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[RC] Biltmore Finish - rides2far
Sitting in the car in a terrible thunderstorm. Bolts of lightning have been
zig-zagging across the sky for over an hour. The leader, Stagg Newman was on
his last 7 mile loop when this hit. There were 5 or 6 horses within an hour of
him waiting to leave when the light show started. Others were saddled up and
heading out for their second or third from last loops. The thunder never got
particularly loud but the bolts were awesome. We?re right down beside the river
and these Appalachian Storms have a way of moving up the river. I was hanging
out at the P&R area beneath a huge hardwood tree with one giant limb that was
dead and broken as if it had been hit by lightning at some time. The awning we
were sitting under had a metal frame and when the first blue bolt hit just down
river I was up and gone to round up my kids before the echo died. Josie was
still at her post with the arrival timers. She has such neat notes for the day
I think I could sell them to someone who wanted to analyze the results.
Stagg Newman is a guy who practices what he preaches. Over and over again he
has told us that he likes to lay a little off the pace early and then eat up
the distance gradually throughout the day. Once more he and his tough little
horse Super have worn the rabbits down and taken the lead without ever looking
as if they were trying very hard to win. Stagg has also been one of the easier
riders to talk to, staying very mellow and helpful throughout the ride. I know
I?ve had trouble taking time to weigh my horse at rides even when not going for
placement but throughout the day they not only weighed him but recorded it in
the log book for the research.
The ride may be over by now but you?re not going to see me walk through a
shower of thunderbolts across a quarter mile of open field out to a metal
framed tent with a large tower of lights next to it just to appease ya?ll?s
curiosity. Stagg left out with about a 35 minute lead and his horse looked
great at the vet check. Rita Swift was next running 2nd out of a field of 78 on
her horse?s first 100.
******************
A couple of hours later now. The top 8 finishers were:
1st #426 Stagg Newman on Jayel Super finishing at 21:54:21 which I believe is
9:54:21
2nd #423 Valary Kanavy on Shahdon at 10:20:22
3rd #332 Rita Swift at 10:27:25
tie? 4th # 412 Sarah Engsburg (I know that?s spelled wrong) 10:40:13
5th #330 Dennis Summers at 10:40:13
6th #328 Amanda Stewart 10:42:27
7th #424 Sheik Nahyan Khalid on Benny 11:27:06
8th #409 Darolyn Butler 11:27:07
The storm finally calmed down. There was never a TON of rain but it did get a
hard shower that weighed down the tent. They had moved the vet check under the
big top and the dumping of water off the top to keep if from collapsing was a
bit exciting for the horses but it beat having it collapse on them. I couldn?t
get many more placings since rain had blown in everywhere and the timers didn?t
care to uncover their notes. Besides I?d left my clipboard in the truck where
it was dry and took my notes on a torn McDonald?s bag.
There are plenty of horses still out on the trail with 15 or more miles left to
go. It?s pretty chilly and the ground is slick. It?ll be a long night for the
timers. Last I heard there were 41 pulls out of 78 starters with only 8
finished so far. Just heard one more for sure pull, number 405 Moises Birmbaum.
Heard some good stories, had fun with old friends. If you see the ?First to
Finish? photo with the fellow holding up one finger, that?s Wesley Crowe
(famous manager of the Million Pines Ride) Wes has come up with the ?First to
Finish? award for the first rider to be ?finished for the day? (pulled) at
every ride. He thinks he won today. Many riders had firsts. Kathy Brunjes horse
pulled a shoe and quite a bit of hoof off and said that was a first. Several
others had tightened up in the rear ?a first?. Rita?s 3rd place finishing horse
was doing his first 100. Dinah Rojek decided to quit because she felt like
it?probably a first time that she?s just quit, not the first time she?s felt
like it though. >g<
I was disappointed that you guys didn?t come up with anything for the dusty
back window of the Sheik?s BMW so I had to take matters into my own hands?have
a look at the photos. >eg< My daughter Josie was absolutely mortified that I
did it to a head of state and was afraid I?d be killed, but didn?t worry so
much after his crew gave all the kids baseball caps and took their photos. J
I?m going to try to send some more photos and see if I can?t get back to camp
by 2:00. I snuck up a back bank and got a photo of the big house for ya. I took
one with me in it and my face scared me. I guess there really is something to
that idea of ?Beauty Sleep? and all these late nights have left their mark. The
kids in camp all placed orders for me to bring back McDonald?s and they?ll
probably all be sound asleep by the time I?m done here. >sigh<
Off to download as fast as I can. Kinkos charges 20 cents a minute! :-P
Angie
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At the end of the day maybe the definition of endurance isn't the length of
the ride but rather the spirit in which it is ridden.
~ Maryanne Stroud Gabani
ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/
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