--- On Mon, 4/6/09, Bruce Weary <bweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Was that at Man Against Horse in about '98? I was in first place for a while until someone went trotting by not long before you drop down the switchbacks at the end of the ride and passed me. I was riding with a lady who was diabetic and not doing well so stayed with her from the lunch stop on. Not caring about placing at the time, I told her to cross the finish line first sense I figured it would be her only 50 and she stuck with it and finished the ride. Later I thought that was kind of silly because I will probably never get the chance to be in 2nd place again.
Lori Gaines (Cox)
Still looking for a new horse.
Yes, it was Thor, and thank you for remembering. I have told his story here before. It's true that we finished first that day, and that he looked good afterward. But the reason we finished first was because the front runners were competing so hotly, and, not wanting to lose sight of one another, were traveling in a pack. When the leader made a wrong turn, they all blindly followed, and went miles off course, effectively eliminating them. I rode MY ride, knew the trail, took care of my horse, and snuck into first place. THAT'S what made it feel like winning, to me.
Incidentally, that was the first year that the first place runner beat the first place horse. It has happened several times since then. Bruce
