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Stagg, I just think your advice is sooo great.  Thanks for taking the time.  Looks like my first 50 and later 100 will be in Vermont.  Manny and I were there last week for the Jan. Thaw as our intro to the hills of Vermont.  Ride was canceled due to COLD weather but we got a chance to interview the hills;-).  Very intimidating.  Immediately joined GMHA and plan on riding there at least once a month in training to get ready for the 50 in Oct.  Do you think thats doable?  We live in RI and it is pretty flat here (Rene, previous question, is actually in our ride group).  Thanks again.  Jennifer.

 Stagg_Newman@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Rene,
>
> Vermont is one of my favorite rides and was Drubin's first 100. If Jayel
> Super and I are on team to Pan Am then probably will not have vacation time
> to do Vermont this year as it is two day drive each way. If we are not on
> team then may try to do Vermont.
>
> Here is my advice for Vermont based on lessons learned some the hard way
> and recently!
>
> Save horse, save horse, start out slowly particulary in the 100.
>
> Vermont is a really tough ride because of lots of long gradual uphills
> (more total climbing than OD and almost as much as Tevis)
> and long downhills that pound the horse.
> And hard dirt roads.
>
> You should either go with a shock absorbent sythetic shoe or steel shoes
> with very good shock absorbent pads.
>
> Drubin complete the ride 3 times with a fourth in 1989, a second in 1995,
> and a second in 1999 (ten years after his first completion).
> Both times when he was second I w
> as near the back of the pack at the first
> check point. The first 20 miles fool people because
> there are a lot of long gradual climbs that take more out of the horse than
> people realize. And then when you hit the climbs in
> the middle of the day the horse does not have enough left.
>
> If it is hot and humid really slow down. In 1999, which was hot and humid,
> Drubin was in a group of 6 horses that came in together at that 62 mile
> checkpoint.
> There were 3 horses out in front of the group of 6. Only 1 of those three
> finished. And of the group of 6 that came in together Drubin was the only
> one that made it out of that check point. So Vermont is a tough ride
> where saving horse pays.
>
> In 2002 I did not finish because I did not save enough horse. We started
> out slowly according to plan. By 60 miles Drubin and Jayel Super (with my
> wife riding him) had moved into first together and were getting A's at the
> vet check. At 71 miles we pulled Super as he was starting on a quarter
> crack
> and was
>  grade 2 LF. The hard roads had been his downfall. And we now
> realize we were not paying enough attention to how our farrier was shoeing
> him.
> This sport is great at humbling one and teaching provided one learns from
> one's mistakes (and we make plenty).
>
> Drubin got essentially all A's and was now in front alone. Drubin was 19
> but felt to me like he was back in his prime. (but of course this sport
> makes you pay for errors of judgement.) I took it easy to the 82 mile
> checkpoint. My wife said he looked good on trail At that checkpoint
> Drubin came in cooled off and
> the seem to get a slight cramp in the RH. Believe it was a tight hamstring
> but we could not get it massaged enough to go on. I had not saved enough
> horse. And it was probably the downhills that did it.
>
> (Drubin did come back and complete 3 rides later in the season but I am
> still having to regularly massage the hamstring.)
>
> In summary Vermont is the type of ride I really like, a tough ride over
> beautiful scenery with gr
> eat ride management and great hosts (the Rojek's),
> excellent vets that rewards smart riding and penalizes mistakes. The
> Vermont completion buckle is won to wear with pride.
>
>
>
>
>
> RENESPONY@cs 
> .com To: stagg_newman@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
> 01/24/2003 cc: 
> 12:19 AM Subject: vermont 100/50 
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi
> I was wondering if you had any plans to do Vermont 100 or moonlight 50 this
>
> year?
> Sounds like good ride for me, and I can get myself there. Was going for the
>
> 50.
> who knows maybe I'll try the 100 if the season goes as good as last year.
> You've done this ride I believe? Any advice?
> you can share your reply on ride camp if you want.:-)
> RENE
>
>
>
>
>
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