Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

No one has posted the results from the last 2 SE rides.  I do not have the
full stats from either. 
But I will at least post about the rides as seen from my ride.

OCONEE LD 30 MUD RIDE FROM H....
Well since the OD was a nogo, I thought why not? So I unpack on Wed - load
up the horse stuff. Go for a quick check out ride on Thrus, and off we go
on Fri to Oconee Wildlife area in Oconee Ga.
Well it was sure lots of mud,  but I got there early enough to get parked
in the local lot vs the back 45 overflow lot 1 mile away.
Rain on Fri night. We vetted in just fine but Ottis - head vet - was
concerned since this was 2 rides back to back, and we ran at KHP. I let him
know this was a get around ride.
At the start - he was eating grass hanging with a few other horses, the
front group took off, he looked up , watched them run down the road and
then back to the great grass. 
I asked the other rider  Susan Reid, if we should get on trail. So we both
slow walked then trotted down the road. Since we were going quite slow - we
did not miss the left turn that so  many 50 milers ran by.
I know this was just  going to be  a trail ride today. He just ambled
along. We teamed up with another rider Jeni Rich, and we rode the ride
together. 
At the first water about 10 miles out, I decide he needed a rest - a major
cooling  off and eat some grass. He was inverted (resp) and way too hot.
Did I say it was hot HUMID and MUDDY?   WAY more mud then KHP.
So  a slow down was in order. After some walking in hand, a dose of lytes,
we rode off to VC 1.
All three pulsed down about the same time. We rode the last loop together,
had a great time.
It was a great ride just slow trot along, all 3 horses worked well
together.

We finished and pulsed down in about 8 min, finished in 21st out of 40
something with RT of 5:22. 
He did it right, took care of himself. I 'knew' that when we got there and
in the am when we saddled up - this was just a ride, he was so relaxed and
not hyped. 
The mud really worked on him.
I really enjoyed this laid-back ride with 2 very attractive young (married)
ladies. 
I have no recollection of who  placed where. I have to start writing thing
down.
It was a great well managed ride. Look forward to next year.


JDs CAROLINA MOONLIGHT 25 LD
This was Omni's first night ride. It was quite hot. We decided it best to
drive over on Fri. The drive was longer then expected- about 7.5 hours
counting 2 stops for fuel and one to unload and walk about for 30 minutes.

Camp was great - early arrivals got the horse camp in the woods. NO sun.
This ride was based at a great private camp on the edge of the Carolina
Sandhills Forest in Patrick SC.  
We took a number of walks finding grass and what ever. Sat I did the same,
just hand walked all over the place. I felt riding would be counter
productive, since I noted all the riders who went out on trail came back in
short order with dripping wet horses. The bugs on trail were massive during
the day. It was hot maybe 95? Humid on Fri and Sat until a cool front came
in-but it was still close. 
I felt just hand walking and some trots was all he needed. He did  great
eating and drinking  doing the EDPPM thing quite well. I planned on a
moderate pace.

Vet in with 2 vets, total riders about 60 - guess 38? on the LD and about
the same on the 50. It was  nice turnout for this first time ride  with a
moonlight venue.
JD was pleased there was  NOT a large entry of riders. Vet Ken M, advised
us to watch for over riding, even if it felt cool. Two VC in camp.   Fifty
milers had 3 VC  Loops were about 12m/13m, so it was a nice split.
Trails were all on sand-dirt roads, not much deep sand. It was great
footing and safe.

Fifty milers left at 7PM. LDs out at 7:30. I talked and warmed up with the
50 milers. I 'almost' changed my mind and left on the 50, but after
sticking to plans and thinking a 4 am finish was not too cool at this
point, I focused on the LD.
Based on the initial plan to just go around at a nice pace , I noted only a
few real hot shoe LD riders at the start line. Well I felt a start up front
would get me out and away from the pack and just keep a steady pace would
be a good plan.
Well Omni over rode that plan. He took off behind the leaders and thus we
made a modification of ride strategy.

Part of my reason for doing this ride was to condition in the sand. I live
in the mountains, not much flat sand trails here. So an LD sand ride will
make for great conditioning.
I have a long range plan for us this year. The AHA  (IAHA) National CTR NC
is in Nov at the FOF trails in Altoona Fla. Well, heck why not try it. He
is a SS and in CTR its any horses game. He may just win back some $$ and it
sure is not a race.

So we need conditioning in sand. He has  done a number of sand rides back
'before the fall ' in 01, and did quite well. A super top rider ( Steve
Rojeck) told us ECTRA CTR rides when doing the sand rides (ie NJ 3 Day 100)
- there are 2 ways to go though sand, when deep you walk or SLOW CANTER,
but never trot. Trot will wreck the legs.
We did just that at the previous sand rides and did Ok using that protocol.
So just do it again.

Loop one was out and back.  For the most part we  hard trotted and
cantered.  At the turn around there was water and hose. He drank well got
elyted and hosed off well. The return trip was a bit more of a battle to
keep him down in HR where I wanted. Loop time 1:10.  It was just getting
dark as we came into camp. Took 8 min to recover to 64. Vetted though with
A and guts B+- all normal and he ate well drank well. 
We did not ride with anyone too much, I was just reading him and the
trail/road. Keeping out of the sand and deciding when to canter and when to
trot. Speed runs are  quite  focused.

Out on loop 2 at 9:28 Dark. I had a red glow plug on the back of the saddle
and a yellow on on the front, not under him. Never need the flashlight. He
did great, just trotted along in the moon light for the first mile of hard
road shoulder, then off to the sand roads. We mixed the canter with a trot.
We had  a very warm pond about  halfway,  he drank some but I mostly just
sponged. We only walked at turns and where I could see trail issues.

We came up  on the finish without a warning, at a full tilt trot and
canter. Not good.
He was 95 when I got off and hot.
Took 15 minutes to drop to 60 for a finish at 11:03. He vetted through with
B guts and A metabolic but was A- for gait impulsion , CRI was 60 /66 - he
was tired. I knew it 

He got 7th. RT 3:33
I was surprised at the time, since I thought we were going much faster
then we did at KHP. Maybe the miles were long or short at one of the rides.

I rode most of the loop with a person I cannot remember (name) It was DARK.
And like I said when going fast - I dont talk much. I pay close attention
to my horse. Doing the HR at nigh was interesting - hit the light button
and get a number. I kept him under 160 and 'tried' to get him to stay about
140 most of the time. But when he is in race mode that is real tough.

I was not gong to stand for BC since the first two riders were both HW with
2nd place at 250. But I wanted that hour vet check to see if anything was
going wrong.
Back at the trailer he ate lightly drank some, but was stressed. Gave
elytes  and xxxx, put on ice boots and let him rest. He presented well for
BC but had lots of A- and tagged as tried. I asked the vet to look close in
case I may have missed something. Nope - he looked just fine but tired.

Back in the pen, he dosed off for 30 minutes, woke up and saw a mess of 50
milers going and started to run around and came over and stood by the gate,
ready to go. I took him for a few walks and grass finding sessions.
He was fine.
I think he was stressed from a  muscular perspective. Metabolics were
great. Legs looked great that night and in the am, no fill. Of course I
iced at night 2 times and in the am. I was amazed of the condition of the
legs. So my protocol for sand riding saved his legs but hit him physically.
He had bounced back and will be stronger.  .
Thus our LD night ride was a great training ride, to make him stronger for
the other sand rides he will do this year.

It was a real rush running in the moonlight.
JD put on a great ride. Only problem was some locals taking the glow plugs.
Some riders got lost but found the trails. A few were OT in the LD but all
the 50 milers that finished were on time.

The LD was won by Blake Cook on ??? somewhere around 3hr. Second- by a
minute  and BC was one of the NC MTN GANG. I never remember their name.
but they have GREAT horses.

The 50-  tied Adele Dennard on Calypso (sp?( BC) and  the younger NC GOB
MTN Gang, name? on  Cashe Rose,
This is some kick butt horse. These riders look or  act like they dont know
anything, but they have great horses, take care of  them and ride hard to
win - many times. 

The SE riders who did not come missed a great ride. Of course the small
field made for a less eventual ride. No horse treated, only lameness. I am
sure from  the sand. 


Now its off to a NATRC CTR 2 Day 60  at  the Summer Breeze- site Rudys
Ranch in KY the end of the month. Omni needs 50 miles of CTR to qualify for
the AHA NC CTR. This should be real fun.  Trying to get him to drop down to
4mph and be a good boy!!!.  A 'mutli-purpose' horse.?

Hope this was not too long
Someone else may have the full results of both rides
Roger R



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=