Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Steph,
You are too freaking kind! As someone who has to bridge that gap between
cultures and provide people with horses for fun, albeit not for this insane
foolishness that you describe, I would only call what you describe below a
total lack of professionalism, hospitality, and concern for guests. I find
it absolutely appalling that kids would be put through an experience like
that and there  is no excuse, culturally, linguistically or on any other
basis for such a lack of concern for young people.

There is no excuse, whether it is the "thrill of sport" or whatever else for
a scene such as you describe. The possibilities of injury or death to the
young riders and to the horses is phenomenal. If they can build the largest
functioning amusement park in the world (the city of Dubai), they can bloody
well take care of guests and also see that their young people and others are
not put in willful harms way.

Sorry. I just can't stand that.

Maryanne

On Feb 12, 2008 3:11 PM, Steph Teeter <stephteeter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

yet another  strange story in this runaway sport!




John and I left the Ladies Challenge race early. (We missed the
finish with  Ladies riders in full gallop during last loop and flat
out race to the finish - 30km/hr average pace - one horse missed the
sharp final turn to the finish line and ran straight for the stable,
one of the riders had her pad and weights fly out from under the
saddle, one horse crashed into a few things after crossing the line
and before it could be stopped... and Shka Madiya had scratched in
the morning because her horse ran away with her... pretty wild!).

Watching and waiting - while the grooms vetted the horses in, saddled
them up, rode them around the crewing area, and then went out on the
trail. And disappeared... A few hours later, it's getting dark, and
nobody said 'here's your horse, give it try'.  Nobody said anything.
But we just figured they knew what they were doing, so didn't ask any
questions. (guests, foreign guests, nobody wanted to be rude or
questioning).  Now it's dark, the vetting has closed, the horses are
gone, and we're still standing around. The drivers show up and say
they have instructions to take every body back to the hotel. And the
kids must arrive back at the venue at 4AM. (it's a 6:30 start). So of
course we all assume that the early arrival is to give the kids a
chance to try the horses and find a suitable one.

John and I went back to Steve and Pamela's for the night, and drove
out the next morning to meet everybody and get them off to a safe
start. We got there around 5:30AM and they were still just standing
around not knowing anything! They didn't have rider numbers yet, no
vests, no horses... hmmm. We couldn't find the Wrsan folks, and then
some Bouthib Stable folks came and rounded up the kids and took them
over to the registration room. Everybody crowded into the room (small
room), quick questions, blank looks, noise and a little confusion.
It's 6:15 AM now (6:30AM start time) and one of the officials tells
the kids they can't ride unless they have proof of age. They need to
show it now. What??? John sort of lost it at that point and had a
head to head with the official. A bit of temper flare, but this is
ridiculous. And I overheard one of the vets saying a bunch of horses
just showed up that morning to get vetted through...

When we find him again (where the rigs can join the track) he's
marginally in control. He's riding well, but the horse is at a 32km/
hr gallop (by our speedometer) and bobbing his head so it's hard for
Adib to keep a good seat and quiet hands to rate him. I'm so afraid
at this point that we'll have another runaway on our hands... but he
keeps riding, and he's pretty strong, and eventually seems to settle
the horse into a controlled gallop. Sunrise is close, I can finally
breathe a little, and then there's a screaming coming from behind him
- one of the Czech girls is on a full runaway. Her crew rig went
flying past us, so we stayed with Adib hoping his horse wouldn't
follow suit... we came upon the girl - still on her horse - with the
grooms holding her. We stopped and got out to help if needed. The
other girls came up and I guess they figured the worst was over and
all left again together. One of the grooms got in the truck with us
holding halter and lead rope. They seemed to be in a semi-controlled
gallop, maybe the crisis was over, and then the girl's horse started
surging ahead again. I hollered to Adib to get in front of her and
maybe that would hold her back. His eyes got very wide, but he moved
up and started to pull in front of her and the girl's horse took off.
Really took off - away she went, screaming. John gunned the engine
and we flew up the track to head her off. We ran out of the truck and
onto the track and blocked the path of the horse. yikes! There was
another big group of riders that she had just flown past and they
skidded to a stop when we ran to block the course. Pretty chaotic
there for a second, but her horse slowed enough for the groom to grab
the halter and we pulled the girl off. She was hysterical at this
point - hyperventilating, gasping, crying - and when we put her on
the ground she fainted. Poor thing!!  She eventually came around
enough for us to get her in the back seat of the truck. 

 

Back to camp, and Adib
and Raphael's horses were out with lameness. We realize  by now that
these were 'spare' horses - who knows what their recent riding
history was - last minute recruits. We stayed in camp some with Adib
while he got some breakfast, and then headed back out on the horse to
take photos and help the others. All the horses given to the foreign
riders eventually pulled with lameness. Three loops was the farthest
any of them got.

We decided to go back out on the course and follow and photograph the
front runners. Absolute insanity!! Racing horses, racing crew rigs,
dust, noise, honking...  rigs flying past each with centimeters
between them. Crews hanging out the backs, photographers hanging out
the windows. Zooming and leap frogging for water drops... this is is
Endurance Rally racing. It's fun and crazy and intoxicating and
exciting..??????. the kids are urging their horses, horns honking, engines
racing... and those amazing horses running and running and running.
It got wilder and wilder the closer to the finish we got. And the
horses ran faster and faster. I wish we could have clocked their
speed. At one point, a few kilometers from the finish we drove on
ahead, wanting to be at the finish line to take pictures as they
crossed. We really had to speed up just to get far enough ahead. I'm
guessing over 40km/hr - pushing 50. Two horses finished at a full
gallop...nose to nose.