RC: Tevis

["Terry Boger" <tboger@piedmont.net>]

I am new to this list, but have read with interest the stories about
Denises' problems at Tevis.  Never have I met nicer and more caring people
than horsepeople nor people more interested in safety and the well being of
their horse's than endurance riders so I was very shocked to think that
TEVIS would not have some sort of plan in place to handle emergencies.  So I
took a little time to investigate their website at www.foothill.net/tevis/.
Under the event rules Section V. Medical and Other Risk Factors, Item 9, it
discusses the difficulty in gaining access to or locating injured
participants.  And states that "Ride Management is equipped with radio
communications, a rescue helicopter on standby, mounted search and rescue
personnel and other emergency services.  I wonder where they were when
Denise needed them.

On a happier note, if you should lose a horse, Biltmore is much better place
to do so.  A couple of years ago, my husband Bill and I competed in a little
25 mile ride at the Biltmore Estate where we decided to ride separately.
Purely from human error in my case, I managed to fall off and loose my horse
Java.  He headed straight up Ducker Mountain looking for his barn buddy
Mitchell.  I decided to try to find him on foot but to no avail, there were
so many tracks up there that I managed to loose his and realized that I
would never find him without help so I started walking back to ridecamp.
When I finally reached the main gravel road to the barn, I was met by a
gentleman in a car that told me that he had been told that if he met a rider
without a horse to let her know that her horse had been found and was safe!
It seems that Java wondered into someone's back yard who called Asheville
Fire and Rescue.  Asheville Fire and Rescue responed to the call, then
called the Biltmore Estate to report that a horse that apparently came off
the estate had been found and described him.  Since Java is very distintive
looking, a black appaloosa with a white blanket, he was immediately
recognized by the RM Jane who set off to retrieve him.  My husband was
notified as he came into the vet check that Java had been found but that I
was missing and he set off to find me.  By that time I was already at the
barn and Jane was riding Java safely back to ridecamp. In another 30 minutes
we were reunited!  We were lucky that Java and I were known by the ride
management but have heard similar stories of Biltmore's quick response when
the riders were unknown.