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[RC] Riding with the Big Boys, First 50, Washoo July 26th - Aaron Turnage It wasn?t that long ago (Rides of March, 2003) that
my horse, CT?s Sinatra, and I completed our first LD
ride. My mom (who had also done her first ride) and I
remarked somewhere around mile 20 of the 30 mile trail
that we could not IMAGINE doing 50 miles. We were
especially worn out, and our horses were tired as
well. We could hardly believe the riders coming in
back to camp in the near dark, just finishing, as we
had already taken a little break, had dinner, and
received our awards. I guess it?s amazing what a
difference a few months can make?.
This last Saturday, July 26th, my horse and I had the
pleasure of completing our first 50 mile ride at the
Washoo Ride held in Washoe Valley near Reno, NV. We
were very sedate, back of the pack finishers, who
completed with about 50 minutes to spare. My biggest
thanks goes out to my riding partner for the day, a
man named Ted from the Cool, CA area who has been
doing endurance since 1978 and who?s mare is now just
a few miles short of her 3,000 mark. Our two horses
worked together very well and it was a boost, for both
Sinatra?s spirits and mine, to have some company for
our first real venture into the sport of endurance.
=)
I haven?t had Sinatra very long, just since early
February of this year. I named him that because he
definitely stands out in the crowd with his two blue
eyes and overo paint job. He is a 5-year-old grade
gelding with four white stockings and a great BIG
blaze (almost a bald-face). He always causes a mild
stir in camp and people usually ask his breeding, of
which I have NO clue. He must be one of those horses
that are pretty generic looking because I?ve heard a
VERY wide range of guesses. =) We have done 4 rides
this year prior to Washoo, all LD?s, with a 2-day 50
as his last ride(s). He was ready to move up, but I
was a little unsure of myself.
Last week was near record highs for the Reno area but
the weatherman had been forecasting mid-90?s for
Saturday for the last week and it hadn?t changed much.
With that in mind I decided to brave the heat and
make our first attempt at the longer distance. Friday
I was able to leave work early and, with a slight
delay in packing due to thundershowers, was at
ridecamp (about an hour from my house) by 5 pm.
Sinatra vetted in with all A?s and proceeded to eat
everything in camp. He is VERY good about eating at
and during a ride, he thinks he ALWAYS going 100 miles
the next day even though, at this point, 30 was his
longest ride. I decided to forgo sleeping in the cab
of the truck for the back of the horse trailer since
it would be cooler and roomier. Note to self: NOT a
good idea with a horse that eats, and eats, and eats
all night long. I ended up removing his hay bag
around 11:30, empty bucket by 1:00 and throwing a
flake of hay on the ground, because I was tired of him
jerking the trailer reaching for wayward strands of
hay and weeds, sometime around 2:00 in the morning?.
So much for sleeping before a big day! I was very
comfortable though, so maybe some earplugs would be a
good investment for me. Sinatra ate about ½ bale of
hay, drank about 10 gallons of water, and peed an
entire lake to his credit. Good boy!
(to be continued)
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