Our Big South Fork

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

Just back from Big South Fork. I missed Friday but heard it was a hot
one.  Do't even know who won that one, but I'm pretty sure they said Doug
Sandlin won BC on Omar's Apache.  

Karen Clark is the definition of a person who endures.  2 weeks ago she
drove by herself to the Pan Ams, with no crew lined up.  She finished
12th I think after missing the sabataged turn, then drove home by herself
the next night. Two weeks later she manages a 2 day ride, and runs the 30
mile Ride & Tie on Saturday! (Which she and Jerry Fruth won first place
in)  Makes me tired to even think about it.

Since Kaboot was due some vacation, and I figured everybody would be
using their spares on a 2 dayer, I had accepted Dave Bennett's offer to
sponsor my 11 year old daughter Josie who leases Dave's "formerly
retired" 19 year old Ben Amil.  When I saw how hot it was Friday I had a
feeling Dave wouldn't want to ride Saturday too (I sure wouldn't have)
and thought we might be looking for a sponsor when we got there.  

Nelia Rooter (sp?) stopped to talk and next thing we knew we'd made a
deal. We didn't want someone too fast, mostly since I don't think it's
fair to ask someone who might top 10 to risk being held back by a junior,
but didn't want someone too slow since I was afraid Josie would get too
sore on a slow ride.  

To make a long story short, Nelia's horse Thunder & Ben teamed up and
cooked along great all day.  Recoveries were good, even though they were
running top 5, so it seemed unnecessary to slow down.  They finished 5 &
6.  Roger Barrett won, Dawn Osborne was 2nd, Adele Dennard, and a
heavyweight named McCallie? were 3&4 I think, not sure which order.

  Josie couldn't believe she got to weigh in and stand for BC.  2 weeks
ago her friend Scott Solis who is about Josie's age won BC at GERA and
Josie was so proud of him.  She just couldn't believe a junior could do
that.

 At the BC judging it looked like a featherweight convention. Otis
Schmitt said he'd never judged so many "little people".  There were a
couple of heavyweights, but between Dawn Osborn (not an inch over 4'10)
Josie, Nelia, and tall but lean Adele Dennard Josie's weight wasn't that
low.  She was tickled to death to get the first junior award of a pillow
with an apliqued fleecy horse on it, then she was just hoping she
wouldn't be last in the BC judging.  Every time they announced another
name she'd look at her sister and they'd raise their eyebrows more. 
Finally, they called her name last and Ben, at age 19 and over 2000 miles
got his first BC. :-))  Thanks to a generous donation by Karen Clark's
parents the award was a beautiful WeatherBetta polar fleece cooler with
the BEST CONDITION BIG SOUTH FORK 2001 embroidered on the side.  

Josie's a sort of shy kid and may have looked pretty calm at the awards,
but I can tell you she was beside herself and slept under the blanket
with her head on that pillow.  I have no idea how many times she said, "I
can't believe we won".  I don't think it will ever leave her bedroom
again. 

Thanks to Karen Clark for a great ride.  I envy the rest of you who did
the trail.  This is the first year since they started that ride that I
didn't complete it. :-(  THANK YOU to Dave Bennett who has loaned Josie
the most wonderful junior horse I can imagine.

Angie
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