20MT (long)

["Becky Hackworth" <bechack@sierratel.com>]

Well, this has been an eventful weekend.  We got to Ridgecrest in great time, no problems, beautiful weather, horses looking great.  Colleen was riding new horse in the LD with Donna W.  Donna loves my kids and I knew she would take care of Colleen and her horse.  They did in fact do very well....Colleen's horse was way too hairy for a 70 degree ride!  sweat and panted, but pulsed down and they took it real easy.  Has a go all day easy trot.  They both learned a lot about each other.  Their next ride will be one day at Chayma (sp?) 

 

Blaze and I ....well, rider error.  We ended up pulling at 35 miles.  Slightly off right front.  I really thought it might be the Lt hind because I forgot his ankle boots and he did whack himself pretty good.  Then I remembered about his bad case of thrush right after Fire Mt.  Lame at the walk kind in that right front.  So I guess it wasn't really all the way healed.  But otherwise he did well metabolically, there is no tendon or ligament damage so life is just fine and there will be other rides....

 

Heather and Marc!   What a team.....Lee was not able to make the ride to sponsor Heather in the 100.  We asked and found good friend Nick Warhol to sponsor her once again.  Nick was riding one of Jackie's Mares in the FEI portion of the 100.  He wanted to finish around 1 am and take it really easy.  Well, that worked in with our plans too, so it was a deal....

 

Since I finished early, I helped Miranda crew for Nick and Heather while she helped about 15 other riders.....She and Alena Vale worked as a team and were awesome! 

 

Heather and Nick got in to Base Camp (65 mile point) with the horses looking great.  Heather didn't look so good.  After some Motrin and chocolate and caffeine (her favorite is frappachinos) she was fine and giggling as usual.  They left for loop two at 5:45.  They were amazed to learn as they were leaving that they were in 11 and 12th place!  

 

I met them at the road crossing 15 miles later and FORCED Heather to put on a wind breaker.  She had left camp in just a long sleeved t-shirt saying she was hot.  Nick was glad we made her put it on, he was getting a little concerned about her.  Silly teenagers! 

They caught up with the # 9 horse there.  The horse looked great, but the rider was beginning to fade.  They all left the water stop together. 

 

Back to basecamp to check on things and pack stuff and people for Vet check 5!  Got there less than 30 minutes before Nick and Heather.  Both horses looked great.  Lots of energy for it being 92 mile point.  Riders still looking good too!  Becky Hart had just pulled in front of them.   Sure sorry to see it.  I am not sure of the reason, but there sure were enough rocks to be the culprit. 

 

Nick and horse vet through fine.  Heather and Marc vet through fine.  Both Horses perky with ears up but REALLY HUNGRY  and eating anything not blowing away!  So off they went,  the last 8 miles to camp and the finish.  Drove back to meet them.  Now they are in 8th and 9th place!  Great.  Plan is just to get in, pulse down and vet clean....One more vet check....one more vet check.....our mantra......

 

After dropping Colleen and I off, Miranda and Alena were off to the vet check again, because there riders were not through yet.  Colleen and I gathered up a couple of blankets and walked the mile or so out to the finish line.  It sure seems closer on a horse than on foot!  That sand was deep and treacherous on foot!  Not too long....heard clip-clop and voices.....turns out to be Trilby and another rider finishing the 65....Ok....well that is all of the 65's at least.  Heather and Nick should be next.   We were not disappointed!  They were next just a few minutes later.   We walked and talked back to camp with them...Nick had some very kind words about riding with Heather that only a Mother could love....What a sweet guy.....one more vet check....and no small feat since there were so many pulls at the finish this day....Well, they both trotted off sound, pulsing in without any problems.....NOW it is time for hugs all around!  And thank-you's...and see you in the morning....We were in bed by Midnight.!  All happy. 

 

BC the next morning....went to the nice lady (can't remember her name right now) that won overall BC at DVE.  Deserved it...horse looked great.....

 

After getting all packed up and ate breakfast at the Denny's in town....got on the road....this is actually where the saga begins.  

 

There is a hill out of Ridgecrest to Hwy 14.  There was also a mighty strong headwind.  Had some difficulty maintaining 55.  Should have figured something was wrong right then....but No!  On we go......speed kept getting more and more sluggish on down 14 towards Tehachapi and the 58 hwy.  Not too long after getting on the 58, I couldn't get much more than 45mph....then 40.....then 30.  I have been running in the emergency lane for a while with flashers on.... it starts to rain....what else!   

 

Then I remember that Jeff and Cherrie Brisco live in Tehachapi.....and call them on the cell.....I make it to just past an on ramp (where he can turn around and come back to where we are ) and was parked.....Horses sure didn't like all of the big rigs rushing past...but they were great.  Well, Jeff and Cherrie find us....we get the truck and trailer unhooked and their truck hooked up to our trailer and they took the horses to their house and stopped to tell Miranda where we were and to come back for us.  Thank goodness we had taken 2 trucks.   Got to the Brisco's place to find the horses fat dumb and happy out in a pasture munching grass, have already rolled and feeling good....Trailer is unhooked and just waiting for a running truck!   Call towtruck.....call insurance...call hubby to say we won't be home at 4 as planned....call Katee Owens....So to make this short ( ok...way too late for that )  Sue and Mike Benson come and rescue me and trailer and horses....by moving up a trip to Central California by a week....take us all home with their truck..This was after the Duck and family stopped in Tehachapi for dinner, so we all had dinner together at a great little Mexican restaurant and ended up back at Jeff and Cherrie's...What a great community of people these endurance folks are....could not have gotten home without ALL of them......

 

So this is to thank everyone that helped the Hackworth's have such a great weekend....

 

THANK YOU! ! ! ! !

 

 

Becky and the gang.