SUMMER BREEZE

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

O.K. just back from Summer Breeze. I'll have to apologize for getting the
whole debate on Health Certificates going.  I was just in my pre-ride
panic attack mode and vented.  We had to leave a little late and my vet
did both horses on one certificate for $15...and they actually CHECKED it
at the rides site. (yes, if I buy it I want you to check it!) Heck, he
even checked their markings to make sure it matched!  Nice guy and looked
like he might even know what he was looking for.  Heck, Kentucky is such
a great horsey state, I'll just learn to live with it to get to visit.  I
just love crossing the line up towards Lexington and hitting the
Cumberland Gap.  Pretty country.

The Daniel Boone Distance Riders are an amazing group putting on ride
after ride, running 2 events per weekend, combining ECTRA with it
sometimes and never appearing to want to kill each other or have a panic
attack.  Cannot say I was at my best.  The humidity was 80% in
Chattanooga when I left, predicted high of low 90's miserable to the most
Southern southerner.  Road construction everywhere and it took us forever
to get there.  I was really scared to ride in that weather.  I couldn't
tell if I was sick from dehydration or just extremely nervous about
attempting 50 miles in that weather.

First time I'd been at Rudy's Ranch where the National Championships will
be held.  I was thrilled to get some shade and park along a nice little
creek.  Nice big camp, an arena to vet in.  Easy to get to.  Cool...no I
take that back...HOT!!  Sweat when you walk out to feed at 4AM hot. 
Thick. Hazy, heat lightning on the horizon hot...and everybody seemed to
be taking it in stride but me. I whined...but between putting up hay in
it Thurs. and driving with the air turned off sitting in road
construction I think I'd already gotten myself a little heat stressed.

The trails in this area are well developed, lots like Big South Fork. The
trails have names and markers. Looks like horses are a high priority. 
They'd described them as rocky and recommended pads.  All I can tell you
is that if we go in Oct. to the Championships I don't think I'll pad. I
didn't think it was bad really. There were tripping rocks, but they
seemed to have mostly small gravel where they had it, nice and cushy and
the footing was good except for some mud.  There's LOTS of up and down
and I'm glad I don't plan to do 100 there.  It's not a fast trail.  They
did keep us in their pretty streams a lot and that was a life saver.

There were lots of pulls as could be expected.  Lots of shoes lost on the
trail.  Thank goodness Tom Keith brought his farrier tools and was nice
enough to stand out in the sun fixing us up.  I was very relieved to see
he knew what he was doing. :-)  Worst thing of the day, we were going
down the trail and came up on a creek with a pool of blood in it. Big
rocks in the stream had blood on them and a nice pair of leather riding
gloves was laying on the bank.  We went a little farther and came up on
Val Kanavey with her Pan Am horse, Chance.  He had cut an artery on a
rock while walking.  Freak accident.  It was pretty scary. I didn't see
anything but the bandage they had on it, but it was soaking up fast.  It
was a 23 mile loop and she was 6.5 long miles from the vet check.  I felt
bad I didn't have anything to offer.  I can tell you I WILL start
carrying vet wrap!  Trish Harrop DVM had just ridden up and she stopped
to help so we went on.  From what I heard, a 30 miler came along who was
a local and knew a shortcut out to the road so that was wonderful.  They
got him to a clinic and he'll be OK. >whew<  Worst part about riding with
my daughter is I picture something like that happening to *her* in a
remote place.

I missed the ride meeting and don't know who won.  All I can say is that
it was a major accomplishment just to complete.  We had our share of bad
luck with lost shoes and were very happy to finish with 40 minutes left.
>double whew<  The final straw was when 1/4 mile out, with the finish
line in sight, Kaboot's easyboot which was too large turned and the cleat
sliced his coronary causing a wicked looking bleeding cut. That's when I
just wanted to look up and say, "Somebody please just shoot me!"  But,
when he trotted out sound and he got his completion it was all worth it. 
I'm really proud of Josie for sticking it out for 11 1/2 hours in that
heat too.  

It would be hard to decide who to give a hard luck award to but I REALLY
felt sorry for little Samantha Thompson and Scott Solis.  They rode for
13 hours and came in over time.  How awful for a couple of 12 year olds! 
But, they're real endurance riders. Last night they sat around a lantern
outside our trailer and laughed their heads off till we dragged them to
bed at 12:30.  

Big Thank You to all the Daniel Boone Distance Riders.  Good job. I think
the Championship is in good hands.

Angie (loving my AC, eating ice cream and pitying the people doing day
2!)
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