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[RC] Tevis - Just Another Trail Ride - Steph TeeterFrom
Merri Melde
(Endurance Net correspondent)
Friday
August 4 2006
TEVIS ?
JUST ANOTHER TRAIL RIDE
It?s like one big trail ride? or is it? If you can forget there?s almost
200 horses and riders here, you can?t miss the atmosphere ? there?s a little
something extra here at the Robie Park ridecamp. A little more excitement, a
little more activity, a little more nervousness maybe? at the ride meeting,
everybody listened to the speakers, and everybody cheered when each speaker
concluded with, ?See you tomorrow in Auburn.? 196
humans and horses will wake up about 4 AM in Robie Equestrian Park on the
Western States Trail tomorrow ? if they got any sleep at all ? and, about an
hour later, in the dark, in the dust, in the chaos and excitement, they?ll face
west and start heading 100 miles down the Tevis trail. There?s
the young (7 junior riders) and old riders, young and old horses (oldest horse
is 26), first timers and 27-timers, the rich and not-so-rich, the scared and not
scared, locals and foreigners (3 riders from Japan, 1 from Canada, 1 from
Australia, 1 from England), fast riders out to win and slow riders out to just
finish; they all have the same goal in mind: McCann Stadium in Auburn within the
next 24 hours. A few
statistics to keep in mind: there?s approximately 19,000? of climbing and
22.000? of descending to contend with. Just over 50% are likely to reach the
finish line. Auspiciously, the temperatures have fallen from the killing digits
they were just over a week ago, so the hot canyons will be a bit kinder to
horses and riders.
I had to
ask the question to a few people: Are you nervous?
The answers:
?Yea, a little nervous.? (Tom Noll on Frank; it?s their first
Tevis)
?Heck no. I?m looking forward to it. It?s going to be fun.? (Nick Warhol
on Forever Dawn GA ? Nick?s completed twice; it?s Don?s first
100)
?I?m scared. There?s some hairy places out there on the trail.? (Quenby
Dunlap on RC Lazeer ? Quenby?s 3rd attempt; Buzz?s first
Tevis)
?No! I never get nervous. I?ve been riding horses my whole life ? it?s
just another trail ride.? (Robert Ribley on Riptyde) A few
people to watch: Bill
Maiche on Holy Smoke. Bill was told, after his terrible car accident in 1982,
where he spent 26 months in the hospital, that he?d never ride again. He?s here
today for his first Tevis on Holy Smoke, the oldest horse in the ride, at 26. If
Bill and Holy Smoke finish, Holy Smoke will tie the record as the oldest horse
to complete Tevis.
Seiichi Hasumi, from Japan, riding Fames Baydal BL, has completed Tevis 3
times in a row and is going for number 4. He plans to one day own 10 Tevis
buckles.
Quenby Dunlap is riding her crazy horse RC Lazeer (Buzz). She must have
nerves of steel to ride this horse on this ride.
Barbara White on JAL Sebastiano is going for her 28th Tevis
buckle.
Wild West, or ?Willy,? fell off the Tevis trail 3 years ago ? fell 500
feet down at Kaput Springs (the trail at the spring went kaput; the spot is also
known as Willy?s Falls) and survived. You can still see his scars. Willy and Don
Bowen are back to try again, along with Pam Bowen and Whyatt, 3 time
finishers.
Tom Noll and the ever popular Frank (who was once maybe Wayne Newton?s
horse), Idaho?s Tough Suckers, are Tevis first timers.
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