2020 Big Horn 100 - Nancy Sluys

by Nancy Sluys 

August 1 2020

Since the beginning of my experiences with endurance and competitive trail riding I have had a dream of riding out west at one of the iconic buckle rides. Of course Tevis is high up there on the list but the one that has always caught my interest has been the Big Horn 100 in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming for its rugged and remote nature. This past winter I got it in my head that this was going to be the year because it was the 50th anniversary of the ride and I knew it would be extra special. They had an offer that if you paid the entire entry in the month of February you would get the buckle included with no extra charge so I went ahead and entered so that I would have a concrete goal to work towards. My mount was going to be my mule, Danny (Jet’s Danny Herlong), who was becoming my main endurance animal and this would be his first 100 miler. The ride was to be the second weekend in July so it fit perfectly into our busy summer schedule.

Then the Corona Virus hit and the world was all turned upside down. I watched the status of the ride hoping it wouldn’t get cancelled. When the date got moved to the weekend of August 1st I was doubtful that we were going to be able to make it because our niece was getting married the following weekend in Northern Vermont and I just could not see a way that we could get from one place to the other in time without killing ourselves and we certainly would not want to take a chance in missing the wedding. Then, with the Covid situation not improving, the wedding was postponed to next year. The pathway to the ride opened before us and we took it.

Bill and I decided to make a vacation of it since we were fully self contained in our living quarters horse (mule) trailer and social distancing would be easy while camping along the way. The first stop would be my sister Diana’s place in Arvada, Colorado and it took us three days to get there with stops in Evansville, Indiana and Salina, Kansas. Diana’s mini ranch backs up to a green space area so I was able to get Danny out on the trail so he could start adapting to the western environment.

After a couple of days rest in Colorado we headed up to Cody, Wyoming for a few more days of acclimating and sightseeing before heading to Shell, where the ride camp was, on a ranch in a field called the Beef Slide because of a steep hill they drive the cattle down. The camp was hot and dusty but the atmosphere was electric. With most rides being cancelled because of Corona Virus, people had come from near and far to the 50th annual Big Horn 100. The rider numbers swelled to more than twice the normal size, giving the ride manager a challenge. The scenery was breathtaking with red rock formations and distant mountains in every direction.

Friday I took a ride to let Danny see the last couple of miles before the finish so he would know where he was when he got near. We got all vetted in and everything was good to go. The weed free hay we purchased from the ride was beautiful and green and Danny spent the night knee deep in it. He was fueling up for the day ahead although he couldn’t know the extent of the distance since this was to be his first 100 mile ride. My husband, Bill, and Gina Hagis, my best riding buddy from Virginia, were going to be our crew. The start time was 4am and would come too soon.

I felt like Danny would do better if I had someone to ride out with at the start so I asked Joni Burden (from Alabama in the Southeast region) if she minded if I tagged along her and her friend Laura, who was riding Joni’s extra horse. Joni’s mother, Jody Buttram, had bred Danny and his dam’ was the sister of both of Joni’s horses so it just seemed fitting to ride together. We met up just before the start and rode out in the pitch dark, following red LED lights along the trail. I left my headlamp off except where necessary and my eyes became accustomed to the darkness, although it was a little disconcerting trotting through the dark over footing that I was unfamiliar with. I just trusted my mule and trotted on! The blackness morphed into sunrise about 5:30 with some beautiful color. We came up on one of the many gates, 38 total, that we would have to open and close. Laura jumped off and opened it as we thanked her and promised to get the next one. Most of the gates are barbed wire with a post attached that you have to fit into loops on the gate post and many were tricky and took some muscle.

The first 21 miles were through the desert and fairly flat, gradually rising in elevation. Danny was feeling good and settled into a brisk trot. There were a lot of horses around us but Danny didn’t pay them any mind. I lost Joni and Laura for a while but they caught back up and we rode into the first vet check at Beaver Creek together. Danny’s pulse came down right away and we were good to go according to the vet. Danny settled in and ate well. There were no crews allowed at this check but lots of hay and water was provided.

The 19 mile second leg of the ride starts out on a dirt road that climbs the mountain, curving out and in revealing ever higher views of the valley below. In this segment between vet checks 1 & 2 the elevation changes from around 5000 feet to almost 10000 feet. Much of the trail was in the sun which was becoming stronger and the heat started to build. The road became a track which became a narrow trail as it travelled in and out of several canyons, some rocky, some grassy. We rode through incredible fields of wildflowers with so many species I couldn’t count. As we gained elevation I recognized miniature versions of common wildflowers that were stunted, due to the high altitude. The riders were starting to spread out and we had some trail to ourselves for a while before passing a big group in a creek. The trail rose more sharply before arriving at the second vet check at Horse Creek just as a quick shower mixed with ice pellets came through cooling things off considerably. I was starting to feel the altitude and became breathless from walking around. I rested and rehydrated while my fabulous crew took care of Danny.

We left Horse Creek at a canter as we had to make the 3:00pm cut off time at hwy. 14 which would be at 50 miles. The going had been slow coming into Horse Creek as the temperature was unusually hot for the mountains but now we had some dirt road to move out on. By this time Danny had taken up position behind the two mares as they were acting pretty bitchy to him if he tried to pass or got in between them so I got real used to seeing those two round grey butts bobbing ahead of us! We pushed pretty hard until we arrived at hwy. 14 with 30 minutes to spare. The trail after that is a blur to me as the altitude was making me lightheaded and a little disoriented. I just remember lots of climbing and changing scenery. Every time you came around a bend a different scene would greet you, it was just amazing! Incredible rock formations, vast meadows filled with wildflowers, virgin groves of pine and spruce, mountain views, it was all just breathtaking (even without the high altitude!). The going was slow and rocky but the vistas were awesome. Sometimes we would come to a meadow and could pick up the pace but then we would have to stop and graze because the grass was too good and Danny and the girls were getting hungry. There was so much good grass on the trail and Danny would snatch mouthfuls without even stopping!

By the time we came into the Battle Creek Vet Check at 63 miles I was hitting my low point. I was getting altitude sick and was feeling nauseous and dizzy, I couldn’t eat anything at all. Then I remembered the gift my sister had given me as we were leaving her place in Colorado which was a small oxygen inhaler, just in case I needed it. I took several hits of the oxygen and started feeling a bit better. I put it in my pack for later and mounted up and rode off. I was feeling that Danny was being affected by the altitude too as he had slowed from his normal pace. He was still forward but had adjusted his overall pace a bit slower to conserve energy. Mules are famous for taking good care of themselves to I figured that’s what he was doing. I told Joni and Laura not to worry if I dropped back because I had to take care of Danny and do the pace he was comfortable with and I didn’t want to hold them up.

This segment deviated from the big loop and was an out and back with a lollypop in the middle. Right off the bat Danny was telling me we were going the wrong way because he had already pictured in his mind where camp was and we were going in the opposite direction. He hesitated and kept looking back but I urged him on forward trying to convince him that we were going the right way. After a while as the sun was setting we started down a section called Shag Nasty. It was nothing but rocks and boulders for several miles and was very technical. Actually it reminded me a lot of the high country near Mount Rogers in Virginia, our home trails. Danny put his mind to work and negotiated the tricky terrain as only a mule can do. He skipped through the rocks and started picking up speed as the trail made a turn and he knew he was headed back to the vet check. We circled a beautiful reservoir before returning to the dirt road that would take us back to Battle Creek. Once on the road Danny picked up an easy trot and we made pretty good time back to the vet check. By now my condition had improved in the cool night air and we both were getting our second wind.

Gina and Bill were relieved to see me looking better and we all had confidence that the team would finish the ride as we had only one more leg to go. There was come confusion leaving the vet check and I was misdirected down the road the crews were leaving on. After a short while I knew there was something wrong so turned back and asked for clarification and was sent up a hill towards a distant green light. I was a little frustrated as I didn’t have time to waste and the detour had cost be at least 15 minutes. There was also some confusion as to whether the trail back to camp was 13 or 16 miles so I was a little uncertain as I headed out to find the proper trail. About 15 minutes later my headlamp died and I searched my bags for a flashlight. I couldn’t find it even though I knew it was there somewhere. Luckily the full moon was rising over the mountain, providing enough light to see my way well enough. I was all alone in the night and had no one to help open the gates, which had become harder and harder to operate as fatigue set in. The moonlight started playing tricks on me turning rocks into buffalo and other strange creatures. A small band of antelope crossed the trail in front of us and at one time Danny stopped and alerted as we passed two coyotes watching us pass from the hillside nearby. The night was scary and magical all at the same time! The last leg seemed to take forever as we descended for an eternity. The last big obstacle was the slick rock section which seemed to go on for miles, even though it was maybe only a half of a mile long. By now clouds had covered the moon and I was having a hard time seeing so I used the flashlight on my iPhone to see the difficult footing when needed. Slabs of slick rock lay all over the trail and we had to pick our way finding purchase along the edges but sometimes the rock would cover the whole trail and was very slippery and treacherous. At first I tried to get off and lead Danny, as that is what those riding horses had suggested, but I almost rolled my ankle so I thought it safer to get back in the saddle. Mules are so sure footed, I put my trust in Danny and hoped for the best. When he would get to a slick section he would baby step his way down and never slipped one time.

At this point I knew we were running late and I was becoming worried that we would not make it back in time. As soon as we were past the slick rock section I put my leg on Danny and he moved right off without hesitation, feeling the pull of camp. After a few turns we came to the section we had ridden the day before and Danny quickened his pace as he recognized the trail and knew we were almost back to the trailer. As we came off the mountain and hit the flat ground he broke into a canter and I had tears in my eyes as I recognized his strength and will to move forward after almost 100 tough miles, he felt as fresh as if he was just on a Sunday outing! My anxiety was high as the clock ticked away but I finally saw the lights of the finish line and glanced at my watch. It was a bit after 4:00 am, over 24 hours since we started the ride and I knew we were not going to make it on time. As I crossed the finish line, a little less than 10 minutes late, the ride manager called out that she was going to see about allowing a completion only which would at least make our hard fought miles count. At that time I really didn’t care, I was so proud of my mule for finishing what felt like the hardest and most beautiful ride I’ve ever done and bringing me back safely. I knew in my heart what we had done and how great my mule was and I will hold that thought forever in my mind and heart!

It was to my great relief that the completion only status was upheld and the mileage for this great challenge would now count on our record. Many thanks go out to all the folks who helped make this challenge possible, Cindy Collins (ride manager), my crew, Bill and Gina and all the many volunteers who gave their time to allow us to have such a great adventure!!

Big Horn 100 2020 and how I lost all my goodies! - by Kipling

TheMonkeysKnowNothing Blog - Full Story

by Kipling

I KNEW something was up when the monkeys had been fiddling and fussin' and loading up the 'big' horse trailer for weeks. Things were starting to add up. Not just the trailer getting all that attention but my training rides seemed to involve more than just the usual neighborhood neddys. I was instead going out on long steep rides with the big shot 100 milers eg the likes of Sundance and Katir, long distance extraordinaires. I was......suspicious! What did throw me off though was the absence of the gooey gluey boot routine.I was still barefoot.

Yep, next thing I know I'm being torn away from my cutie mare and thrown in the trailer with my buddy Sundance thrown in next to me. You know, Sundance is a nice guy but he's got nothing on my gal for company. The monkeys think I wont notice that Sundance, a chestnut GELDING is not a swanky gorgeous GREY TWH mare who I happened to be cuddling up to when I was whisked away. Geez! Do they take me for a chump?

Anyway, he was better than nothing and we were having a pleasant time chatting about things and munching hay when it started to get pretty noisy up front. Keep it down up there a neighed but the big bangs and rumbles from the truck got loader and loader and the whole thing glided off onto an off ramp. Exit 187 to be precise!

Now what! Mumbled Sunny. All we knew is the monkeys didn't sound happy AT ALL. This is never a good sign! Truck no good! All of us stranded...

Read part 1 here:
http://themonkeysknownothing.blogspot.com/2020/08/big-horn-100-2020-and-how-i-lost-all-my.html

Read part 2 here:
http://themonkeysknownothing.blogspot.com/2020/08/big-horn-100-2020-part-2.html

Read part 3 here:
http://themonkeysknownothing.blogspot.com/2020/08/big-horn-100-2020-part-3-dont-forget-to.html

Virtual Tevis - Ashley Wingert

Gopony.me - Full Story

August 6, 2020
by Ashley Wingert

Liberty and I are riding for our first Tevis buckle…

Virtual buckle, that is. :)

With life Tevis being cancelled this year, the WSTF came up with a fun alternative…a virtual Tevis, to ride 100 miles in 100 days (as well as a non-riding division to bike, walk, run, etc). And finishers do get a completion buckle sticker.

I figured this would be a great first goal for Liberty and myself. We’re #499, if you want to follow us on virtual Tevis. Those shorter, leg-up rides will all add up, and even more so once we hit the trails. It’s something fun to do, but at the same time, provide a concrete goal and time frame to work within. Miles are submitted as you go, starting on what would have been the actual ride date, August 1, through Nov 9. Significant milestones that you reach along the way (Cougar Rock, vet checks, etc) are noted as the miles are submitted...

Read more here:
https://gopony.me/2020/08/06/virtual-tevis/

2020 Big Horn 100 - Jeanette Mero

by Jeanette Mero

2020 Big Horn 100! Not even sure where to start or what to say. I know many of our friends have been wondering. Reyna and I, with the help of our awesome family crew, managed to finish both mares in 7th and 8th place a little after midnight with a ride time of 17 plus hours, out of 80 starters from all across the country and against some of the most competitive riders in our sport. It’s almost a toss up in my head whether this ride might be the hardest 100 miler I’ve ever done, on either coast. Even Tevis. It’s close. There was no question it was “real, old school” endurance. And if you had asked me last night at midnight if I’d want to ride another 100 miler any time soon, or even get on the back of a horse in a few days the answer was likely gonna be a NO! It was that kind of hard.

Big Horn was everything it’s reputation was reported to be - incredibly tough, rugged, and remote trail. Climbing up to 9000 plus foot elevations. It’s forest service roads, single tracks, rocks, sand and relentless, literally relentless, up and down climbing from the start all the way to the finish. And we live and train on mountain trails. We experienced the infamous afternoon rain and hail storms getting pelted with dime sized hail on the way into the 3rd vet check, getting so soaked and chilled my arms and hands wouldn’t work for the first half of the hold. We then had to muck our way through slippery mud and rock from all the water, trying to keep the horses from falling on themselves and us. And finally at the end we had to come down a piece they called the “slick rock” at about 95 plus miles into the ride. It was an impressive couple miles of downhill, large sheets of white, ice skating rink, type rock. And that was after finishing the last couple hours in the dark trying to avoid all kinds of trail hazards like deep washes, cattle guards, and ruts that would swallow you and your horse hole.

Oh and did I mention all the gates??? I think Reyna and I literally had to get off and open and shut over 30 gates, some easy and some hard, and at least one that took both of us to get closed again. And then there was the “pole gate” with poles that had to be slid open and shut, which sounds easy enough, except the rain storm left the far side of the gate a complete morass of a sink hole of mud. So getting it open and then both horses through it and then closed again was quite the trick. At one point my mare Lena couldn’t decide how to get herself out of the sucking mud and decided just laying down and collapsing into the muck might be a good option. That was until she actually executed her plan and then she realized flopping in the mud was probably not the best idea. Thankfully she didn’t panic and got herself up and out of it without hurting herself. Albeit she was a different colored horse for quite a while.

All in all there is no doubt we definitely earned our silver belt buckles and top ten coolers and get to carry with us the sense of accomplishment forever that we tackled one of the toughest endurance rides in the world. Our mares this morning actually looked amazing and like they could go again, while Reyna and I are definitely feeling the aches and pains of a tough 100 miler. And that’s how it should be. We took care of our horses, first and foremost, and we are so grateful they got us through the day safely and in one piece. Once again the best part of the whole adventure was doing it all as a family and working together to help us and our mares get through this legacy ride. We made new friends and laughed and visited with old friends. We all of course were cautious and careful with respect to Covid. And we are so grateful to the Ride Manager Cindy Collins and her amazing crew to pull this ride together and make it a possibility when most of our sport and all of our lives have been paused due to Covid. The memories we made over the last couple days will keep us laughing and crying for years.

Now we are on to Cody for a well deserved mini vacation for a few days to see Yellowstone and be tourists.

2020 Big Horn 100: 50 Miler on a Gaited Horse - Jessica Isbrecht

by Jessica Isbrecht

River completed the Big Horn 50! She climbed up and down the most intense trail we've ever competed on; gaining 9,000 feet in elevation. For comparison, the hardest 50 we've done previously had about 5,500 feet of elevation gain. I got off and hiked, tailed, or ran as much as I could to help her out.

She was too distracted and hyped up to eat or drink in the first 21 miles but that quickly changed once we started up the mountain in the sun. She chugged along all day putting that big behind to good use! The temperature cooled the higher we climbed. The weather was beautiful! Meanwhile, a nasty storm complete with pea-sized hail blew through camp, pelting Mackenzie and soaking our stuff.

I didn't pack a crew bag for either vet check at 21 and 40 miles. I brought grain that I mixed with water to entice her to drink at the first hold. Then, just let her graze the meadow at the second hold. River loved the grass and spent the entire hour grazing. I made jokes that I was riding the Cavalry Division (a 100 mile division where you complete the ride unaided, carrying all of your gear/food).
We hustled the last 10 miles to make it to the finish ahead of the twelve hour cut off time. She was understandably tired by the finish but perked up after a few hours of rest and eating. She looked great this morning so I'm very pleased.

River always knows where camp is and is motivated to get back. On this ride we finished up on the mountain and drove back to camp in the trailer. Honestly, I think she was confused by the unique experience of a point to point ride instead of a loop. Her MO on the second half of a ride is always Relentless Forward Progress but she didn't have that drive yesterday. She wanted to take it easy (and I certainly don't blame her). She'd lag behind until the horse ahead of her disappeared around a bend, then lope to catch up. I swear I felt her last bit of enthusiasm dribble away when we crested the last gigantic hill before the finish and she saw yet more mountains in front of her. She probably thought she'd have to go another 50 miles to get back home!

We crossed the finish line with only 10 or 15 minutes to spare. Byron was waiting for us with a bucket of mash, a bottle of water (much needed!), and our trailer. So wonderful!

River passed the vet check and we got our completion, her 100% success rate intact. I'm so unbelievably proud of her! Big Horn is a HARD ride. It's reputation is accurate, not exaggerated.

Postscript

After a question regarding what a 50 mile fit Tennessee Walking Horse looks like, I went back through photos of River. It's very interesting to see the progression from casual trail horse when I bought her in December 2018 to the muscular, mountain climbing beast she is today. Here are a few good representative photos.

She's approximately 10 years old (don't have papers unfortunately), 15.3 and 945 lbs. She's an easy keeper on a forage plus ration balancer diet. I'm super conscious of keeping her from going IR/laminitic like most TWH are prone to.

She is barefoot and goes in Scoot Boots for protection. I trim her myself since we live on the road and can't get regular/quality farriers.

She has a 100% completion rate. She's done 4 LDs with 2 top tens and 7 50s with 4 top tens and 1 high vet score.

Her conditioning has all been long, slow distance and when I say slow, I mean it! She is my husband's trail horse. He likes to take his time with just short bursts of speed. I'm a middleweight rider with body plus tack usually coming in around 209 lbs. She carries much less in training because my husband is lighter than I am and never carries as much water as i do! We enjoy challenging, high elevation rides and all that climbing has been absolutely wonderful for her. In the last year, I've learned how fast you can get a horse fit just by walking for hours up and down hills. This program has worked for us. It may be different for you and your horse but gaited horses can do endurance. You just have to ride smart and manage them a little differently.

TRANQUI: A horseback journey through Patagonia

Sidetracked.com - Full Article

Story & Photography: Stevie Anna Plummer
Written By: Emily Hopcian

On a Friday morning in early November, spring in the Southern Hemisphere, I ride south from Bariloche, Argentina, with my dog, Darcie, and Sundance and Bandido, my two horses. Together, our small team crosses over the earthy browns and dry greens of northern Patagonia’s estepa. For a short while, I breathe in the familiar mountain peaks and rolling hills; my sentimental goodbye. I’m leaving behind a world I know intimately to cross into entirely new territory. ‘Please just let us get to the first town,’ I whisper to the universe. ‘Just let us get through the first ten days.’

A chaos of emotions – everything from joy to an extreme sense of loneliness – parades us out of town. Tears fill my eyes as fear shivers inside me. Fear of the unknown, of injury to my animals or to me, and of the freak accidents that are seemingly part of journeys through remote wilderness. But perhaps more so, somewhere deep in my subconscious, there is a fear of failure – an earlier-than-anticipated return to Bariloche, of folks not taking us seriously. I cannot help but settle on thoughts of the months of build-up on social media and on everyone supporting us on this journey. I fear letting them down, becoming a disappointment.

I still myself inside and shift my focus to the movement of our team. My thoughts fall into rhythm with the pace of my horses, and my heart settles into the wilds that surround me. A condor, a sign of good luck out here on the estepa, soars above us. I let go of the things I cannot control and hold on to the things I can – which, to be honest, are precious few when it comes to Patagonia and her immense, unpredictable wilderness. Unending waves of snowy peaks rise to the west. Limitless estepa stretches to the east. All around me, Darcie weaves in and out of tall grass that sways in the gathering wind, to the front of our pack and behind, keeping an eye on what’s hers: myself and the horses. This is our element. This is where we thrive. I sigh. ‘We’ve got this,’ I say, to no-one but myself...

Read more here:
https://www.sidetracked.com/tranqui/

Ghost Stories on the Plantation

Facebook.com - Full Story

HEATHER WILKERSON
MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020

With our 75-mile completion on Friday morning, Ghost and I were quite satisfied. After reviewing weekend plans with Chris, he prompted us to do the 50 mile ride on Saturday night (the next day). I knew Ghost could do it. Chris knew I could do it. I knew it would be painful, but I could pull through. I also know that riding a 2nd day would heighten my riding fitness. I have several goals, but one is to be less sore after the longer 75 and 100s. I’d like multi days to be “no big deal” amongst others.

Although the trail at Broxton Bridge is repetitive, riding at night makes it entertaining. If you watched the videos I posted from the 75, Ghost knows the trail. I’m just a flea on his back he can’t get rid of. I ask him to go left, he jumps right because he knows the trail. I stop him to verify markers when he doesn’t need the reassurance.

On the 75, apparently there was some confusion with the trail. We earned 7th place. I was happy with the completion. I mean it is 75 freakin’ miles. Then, it was close 100 degrees and in the pitch black of night. I always say this, but I never dreamt of doing these types of rides. I go where the horse and trail take me. This Ghost story took me on a 2nd day of a 50-mile ride where I was bound and determined to get 1st place.

Ghost was on his “A” game. 48 hours prior in the 75, he did it, but his determination wasn’t the typical, “I’m hunting down that horse and eating him.” like it usually is...

Read more here:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/heather-wilkerson/ghost-stories-on-the-plantation/10158134953079961/

Filipe Masetti Leite completes his eight-year journey across the Americas

GlobalNews.ca - Watch the interview

July 3 2020

Leslie Horton spoke with Brazilian-born cowboy Filipe Masetti Leite as he rode into Calgary on Friday, competing an eight-year journey across the Americas on horseback.

Watch:
https://globalnews.ca/video/7135176/filipe-masetti-leite-completes-his-eight-year-journey-across-the-americas/?utm_medium=40digest.7days3.20200704.home&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

20 Mule Team 100, 2020 ride story - Nick Warhol

February 25 2020

Oh, the highs and lows of this sport.

Endurance riding is like no other activity I have ever known, and I have tried a lot of them. It’s something you can do that does something for your soul. It gets inside you and just takes you over. It’s like a drug- once you get to that point you just can’t get enough. When it is good, it is really good, and when it goes south, well, it hurts. I guess that’s why there is such a price to pay mentally when you get pulled sometimes.
Yes, Sorsha and I got pulled for lameness in the 100 at mile 80. Actually I stopped at 80 because I knew she was off, but I’ll get to that.

Why is it so different from breaking down on a motorcycle in a race, or falling on skis, or getting blisters in a marathon, or losing your golf ball? There are lots of ways to not finish your sport or activity, but none like this. It’s because horses are amazing. All horses. But what our endurance horses do for us is indescribable. Especially when you reach that point when it is all working with your equine partner. There is nothing that highlights this relationship more than long distance riding.

I rode Donnie for 14 years in endurance, we got 6500 miles, fifteen 100 completions, 4 for 5 at tevis, the Pardners award, etc, etc. Over all that time we became one being, and that is the best feeling there is. When you get to the point when you just go ride, and not think about anything by the enjoyment of the ride, you are there. That partnership you have with your horse is what it is all about, and there is nothing like endurance to help you achieve it. It is perfection, but it can be hard to achieve.


I had to start over with Sorsha, as we all do with our new horses. It can be a trying experience when you are used to your own Donnie. Especially on such a powerful, capable, and potent horse. Did I mention powerful? When I got her, she was green broke, untrained, and no one had really ridden her with any regularity. She was a handful- she was hot, spooked a lot, she was very nervous and scared to be out on the trail. Did I mention powerful? I was actually a little afraid of her in the beginning. She spooked me off a few times; especially the two really big ones that hurt. Her first few endurance rides were, well, exciting at best. And not relaxing. What does endurance do to horses? It makes them stronger, and stronger, and stronger. Sounds like a recipe for disaster sometimes. But I KNEW, deep down inside, that this horse had potential. The way she goes up hills, her wonderful mind, her extremely forward motivation, and the fact that she never did anything stupid. No bucking, ever. No rearing, no panic or big anxiety attacks. She stands still while tacking up, she trailers perfectly, she eats, drinks, pees, and poops. She does not kick, and she behaves like a gelding. My trainer, Bo, said I was really going to like this horse. She said she has a wonderful mind, and wants so badly to please you. She told me when I connect with her it will be good.

I did connect with her, and it took a friend’s advice to get it to happen. I was riding with my riding buddy Ines Hofmann Kanna at the Cache Creek ride two years ago when I told her how I had to ride Sorsha so differently than Donnie. I was riding defensively to keep from getting spooked off, meaning I was always expecting to come off the horse. I would look for things for Sorsha to spook at and prepare myself. Ines told me “No, dummy, don’t ride the horse like she is going to spook, ride her like she won’t.” That was it. Simple, direct, and it sounded really stupid to me at the time. My first reaction to that was something like: “Okay, YOU ride this horse and see if you stay on!” But I began to think about it, and realized that I was riding her completely differently that I ride Donnie. I tried to make myself relax on her back. Ever try to force yourself to not be scared? Try it sometime! But I realized that the dirt bike was the same as Donnie. I’m going 70 MPH over the desert, but I’m totally and completely relaxed. You don’t think, you ride, and love it. Your body does the riding, and your mind does the enjoying. That’s it, that’s the secret! That’s the same as riding Donnie. Dirt bikes and horses are so similar. I put my mind to it and started relaxing and pretending I was on Donnie. I would also sing- that’s an old habit I picked up while racing the bikes. It always helped me relax then. I forced myself to relax. It’s not easy.
It worked. Sorsha changed. It was actually very quick- over the course of 6 to 8 months she became a different horse. She stopped doing big spooks, she preferred to be in front, and she gained so much confidence. Riding alone was still an issue, but I worked on that, too. The first time I tried to ride alone in a ride it lasted 5 minutes. We VERY QUICKLY caught the next horse and I planted her there for the next 48 miles. On her first few endurance rides I had to lead her on the ground for the first half mile or more before mounting. Now I get on at the truck and walk out. Yes, It took me three years to get to this point, but I stuck it out, and I have arrived. (Wait a tick- it took me three years to connect with Donnie!) The 20 mule team ride was a breakthrough in many ways, but none more than with my relationship with Sorsha.

I came down five days before the ride to help Brian with the ride and mark the trail. The week went very smoothly with no issues at all- the weather was perfect. I did about 200 miles on the bike, and we had the ride ready to go by Thursday night. That was a first! We are getting good at this; Brian and I make a good team. The only hitch was we later found out that there were two dirt bike events on our same weekend- one on friday, and one again on sunday. Come on, BLM. You need to do better than that. All three events use ribbons and signs to mark their trails. Of course Sunday’s race used pink ribbon. I had some good conversations with the trail guys out there, since there were three teams doing the same thing; all were very confused due to the lack of communication from the BLM. We got it all worked out in great fashion between the three groups so as not to interfere with each other, or at least as little as possible.


I had some excitement with Sorsha on Friday about noon when I tried to leave Gretchen’s house where she had been living all week, next to Gretchen’s horses. I experienced her first ever separation anxiety when I led her out- she was very stupid for a few minutes. It really surprised me (and Lisa Schneider and riders who had to stop and watch!) After a few minutes she got it together and I hopped on and rode her around and back to camp. All was well again. The weather report said light rain in the morning, but gone by 11am. It would be cool as well.
The ride started at 6am Saturday morning with no real rain- sort of a heavy mist. I walked out with Team Sousa- Joyce, Jennifer, and Alex. All were on newish horses. All went fine except for some excitement when a rider was off in the desert fighting a bucking and crazy horse. I picked up two of my team mates a bit later, Lucy Chaplin Trumbull, or affectionately known as Lucy Turnbuckle Chipotle. They had added me to their team, and had named the team “Three roses and a thorn.” I’ll let you decide who got to be the thorn! We rode together through town and out past the college, while I was holding Sorsha back. We got to the start of the climb and Lucy said “See ya!” Okay, here we go. I have not ridden Sorsha alone like this in a ride yet, especially so early on. She headed out up the climb all alone, but we passed several horses as we went. She did not care- she wasn’t chasing them, just going her splendid working pace, which is faster than Donnie. Oh, and she does not know hills exist. She just treats them like flat ground. It’s incredible. We rode alone, just cruising along at a really good pace, all the way to the first check at 15 miles. No spooks, no fuss, no issues, just superb forward. That 15 miles was wort the price of admission. It really was a breakthrough for us. (but the best is yet to come!) I caught Lisa, passed her up, said bye, and we were gone. She later said it looked like we were having fun. That’s an understatement! We blew through the first check and hooked up with Dean Moon and his friend Leahe Webb Daby on their Rocky Mountain horses. They were riding the 65 mile ride on the same trail, start time, and vet holds as us on the 100. The three of us rode at a great pace up into the wilderness and down into the second vet check on Garlock road at mile 33. We were just three mares bopping along through incredible terrain, all having fun through the toughest section of the ride. I left the vet check a couple of minutes before them and hooked up with two more good friends- Jill Kilty Newburn and Lori Olsen, fellow Quicksilver club members on the 65 as well. Lori was on Fargo- Sorsha’s boy friend! We flew along the flats at a pretty fast pace, gobbling up the 5 miles of flat land. We turned up into rattlesnake canyon and began the 3.3 mile trot/walk to the summit. It turns out there were a couple sightings of the infamous Mojave Green Rattlesnake this year. I don’t like those guys, since one attacked and bit the front tire of my bike once, but that’s another story.

We were joined at the summit by Leahe and Dean, but we lost Jill as we started down the long hill to the valley. Her horse had a re-occurrence of a hind end issue, so she hopped off and started the long walk out and pulled. Lori and I continued on, leap frogging with the two rocky mountain mares as we went. As we neared the trestle the weather started getting ugly. Uh oh. I left my water proof jacket at the vet check since it was supposed to be clear all afternoon. That was not the case. We got rain, a little hail, and very cold air during the three miles to vet 3. Then we had to stand around. I was cold, wet, and could have been in trouble had it not been for Jill’s husband, Michael, who was crewing for her and Lori. I asked him if he had a jacket I could borrow, and he empties his pockets and takes the $300 Mountain Hardware mountaineering jacket off his back and hands it to me. Wow! I owe you a beer, Michael. I was too cold, but he saved me. The stupid thing is I know better. Dumb decision at lunch to leave my Arcteryx waterproof jacket.


Lori and I scooted out and rode nice and briskly the ten miles back to camp. We were both sent off into the desert (horse’s choice!) when the camera crew for the study opened an umbrella next to the trail. That was not good, but they were very apologetic. With about 3 to go she noticed Fargo looking off in the back end going downhill, but he was better once on the flat. But with only a mile and a half to go on the flat, he was lame. She started walking and was pulled at the finish at 65 miles. The tough part was that had she finished, she would have won the ride, since the first place horse on the 65 was pulled at the finish as well, and she was second in. Darn, disappointing.


I trotted into camp at 65 miles for my 4th vet check which went well. (pulse 40) I was quite shocked at the time- it was 4:35 and still daylight. My jaw dropped when I left at 5:35 and Mary told me I was the 5th horse on the 100 to leave. Wow. I turned on my new custom made blue LED lights (which worked perfectly by the way. They could not have been any better) and set out on the last 35 mile loop all alone. Not a horse anywhere, and none behind me for quite a while. This is where I see what the brown horse is made of. Boy, I could not be more impressed. She was incredible by herself- just as forward as during the day, same go go attitude, no spooks, just a real pleasure. We trotted briskly up the 4 miles and turned right on boundary road as it got dark. She was moving along and would have been happy to canter had I asked her to. I started singing because it’s what I do when riding at night and am happy. (And alone, so no one can hear me!) We motored along, and I did not care about the stupid light rain that would not quit since I had the proper attire on now. It was going so well I could not believe it, and I was just so happy. We stopped at the second trough on boundary road for a drink, and took off again at a trot. What a glorious feeling. I started singing an Eagles song, but a minute later I heard it- her foot falls sounded wrong. Oh no. I hopped off, turned on my headlight and watched her trot- she was lame.


There is no describing how that felt, so I won’t try. I started leading her down the trail on foot towards the south highway crossing at 80 miles. It took me about 80 minutes to walk it which is about 4 miles. I walked in and glumly asked the radio guys to get me a trailer. Diane Stevens was there, crewing for John who was the next rider behind me, back there somewhere. She was so great- she got a blanket for my horse, she gave me a Pepsi and probably would have washed my truck had I asked her to. Thanks Diane! John had a great ride, and typical. Ups, downs, he thought that he was going to have to pull, nope, continue, ride well, and he ended up second. Well done John! The trailer came in about 20 minutes and off I went to the finish where I trotted her for the vets. Pulse 40/40, but grade three lame on right front. The sad part is had I been able to continue I probably would have ended up in second due to my wonderful all alone pace, and the pulls that happened at the last vet and the finish. Oh well, I don’t care.

I had the best ride so far on Sorsha I have ever had and she proved to me that she is not only an endurance horse, she’s a really good one. I have never ridden her alone, and boy, she was an 11 on a 10 scale. But reality time- she was pulled for the same thing in her last 2 rides after about 75 miles. Lame on right front, she’s sound the next day. I talked to vets Michelle, mike, and mike at the ride, and my vet. I’m not sure yet what my plan is, but as Michelle told me, this is a special horse and they don’t come along like this one very often. She’s just 9, so I will do what it takes to get her back. I just hope it’s not a long term layoff, but I’m prepared to do that if required. I want her back healthy, because she’s just plain fun to ride in endurance rides, and that’s what it’s all about. And hopefully my team name can be a little better next year!

Nick Warhol

West Region

Tonto Twist 50 2020 - Ashley Wingert

GoPony.me - Full Story

January 28, 2020 / Ashley Wingert

Sometimes, I think my (endurance) life plays out as one continuous episode of “man plans, God laughs.” I mean, I know I’m not unique in that regard — spend any time talking to any endurance rider behind the scenes, and the actual reality of what is going on often times only bears marginal resemblance to the social media reality that is presented to the public at large. (I get it, I do the same thing…my social media posts try to be positive and low-drama, with a healthy dose of “don’t make my problems and dirty laundry other people’s problem.”) But endurance is definitely a sport filled with mountain highs and valley lows (and I’m not just talking about the trails), and it takes a certain level of mental fortitude and tenacity to not just finish rides, but to stick with the sport through the ups and downs, and the inevitable disappointments as well as the successes.

That was a bit of foreshadowing that Tonto Twist, and subsequently, Project Ridgecrest, did not exactly go according to plan when Atti and I finished all 50 miles at Tonto Twist…and then got pulled at the finish for lameness. Pulls are never fun, especially the finish line ones, and this one just really stings because I felt like I did everything so right. The whole ride, and the training and lead-up to it, was so well executed…hit all the checkboxes of strategic, targeted training and coaching, smooth planning and prep, nailed my ride-day pacing, electrolyting, and ride plan…and it still went sideways in the end. After a while, it’s hard to not feel a bit discouraged and disheartened.

So with all that as a preface…onward to the actual ride story. I absolutely adore the Tonto Twist ride, which is saying something since I am currently 0/2 in finishing it...

Read more here:
https://gopony.me/2020/01/28/ride-story-tonto-twist-50-2020/

Death Valley Encounter 2020 - Valerie Jaques

FurtherAdventuresTeam91 - Full Story

Monday, January 13, 2020

The weather the few days leading up to the Death Valley ride had me concerned about making it to the ride at all. On December 26th, even here in the mountains of San Diego County, we got fully 4 inches of snow. Our local freeway was briefly closed. I knew by the time we needed to leave on the 27th the roads would be in good shape, but I had a much closer challenge: getting the trailer out of the driveway. I have to keep it parked by the barn in order to keep it plugged in while not in use. Getting it out involves backing it down the driveway. The driveway is steep enough if it's iced over the trailer will drag the truck helplessly down the hill. Ask me how I know this. So we had to wait for the sun to do its job and defrost the driveway before I could get the thing out.

We did finally hit the road about 10am, which all things considered isn't bad. It's only about 270 miles to ridecamp. It's really rare for two days after Christmas to have particularly bad traffic. I usually make the drive in 5 hours or less.

Not this time.

Of course with all that weather and snow, people were out in force. We hit a lot of backups. It wasn't until we got past the Kramer Junction we were able to reliably make time. There was even snow on the mountains between Red Mountain and Trona. We made it to camp about 5:30.

Due to all that weather, there were very few rigs in camp. Maybe a dozen. Probably less. Never have I seen ridecamp at DVE so empty.

Because there were so few riders, the decision had been made to vet everyone in at 6:00am on ride day. Seeing as there was perhaps a total of 15 riders all told, it was an easy enough thing to accomplish. Our ride started at 6:30am...

Read more here:
https://furtheradventuresteam91.blogspot.com/2020/01/death-valley-encounter-2020.html