Longstreet's Charge Ride Story

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

Don't know whether to call this a Longstreet's Charge Ride story or
manager, truck driving story.  I'm "co-manager" of Longstreet's Charge,
which means Joe Harris does 99% of the managing work all year leading up
to the ride, but on ride day we split it sort of 50-50.

Our ride date has sort of floated around as we desperately searched for
something that "fit" after years of having late Oct. rides here.  The WMA
officials slowly shoved us into a slot giving us the choice to have the
ride in dates between about May 15 and August 15.  There's a Competitive
Trail ride around May 15, so we get what's left.  What that means is HOT,
HUMID, DRY weather.  

The word is out that this is a pretty tough course.  I've had at least
two riders who've done the Old Dominion 50 say ours is at least as tough.
 Lots of rocks, mountain, rocks, humidity, but TONS or gorgeous
rainforest type wood trails and spectacular views.  Our good qualities
are that the club also makes it a fun event...marks the trail well, and
has good awards and good vets, but I felt the date really killed us.  We
ended up with about 59 entries, compared to around 100 at our last fall
ride.  Ride managers know there's a "break even" number of entries and
practically everything above that number is profit.  For our ride I think
that number is about 67.  Even though about 10 people from our club do
practically all the trail maintenance for this entire facility (about 60
miles of it), which includes clearing hundreds of stormed damaged trees
that block trails, painting markers on trails, building water bars, etc.
etc. for trails that are used by bicyclists, hikers and hunters, they
wouldn't give us *any* leeway on the date.

Started feeling jinxed about Wed.  First, we lost Russel's horse. (which
was tied with a halter at the time by the way).  Next, the National Guard
who had commited to haul a 400 gallon tank of water to our away vet check
called to cancel.  Next the farrier canceled (as you recall, this is a
ROCKY ride) We called every person we knew who even knew how to nail one
on and no luck.  Called to check on the porto-lets and the company had
been sold.  They'd never heard of us.  Found the new owners, but they'd
only bring them to the valley, refused to haul up the mountain to the vet
check.  Then, on the Friday before the ride we get into our horse camp
and hear LOUD noises of logging right on the hill behind camp!  I'm
talking about chainsaws and splitting trees falling far to the
ground..."CRACKLE...CRACKLE....CRASH".  They'd begun logging on the dirt
road that was part of our trail THIS week! Nobody could go for a training
ride until after their quitting time. :-(  What next??? Oh yeah, somebody
put out a very friendly pot bellied pig who loved horses up on top of the
mountain at the vet check.  He would run squeeling up and get all under
the horse, but you couldn't catch him.  >sheesh!<

A great bunch of riders showed up.  Nice thing about tough rides, only
the really good ones show up.  Made me feel better about possible
problems just seeing who had had there.  Bekki Crippen (my mentally
handicapped friend) was there to ride Buddy Bullseye.  As usual I was
very nervous about markings, and Buddy's ability to get through the ride.
 He looked heavier than usual and I haven't been able to work with Bekki
since I started working full time.  Sort of crossed my fingers and
counted on Buddy's survival instincts.  Buddy is big, about a true 15.2
(what everyone calls 16 hands) sort of slightly drafty...like an English
hunter, pinto.  He's about 21 now but looks great.  Bekki is about 4'11",
sort of heavy, wears Coke bottle bottom glasses and tight stretchy
turquoise from head to toe.  She's pretty easy to describe to the
spotters in a crowd full of Arab riders.  Bekki saved her money and made
$100 payments to buy my old 1979 Silverado and this year her parents
would be crewing for her out of her *own* truck.  She felt terribly cool
about that.

It's a shame everyone who rides does't have to manage a ride now and
then, just to see how many decisions have to be made.  Joe was pretty
much running the show, but there was one thing I stepped in on.  I talked
to the vets about length of hold times and they said how about 30/30/30. 
I disagreed.  I wanted 30/60/30.  I knew that last week at Liberty the
main thing the heat affected was gut sounds, not hydration.  One vet had
told me that the horses had to pull the blood from their guts to the
surface to try to cool.  Since our vet check had lots of grass and huge
nice shade trees, I thought it would be best for them to have an hour to
get things going again.  I didn't agree that we needed to "beat the heat"
and get them out on the third loop before 11:00, because I'd ridden all
day Thurs. and it felt like it got as hot as it was going to get by 10
and didn't change much. Also, the 2nd loop was the killer and this would
come right after that loop.  I think this decision may have been an
important one considering some later trouble.

We started the riders at 6 AM when they almost couldn't even see the
markers.  One rider knew the trail, so we told them if in doubt, follow
her until full daylight.  Seemed to work fine.  Learned a new trick. 
Needed to cut a root on the trail, nobody had a saw.  Vets rigged us up
some OB wire with two little handles at the end.  It ripped right through
the root.  That might be handier to carry in a pack than a camp saw.

I had given myself only one assignment for ride day.  HAUL WATER.  The
only water hose was 6 miles down a steep gravel road with switchbacks and
enough dust to choke you.  Did lots of driving and everybody, including
riders, had loaned me every muck bucket and garbage can they owned. 
Rather than do like rides that have the luxury of huge tanks we staggered
the containers down the road that was out in the sun, putting them out
every 1/2 mile.  The riders were very appreciative.  I feel like I've
been putting up hay, except not as itchy.  

Came into the vet check and everybody was celebrating.  Roscoe Weeks had
showed up with the lost horse and he was really getting fussed over (the
horse...and Roscoe a little)  That is the most relieved look I've ever
seen on a horse's face.  Russel felt good enought that by the 2nd loop he
was out on the road with his water pump hooked up spraying riders as they
went by.

In the race, Susan Kasemayer and Coujur took an early lead, traveling
with Joe Schoech and Bogy (see what I mean about good people being here?)
 In the group behind them was Glenda Weeks, Suzanne Solis, Marie
Threadgill, and coming from behind was Lynn Carlson, the purple streak
that had blown by me at Million Pines.  Her horse LOVES heat.  The front
runners were setting a good pace for this course.  Had a couple of riders
come in with shoes pulled.  Somebody found nails, somebody else had a
hammer, I think everybody managed to get something back on.  One rider
had broken a stirrup in half right on the side.  It's a long way to camp
(15 miles 6 of those gravel) and we were all helping each other out and
making do.  Danny Herlong donated some "mule tape" a strapping material
that's used to pull conduit thru pipes or something like that and it was
great.  We really wrapped the stirrup from top to bottom, tied it off,
then wrapped the whole thing with duct tape and she was good to go.  We
also got creative trying to rebuild an ez boot with a broken strap, but
found out it was easier to dig up a shoe and nails.

Joe was missing his electrolytes when he got there, and really wanted to
stick with home mades.  Fortunately, I hadn't even finished cleaning out
my truck from last week's ride and had some.  They must do O.K. as you'll
see later. >g<

All the 25's came and went and no Bekki.  We waited, and waited.  FINALLY
after 15 miles and FIVE hours, Bekki and Buddy came plodding into camp. 
Buddy's done this to me enough that I pretty much knew what to expect. 
His pulse was 44 but you could hardly hear it for the gut sounds.  He'd
apparently grazed his way up the mountain clearing trees as he went. >g< 
Bekki was in full competition mode and hurried thru the vet check and to
her stuff which Buddy dutifully began to devour (even though the pig had
gotten there first).  We figured she was looking at a 10 1/2 hour 25
miler and being rational people thought she might want to pull. HA! 
Bekki looked at her parents with contempt and just grunted and kept
saddling when they suggested it.  She went out right at her out time,
*slowly* walking into the sunset.

At the 38 mile mark, we'd had really no major problems.  Danny Herlong
had entered his mule in it's first 50, stating, "He's no Candy Ass!" but
he'd started to tighten up a little so he pulled.  Of course after that
he was able to tell everyone he had a "Tight Ass", and since my husband
who is known for being slow had to haul him down, Danny had finally found
a way to get Bill to "haul ass".  I've never seen anybody get more
mileage out of anything than Danny's getting out of that word.  It's
tickling my kids to death that Mom says it's O.K. to say that word when
referring to a mule and no, it's not cursing.  So, EVERYBODY broke up
when my 10 year old daughter who would DIE if she ever said a bad word
yelled down the hill, "Danny, did you get your ass pulled?" >BG<

As we were standing around at this check, one horse who had already
passed the check acted like he wanted to roll on a sandy patch of ground,
he started walking in a circle, and the owner unhooked his lead.  As I
fussed at her not to let him escape like Z, he circled, and circled, and
then almost layed down, then just started walking aimlessly.  He just
walked, up and around the check, then back to that spot, then around,
then back cruising like a shark in the water, just walking and turning. 
VERY strange.  At first it was funny, then not so funny.  The vets were
sitting in the shade watching, and he just kept walking.  Finally, he
laid down to roll, but then just lay there still a second and the vet
said, "Let's get him up".  The horse looked good.  He'd had good scores
all except gut sounds.  He was running in the 2nd group of horses and was
accustomed to that pace.  They took him over and after a while ran a
stomach tube on him and LOTS of water came out.  He'd been drinking well,
but it wasn't going anywhere, the gut wasn't moving.  

By now the front runners were headed down the mountain and I needed to go
down. They've been logging on the "good" road off the mountain which is
the way we haul horses that pull out.  There was one section with a hill
that was all rutted out and riders had to unload the horses while a 4x4
got the trailer to the top, then re-load (just one more exciting
managerial thing to deal with).  Russel needed my 4x4 to get his horse
out, so I just grabbed somebody else's Ford to drive the rest of the day.
 They all looked the same under 6" of dust.  Remembered why my family
doesn't drive Fords.  Could barely reach the pedals.

At the finish line, Susan Kasemayer edged out Lynn Carlson of Fla. for
the win (two middle weights) and Joe Schoech was third. Other top 5's or
so were Nina Murphy and Glenda Weeks, (forgot the order) Adele Dennard
was up there somewhere, Kati Walker.... can't remember the rest.  Two big
black bay Bask horses in the heat, I remember that.

Can't remember the names on the 25.  Sorry.  Just worn out.

At the awards it was down to Susan Kasemayer and Joe Schoech for BC.... 
I recalled Susan laughing while passing me at Hahira once and happily
presented it to Joe. >eg<  Well....there's ya a heavyweight riding in a
HOT, humid, tough ride and using home made electrolytes again. >g<

The horse they were treating was brought down the mountain and put on
fluids.  He looked fine, except for the distracted look in his eye, but
no matter how much they put in, it just came back out the nose tube, not
going anywhere.  No gut sounds to speak of.  Finally, have no idea what
time, maybe 11:00 they loaded him up to go to UT.  Talked to her today
and she said they have *some* gut sounds and he drank a little water on
his own, but he's not out of the woods yet.  I've ridden with this horse
in competition, and she's done plenty of rides on him.  When you're
trying to put together the clues to see what you missed it's hard.  She
said she'd been double dosing him with electrolytes in camp, but not
giving them on the trail.  I'm getting more and more sold on giving them
on the hour.  He'd been drinking well as evidenced by the amount of water
in his stomach, but for some reason the gut shut down.He hadn't eaten
much, but never really does.  I think there's something to this idea that
the blood is out at the surface trying to cool itself.  I think the 1
hour hold was good.  I only know of one rider who was pushed for time
only because of the long hold, and she'd done a ton of walking because
she kept loosing shoes.  The others told me it had helped.

Bekki Crippen finished with a ride time of 8:38 for the 25.  Seems Buddy
was headed down the mountain when the front runners of the 50 came by and
he thought he was in for the win and picked it up.  Bekki thoroughly
enjoyed saying hello to everyone as they passed her.

At the ride meeting our ranger was there.  I told the riders that I know
there's a fine line between wanting to see what your horse can do, and
not wanting to hurt him, but that I didn't think this was a place where
we should have a summer ride and that if we couldn't get a better date we
should move to another site.  By the end of the conversation the ranger
was talking to Joe about March. :-)  

Finally, I enjoyed this ride. After the ride we had a great cookout with
all the club members bringing great home made deserts, dads of riders
grilling burgers and everybody just laughed and visited under the big
tent.  Would you believe that when we had the ride meeting EVERYONE was
there?????  I mean, EVERYBODY came up to accept their award, and swapped
stories.  Several people said "this is how it used to be".  I even
enjoyed the size of the ride.  59 was a nice number to deal with.  I'm
very tempted to check into making it a "no frills" kind of ride where we
won't go broke, and just put on a ride for the kind of people who like
this kind of competition.  I think that every person will wear that shirt
with pride, because they didn't just "gallop another 50 miles", they
endured.

Thanks to everyone who helped.

Angie McGhee


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