Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I'm spending a few days on Langkawi Island (an island off the northeast of 
Malaysia, Thailand is visible across the water), the Tanjung Rhu Resort. 
Absolutely Amazing. Thanks to Edaran Digital Systems Berhad (EDARAN) the 
sponsor, and the EEC organizing committee, and to Dr. Nik who came up with the 
idea to bring me to this foreign land in the first place. This is such a treat. 
I'll post more on this place later. Plus I'll put all the ride stuff together 
with some general observations and meandering thoughts - and all of the photos 
I have (and photos from the OC too) - I don't have a full Internet connect 
here, security firewall at the resort doesn't permit me to ftp directly to my 
server - so that stuff will have to wait a few more days. Assuming I ever leave 
this tropical paradise.... (horses?)

meanwhile - to carry on with the ride events ------

It's very very interesting starting an Endurance ride in the afternoon. The 
horses were relaxed, everybody was relaxed. Just setting out for a nice trail 
ride. I liked it, seemed sane, and a good way to start any competition -  much 
less a demanding 160km ride when early conservation of energy pays off later in 
the ride. Only 11 of us, and I started out at the back of the pack (partially 
by design, partially because my horse wouldn't go under the starting banner :). 

We started out along the pavement, nice clip clop start - then entered the palm 
oil forest. Palm oil is a major industry here (as is petroleum - shipped 
primarily to Japan). Malaysia also has a thriving IT and electronics industry, 
plus they are an auto manufacturer - the Proton is a Malaysian auto, and their 
newest car is the Gen2. A very ambitious nation for an island the size of New 
Mexico...  It was glorious riding through the palm forest - really tall 
towering palms, bare trunks stretching up high, lush green undergrowth. We rode 
on the forest roads - felt very similar to our 'real' forest logging roads back 
home - graded, with switchbacks, crossing a stream repeatedly, then rising back 
up around another hill. Shady but very hot and still in these forests. 

I caught up with two riders from Brunei - Pengiran  Hj Shariffuddin Pg Hj Bakar 
and Pengiran Abdul Rahman Pg Apong - both riding leased horses from Sabih (on 
the island of Borneo). Shariffudin is a full time endurance rider, that's all 
he does, his wife is studying immunology in England (I think...) and he has 
horses in France where he prefers to compete. The other fellow, Rahman, was 
along as his support and pacer. We rode together off and on, passing each other 
in various spots, they were riding very cautiously, hoping to save their horses 
in the heat. I rode off and on with two other fellows, younger men, dressed in 
jeans and stopping for a cigarette break every once in a while. I couldn't help 
but be a mom - 'you really should quit'. And they couldn't help being kids. 
Nice guys. One of their horses wasn't drinking at the stops, he was concerned 
and spent extra time at the water stops. But in this heat, even at this pace a 
horse that wasn't drinking from the start would have a tough time. 

Azrheal was a trouper - he drank from everything, even the streams. Really nice 
horse. As an anglo arab he might have a tougher time competing here, but he 
really didn't seem to mind working in the heat. He was lean and his blood 
vessels bulging. Plenty of forward energy and impulsion. At one point after 
helping him (he was not too bright maybe) past a scary check point with 
spotters and armed guards (security for the Royalty, for the Sheikhs, for all) 
I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him - skin hot to the touch. Amazing 
animals to be able to perform such work. 

I came upon Dr. Nik (Dr. Nik Isahak Abdullah) and his friend Burn (Bakar Bin 
Man) as we were leaving the forest. We rode together for a while, past an old 
tin quarry, the deep pits now filled in with water. Men fishing on the banks 
and ditches. Past a 'farm' - brahma cattle and goats in small pens, wood and 
tin shacks, chickens, barking  dogs. Poor people, but smiling and friendly, and 
quite incredulous to see a white woman riding through there plot I think...  

We left the estate and rode the outskirts of a village, machinery, 
construction, more incredulous gazes. A welcome water stop along a street. 
Azhreal gulped and gulped, I gave him some electroltyes. Good boy.  Back 
towards the forest again, and passed by the ride venue at about 20km. Horses 
happy to head back to the stable, only to be turned around again to head back 
down the trail. More forest, hot and still, jungly bird sounds. Then dropped 
down into another village. Some farmland, huge fields covered by nets, rows of 
some sort of crop, I couldn't tell what it was. Along the village roads, many 
many dark skinned people and children out to see the horses - laughing, 
clapping, generally enjoying themselves. Dr. Nik said these are 'proto Malay' 
people, the original Malaysian tribes. Small, dark, beautiful faces. 

Back into the forest, waving at a few more smiling faces as we left the 
village, and winding through the palms back into camp. Walked and trotted into 
the vetting area, Azhreal was feeling good, strong and happy. Yus, the groom 
that was helping me met us as we came in and took us to the cooling area. Nik 
and Burn were there, Nik's horse Ms. Gedebe was taking longer than usual to 
pulse down, Nik was a little worried. Lots and lots of water - scoops, hoses, 
scrapers - they obviously have great respect for the cooling of the horses - 
though the water felt warm to the touch to me. Not sure how much it was 
helping, and little air for evaporative  cooling. (amazing horses). Azhreal 
finally came down, when he dropped he dropped fast/boom down to 50. A little 
more time to make sure and off to the vet. 

I gave my pinney to Yus and he trotted him out for me. On pavement, nothing is 
missed. I heard some unevenness as he trotted away, and coming back as he 
slowed down there it was, defintely a head nod. damn. Obvious to me, obvious to 
the vets - we're done. I hope it was nothing serious - it was really rocky 
trail out there, he was padded, but his farrier said he had a stone bruise 
about 6 months ago. Maybe still some soreness, maybe... who knows. Anyway I 
didn't feel too terribly sad. I was wet and soggy (it really doesn't help to 
pour water on yourself in hot/humid conditions - you don't get cooler - just 
wetter - and stay wet). Starting to feel some rubbing on my tender white skin 
from the wet clothes and tack (next time I'll bring talcum powder and keep 
myself as dry as possible), so it's probably just as well that I pull now. 
(these are the things we tell ourselves to ease the dissappointment :)

On the way back I saw Dr. Nik - he said 'we're out' - Ms. Gedebe is lame. A 
hind end lameness, maybe muscle cramp, unexpected - but he said 'this probably 
explains why she took longer to pulse down'. More dissappointment. Three of us 
pulled at this first hold, and watched as the other riders hooked up their 
headlamps and headed back out. It was around an hour before dark, they would 
soon lose their light. The moon (almost full) had risen, but I suspected that 
in the dark forest not much moonlight would penetrate. True, they would rely 
solely on their headlamps, and on their motorcycle guides. 

After the rest of the riders left, I took a (cold) shower at the stable, and 
joined Dinah and the officials for a while. Not many riders, lots of miles to 
go, lots of waiting. There were two officials from Down Under - Denise Trollope 
from Australia, head of the Ground Jury, and Tony Parsons DVM from New Zealand, 
foreign vet delegate. Nice folks. First time in Malaysia for Densie, Tony had 
been here before, liked it. I invited him out to Idaho to vet a ride sometime, 
ya never know!

I started feeling cold, cool damp night air, fans going all the time from the 
tent roofs, a little fatigue, hungry. Finally got a ride (Amran our wonderful 
driver) back to the hotel around 12:30 - hated to abandon Dinah... but she was 
cheerful, and 'I'm here to work!'.
Hot shower, and cool sheets, slept well but I was still, in spirit, on the 
trail, trotting along in the dark.

Steph


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