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[RC] Raven's Tevis - Sue WalzO.K., here's the first hand account of Raven's & my Tevis attempt........ We started out at the back of the first group. Hoping to equal or better our last year's 22nd place. Raven was so stoked to be back on his favorite trail again I had all I could do to keep him from running over everyone in front of us! We made it through the Granite Chief Wilderness without incident this time, last year we had a hellacious fall there! I intended to make an attempt at Cougar Rock this time. Before we got there I had alerted a rider in front of me that his saddle pad had fallen off! So I just glanced back to check mine & it was half way off, too! So I found a nice mountain meadow to stear Raven into to fix the slipped saddle pad. He wanted nothing to do with all the lush, green grass around him. He just wanted to spass out & run in circles around me!!! Finally, about 20 minutes later, I had the saddle pad back in place & the girth tightened. A wonderful lady on a Swedish Warmblood was kind enough to hold my sweet maniac while I remounted him. We travelled on to Cougar Rock & again I witnessed a rider coming back down after her horse refused twice. The next horse slipped & fell & the rider went flying. My turn next......I told Raven we're going around it again! He gladly abliged! Onward towards Red Star Ridge.....when I noticed he'd thrown his left front Easy Walker shoe! Luckily his tough barefeet were good to go. When we got to the vet check, they had found a size #2 EZ boot & we were good to go as soon as he pulsed down. Took him a while cause he was so excited about all that had happened! On to Robinson Flat.......found that one of my crew persons had fallen & broken her hand! Poor Joan! She had done a wonderful job preparing food for me before her accident! Luckily I had picked up two wonderful crew persons up at the ride meeting! Ashley & Sage from Washington who had come down to experience Tevis. They knew about Raven & agreed to help with our attempt! Don't know what I would've done without them at Robinson! We had to have the farrier put metal shoes on his front hoofs. First time in over 4 years he's had metal shoes on! It took some getting used to. Stumbling, slipping.....he was used to being able to feel with his feet. Metal shoes make the feet go numb. That compromised his speed for the rest of the ride. He still gaited out well, actually 4 beated more, but ultimately the slipped pad & lost shoe really put us back in the pack. In the first canyon we ended up behind a long line of 6 riders walking their horses down. Not running with them, walking. What a delay for a horse that would have gaited quickly down, given the option. Another delay. We got out of the canyons & he took about 20 to 30 minutes to pulse down & Michigan Bluff. I ended up pulling the saddle & a couple wonderful volunteers helped me sponge him & re saddle him after he finally vetted through. So another rider & I rode together the seven miles to Foresthill watching the clock & getting in 4 minutes before deadline! We high fived when we got there! I left Foresthill ten or more minutes late, in the dark, for the California Loop. Raven slipped on the pavement with his unfamiliar metal shoes. He was taking baby steps after that to keep steady. We got cheers & applause from the porch of the local tavern as we passed! When we finally got back on trail Raven briefly gaited out well & then slowed back down to his trepidacious walk. Before we got to those precarious switchbacks I realised we'd most likely be timed out at Francisco's at that pace. So I erred on the side of caution & turned my dear Raven around & headed back to Foresthill to do a rider option pull. More applause & cheering as we passed the tavern again....I figured they agreed with my wise decision if they even knew what they were cheering for! All the officials were pleased & said I had totally done the best thing. On to next year.......... Oh, at the awards ceremony we sat next to the Toft's & they invited me back to Quilty again next year & promised they'd get me a buckle! It's in Queensland next year so no torrential rains! I'd love to ride the same horse they loaned me this year, Clyde, a big arab with floating gaits & lot's of heart! ~Sue & Raven =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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