From: Beth Gunn
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 8:56 AM
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Norco injury
Thanks Julie for clearing info up. Maybe newbie riders should hang with an equine vet for some calls. I have learned tons! by doing this......................Beth Gunn
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is so true, especially with the young junior riders who are so impressionable. And quick learners. Last week my kid's horse came up lame very early in the ride, so she had all day, with nothing to do. Entirely on her own, with no prodding from me, she ends up helping Otis, vet extraordinaire, at the Vet Check areas. She spent the entire afternoon there and, when Otis wasn't busy, she went and helped Nancy Gooch, time keeper exceptional (as if Nancy needs help).
I was walking both our horses, Rebel and Moonlight Princess, near the vet area and yelled out at Jennifer to come help me. Princess was doing circles around Rebel and was tying me up with her lead rope. Nancy yells back to me, "She's busy Howard, go find someone else." Well, even I am smart enough to know never talk back to Nancy. And I didn't. And Jen just looked up at me and smiled, with a clipboard full of papers in her hand; she didn't say a word.
The funny thing is Jennifer knew who won BC, way before the awards ceremony. She did the paperwork. It was hysterical when some of the riders who top tenned in the 50 mile and just happened to be parked nearby found out Jen knew this information. So much power in such a little body (she still weighs in around 80 lbs).
And it turned out that the BC in the 25 (yea, I know, doesn't count) was a junior, a boy Jennifer's age. Now, I'm not saying Jen rigged it or anything, but I have never ever ever seen a very lightweight junior win BC before. I did not think it was possible, since it's usually the larger riders who get this award.
So, between the vets, Nancy, and the female endurance riders, Jen is constantly telling me what I'm doing wrong. My word is no longer final. Seems I don't electrolyte early enough before the ride (vet info), I wait too long to vet in after my arrival after completing a loop (Nancy), and none of my tack matches (female endurance riders). Even my sponge isn't worthy. I tried to make the argument that none of our horses really seem to care whether or not the tack matches, but this was a mute point. My world of endurance has now been taken over by my 12 year old daughter. And a lot of it is because of that one full day of her volunteering and running around all over the place, helping out as a volunteer. And, yes, I'm quite proud.
cya,
Howard