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[RC] HOG WILD I & II - A newbie's first multi-day! - FASTGraphic

One hundred miles in one weekend.  Okay, not quite the same ring as 100 miles 
in 1 day, but we've all gotta start somewhere!  What an amazing experience.  
What an incredible ride.  Tammy Robinson and the gang at Trail-Rite know how 
to do it.....well.....RITE!  The trails were impeccably marked - even the one 
or two riders who got lost admitted as much!  There was a good reason to get 
lost, however, because the trails were BEAUTIFUL this year with hock-high 
mustard-weed fields and California poppies everywhere.  It would have been so 
easy to be taking in all the scenery and miss the plethora of ribbons!  The 
footing was incredible.  The skies were a crystal blue.  The volunteers were 
plentiful and knowledgeable and helpful.  The food was delicious.  And the 
trails?  Outstanding!  There were single track winding paths on ridges with 
views of five mountain ranges, wide well-groomed dirt roads, long, twisting, 
sandy washes, and a final loop that took us through a semi-residential area 
where "movie folks" keep  monkeys, orangutans, emus, llamas, and a huge 
one-hump camel!  This ride has everything.  You want a hilly challenge?  The 
first loop'll do ya.  You wanna race on a well groomed flat?  There's plenty 
of that too.  You want the adrenaline rush of picking your way carefully 
along narrow ridgecrests where you'll put all of your training to the test 
and trust your mount's ability to place its feet where you want 'em?  Oh, 
boy.  Hog Wild's got it!  :o)  I've obviously never ridden the Tevis - but I 
overheard several who've done so referring to this ride as a mini version of 
that classic challenge.  I cannot recommend it enough.  It's the only ride I 
have repeated (last year and this) and I will do it again and again - as long 
as Tammy and her family are insane enough to keep putting it on.  How 'bout a 
three-day next year, Tammy?  I'll help you blaze more trail!
    If anyone is wondering how Solitaire and I did, here ya go........
    We completed the first day middle-of-the-pack and healthy - which is 
exactly what I was hoping to do.  At the final check, Solitaire had almost 
straight A's - her only B was (if I remember correctly) for impulsion.  She 
was tired, but very fit.  :o)  I decided not to push her and opted not ride 
her the second day.  Then Tammy offered me a wonderful opportunity - I could 
ride drag with her the second day on one of her incredible horses, TR Pistol 
Pete.  (Yikes!  I was going to ride a damned Ah-rab!  LOL)  I immediately 
took her up on it, especially since she would be riding her mare, Kate, and a 
completion would give this incredible horse 4,000 career miles!  And this 
after taking time off to give Trail-Rite Ranch the miracle of healthy, 
stunningly beautiful TWIN foals last year!!!!  Well, I pulled my tired 
newbie-butt up onto Pete the second day and rode off with Tammy for a 
milestone - my first multi-day.  I completed (it'd be hard not to on this 
Trail-Rite trained horse - Pete is truly a "Pistol") and earned my 250 mile 
badge.  But that paled in comparison to Tammy and TR Katie Bar the Door.  I 
rode over the finish line with them and watched Tammy on the verge of tears 
as she rubbed Katie's neck.  4,000 miles.  Wow.
    It was a weekend to remember.  This is an incredible sport full of 
incredible people and even more incredible and outstanding horses.  My butt 
might be a little sore today but, with the high I'm on, I haven't noticed 
yet.  :o)  Thanks, Tammy and everyone at Trail-Rite.  And a BIG thank you to 
Ginger who volunteered and sat as the in and out timer in base camp for a 
total of over 20 hours while I was out having all the fun.  
  Well, I'm gonna try to go to sleep now, but it may be hard.  My mind is 
still "drinkin' the wind."  :o)
Scott

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