Virginia Highlands Endurance Ride - Noways Tails

Nowaystails Blog - Full Story

August 29 2013

Preparing for a ride takes some thought...and some planning, and some loose arrangements. I have found that the ability to go with the flow has been the way to tamp down the preparation butterflies to a controlled flutter.

There is a group of us that seem to flock together due to location, for conditioning our horses, food planning, drink planning, support and of course the all important, fun. We have learned that on a two day ride, or more, it is much less stressful when some of us ride one day, and the other half crew, then switch for the following day. Especially if there is one or more away vet checks. Of course there are the toughies that can ride both days, or more, which for us is no problem since we are many...:)

Within our club, The Daniel Boone Distance Riders, we have team competitions. And certainly we do some ‘arranging’ so as to try and get team points, but, when it gets down to it, we DBDRs are of one team pitching in where needed. Heck, we even pitch in to help the other crewless...

The VA Highlands ride is a top notch ride not to be missed! I have had the good fortune to have ridden and finished it all five years. It just gets better and better. It is one of the more ‘challenging’ rides that I do. I would compare it to Leatherwood, another must do ride, that I have had to miss the last couple of years due to the date, which falls on same date of one or our DBDR rides.

The South East has experienced a lot of rain this year...a LOT. And more than one ride has had to make camping or trail last minute decisions. It fell to Don and Nicki Meuten and their fabulous volunteers to that task, since the ride camp borders the New River. Fortunately, the ride was on! But, there was MUD...however, Tom Hagis and his golf cart got us all in there without a hitch. At least not that I ever saw...:) Four wheel drive is a good thing... He even got our little group parked together even though we arrived two different days..Thank you!

Since the first of our group got there on Wed. we were able to stretch out the work. Often times these rides can be a production. Vicki Crance and her horse Banjo hitched a ride with me. Greg Jones and Mary Lynn Stockdale, and Mary Kolb all got ourselves driven and parked within a few, well several hours of driving. Mary had the farthest to go but also managed to hook up with us so as to caravan down. No blown engines, no flat tires...whew! We got set up, horses in their corrals, (a bit on the muddy side), awnings out, etc, etc. I think I mentioned MUD...

Read more here:
http://nowaystails.blogspot.com/2013/08/va-highlands-ride-2013.html?showComment=1377874238740#c5402259030929369841

2013 Mendocino Magic - Heather Reynolds

Reynolds Racing Blog - Full Story

Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Erebus on day 1 pictured above

Emma Orth, (our junior that has been helping us out all summer) and I loaded up the four guys on Friday morning. (Jeremy would not be joining us, as he was going to do a big triathalon training weekend with his brother.) Emma and I were heading to the Mendocino Magic, 2 day ride. We took Kings Gold, aka Elvis and Erebus for the first day 50 and Gold Dust Rising aka Dust and Most Likley (this is how you really spell his name) aka Mo for the second day.

The drive was uneventful in the semi truck, although driving the big truck on the road from Willits to Ft Bragg, (hwy 20), was like trying to ride an elephant on a single track. We got there without any issues.

After setting up we checked in and then vetted and pre rode the day 1 horses. I would ride Erebus and Emma would be on Elvis. It was very foggy but not cold. Mendocino is very beautiful so I was really looking forward to the rides over the weekend. It would also be my first race with Emma who has been helping us ride all summer.

After the ride it was just about time for dinner. We headed over to the potluck, which had way too many great choices, and found familiar faces to eat with. It was great seeing all of my West Coast friends.

That night I hardly slept as our crew of horses found a talent in banging buckets on the side of the trailer and clanking the high ties around. At one point one of the dudes even starting rocking the trailer significantly by scratching his rear end on the side of the trailer. Oh well...

Read more here:
http://reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/434/mendocino_magic

Delights and Delirium: Mendocino Magic 2013 - Redheaded Endurance

Redheadedendurance Blog - Full Story

August 27 2013

To begin at the beginning, last Thursday Scrappy and I did our toe touches and neck stretches, loaded up in the packed truck and trailer, and hit the road for a 5 hr drive over to the coast to the 2 day, Mendocino Magic endurance ride.

We had a relatively uneventful drive, in that my truck and trailer performed fine, but we were following J over and her rig and her parent's had a bit of passing trouble. Still we all arrived Thursday afternoon at various times and settled in.

I grew up in the area this ride is held and made plans ahead of time to meet family. J and co were kind enough to Scrappy-sit for me so that I could dash out Thursday night, shower at my brother's so I didn't kill my very horse-allergic sister, and meet the family in town for dinner. Everyone was very tired but we chatted and stared off into space companionably and were all off to our various bed's before long.

Friday there were the usual rounds of socializing, eating, drinking, and repeat. Plus J and I went for a short ride, and my mom showed up to visit later!...

Read more here:
http://redheadedendurance.blogspot.com/2013/08/delights-and-delirium-mendocino-magic.html