[RC] Hallelujah! Movin' on up! (Part 1) - Jim Holland
After some discussion, I had finally convinced Joan that we
should try the 75 at Hallelujah. (She’s more concerned about Sunny and
Magic than she is about me) <sigh> We arrived in early afternoon
and found a big crowd already there. Driving down the access road, magically
there was a spot open…somebody had left! Close to the Vet area, great
spot for a corral. Good omen! We jumped right in there and set up
camp….didn’t even have to unhook the trailer.
Later that afternoon with everything set up, I had just
settled in with a Mike’s Hard Lemon and the newspaper, enjoying a
beautiful fall afternoon. It looked good for a ride with NO RAIN!
Every ride we have attended this year it has rained before, after, or during
the ride. My trailer tires are green from mildew! Joan had taken
Magic for a walk to find some grass.
I was about half asleep when Joan showed up with a dozen or
so junior girls. It seems that they came along, met Magic and she showed
them the “gimme a kiss” trick. They wanted to see his other
tricks. <sigh> Magic loves people and was pleased to have a big
crowd. He said “No, I don’t want to do 75 miles”,
“Yes, I’m ready to go home”, picked up my hat when I
dropped it, and “took a bow”. Then he schmoozed all over the
girls, kissed ‘em all, scratched on ‘em, and just went into
“big dog” mode. I think some of them would have spent the
night in the corral with him! <grin> During the ride, they kept checking
with Joan to see how he was doing. Some of them showed up at his final
Vet Check. I even got a “high five” from one of the girls
when he finished!! J One of the
girl’s Mom said “I been hearing about this “trick
horse” all day! <lol>
The ride was a little “different” from what I
was used to in the SE. There were 4 loops, the 50’s and 75’s
starting on one color, the 25’s and 100’s on another. The
75’s and 100’s would not have a Vet Check after the first 15
miles….just a 10 minute hold, then a Vet Check after the next loop of 10
miles. We will have done 25 miles at the first Vet Check. I like an
early Vet Check to sort things out, get my horse calmed down, and
regroup. But this worked just as well….Magic got to relax for a few
minutes, get a drink, and get a bite or two and I got a chance to
regroup. An hour hold at 40 miles….all other holds at 30
minutes. The order of the loops was taped on all the Porta Potty doors
and in the rider package. Kewl! After all this had been explained
at the rider meeting, there came a voice from the back “What loop do we
start on?” Hmmm…either this guy was constipated, dehydrated,
and hadn’t read his rider packet or he was using the woods! J This
got a chuckle from the crowd.
10 entries in the 75……was hoping for more. L
I really wanted someone to ride with….Tim Worden and I
had discussed it, but at the last minute, he decided his horse was not up to
75….would stay with the 50. Rats! We camped next to Nancy Walker
from Pennsylvania,
who had a cute little mare that Magic liked. After some discussion, we
decided to ride together.
Got up to feed Magic a slurry at midnight and check his hay
and water.….low clouds, not quite a full moon.
A controlled start at dawn…7:00AM. Since we were
starting with the 50’s, Nancy and I hung out and let ‘em all go on,
then fell in behind. The 50’s turned off about ½ mile down the trail and
we continued on. At about 5 miles, Nancy
pulled up because her little mare just ADR…”Ain’t Doing
Right”. Seemed to be cramping in the rear. Dang! Nancy decided to hoof it
back to camp. Looks like it’s going to be just me ‘n Magic
the rest of the day.
