[RC] another OD story.. from a volunteer's point of view.. :-) (part 2) - steelsidedown
Twelve hours after leaving camp, I returned to find absolute carnage. What
was a lovely grassy field yesterday had turned into a demonic, muddy, truck
eating, identity. I swear I heard the ?thing? growl from the top of the hill -
oh, never mind that was just a quartet of diesels at 3,000 RPMs. There were
trucks strewn everywhere stuck, sunk, smoking -- oh boy. We arrive in a tiny car
and zip thru the sidelines of the roadway where there is still some grass for
grip, and we got stuck.. and pushed it out, then made it to the trailer.
THEY FINISHED!!!!! Ponyboy looked fabulous, still evil, not tired enough to
behave.. His rider still shocked she actually made it (that making two of us),
then got telling her story, and it started to sink in. I got reports he behaved
most of the day? are we sure we are talking about my pony?
She also told me there was a house on the way to the finish where a family of
locals where sitting on the porch CLAPPING AND CHEERING for the riders as they
passed! Woo hoo, lets hear it for awesome locals!
My husband went and pulled a few trucks out of the mud, but had little hope
we could actually pull the trailer out of its spot without help. So we?re
staying the night, which I secretly wanted to do anyway! Out comes the grill and
goodies, time to spoil the poor rain shriveled rider.
About 5 after 10, the camp breaks out in woops, hollers, and applause. We
join in, half clueless as to why, but hey for totally exhausted, mostly
intoxicated folk, its fun. I finally see a bay horse, coming towards the finish
line, and in perfect form at this hour. I can tell the rider is male, but
honestly can?t tell if its Stagg or Tom from the distance. The rider jumps off
and is much taller than the horse -- yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Super-pony
won!!!! Well deserved cheers continue another 5 mins.
Last fill up of horse food products and water check, I find his evilness
down, curled, up, sound asleep, and snoring. Awwww, he?s so cute -- when he?s
asleep, I?m not fooled.. well maybe just for a minute. Humans to bed, well the
other humans were, I finally gave in. Camp erupts in cheers again around
midnight, it wakes all, and we cheer out the window too. Again, I?m at a
distance, but it looked like Libby and Tom. Around 2ish (I think, my eyes are
too bleary to read Mickey?s hands by then) more cheering!! And more around 4.. I
was too asleep to be a credible witness, but I did see the NASCAR pit stop horse
finish, a chestnut with high white socks, a bay morgan (?), and maybe another
grey?I must have managed to sleep thru some cheering because twice that number
of horses finished.
I wake up the next morning around 8, peek out to see that yes, indeed, the
demonic mud had not disappeared.. Darn? Horses happily munching, people milling
about wearing the oddest style? Travolta fans? Most had mud boots of some sort
and jeans rolled up nearly to their knees exposing those oh-so-fashionable white
sports socks. I watched a bit and saw one walk thru the mud to cross the road,
and completely understood the purpose of the retro style. Cool, I brought those
clothes, I?ll dress up cool too.
At breakfast, I hear (thru the grapevines- no promises on complete accuracy)
there were less than a dozen shoes lost on trail, and only two horses treated.
AMAZING, that alone speaks for an awesome new trail! Everyone is all smiles,
can?t say enough positive things about the new venue.
Back at camp a bulldozer and two tractors have arrived to get our silly
selves out. Those in a position to attempt to get out on their own, floor it and
zoom to the top of the hill, the camp erupts in cheering every time one makes
it? I?m glad I understand how deranged you guys are, because this entire scene
was looking like a freakish high school corn field party, only with $60k rigs.
Trucks continued to charge the hill at high rates of speed and even higher RPMs,
the crowd kept cheering?. Really you guys, I?m surprised we didn?t scare the
bulldozer driver off, can you imagine what he was thinking of us before the F350
stampede started? My husband made contact of the very nice man driving the
bulldozer who happily agreed to pull us up the hill - he was likely in fear for
his life and just agreed with anything the crazy folk said. As if on cue to
prove us nuts, my husband decides to floor it and F350 stampede the hill?before
the bulldozer gets turned around and back to us? he made it.. Cheering from what
was left of the crowd, and head shaking from the bulldozer guy.. I pretend I
don?t know whose rig that was..
Standing up on the main road, waiting for the rig to be turned around and
come back to load the horses , I walked past a small pick up with an older
couple inside. They looked confused and bewildered, (oh heck, I likely did too)
I stopped and made sure they were OK. They?re response ?this is better than TV?.
Oh boy! These guys were more locals, just flat enjoying our antics! I?m giving
the locals another thumbs up.
We drive 4 hours home, with everyone else on the interstate pointing at
staring at my completely mud covered truck. Oh yeah, I?m talking the windows,
hood, roof , hay/mud mix hanging off the rear view mirrors, in the bed, in the
door jams -- oh yeah I?ll be remembering the OD for many months and car washes
to come!
