching the gauges, not running hot, nothing looked off, but we know there is something wrong. When you drive a truck that is literally 24 yrs. old, my ’88 F-350, fondling referred to as “the old grey dinosaur”….I suppose you can expect something to go wrong. But, this old girl has been a good one, with right at 200,000 miles (yes, that’s right) it has had very little in repairs over the years. And more than once, I have passed way nicer/newer trucks broke down. But anyway, we go about 2 miles, and get off the interstate at a gas station, coming down the exit ramp, I find out we have NO brakes. YIKES. Standing on the brake, I get it stopped, pull into the gas station and start calling Joel. He DOESN’T answer the phone….repeatedly. Say some bad words (just a few), Joni calls her boyfriend, Hunter Burden, and I talked to his daddy. Yep, it was the alternator and the belt. I asked the nice guy in the station where an Autozone or something was, he tells me there is one only 1 mile from us. What luck !!!! So we drive very slowly to the Advanced Auto Parts, and pull in and park. I go inside and this really super nice guy, named Mark, comes out looks and he starts calling us a mechanic. We sit and wait, and I am beginning to wonder if it can be fixed that night, it was 6:00pm by then. He comes back out and informs us that the mechanic is out of town, but he knows another one. Turns out the second mechanic a really nice man from Panama can come look at it. So, then I start trying to call camp, thinking I may need someone to come gets us if we have to leave the truck overnight….and by the way, we were in like the worst part of town. The minute I pulled in, a homeless guy hit me up for money, to which I said, “Look, I need all I have to get my truck fixed…sorry”. Second thought, I should have given him a sandwich from the trailer. My bad. We counted 6 ambulances, and 3 cop cars, all with sirens going while we waited. Lots of “bad looking people” walking past too.
I had started trying to call camp, to find ANYONE that could help us. I tried Terry Price, no cell service, I tried Samm Bartee, nothing, but did leave her a message, I tried Fred Myers, nothing, I tried Steve Huffman, nothing, we had the computer with us, so I got on there and was trying to remember who would be in camp on Thursday, I thought of Mike Everett, looked up his number from the AERC page, and called him. YEAH!!!! He answered !!! I told him I needed him to do me a big favor and that if he could go find Mr. Steve (Huffman) I needed to talk to him because we were broke down. He did, and Steve called us back, and was kind enough to unhook and drive 70 miles to come help out. About the time he got there the mechanic did too. What a nice guy this mechanic was, he was the most jolly little, happy man, he even dragged his wife out who was on bed rest, and 9 weeks from having twins. Very sweet folks. Turns out that the parts place didn’t have an alternator for my truck, and the plan was: A. rebuild the one I had, and B. order one that would be there that evening (Friday at 4:30). Ok, that means leaving my truck in the ghetto overnight. So, now, we have to unhook my trailer, and move all my stuff that was on the bed of the truck into Steve’s truck and hook to his truck. And when I say move all the stuff, the word from the parts folks was, “If you want to have it in the morning, you better take it with you”. Spare tire included, empty my tool box under the bed, etc. So, the sweet little mechanic jumped in and helped us transfer all the stuff. Got ready to go, I had an adaptor for the lights, yes, LIGHTS !!! Started to pull off….brakes lock on the trailer. Well, Joni and I had this problem before when we pulled my trailer with another truck, so NO lights. On the way to camp, we passed about 3 cops on the interstate….good thing they were hungry for tickets. Whewww.
We get into camp about 11:30 pm or midnight, and there sits Fred Myers, Alice Smith, Benny, Alice’s right hand man, and Jana Smith. They all had waited on us to get there and then jumped in to help set us up, I didn’t have any water, because my barrel was on the truck …inMeridian. Alice gave the horses water, and tucked them in and was ready for bed at about 1 am. Next morning, I get a call from the mechanic, we’re in luck, the guy that re-builds alternators, has one that is re-built already and will fit my truck, so it will be fixed in a hour or so. He calls me a while later, and it’s ready to come get. Yeah, but now I have a problem of no cash really to pay him. I had $110, and the bill was $291. So, I walked over to Suzanne Solis’ trailer and Cindy Young, I tell them that I have some cash on it’s way, but if they had some could I borrow it for a few hours. Boy, endurance people are the BEST. Suzanne shelled out $120 and Cindy finished up what I needed, $80. I had $300 and was ready to go get my truck. Good ole Mr. Steve again was willing to haul me back to get my truck, I did put gas in his truck (to which he protested, but I won). Got my truck, got it back to camp….ALL was well now. Keith Kibler told me I should’ve asked him for the money and he would have given me whatever I needed. Again, another super nice endurance friend. I really do love these people, they are all there if you need them in a pinch. Mr. Steve has pulled my butt out of a crack or creek more than once, and he was rewarded with a nice chair from Jana Smith at the awards, in honor of Stephanie Waddington for his good deeds. I’d say he earned it this past weekend.
As far as the ride went, Mr. Marty, the most loved horse did an easy 50, completed with nothing but A’s on his card and was so cute sleeping in his hay nest and eating hay that night. Storme, aka the Lame horse, looked great all day in the 100, was pulled at 85 miles for the same thing that seems to be her nemesis. Left, rear lame. I spent some time talking to Dr. Dee Dee, and she and I kicked around that maybe she has some chiro issue there. So, the next morning, I had Dr. Ike Nelson (who does Marty’s chiro work) work on both of them…BTW, she was sound then. Turns out her RT front shoulder was really jammed up. He seems to think that she is compensating for the shoulder and causing the issue in the rear….and that she can be FIXED !!!! Wonderful, because she was really on her game.
This is the best ride, best management, best trails, BEST food !!!!, Best vets, people…everything. Thanks to everyone who helped put it on, and to everyone that helped me and Joni out this weekend. Endurance is the BEST !!!!
Jody
Well, back from Blazing Saddles endurance ride in Laurel, MS. Ride management of Jack and Terry Price…..and just happens to be my favorite ride. But I think I have mentioned that before. Seems that this was a weekend from truck troubles, started with me, then spread to Angie McGhee and then on to Peggy Clark, both had issues on their way home. Joni and I were on schedule to pull into camp on Thursday, evening about 6:30pm. A little over an hour away, just hitting Meridian, MS we hear a popping sound under the hood, then a flapping, then smell burned rubber. The battery light goes on immediately, and I told Joni, we’re screwed. Started watching the gauges, not running hot, nothing looked off, but we know there is something wrong. When you drive a truck that is literally 24 yrs. old, my ’88 F-350, fondling referred to as “the old grey dinosaur”….I suppose you can expect something to go wrong. But, this old girl has been a good one, with right at 200,000 miles (yes, that’s right) it has had very little in repairs over the years. And more than once, I have passed way nicer/newer trucks broke down. But anyway, we go about 2 miles, and get off the interstate at a gas station, coming down the exit ramp, I find out we have NO brakes. YIKES. Standing on the brake, I get it stopped, pull into the gas station and start calling Joel. He DOESN’T answer the phone….repeatedly. Say some bad words (just a few), Joni calls her boyfriend, Hunter Burden, and I talked to his daddy. Yep, it was the alternator and the belt. I asked the nice guy in the station where an Autozone or something was, he tells me there is one only 1 mile from us. What luck !!!! So we drive very slowly to the Advanced Auto Parts, and pull in and park. I go inside and this really super nice guy, named Mark, comes out looks and he starts calling us a mechanic. We sit and wait, and I am beginning to wonder if it can be fixed that night, it was 6:00pm by then. He comes back out and informs us that the mechanic is out of town, but he knows another one. Turns out the second mechanic a really nice man from Panama can come look at it. So, then I start trying to call camp, thinking I may need someone to come gets us if we have to leave the truck overnight….and by the way, we were in like the worst part of town. The minute I pulled in, a homeless guy hit me up for money, to which I said, “Look, I need all I have to get my truck fixed…sorry”. Second thought, I should have given him a sandwich from the trailer. My bad. We counted 6 ambulances, and 3 cop cars, all with sirens going while we waited. Lots of “bad looking people” walking past too.
I had started trying to call camp, to find ANYONE that could help us. I tried Terry Price, no cell service, I tried Samm Bartee, nothing, but did leave her a message, I tried Fred Myers, nothing, I tried Steve Huffman, nothing, we had the computer with us, so I got on there and was trying to remember who would be in camp on Thursday, I thought of Mike Everett, looked up his number from the AERC page, and called him. YEAH!!!! He answered !!! I told him I needed him to do me a big favor and that if he could go find Mr. Steve (Huffman) I needed to talk to him because we were broke down. He did, and Steve called us back, and was kind enough to unhook and drive 70 miles to come help out. About the time he got there the mechanic did too. What a nice guy this mechanic was, he was the most jolly little, happy man, he even dragged his wife out who was on bed rest, and 9 weeks from having twins. Very sweet folks. Turns out that the parts place didn’t have an alternator for my truck, and the plan was: A. rebuild the one I had, and B. order one that would be there that evening (Friday at 4:30). Ok, that means leaving my truck in the ghetto overnight. So, now, we have to unhook my trailer, and move all my stuff that was on the bed of the truck into Steve’s truck and hook to his truck. And when I say move all the stuff, the word from the parts folks was, “If you want to have it in the morning, you better take it with you”. Spare tire included, empty my tool box under the bed, etc. So, the sweet little mechanic jumped in and helped us transfer all the stuff. Got ready to go, I had an adaptor for the lights, yes, LIGHTS !!! Started to pull off….brakes lock on the trailer. Well, Joni and I had this problem before when we pulled my trailer with another truck, so NO lights. On the way to camp, we passed about 3 cops on the interstate….good thing they were hungry for tickets. Whewww.
We get into camp about 11:30 pm or midnight, and there sits Fred Myers, Alice Smith, Benny, Alice’s right hand man, and Jana Smith. They all had waited on us to get there and then jumped in to help set us up, I didn’t have any water, because my barrel was on the truck …inMeridian. Alice gave the horses water, and tucked them in and was ready for bed at about 1 am. Next morning, I get a call from the mechanic, we’re in luck, the guy that re-builds alternators, has one that is re-built already and will fit my truck, so it will be fixed in a hour or so. He calls me a while later, and it’s ready to come get. Yeah, but now I have a problem of no cash really to pay him. I had $110, and the bill was $291. So, I walked over to Suzanne Solis’ trailer and Cindy Young, I tell them that I have some cash on it’s way, but if they had some could I borrow it for a few hours. Boy, endurance people are the BEST. Suzanne shelled out $120 and Cindy finished up what I needed, $80. I had $300 and was ready to go get my truck. Good ole Mr. Steve again was willing to haul me back to get my truck, I did put gas in his truck (to which he protested, but I won). Got my truck, got it back to camp….ALL was well now. Keith Kibler told me I should’ve asked him for the money and he would have given me whatever I needed. Again, another super nice endurance friend. I really do love these people, they are all there if you need them in a pinch. Mr. Steve has pulled my butt out of a crack or creek more than once, and he was rewarded with a nice chair from Jana Smith at the awards, in honor of Stephanie Waddington for his good deeds. I’d say he earned it this past weekend.
As far as the ride went, Mr. Marty, the most loved horse did an easy 50, completed with nothing but A’s on his card and was so cute sleeping in his hay nest and eating hay that night. Storme, aka the Lame horse, looked great all day in the 100, was pulled at 85 miles for the same thing that seems to be her nemesis. Left, rear lame. I spent some time talking to Dr. Dee Dee, and she and I kicked around that maybe she has some chiro issue there. So, the next morning, I had Dr. Ike Nelson (who does Marty’s chiro work) work on both of them…BTW, she was sound then. Turns out her RT front shoulder was really jammed up. He seems to think that she is compensating for the shoulder and causing the issue in the rear….and that she can be FIXED !!!! Wonderful, because she was really on her game.
This is the best ride, best management, best trails, BEST food !!!!, Best vets, people…everything. Thanks to everyone who helped put it on, and to everyone that helped me and Joni out this weekend. Endurance is the BEST !!!!
Jody
Blazing Saddles - Keith Kibler
Shawneesunrisefarm.net - Full Story
Posted on February 28, 2012 by Keith Kibler
Early spring is too cold in the Midwest for rides and summer is too hot. So, Sandy and I have to travel. I have a 500 mile limit for Drs. Otis Schimtt, Dee Dee Huff and Ken Marcella. This ride was right at 500 miles and offered both Otis Schmitt and Dee Dee Huff.
It is also the only ride out of 15 that my twh mare Kate had not finished. Last year, I did a rider option at mile 85 due to a look in her eye and have been thinking about it. I know I did the right thing but I still think about it. I love my little 874 lb. Kate but she is the most challenging gaited horse to ride that I have owned or ridden. She is also the only horse I have ever ridden that gets stronger after 40 miles into a ride.
I can call this girl and she will leave the mare herd and come to me and kiss me. She may think I am her food slave but I fancy that she loves me and I sure do love her. Sandy wanted to ride (one of her) favorite Missouri Foxtrotter mares, Savanah, in the mare’s second 50 mile ride. So, off we go to southern Mississippi.
Naturally, we had truck problems. In the past we have blown trailer tires on trips. This time I replaced two extremely expensive truck tires before we left so I thought we were good. When, just into Kentucky, the engine light came on. Now, I had $ 8,000 of warranty work done on this truck in the last year and thought it was good to go. I was wrong. We pulled into a Ford dealership and they said it was just an EGR valve and I could keep going until I got home. 100 miles later it started surging. Okay, that gets your attention. Then, the entire dash cluster started going dead and shutting off completely. This was definitely starting out interesting. We prayed, drove on and prayed some more.
We finally got to Laurel, met Terry Price and parked. We looked for my friend Jody Rogers-Buttram but learned she had broken down too. My buddy Paul Sidio showed up. My endurance friends are an important part of my life and although I don’t get to see them often, I sure enjoy running into them as gypsy vagabonds with these horses we love. Some of my friends and fellow competitors and characters that showed up included Paul, Steve Huff, Jody Rogers-Buttram, Angie McGhee and Lucy Estabrook.
Sandy got the horses looking great with a spiffy weave into both of their manes. I am so proud of Sandy. She is my hero. Most women of her age would have retired to the couch with her physical challenges long ago. She will not go quietly into the night...
Read more here:
http://shawneesunrisefarm.net/wordpress/?p=236
Posted on February 28, 2012 by Keith Kibler
Early spring is too cold in the Midwest for rides and summer is too hot. So, Sandy and I have to travel. I have a 500 mile limit for Drs. Otis Schimtt, Dee Dee Huff and Ken Marcella. This ride was right at 500 miles and offered both Otis Schmitt and Dee Dee Huff.
It is also the only ride out of 15 that my twh mare Kate had not finished. Last year, I did a rider option at mile 85 due to a look in her eye and have been thinking about it. I know I did the right thing but I still think about it. I love my little 874 lb. Kate but she is the most challenging gaited horse to ride that I have owned or ridden. She is also the only horse I have ever ridden that gets stronger after 40 miles into a ride.
I can call this girl and she will leave the mare herd and come to me and kiss me. She may think I am her food slave but I fancy that she loves me and I sure do love her. Sandy wanted to ride (one of her) favorite Missouri Foxtrotter mares, Savanah, in the mare’s second 50 mile ride. So, off we go to southern Mississippi.
Naturally, we had truck problems. In the past we have blown trailer tires on trips. This time I replaced two extremely expensive truck tires before we left so I thought we were good. When, just into Kentucky, the engine light came on. Now, I had $ 8,000 of warranty work done on this truck in the last year and thought it was good to go. I was wrong. We pulled into a Ford dealership and they said it was just an EGR valve and I could keep going until I got home. 100 miles later it started surging. Okay, that gets your attention. Then, the entire dash cluster started going dead and shutting off completely. This was definitely starting out interesting. We prayed, drove on and prayed some more.
We finally got to Laurel, met Terry Price and parked. We looked for my friend Jody Rogers-Buttram but learned she had broken down too. My buddy Paul Sidio showed up. My endurance friends are an important part of my life and although I don’t get to see them often, I sure enjoy running into them as gypsy vagabonds with these horses we love. Some of my friends and fellow competitors and characters that showed up included Paul, Steve Huff, Jody Rogers-Buttram, Angie McGhee and Lucy Estabrook.
Sandy got the horses looking great with a spiffy weave into both of their manes. I am so proud of Sandy. She is my hero. Most women of her age would have retired to the couch with her physical challenges long ago. She will not go quietly into the night...
Read more here:
http://shawneesunrisefarm.net/wordpress/?p=236
Monday, February 27, 2012
Golden Horse Shoe Ride - Golden Girls Blog
Goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk - Full Story
Friday 24th February - The Golden Girls - the first episode of their blog...............
Nikki Routledge and Linda Kidd share the ups and downs of their very different training plans for this year’s Golden Horseshoe Ride. Follow their weekly progress right here.
Welcome to our blog. Now, preparing a horse for the Golden Horseshoe Ride is always a challenge I enjoy and this year, my good friend Linda Kidd and I intend to compete and COMPLETE the 160km class again. We achieved this together in 2010, with Angela Osborne completing the team of three. Rather tongue-in-cheek we called ourselves: ‘The No-Hoper, Joker and Rogue’ as per the Fisherman’s Friends song playing constantly on Radio 2 that year! I was on the Joker (always vets out last vet gate of the ride), Linda was on the No-Hoper (talented mare but totally bonkers) and Angela was on the Rogue (huge Irish Draught cross who tends to leave a trail of destruction behind her as she powers across the countryside). Only Angela’s horse had previously completed the 160kms, but in 2010 our luck held and with the hard work of our crews, who were as fantastic as the horses themselves, we all achieved the full 160km distance in good style.
So can Linda and I repeat our success this year? Well, join us on our journey to the 2012 Golden Horseshoe Ride and find out!
First, let us introduce you to our intended steeds:
I am riding my 13-y-o Arab mare Ca Daisha. Daisha was Linda’s mount (the No-Hoper) in 2010 when I elected to ride my (much nicer) little mare Mimi. Linda is riding her talented mare Drastik With A K, now a 12-y-o advanced mare. However, as Linda explains below, the road has not been a smooth one for Drastik...
Read more here:
http://www.goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk/latestnews.php
Friday 24th February - The Golden Girls - the first episode of their blog...............
Nikki Routledge and Linda Kidd share the ups and downs of their very different training plans for this year’s Golden Horseshoe Ride. Follow their weekly progress right here.
Welcome to our blog. Now, preparing a horse for the Golden Horseshoe Ride is always a challenge I enjoy and this year, my good friend Linda Kidd and I intend to compete and COMPLETE the 160km class again. We achieved this together in 2010, with Angela Osborne completing the team of three. Rather tongue-in-cheek we called ourselves: ‘The No-Hoper, Joker and Rogue’ as per the Fisherman’s Friends song playing constantly on Radio 2 that year! I was on the Joker (always vets out last vet gate of the ride), Linda was on the No-Hoper (talented mare but totally bonkers) and Angela was on the Rogue (huge Irish Draught cross who tends to leave a trail of destruction behind her as she powers across the countryside). Only Angela’s horse had previously completed the 160kms, but in 2010 our luck held and with the hard work of our crews, who were as fantastic as the horses themselves, we all achieved the full 160km distance in good style.
So can Linda and I repeat our success this year? Well, join us on our journey to the 2012 Golden Horseshoe Ride and find out!
First, let us introduce you to our intended steeds:
I am riding my 13-y-o Arab mare Ca Daisha. Daisha was Linda’s mount (the No-Hoper) in 2010 when I elected to ride my (much nicer) little mare Mimi. Linda is riding her talented mare Drastik With A K, now a 12-y-o advanced mare. However, as Linda explains below, the road has not been a smooth one for Drastik...
Read more here:
http://www.goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk/latestnews.php
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Eastern Mojave - Karen Chaton
Enduranceridestuff Blog - Full Story
Ride is going well so far, around 46 to 49 starting each day. Two days down, two to go. I rode Bo on day 1, and Chief today (day 2).
Weather was windy and cold the first day and we rode in snow and ice. It melted off, and then warmed up. Today we rode under brilliant blue skies with warmer weather and it was fantastic. You can see in the first photo that my jacket and rain gear are on the horse (and not me). Good sign!
Marking trail was a challenge as we did a lot on foot in high winds. Nannette and I also marked a lot on horseback, which was great. I love getting the horses out before a ride. This ride is great because there are so many long sections with excellent footing and I don’t need to use boots.
BBQ hot dogs at lunch today….yummy! I won’t eat hot dogs otherwise, but at an out vet check on an endurance ride they are a prize let me tell ya! It’s also always great to get to see Lavone...
Read more here:
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/2012/02/eastern-mojave/
Ride is going well so far, around 46 to 49 starting each day. Two days down, two to go. I rode Bo on day 1, and Chief today (day 2).
Weather was windy and cold the first day and we rode in snow and ice. It melted off, and then warmed up. Today we rode under brilliant blue skies with warmer weather and it was fantastic. You can see in the first photo that my jacket and rain gear are on the horse (and not me). Good sign!
Marking trail was a challenge as we did a lot on foot in high winds. Nannette and I also marked a lot on horseback, which was great. I love getting the horses out before a ride. This ride is great because there are so many long sections with excellent footing and I don’t need to use boots.
BBQ hot dogs at lunch today….yummy! I won’t eat hot dogs otherwise, but at an out vet check on an endurance ride they are a prize let me tell ya! It’s also always great to get to see Lavone...
Read more here:
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/2012/02/eastern-mojave/
Sunday, February 05, 2012
IAH Airport Express Endurance Ride - by QOS
horseforum.com - full story
I am sitting back home now. I just woke up in the middle of the night. I was sick when I left and still am.
We got to the huge staging area and it was ankle deep in mud. Some people got stuck but there were tractors to pull them out. We got our panels set up for the horses and got them hay and all tucked it. Our other friend arrived shortly after us.
We vet checked it - super nice vet from Idaho. Biscuit did fantastic on the vet check. Trotted out like a really good boy. Doc asked me if he always had a heart rate of 36 and I said every time I put the heart monitor on it says 36. He said FANTASTIC. Biscuit went back to eating hay.
We had the ride meeting and at first the ride was as clear as mud. They also said that the grounds were saturated with water and some trails were under water. Oh yay. Vet strongly suggested riding SLOW - that this was NOT the ride to blast off on that suspensory injuries could result from the deep mud. Another storm was coming at 1:00 am.
It rained some during the night and Lee Ann and I were glad it should be a slower ride but Biscuit is not a fan of sloppy conditions. At 5:00 AM it started POURING down rain, lightening and thunder popping everywhere...
Read more here:
http://www.horseforum.com/trail-riding/iah-airport-express-endurance-ride-111881/
I am sitting back home now. I just woke up in the middle of the night. I was sick when I left and still am.
We got to the huge staging area and it was ankle deep in mud. Some people got stuck but there were tractors to pull them out. We got our panels set up for the horses and got them hay and all tucked it. Our other friend arrived shortly after us.
We vet checked it - super nice vet from Idaho. Biscuit did fantastic on the vet check. Trotted out like a really good boy. Doc asked me if he always had a heart rate of 36 and I said every time I put the heart monitor on it says 36. He said FANTASTIC. Biscuit went back to eating hay.
We had the ride meeting and at first the ride was as clear as mud. They also said that the grounds were saturated with water and some trails were under water. Oh yay. Vet strongly suggested riding SLOW - that this was NOT the ride to blast off on that suspensory injuries could result from the deep mud. Another storm was coming at 1:00 am.
It rained some during the night and Lee Ann and I were glad it should be a slower ride but Biscuit is not a fan of sloppy conditions. At 5:00 AM it started POURING down rain, lightening and thunder popping everywhere...
Read more here:
http://www.horseforum.com/trail-riding/iah-airport-express-endurance-ride-111881/
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
DuPuis Piney Pig - Heather Reynolds
Reynoldsracing.us - Full Story
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
This last weekend we took 7 horses down to the Piney Pig FEI ride in Canal Point FL. The lucky 7 were: (Day one) Kutt & our clients horse P doing the FEI 75, Bailey doing his first 50 & Chanses doing his second 1* to help get his rider, Rachel Shackelford, her qualification. Day two Marvel would do his first 1*, Stirgess would do a 1* with a first time FEI young rider JJ Donley, Cleo doing her first 50 and Bailey and Chanses doing an LD.
We loaded up and drove down to the ride on Thursday morning. It was a very hot day. The drive took about 4:30 hours and was super simple. When we got to camp we scouted out a shady spot. P's owner, Barbara Hershberg was already there and had a spot in mind for us.
The camp at this ride is super awesome. There are shade trees, stalls and large turnout pens. There are also showers. We were lucky enough to find a pen that was about an acre! We put all of the geldings out in it as they always live together anyhow. Cleo on the other hand was put on our hi tie. No risking any mare gelding confrontations!
Camp was set up quickly as all we had to do was turn out our 5 geldings, hand P to Barbara and hi tie Cleo.
It was probably 80 degrees and pretty humid...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/388/dupuis_piney_pig
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
This last weekend we took 7 horses down to the Piney Pig FEI ride in Canal Point FL. The lucky 7 were: (Day one) Kutt & our clients horse P doing the FEI 75, Bailey doing his first 50 & Chanses doing his second 1* to help get his rider, Rachel Shackelford, her qualification. Day two Marvel would do his first 1*, Stirgess would do a 1* with a first time FEI young rider JJ Donley, Cleo doing her first 50 and Bailey and Chanses doing an LD.
We loaded up and drove down to the ride on Thursday morning. It was a very hot day. The drive took about 4:30 hours and was super simple. When we got to camp we scouted out a shady spot. P's owner, Barbara Hershberg was already there and had a spot in mind for us.
The camp at this ride is super awesome. There are shade trees, stalls and large turnout pens. There are also showers. We were lucky enough to find a pen that was about an acre! We put all of the geldings out in it as they always live together anyhow. Cleo on the other hand was put on our hi tie. No risking any mare gelding confrontations!
Camp was set up quickly as all we had to do was turn out our 5 geldings, hand P to Barbara and hi tie Cleo.
It was probably 80 degrees and pretty humid...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/388/dupuis_piney_pig
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Goethe Challenge Endurance Ride FEI - Heather Reynolds
Reynolds Racing Blog
Monday, 19 December 2011
We did our first Endurance ride since moving out here. On Wednesday Jeremy booted all of our guys for the race, we were really excited as we were going to be testing out some new tread patterns.
On Friday we loaded up Tiran, Chanses and Marvel to drive the 8 miles over to the Goethe Challenge Endurance Ride. We got to camp around 10 am, I drove seperately as I had to take our dog Daisy to the vet for an acupuncture appointment. I was only present for the picking of the parking spot, then I had to leave.
I drove to Ocala and went to the vet appointment and then the grocery run and then back to the race.
When I got back to the ride Jeremy had set up camp and the crew area. We went to the check in and did our paperwork and then went to vet in and get our passport inspections done.
After all of the official business was taken care of we went for a pre ride. Our friend Barbara Hershberger was riding her horse AnyDayNow aka "P" and our long time friend Sarah Schick (from back in our days of training in VA) were riding with us as well. Sarah was on Barbara's other horse Storm.
Our pre ride was short and sweet. All 5 of the horses looked great.
Barbara and I were entered in the 75 FEI 2*, Jeremy on Chanses, Sarah on Storm and Rachel Shackelford on Marvel were entered in the 50 mile 1*.
After the Pre ride we hung out a while and then went to the dinner and the ride meeting. The cool thing about the East Coast rides is that the dinner is usually on Friday night. After dinner we headed to bed.
Saturday morning I started out at 7 on Tiran. He warmed up really well and was nice and calm. Our start was uneventful. The first loop went well, about 5 miles into it Barbara joined us on P. He was looking nice and was moving well...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/364/goethe_challenge_endurance_ride_fei_
Monday, 19 December 2011
We did our first Endurance ride since moving out here. On Wednesday Jeremy booted all of our guys for the race, we were really excited as we were going to be testing out some new tread patterns.
On Friday we loaded up Tiran, Chanses and Marvel to drive the 8 miles over to the Goethe Challenge Endurance Ride. We got to camp around 10 am, I drove seperately as I had to take our dog Daisy to the vet for an acupuncture appointment. I was only present for the picking of the parking spot, then I had to leave.
I drove to Ocala and went to the vet appointment and then the grocery run and then back to the race.
When I got back to the ride Jeremy had set up camp and the crew area. We went to the check in and did our paperwork and then went to vet in and get our passport inspections done.
After all of the official business was taken care of we went for a pre ride. Our friend Barbara Hershberger was riding her horse AnyDayNow aka "P" and our long time friend Sarah Schick (from back in our days of training in VA) were riding with us as well. Sarah was on Barbara's other horse Storm.
Our pre ride was short and sweet. All 5 of the horses looked great.
Barbara and I were entered in the 75 FEI 2*, Jeremy on Chanses, Sarah on Storm and Rachel Shackelford on Marvel were entered in the 50 mile 1*.
After the Pre ride we hung out a while and then went to the dinner and the ride meeting. The cool thing about the East Coast rides is that the dinner is usually on Friday night. After dinner we headed to bed.
Saturday morning I started out at 7 on Tiran. He warmed up really well and was nice and calm. Our start was uneventful. The first loop went well, about 5 miles into it Barbara joined us on P. He was looking nice and was moving well...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/364/goethe_challenge_endurance_ride_fei_
Friday, December 16, 2011
Death Valley Warm Up - Karen Chaton
Enduranceridestuff.com - Full StoryDeath Valley Warmup, December 10 & 11, 2011
We had a pretty good time last weekend. I rode Chief on Friday to mark trail along with Sue Wilkie and her horse Rocky. Then, I rode Bo on the first day of the ride in the 50, and Chief in the 50 on the 2nd day. The weather turned out great, and all things considered the turnout was decent – though still down over the previous year. I think that may just be the trend with the economy the way it is – ride participation is going to be down.
On day 1 there were around 21 in the LD and 31 in the 50. Winning time on the 50 was 5:52. On day two there were 8 in the LD and 24 in the 50 with the winning time on the 50 being 5:25. Rouven Krauer got BC on day 1, and on day 2 Mae Chase-Dunn got BC. Four people rode 2 horses both days, and 12 people rode the same horse both days.
My horses had just had a nice break in between ride seasons. Chief had nearly three months off, and Bo had six weeks off. They both had pretty incredible seasons in 2011. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that horses need breaks, even if they are performing extremely well. I’ve seen too many people not follow that protocol and have seen their horses fall apart prematurely (versus if they had been more generous when it came to giving their horse a vacation after a busy year). I’m still never quite sure where that imaginary line is. You know the one in the sand, the one that should you cross it means that something is going to go wrong with your horse. And, they aren’t like our vehicles that we can simply go out and buy a new part for. When a horse breaks it usually means time off, or worse case scenario an end of their career. So I’m kind of cautious there, always trying to figure out how much is too much, not enough, or just right. Always watching for signs of wear and tear.
You can imagine how happy I was that both of my horses finished their ride day at this ride in great shape. I took it pretty easy on both of them, using this more as a pre-check ride for the upcoming Death Valley Encounter where they will hopefully each do two days. Yet, still not easy so a good test to ensure that they are indeed ready to go. Besides always being concerned about how much time off is appropriate is the worry about giving too much time off. A super fit horse that is idle is not always a good thing...
Read more here:
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/2011/12/death-valley-warmup-december-10-11-2011/
Monday, November 14, 2011
In which Endurance 101 moves us closer to a real event - Haiku Farm
Haikufarm Blog
November 12 2011
Endurance 101 – Countdown to your first endurance ride
Your horse is getting fit, and you are getting excited. You visit the AERC.org website and check the calendar: There’s a ride that you can attend! It’s only two months away…
Eeeeeek!
Here’s a bare-bones calendar of stuff you’ll want to do before ride day, arranged in a countdown format. The schedule isn’t set in stone, but it is a handy list of stuff to remember.
Ride day minus 2 months:
* Check the fit of your saddle, and make necessary adjustments.
* Take a riding lesson (on trails, if possible). Ask your instructor to focus on helping you and your horse move freely and comfortably at various speeds over different terrain.
* Call your farrier NOW to set a farrier appointment for 1-2 weeks before the event.
* Administer any needed vaccinations.
* Ask your vet about medical paperwork that may be required for the ride. If you need to cross state lines for your event, be sure to alert your vet so that the paperwork can be readied in time.
Ride day minus 1 month:
* Safety-check your rig: tires (check your spare tire, too!), wiring, brakes, floorboards. Fix anything that needs fixing.
* Check out your camping arrangements: do your sleeping quarters leak? Do you know how to set up in windy or rainy conditions? Does your campstove work? Repair or replace anything that will fail in camp.
* Practice administering electrolytes to your horse via syringe. Start with a diluted dose mixed with applesauce or yogurt. If your horse does not take the syringe quietly, start teaching him now to accept it...
Read more here:
http://haikufarm.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-which-endurance-101-moves-us-closer.html
November 12 2011
Endurance 101 – Countdown to your first endurance ride
Your horse is getting fit, and you are getting excited. You visit the AERC.org website and check the calendar: There’s a ride that you can attend! It’s only two months away…
Eeeeeek!
Here’s a bare-bones calendar of stuff you’ll want to do before ride day, arranged in a countdown format. The schedule isn’t set in stone, but it is a handy list of stuff to remember.
Ride day minus 2 months:
* Check the fit of your saddle, and make necessary adjustments.
* Take a riding lesson (on trails, if possible). Ask your instructor to focus on helping you and your horse move freely and comfortably at various speeds over different terrain.
* Call your farrier NOW to set a farrier appointment for 1-2 weeks before the event.
* Administer any needed vaccinations.
* Ask your vet about medical paperwork that may be required for the ride. If you need to cross state lines for your event, be sure to alert your vet so that the paperwork can be readied in time.
Ride day minus 1 month:
* Safety-check your rig: tires (check your spare tire, too!), wiring, brakes, floorboards. Fix anything that needs fixing.
* Check out your camping arrangements: do your sleeping quarters leak? Do you know how to set up in windy or rainy conditions? Does your campstove work? Repair or replace anything that will fail in camp.
* Practice administering electrolytes to your horse via syringe. Start with a diluted dose mixed with applesauce or yogurt. If your horse does not take the syringe quietly, start teaching him now to accept it...
Read more here:
http://haikufarm.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-which-endurance-101-moves-us-closer.html
Friday, November 04, 2011
2011 Bill Thornburgh Family & Friends Endurance Ride - Karen Chaton
Enduranceridestuff Blog - Full Story
Bill Thornburgh Family & Friends Endurance Ride 50/50 2011 Ride Report & Photos
This past weekend was the 2-day Bill Thornburg endurance ride. I rode both days of it on Pro Bono (“Bo”). The weather was perfect, though a bit warm for those of us with horses that already have winter coats.
Ride entries have been down a lot this season and this was a fairly small ride. The first day there were 28 or 29 in the 50 and on the second day there were only 12. I’m not sure how many were in the LD, tho on the second day there were more than were in the 50.
Daniel Brown and wife Callie along with Jeanine Corzine and crew do a great job on the ride. They have a lot of volunteers and do a fantastic job with everything. The trail was expertly marked the entire way! On the first day they had hot dogs for lunch for us, and both evenings of the ride we were served an excellent meal of tri-tip. Awards are nice – t-shirts for completion both days and lots of other items. I got a middle of the pack water bottle on the 2nd day – finishing 6th out of 12 icon smile Bill Thornburgh Family & Friends Endurance Ride 50/50 2011 Ride Report & Photos . I also got a small flatback bucket for finishing in the top ten.
I’ve done this ride before when it was called Git’r'Done. The footing for both rides is excellent, with only a very small portion having any rocks...
Read more here:
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/2011/11/bill-thornburgh-family-friends-endurance-ride-5050/comment-page-1/
Bill Thornburgh Family & Friends Endurance Ride 50/50 2011 Ride Report & Photos
This past weekend was the 2-day Bill Thornburg endurance ride. I rode both days of it on Pro Bono (“Bo”). The weather was perfect, though a bit warm for those of us with horses that already have winter coats.
Ride entries have been down a lot this season and this was a fairly small ride. The first day there were 28 or 29 in the 50 and on the second day there were only 12. I’m not sure how many were in the LD, tho on the second day there were more than were in the 50.
Daniel Brown and wife Callie along with Jeanine Corzine and crew do a great job on the ride. They have a lot of volunteers and do a fantastic job with everything. The trail was expertly marked the entire way! On the first day they had hot dogs for lunch for us, and both evenings of the ride we were served an excellent meal of tri-tip. Awards are nice – t-shirts for completion both days and lots of other items. I got a middle of the pack water bottle on the 2nd day – finishing 6th out of 12 icon smile Bill Thornburgh Family & Friends Endurance Ride 50/50 2011 Ride Report & Photos . I also got a small flatback bucket for finishing in the top ten.
I’ve done this ride before when it was called Git’r'Done. The footing for both rides is excellent, with only a very small portion having any rocks...
Read more here:
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/2011/11/bill-thornburgh-family-friends-endurance-ride-5050/comment-page-1/
Monday, October 31, 2011
Spook Run 100 - 3 Morgans and Me - Shannon Loomis
October 31 2011
To all who did not attend the Spook Run ride in SE Indiana this weekend, you missed a beautiful ride. Trails were in great condition and well-marked, plenty of water in the creek crossings, late fall color, and cool enough for the Morgan horses! Lois McAfee managed the 50/25 on Friday and Amy Whelan took over the controls for the 100/50/25 on Saturday. My daughter, Morgan, and I showed up Friday afternoon with our Morgan horses, Angel (aka "The Devil's Handmaiden") and Quest, to tackle the 100 mile trail on Saturday. Mary Chmielski and Helen Cantrell rode the LD on Friday and volunteered to crew for Morgan and I on Saturday. All the holds were in camp, but life is so much easier when help is available. They were awesome. We were met at the entrance to camp by a "blanket brigade" all day as Mary and Helen seemed to sense our arrival each time and were prepared with coolers for the ponies.
The weather was crisp, definitely requiring gloves and hats Friday afternoon. Friday's ride had about 20 50's and 13 or so LDs. Saturday was 13 100s (!), 23 (or so) 50's and 13 LDs. The vets were Mike Habel and Maureen Fehrs. Saturday morning was quite cold with a hard frost and a layer of ice on the water buckets. Our trailer lacks a furnace so it was very difficult to get out of our nice warm bed to tack up the horses for a 7 AM start.
It was quite dark at 7, so Lois and Connie Caudill led the 100s on a controlled start for a few miles until it was light enough to see the ribbons. The Morgans and I cruised along as the sun peeked over the yellow and orange hills of So Indiana. The first loop was 25 miles and by the time we returned to camp it was warm enough to start shedding coats and gloves but standing in camp was a bit breezy, so the horses were kept covered all day. Connie pulled after the first loop, feeling her horse was not quite right to go another 75 miles and Lois continued on alone.
The next two loops were a 19 mile trail repeated twice which also covered most of the final 10 mile loop, which meant we were able to see in daylight what we would be riding after dark. The Morgans were pulsing down nicely, though since we were afraid to throw much water on them in the cold and kept the rears well covered, it did take a few minutes each hold, as we were moving along pretty well. In the third loop we joined up with Amy Yatsko and Earl Baxter and rode with them for the next 3 loops. Angel and Morgan took a bit of a header towards the end of the 3rd loop as they jumped a little ravine and Angel lost her footing on the other side (leaves hid a lot of little roots and erosion ruts) and planted her face in the trail. Morgan "dismounted" over Angel's head - she claims she did it on purpose, somehow missing Angel's devil horns as she went over - and both popped up relatively unscathed. Angel had a bit of a bloody nose but it stopped quickly and she seemed unfazed.
The 4th loop was a 15 mile out and back which repeated a lot of the first loop, which is fortunate, because most of the 100s rode it in the dark. It was a nice ridgeline trail, so easy to make time on. We watched the sun go down on the opposite side of the mountain on the same trail we watched it come up on. Amy, Earl, Morgan and I managed to get all but the last 4 or 5 miles of this loop under our belts before darkness fell around 6:45. Coats, gloves and hats were quickly replaced as the sun went down but it was not nearly as cold as the previous night.
The last two loops were the traditional "pink loop" known to those who have done rides at Bill Wilson's farm before. We set out in the black - the tiny little crescent moon set about an hour after the sun did but it was so low to the horizon, it didn't offer any help at all - head lamps on and booked around the loop; we had already seen it twice, so the horses were comfortable on it though the second half of it seemed to go on forever, winding through the woods.
After a short 20 minute hold, Amy and Earl went ahead and the Morgans and I set our own pace in the dark. Quest was a little hesitant at first - he had some eye trouble last year and I don't think his night vision is great, plus he had spent the last loop following Amy's horse, Captain. We put Angel in front for a while, but after a few miles, Quest decided he was up for the challenge. Boy, did he move! Once he figured out where we were, and I figured out how to hold my light for him, we Zoomed! This loop seemed to fly by since we knew the finish line was so close! We finished both pink loops in 1 1/2 hrs each in the dark....
Lois and Hoosier finished first (BC and 1st FW) about 90 minutes ahead of us, her ride time must have been about 12 hr and 15 min (I am estimating) - she was finishing as we were leaving on our last loop - not feeling well, but still with a smile on her face. Earl and Champ (1st HW) and Amy on Captain (2nd FW) finished just a few minutes ahead of us (1st Jr and 1st LW) and then the next riders were more than 40 minutes behind us, so a big gap in the 100s. We finished with a ride time of 13:44 and a total time of 17:04 crossing the finish at 4 minutes after midnight. The last riders finished sometime after 3 AM. BRRR! Vets Mike and Maureen had a bonfire and Bill's heated garage to wait in, but still a long cold night.....
Our Morgans ate like pigs all day, going through a banana box of deer apples and my buffet of feed. I don't think they stopped eating at any of the holds - hay, grain, grass - it all disappeared. Quite a change for my ulcer boy, I think I finally have him under control and haven't used any Gastrogard all summer. Quest tried to cramp a little in the cold during the last hold but I gave him some extra calcium and an extra cooler and he warmed up very quickly as we loped down the lane to the last loop.
Sorry I don't know the final results for everyone - awards were handed out as riders finished - and Morgan and I went to bed. I do know that except for Connie, all 100s finished (92%)!
Thanks for having a 100 for us, Lois, Amy and all her volunteers and crew (especially the popsicles formally known as Mike and Maureen)! And thanks to Teddy Lancaster who donated all the junior awards this weekend. And finally, mucho thanks to our great crew, Mary and Helen!
Shannon Loomis
Pleasant Creek, WV
To all who did not attend the Spook Run ride in SE Indiana this weekend, you missed a beautiful ride. Trails were in great condition and well-marked, plenty of water in the creek crossings, late fall color, and cool enough for the Morgan horses! Lois McAfee managed the 50/25 on Friday and Amy Whelan took over the controls for the 100/50/25 on Saturday. My daughter, Morgan, and I showed up Friday afternoon with our Morgan horses, Angel (aka "The Devil's Handmaiden") and Quest, to tackle the 100 mile trail on Saturday. Mary Chmielski and Helen Cantrell rode the LD on Friday and volunteered to crew for Morgan and I on Saturday. All the holds were in camp, but life is so much easier when help is available. They were awesome. We were met at the entrance to camp by a "blanket brigade" all day as Mary and Helen seemed to sense our arrival each time and were prepared with coolers for the ponies.
The weather was crisp, definitely requiring gloves and hats Friday afternoon. Friday's ride had about 20 50's and 13 or so LDs. Saturday was 13 100s (!), 23 (or so) 50's and 13 LDs. The vets were Mike Habel and Maureen Fehrs. Saturday morning was quite cold with a hard frost and a layer of ice on the water buckets. Our trailer lacks a furnace so it was very difficult to get out of our nice warm bed to tack up the horses for a 7 AM start.
It was quite dark at 7, so Lois and Connie Caudill led the 100s on a controlled start for a few miles until it was light enough to see the ribbons. The Morgans and I cruised along as the sun peeked over the yellow and orange hills of So Indiana. The first loop was 25 miles and by the time we returned to camp it was warm enough to start shedding coats and gloves but standing in camp was a bit breezy, so the horses were kept covered all day. Connie pulled after the first loop, feeling her horse was not quite right to go another 75 miles and Lois continued on alone.
The next two loops were a 19 mile trail repeated twice which also covered most of the final 10 mile loop, which meant we were able to see in daylight what we would be riding after dark. The Morgans were pulsing down nicely, though since we were afraid to throw much water on them in the cold and kept the rears well covered, it did take a few minutes each hold, as we were moving along pretty well. In the third loop we joined up with Amy Yatsko and Earl Baxter and rode with them for the next 3 loops. Angel and Morgan took a bit of a header towards the end of the 3rd loop as they jumped a little ravine and Angel lost her footing on the other side (leaves hid a lot of little roots and erosion ruts) and planted her face in the trail. Morgan "dismounted" over Angel's head - she claims she did it on purpose, somehow missing Angel's devil horns as she went over - and both popped up relatively unscathed. Angel had a bit of a bloody nose but it stopped quickly and she seemed unfazed.
The 4th loop was a 15 mile out and back which repeated a lot of the first loop, which is fortunate, because most of the 100s rode it in the dark. It was a nice ridgeline trail, so easy to make time on. We watched the sun go down on the opposite side of the mountain on the same trail we watched it come up on. Amy, Earl, Morgan and I managed to get all but the last 4 or 5 miles of this loop under our belts before darkness fell around 6:45. Coats, gloves and hats were quickly replaced as the sun went down but it was not nearly as cold as the previous night.
The last two loops were the traditional "pink loop" known to those who have done rides at Bill Wilson's farm before. We set out in the black - the tiny little crescent moon set about an hour after the sun did but it was so low to the horizon, it didn't offer any help at all - head lamps on and booked around the loop; we had already seen it twice, so the horses were comfortable on it though the second half of it seemed to go on forever, winding through the woods.
After a short 20 minute hold, Amy and Earl went ahead and the Morgans and I set our own pace in the dark. Quest was a little hesitant at first - he had some eye trouble last year and I don't think his night vision is great, plus he had spent the last loop following Amy's horse, Captain. We put Angel in front for a while, but after a few miles, Quest decided he was up for the challenge. Boy, did he move! Once he figured out where we were, and I figured out how to hold my light for him, we Zoomed! This loop seemed to fly by since we knew the finish line was so close! We finished both pink loops in 1 1/2 hrs each in the dark....
Lois and Hoosier finished first (BC and 1st FW) about 90 minutes ahead of us, her ride time must have been about 12 hr and 15 min (I am estimating) - she was finishing as we were leaving on our last loop - not feeling well, but still with a smile on her face. Earl and Champ (1st HW) and Amy on Captain (2nd FW) finished just a few minutes ahead of us (1st Jr and 1st LW) and then the next riders were more than 40 minutes behind us, so a big gap in the 100s. We finished with a ride time of 13:44 and a total time of 17:04 crossing the finish at 4 minutes after midnight. The last riders finished sometime after 3 AM. BRRR! Vets Mike and Maureen had a bonfire and Bill's heated garage to wait in, but still a long cold night.....
Our Morgans ate like pigs all day, going through a banana box of deer apples and my buffet of feed. I don't think they stopped eating at any of the holds - hay, grain, grass - it all disappeared. Quite a change for my ulcer boy, I think I finally have him under control and haven't used any Gastrogard all summer. Quest tried to cramp a little in the cold during the last hold but I gave him some extra calcium and an extra cooler and he warmed up very quickly as we loped down the lane to the last loop.
Sorry I don't know the final results for everyone - awards were handed out as riders finished - and Morgan and I went to bed. I do know that except for Connie, all 100s finished (92%)!
Thanks for having a 100 for us, Lois, Amy and all her volunteers and crew (especially the popsicles formally known as Mike and Maureen)! And thanks to Teddy Lancaster who donated all the junior awards this weekend. And finally, mucho thanks to our great crew, Mary and Helen!
Shannon Loomis
Pleasant Creek, WV
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Bar H Bonanza NATRC - Kandace French
October 23 2011
We just got back from the inaugural Bar H Bonanza NATRC Ride put on by Katy Taylor and Gail Shepherd. If you weren’t there, you missed a fabulous time at the Bar H Bonanza Region 2 NATRC ride in Corona, California.
Wow! What a GREAT first ride! A fabulous group of talented horse and rider teams from California Region 1, Region 2 and Arizona converged for a fabulous opportunity to ride the beautiful countryside of Gavilan Hills, California. The management did an amazing job and thought of so many of those special, small details that made the ride a winner. Top notch judges, Dr. Michael Peralez and Jim Ferris made it fun and challenging. Both the judges and their teams zipped all over the countryside in record time and got tons of opportunities to judge all the competitors a numerous opportunities.
The ride was staged at the Bar H Ranch owned by Chris Herron of Gavilan Hills, California. He raises Arabian horses and Texas Longhorns cattle. Wow! Seeing these Long Horns up close and personal was a treat, and sometimes intimidating. Beautiful animals. Another treat was learning that after watching Katy and her team scout and mark trails over the prior weeks and learning about the philosophy of NATRC, AERC competitor/Ranch owner Chris Herron decided to enter his stallion, a Gulastras Splash son, in the NATRC novice ride himself and did very well, placing in both horse and horsemanship.
Our rider’s packets were filled with fun and thoughtful treats. The catered meal was wonderful and the riding area was beautiful. The trails were varied. The volunteers worked tirelessly and the talent pool of the P&R teams was of the highest caliber. I can’t believe this was the first time this management team put on a ride. They did a great job and didn’t miss a thing. Even the awards were beautiful; hand made and decorated horse shoes. Words can’t do them justice. An extra special pleasure for me was the opportunity to finally meet Shelley Housh and her Sterling Shagya Sport horses in person. Spectacular!
I can’t wait to go again next year. This is definitely a ride that will be on my calendar every year. Fun, fun, fun. Thanks for a great ride. Congratulations to everyone who attended, special congratulations to those who placed among touch competition and thanks to Katy and her team for adding yet another ride to the calendar.
Yankee and I competed in Easy Boot Gloves as well. I am so thrilled NATRC allows boots with gaters now :) All my horses are barefoot and I compete in Gloves or Glue Ons.
Kandace French
We just got back from the inaugural Bar H Bonanza NATRC Ride put on by Katy Taylor and Gail Shepherd. If you weren’t there, you missed a fabulous time at the Bar H Bonanza Region 2 NATRC ride in Corona, California.
Wow! What a GREAT first ride! A fabulous group of talented horse and rider teams from California Region 1, Region 2 and Arizona converged for a fabulous opportunity to ride the beautiful countryside of Gavilan Hills, California. The management did an amazing job and thought of so many of those special, small details that made the ride a winner. Top notch judges, Dr. Michael Peralez and Jim Ferris made it fun and challenging. Both the judges and their teams zipped all over the countryside in record time and got tons of opportunities to judge all the competitors a numerous opportunities.
The ride was staged at the Bar H Ranch owned by Chris Herron of Gavilan Hills, California. He raises Arabian horses and Texas Longhorns cattle. Wow! Seeing these Long Horns up close and personal was a treat, and sometimes intimidating. Beautiful animals. Another treat was learning that after watching Katy and her team scout and mark trails over the prior weeks and learning about the philosophy of NATRC, AERC competitor/Ranch owner Chris Herron decided to enter his stallion, a Gulastras Splash son, in the NATRC novice ride himself and did very well, placing in both horse and horsemanship.
Our rider’s packets were filled with fun and thoughtful treats. The catered meal was wonderful and the riding area was beautiful. The trails were varied. The volunteers worked tirelessly and the talent pool of the P&R teams was of the highest caliber. I can’t believe this was the first time this management team put on a ride. They did a great job and didn’t miss a thing. Even the awards were beautiful; hand made and decorated horse shoes. Words can’t do them justice. An extra special pleasure for me was the opportunity to finally meet Shelley Housh and her Sterling Shagya Sport horses in person. Spectacular!
I can’t wait to go again next year. This is definitely a ride that will be on my calendar every year. Fun, fun, fun. Thanks for a great ride. Congratulations to everyone who attended, special congratulations to those who placed among touch competition and thanks to Katy and her team for adding yet another ride to the calendar.
Yankee and I competed in Easy Boot Gloves as well. I am so thrilled NATRC allows boots with gaters now :) All my horses are barefoot and I compete in Gloves or Glue Ons.
Kandace French
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2011
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October
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- Spook Run 100 - 3 Morgans and Me - Shannon Loomis
- Bar H Bonanza NATRC - Kandace French
- Raptor Run - Susan Franklin
- Raptor Run - Angie McGhee
- 2011 Tevis: Did It! - Jenni Smith
- The Tevis 2011* It’s always an adventure! - Nick...
- Tevis - Heather Reynolds
- North American Endurance Team Challenge - Heather ...
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- Cheap Thrills - Zapped Ranch
- Pine Tree 100 - Char Jewell
- Maumee Valley Endurance Ride, 2011 - Janice Taylor...
- My new Morgan masters Maumee Valley! - Charles Col...
- Fort Howes - Heather Reynolds
- Eenie, meenie, miney mo! - Patti Stedman
- My Old Dominion - Nancy Sluys
- Camp R U Crazy - Katrina Mosshammer
- Wyoming Pioneer - My First 50 - Karen in MT
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