Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] Biltmore - over the hump! - Sluys Guys

Just to report on our success at Biltmore, I have been terrified to do this ride again after our experience in 04 (read previous post about tying up) but I felt like we were finally up to the task so decided to go for it and get that monkey off our back.
Like Angie said the trails were horrible and got worse as the day progressed. I had planned on riding with Easyboots but because of the mud decided to go barefoot instead. By the 3rd loop I didn't have much traction and thought it was because he had no shoes until I noticed everyone else's skid marks (some 20 feet long!) and realized that we were all in the same boat (oh, bad choice of phrases because if we all had boats it would have been a lot better off!).
Blue felt great after the 1st loop and my nerves were settling down, we had started the ride slow, walking out of camp and up the first big hill before trotting. Once we got going Blue wanted to pass everybody with his BIG trot but I made him walk the hills because of the mud, he didn't think much of that.
After the 2nd loop I thought maybe he would be tired enough that I switched from his big bit to his hackamore. Big mistake as I had way more horse than I thought. He pulled me the whole loop but I was afraid to let him go too fast because that loop was really chewed up and it was like skiing down all the hills and I just wanted him to remain upright! By the time we hit the river road my arms were tired so I let him have his way since we were now on flat ground. He did his BIG trot and galloped some and before we know it we were crossing the finish line! We finished 32nd in a time of 7:04. His pulse was normal by the time we got back to camp so we vetted right through with Blue pulling be down the arena for the trot out! You would never have thought that he was a well mannered NATRC horse the way he was acting! I had a bit of a "wardrobe malfunction" as the shirt I had tied around my waist decided to slip down to my knees and as I reached down to pull it up I got a little disoriented and trotted back to the wrong vet :~). Never the less Blue looked great and vetted out with all A's, sound as a dollar. I was so thrilled to be over the Biltmore hump!! Maybe next time I'll let him race (that is if we have some traction!!)
See ya'll on the trail somewhere!
Nancy Sluys & Indigo Blue (muscles felt great after the ride!!!)

"Happy trails to you, until we meet again!"
             (Roy Rogers & Dale Evans)
                                           _\/
                                        O O

              ,--/
        _ ___/ /\|      Nancy & Bill Sluys
    ,;`( )__, )  ~      Westfield, NC
   //  //   '--;        http://www.bobvillemusic.com
   '   \     |           http://www.myspace/nancysluys
                     http://www.myspace/pilotmountainbobcats




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=