Liberty Run 100 Story

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

Just back from Liberty Run in Augusta GA.  What a weekend!

Went down hoping to do the 100, it was so incredibly hot it was just
miserable.  Driving in at 10 AM, I was testing by riding with my hand out
the window as we got up to speed on an entrance ramp.  It needed to be 25
mph before it quit feeling HOT, 40 felt better.  I figured that would be
a difficult speed for Kaboot to hold. :-(

I generally handle heat well.  Had no problem at Biltmore.  Felt nauseous
pretty early Saturday.  Everybody you met just looked at you and waited
for you to say, "hot enough for ya?"  But everybody looked scared and
undecided.  There were 17 signed up for the 100, and I'd planned on it
even though I preregistered for the 50 so that was 18 possibles.  As the
day went on it just got worse and worse.  At 11 PM it became BEARABLE if
you were laying outside on a cot in shorts.  By morning, only 12 had
decided to start the 100.  The vets were very worried, and it was obvious
they'd be conservative.

Among the entries in the 100 were Valarie Kanavey and Highwinds Jedi,
Rita Swift, and a STRONG sentimental favorite...Jock Johnston, son of
Lawton Johnston who had entered this ride, but died May 11.  Jock would
be riding Pow Wow, the mare that had accompanied Lawton in the funeral
procession.  When the riders lined up in the early morning darkness, and
Jock showed up wearing Lawton's famous construction type hard hat, you'd
have thought it was him.

As the day wore on, the numbers dropped.  Finally, with 20 miles to go,
there were only 5 horses left in the race.  Jock Johnston was in the
lead, with a horse 3 minutes behind.  They had to go round a 10 mile lake
loop twice, passing by camp, but with no required stop.  By now everyone
in camp was aware that Jock might win, and pulling for him.  When we saw
the glow sticks pass by at dusk, the 2nd place horse went by first and
there was a general sigh, but then the crew people came back from the
road and said, no, they were together, but Jock had stopped to give his
horse a drink and a bite and the other horse didn't stop.  We all sat
around for the next hour wondering what was going on out there.  One
thing that was happening was that Pow Wow stepped into a hole while
crossing a creek and fell to her knees.  It scraped her knee, but no
lameness >whew!<  

As a crowd waited out at the finish line, Danny Herlong had exited the
back entrance of camp to go pick up something, not sure what, but he
said, "I saw all those people down at the finish line and though, hmmm,
if I turn on this flashlight, they're going to think I'm a rider.  So,
being Danny, he turned on his flashlight, held it at about the height of
a rider, and trotted down to the finish line high kneed, making his
sandles slap the ground.  He actually managed to raise a cheer before
they saw it was him.  But figured out they'd been had when he yelled,
"Hooray, I'm the first person to win a 100 without a horse" >bg<

But, when the riders finally did come in, it was Jock who arrived first. 
There were lots of tears. Pat had worked herself to death crewing all
day, but swore she wasn't tired, she just wished Lawton could have seen
it.

I walked up to the vets and said, "Disqualify this horse and a bolt of
lightning will turn you into nothing but a smoking crater".  Well, that
made them argue about who had to vet her, but it wasn't a problem.  She
trotted out pretty as a picture, was already down and had a good CRI. :-D
 As I turned around the head vet said "Where IS Lawton?"  She hadn't even
heard he'd passed away, which is probably best.  That would have put
pressure on her during the day.  As it was, Pow Wow won BC too.  1st
place well ahead of the rest, carrying a heavyweight and looking good
pretty much sewed up a perfect weekend.

I'll write up my ride next, and I pulled a "Nina" and have the printout
of the results so I'll try to get them posted.  Just wanted to get this
out first.  It was a wonderful weekend.

Angie McGhee

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