[RC] Texas Bluebonnet Results? AKA The Weird Thing About Doing 100's - Paul
I was at the Texas Bluebonnet ride last weekend at
the LBJ Grasslands. It was very nice. If you have never been there, it might
surprise you. It is in Texas. We never saw a Bluebonnet. There were loads of
other really pretty flowers, but not one Bluebonnet to be seen. Also if you have
been to Texas and seen the areas of endless miles of open brown grass rangeland,
you might think the LBJ National Grasslands would be this type of country. It
isn't. It is probably 50% wooded with meadows. It was really pretty and green.
Ride management and volunteers did a great job.
Anyways. I briefly saw part of both the 25 mile and
50 mile award meetings. Unfortunately this was at my 30 minute vet checks
for the 100, so we didn't stop to listen. Who were the top 50's? What were
their times? I know they were flying early, as about a dozen of them
passed all the 100's at the 18-20 mile mark of the first loop. (We had an hour
head start). They were running about a 2 hour pace for the 26 mile loop. I heard
they slowed down later and had a few pulls but no details. How fast did the 25's
go? Heard there were over 70 of them.
It struck me as being really strange as a 100 rider
to start riding before the rest of camp was awake and then during our early
loops seeing the early pulls from the 25's and 50's already leaving camp hauling
home. Then later we came in while the 25 awards were going on, and still later
we were vetting again when the 50's were having dinner and awards. During the
ride we constantly saw folks packing up and leaving. By the time we finished,
almost everybody was asleep or gone. At 8:00 am the next morning the 100's had
awards in a mostly deserted camp. It is really weird to be at a ride and
not have a clue as to how it turned out. You see people you know before the
ride. But they have gone to bed or gone home by the time you finish, so you
don't know how they did. They had a Result Board for the 25's and 50's , but it
was put away by the time we got done.
Here is what I remember of the 100 results. (I
was zonked out and this may not be really accurate) 14 starters. 8 completions.
(the last at 5:29 am). Darolyn Butler on Mercy finished first and got BC in
about 12 1/2 hours. Kris finished 3rd. (I forgot her last name) Anne Mc
Farland finished 4th and had two Juniors with her.. We got pulled at
90 miles (aw crud)..
