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[RC] The mud of fair hill - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Mary Kornwolf mkornwolf@xxxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Thanks Connie for posting some news of the 100..

For anyone who wasn't there, the course was beautiful
but challenging, with lots of deceptive ups&downs and
meadows of tall green grass where the trail cut across 
the slope of the hill so the horse was moving at an angle.
Tons of creek crossing - after the 1st loop, my horse drank
at just about every one. And it was a cold windy day!

The ride organizers did an excellent job of marking trail
with ribbons every 200 feet or so, which meant every time 
you got off trail, you realized your mistake pretty quickly.

Thanks to a heavy downpour the afternoon before, there was
plenty of mud and soft ground to chug through. An informal
survey of us 50 milers pulled at the 2nd VC 38 miles out 
showed hind end soreness as the main cause. The terrain exhausted my flatlander 
horse and I was as tired as if I'd 
done a 100! Can only imagine the stamina of those who did 
all 100 miles, hats off to you guys!

If your truck wasn't 4 wheel drive, there was a nice tractor
man to pull you though the muddy road. I managed to get through
the mire and decided to leave before dark - my horse's appetite
had kicked in good so I picked a non-inerstate route where he could stop and 
eat grass. Found out later 95 in northern MD
had been closed that afternoon due to a serious accident!

It's a shame mud made the "Weekend in the country" so miserable
for all the spectators in their passenger vehicles. Hopefully
next year's weather will be more obliging and they'll lay lots of gravel in the 
sticky spots!

Mary and Remy in VA


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