 |
[RC] 2005PAC: outaHere!! - John Teeter(http://www.endurance.net/2005pac/gallery/uruguay1.wmv) <-- 500k Spirit of the event (http://www.endurance.net/2005pac/gallery/dancing1.mmv) <--1.4mb Dance of Celebration (http://www.endurance.net/2005pac/gallery/ClosingCeremony.mov) 3mb quicktime vr of the dinner! Well, the awards ceremony was pure South American - Simply Argentine (with a loud and cheerful mix of Chilean, Brazilian, and Uruguayan (The Columbian and Mexican and US and Japanese and Belgium and Spanish and Canadian all put together couldn't make that much noise!!) It was a grand time which (when we left at 2:30am) was still going strong. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone with the dance stamina of Diego Sanchez!! - that after a couple of days riding.... The earlier rumors of medals were confirmed. Uruguay:USA:Brasil and individual: Uruguay:Argentina:Argentina -- guessed right again luckily:) I've images (sights and sounds) of the party last night - the time flew by (for me). It was truly a fun time - a grand contrast to the formality of the WEC closing. Everyone (or finished:) was called forth to be presented and photographed and sprayed with Champagne. Just a really fun time. At the end (for me) the stage was full of riders and crew and owners and children dancing away. Today at the Hippocampo were the awards presentations for the rides which happened yesterday (120km Senior/YoungRiders, 80km ...40km) There were 200 horses on the trails yesterday! this after the Big Event day of the championships. Originally, I thought this would just be very crazy and a wild management headache after having done a major FEI championship event. BUT ... it was grand fun to see all the other folks come out to do the sport which is loved here. They do run fast though - the leaders in the 40km are basically running full out. I don't know the winning times (asleep at the wheel) but there were lots of sprints going on (and lots of long pulse downs). There's a ways to go on finesse yet, but the enthusiasm is certainly there - it was family and Haras (breeders) and farms and countries and a grand mix. Of course, I did here that there were 50 horses sold yesterday (pending vet exams today:) so it was not all play and now work for these folks. It is a big time of the year and buyers from the middle east were in abundance at this gathering of the endurance horse in Pinimar. It's over now - time to head home - Steph has a ride may 7 (the Owyhee 100) to get ready for. There's trail to mark - blm to deal with - diane to thank for riding the horses all winter. just lots of catchup. Steph will likely do justice to our 5 months on the endurance trail around the globe ... she's the eloquent one. Congrats to all the Pan Am competitors - those that finished and those that didn't. There were some amazingly gutsy efforts. It was nice to see the competition between Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, and Brasil - I hope that the PanAms come back to South America - they support the sport well! Rio in 2007??:) Congrats to the US - finishing 7 of 8 and a medal after a long dry spell. Maybe it's a comeback?? who know:) and a thank you to Argentina who played host to a very rambunctious and competitive group of international endurance riders (and to Mexico's first try - first finish in FEI endurance!! next year in Mexico???) till later, John and steph =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|