Re: RC: Louise Riedel

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/28/00 8:02:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time, CatThom2@aol.com 
writes:

<< There was one piece of info that I think must be a misprint.  It 
 says that in 1977 Louise & her horse Caprison held the record for the 
fastest 
 50-mile race in 2 hours and 29 minutes!!!!  Is this true?????? >>

There ARE a few documented 50's at this sort of speed--but conditions have to 
be absolutely ideal.  Also, a few minutes were shaved off of times back in 
that era because we had not yet adopted the gate-into-hold concept--so times 
stopped immediately when you got to vet checks.  Even if you have a 
super-recovering horse, by the time you cross the line and get to a PR crew, 
it is usually at least a few minutes.  Given three vet checks on the average 
50, you would have to add 10 or more minutes to that time to make it 
comparable to contemporary times--usually more, because we had the entire 
hold time to meet criteria in those days, so we made no effort to slow down 
and be "down" when we came to checks.  I have seen Darla Westlake and RT 
Muffin turn in a similar time, and my own personal best in that era was a 
3:06 50 (only good for a second place...)  Yep, it is really cruising, but it 
CAN be done given ideal weather, footing, etc.

Heidi