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[RC] Big Horn/Tevis/Woodstock - haulnoatsKathy,Well now you can say you know at least ONE person who does the Tevis ride BECAUSE of the dangers not, "in spite them" and I really don't feel I'm alone in that. Take away all those challenges and dangers and you've just got another pretty ride in the mountains. As for bringing extra horses, I was just going on my personal experience from the several people who were camping around me this year who brought spare horses as well as in 2007. The girl who's horse escaped and died in camp that year had no problem getting a replacement from someone who brought a spare as did two other riders who's horses did not vet in, as did Dave Rabe and others THIS year. Maybe it's more the riders who come from out of state that bring extra horses as they have traveled so far and don't want to risk not being able to ride due to some trailer lameness from the long trip. The dust I refered to was the dust on the TRAIL, as a challenge. NOT the dust in Robie Park campground which seemed pretty minimal. The comparison to Woodstock is mostly in reference to the overwhelming amount of PEOPLE involved on ALL levels from amount of riders to crew members to volunteers, vendors, vets, vet assistants etc. That is just my PERSONAL comparison when someone asked the difference between the Big Horn and Tevis. It could also be a comparison based on the fact that I came from a town with 1,000 total residents, had 5 people in my graduating class and live in middle of nowhere. To me, when more than 150 excited people are it one place at one time it feels like a huge party or festival to me. Personally Tevis seems to be the one 100 mile ride that you would have no trouble basically riding cavalry due to the enormous amount of people involved. There wasn't a single stop (11?) where there weren't SWARMS of smiling volunteers offering to hold your horse, sponge him off, give courtesey p&r's, offering him carrots, & hay & water, drinks, cookies, watermellon or sandwiches for you, hold your stirrup so you could remount, & Vets out the wazoo. HOLY COW, if I HAD been able to eat anything on this ride, I'd have a good chance of GAINING weight on the ride for all the food and treats offered all along the way. I usually ride without any crew whatsoever, so all this attention is something I am not used to getting at any other rides. I have NEVER seen so many people at ANY ride anywhere. Jeanie Pinto and Ellison had offered to crew for me at this years Tevis and the one wonderful and unexpected surprize they had for me that the volunteers were'nt offering you was a hot solar shower and change of clothes at Forest Hills after the long hot canyons. WOW! (but I'll bet if I DID ask any of those volunteers for so much as an Advil or expressed a need to call the United Kingdom they would probably shove their cell phones at you and fill your fanny pack with an entire bottle of vicoden along with an apple just in case you or your horse MIGHT get hungry in the next 6 miles.)Talk about feeling taken care of on the trail. It's hard to beat the volunteers at Tevis. Now at Big Horn, there are the requisite 2 vets and 4 stops and the very friendly faces of ride management but it is absolutely BYOeverything. You feel like it is just YOU and your HORSE getting you both through. I am definately going back to do Big Horn again. There is no "Better" or "Best", just "Different" and just as the previous post stated: There are those who ONLY do Tevis. Those who want to do it at least once or more. Those who it will NEVER appeal to. My horse doesn't care much for sandy flat desert rides. Those are the only rides my friend and her horse LOVES to do. Aren't we lucky to still have so many options for all our different tastes. It is sad to loose some of the other great ones like the Outlaw Trail and now Swanton. That is the one other ride that seemed closest to a comparative. I haven't done the Old Dominion (yet) and am wondering how those who have done them both compare Tevis and that ride. I am also curious to see what the feeling will be like at the Nationals in Greenville next month. That is such a pretty mountain ride too but without the "death wish" challenges. There is good volunteer support, the gassy meadow camp in the big trees is gorgeous and there is nothing like jumping into the cold pool after a long hot dusty ride.
Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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