[RC] Fire Mountain - long - GarnerTWell, we just returned from this year's Fire Mountain and it was great! Due to the recent rains, the trails and footing were the best I've ever seen. Nancy also changed the trails & loops & they were really fun! There was a lot more single track, cross country trail. The turns and trails were the best marked I've ever seen. I was riding with a friend who has done this ride many times, and she loved the changes. It was fun to ride behind her & watch her head swivel back and forth trying to figure out where we were! The only thing to mar the whole experience was the sunshine and lack of wind that is so familiar to Ridgecrest! Seriously, it was warm, with not much of a breeze in the morning. Sixty-three 50 milers started and only forty-three finished. The head vet said it was equally divided between metabolics & lameness, so a lot of people just rode a little fast. He did compliment the people who were pulled for listening to their horses and recognizing there was a problem. He also acknowledged, that due to the weather, quite a few horses were a little underconditioned for the ride. A lot of people had clipped, but since I live in foggy Bakersfield, and it's been really cold here, I chose not to clip. Accordingly, I rode a very slow, conservative ride. My friend Marci and I finished at 5:20 in the evening, but our horses were sound and fit to continue! There were 15 LD riders, and only 1 didn't complete. Way to go LD riders! I think I heard the horse won, but didn't meet criteria in time. If I'm wrong, I apologize right now. The ride was a lot smaller this year due to competing rides, but we loved it. Vet lines were fast, and there was plenty of lasagna for everyone! Thanks again, Nancy, vets, ride secretary, and volunteers. Kathy Garner & Taz =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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