I was not able to stay for the official results, but I can shed more light on
what the hidden dangers were. Keep in mind that it is my belief and intent
that most of these will be corrected, avoided or ameliorated.
You would be going at a fast trot through a beautiful level field with knee
high prarie grass and then all of a sudden the grass, while looking just the
same, is now growing up through pointy flint rock. No warning, no way to see
it, you just hear it and feel your horse trying to tip-toe.
You descend into a picturesque valley filled with trees turning fall colors.
You cross the creek and start to climb back out. Between you and the top is
a climb of only about ten feet, but it is through layers of flat-sided
boulders. Your horse picks the very best route through the rocks, but with
every step into the crevasses between the rocks you hope that the shoes will
not remain there wedged in the vice-like rocks and that there is no sharp
edge looking for your horse's pastern.
These are but two of the hazards we found. The organizing committee is going
to be working very hard at making the trail safe yet challenging. We all
realize (to quote from the book of Matthew M-S) that we are trying to find
out which is the best endurance horse, not what horses can endure.
More as I wake up over the next week. My flight ended up being 4 hours late
(2:30am) once all missed connections were accounted for. Consequently my
memory will be a while in coming back to me.
Mike
Tomlinson Consortium
501-D West Redlands Blvd.
Redlands, CA 92373-4642
EMail: CMikeT@AOL.com
or: Mike@Tomlinson.com
Desk: (909)307-2369
Fax: (909)307-2366
Recept: (909)798-3333