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[RC] Rides of March - Aaron TurnageWhat a great ride! I lost my voice Friday helping get everyone vetted in and still have yet to find it. =) Rides of March was my very first (LD) ride ever, I rode it the very first year it was offered and have been back to ride or help ever since. This is a GREAT managment team and awesome group of volunteers. Management had a "contingency plan" to be used for bad weather, this is the fourth year of the ride and the first year the bad weather plan had to be used. The 30-mile loop with an out vetcheck (and a 20-mile out loop for the 50's) was cut to a 25-mile loop returning to camp. There was a water/number stop with plenty of hay and carrots at about the 15-mile mark. Lots of puddles for the horses. The 50's did the loop twice and the 30's got to come back for a quick 30 min hold (perfect timing, thank you) and then out for our last 5 miles. Perfect weather for the horses, they loved the cooler conditions. ROM has
been unseasonably warm the last two years. This year was the first ride for my friend San and her boy Taz. We decided to ride the 30 since it would be their first ride and a good start to the season for me and my boy Sinatra. The "four" of us have been conditioning together this winter as the weather permitted. Saturday found us out riding in the snow and occassional wind, laughing and grinning from ear to ear. Taz and Sinatra get along really well together, pace together really well, etc. Taz can be a little more excitable (he's only 5) but it's great for Sinatra to be around him as Sinatra has always been a little sensitive about other horses acting up and Taz's occassional antics are starting to help him learn to just deal with it. I had SUCH a great ride on my boy!!! =) At 8 years old and just starting our 4th season, he's really starting to feel "seasoned" to me. No crazy
antics. Calm, walked out of camp. He was pulling to go in the morning but very respectful overall. Would stop and wait if I asked him to. During the day I would look at those cute little red ears perked forward down the trail and just couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It's the best feeling to have a horse that loves to be out there as much as you do! Both horses finished with all A's. We were 6th and 7th out of the 11 that started the LD. They had 30 something in the 50, a big difference from the normal 90-100 riders this ride normally sees. The snow prevented a lot of people from CA making it over the hill to Reno. To top off our perfect day, Sinatra had high vet score on the LD BC judging but San and Taz won BC! On their very first ride! Taz was quite ready to go for another loop, he was trotting circles around San on the way back to camp from where they did P&R for the finish. And I was quite
proud of myself as I felt the BEST I ever have physically after a ride. Hardly sore and not sick in the least, ready to go some more. Just a perfect day overall! For all of you that couldn't make it due to the snow, put the Nevada Moonshine Ride on your calendar. June 10th out of the same place, but we use a different trail. Shameless plug for my new ride! ~ Crysta & Sinatra P.S. It was great to see some other "Ridecampers". Char was there with Sir Galahad (Gali) and he was LOVING the cool Nevada weather and showed off his airs above ground during the trot out vetting in. He was so cute jumping and leaping in place, all the horses were feeling good. Matt Mederios and Colton were there, Colton's horse is so cute during the trot-outs. And Martini had the best clip job of all! Very creative! =)
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