Our group of 6 riders pared down to 5 about 3 weeks before the ride
when Holly Leaman's horse had a suspensory injury & she pulled from
the ride. Four days before the ride, my farrier, Dick Johnson's
horse received a puncture wound to a rear leg. He pulled as well.
This left me with a novice horse (Rocket), Dorothy Lassiter & Mirage
(1st 50 for the both of them), Scott Avery (novice) on his Dad's
experienced mare, and Tina Hicks from Alabama and Embers
(who will tell her OWN, UNIQUE story).
We had 6 crew people divided into 2 teams. They played leap frog so
that there was always crew waiting on the riders at the vet checks.
This became important as the riders began to spread out later in the
ride.
We started late this year - 6AM. We had expected overcast skies and
drizzles/ thunderstorms. Instead, it was sunny and HOT! The first
12 mile leg over the Massanutten mtns to the Shanendoah was faster
than any of us had planned. The horses felt good, & we all decided
to get some miles in before the heat became oppressive. We completed
the 12 miles (and a significant climb!) in about 1 hour.
The first vet check for the 50 milers at McCoy's Ford was muddy, so
trucks couldn't park anywhere close unless they were 4X4. Coming out
of the river, I had trouble finding the crew. They were near the
river & missed us coming out, & we headed for the trucks grumbling
about them not finding us any shade. We finally got together & got
thru the checks after a LOT of water to cool out. Scott entered the
P&R box too soon & was penalized 10 minutes, but easily made it up as
later in the day.
The next leg had us face a second climb up to overlook the Fort
Valley and proceed down a rocky ridge line. The Gnats from Hell
attacked us here. We looked like a sight, 15 riders on a ridge
waving branches in front of our faces! (Anthropologist: A strange
equestrian ritual to bring luck as the team progresses over dangerous
rocks & ridges...) Fitchetts was a welcome sight. By this time we
were coming in about 15 minutes apart. Rocket enetered the check in
the upper 70's as I led, panting heavily. We went thru buckets of
water (literally) to bring him down to the upper 50's in about 10
minutes. He passed his check & CRI with flying colors, and his trot
out was magnificent! (What ever happened to the slow fat Arab from a
year ago?) He was a little reluctant to leave his hay, but I was
reluctant to leave the shade, too when our hold was over.
The third leg was in the woods along the valley, then up a ridge line
to the top of Sherman's Gap where we picked up the end of the 100
mile trail. Along the valley trail, we encountered trail sabotage -
somebody had pulled down about a 1/2 mile of markers at a critical
intersection!! As we cast back & forth for the correct trail, Lynn
Goleman (who lives in the area) was able to decide on the correct
direction & lead all of us until we found markers again. She led us
to the top of Sherman's Gap & had us lead our horses thru a dangerous
section just before we rejoined the 100 mile trail. The rocks were
large & slippery on a steep, narrow down hill section. I feared that if my
horse slipped, we would both be over the ledge.
After getting off of Sherman's gap, we rejoined our out trail for the
trip to the finish line. Rocket immediately recognized where he was
& he was overjoyed! The only way he would graze is if I dismounted
and hand grazed him since he was concentrating on GOING HOME!
He came into McCoy's Ford stop well hydrated & with
good gut sounds, but tired! His CRI was 14/15, but they passed us
out with a warning to slow down a little. Dorothy's Mirage had a CRI
of 15/18, so she was held for an additional 10 minutes. A large # of
folks were pulled here. Tina Hicks had become lost at the part of
the trail were markers were pulled, and she never arrived at the
check. Search parties went out, and I'll let HER tell the rest of
that story!
>From McCoy's Ford to Liberty Hall vet stop, there was a lot of hard
top road. It was SO hot. Rocket just walked & panted. My drinking
water went on top of his neck & down my shirt, and we still couldn't
cool off. I collapsed off of him at Liberty Hall w/ heat exhaustion,
and his pulse was in the high 90's. After 10 minutes of cold water on both
of us (straight from a deep well), we both felt better (& I looked like a
drowned rat!). Seeing how awful I looked, Helen Stacy of Maryland and
an unidentified friend helped my crew cool me & my horse. Connie Bacon's
husband, John, encouraged me not to give up. I thought Rocket would never
pass the CRI, (mad I kind oflooked forward to a trailer ride home in
an air conditioned truck) but he passed. John was encouraging & firm in telling
me to get myself in the saddle & ride the last 5 miles! (My
husband's words were "Get your butt in the saddle & ride! We didn't
get the horse thru the vet check for nothing!)
The final leg included the climb over the Massanutten Mtn range
again! Rocket & I found our 2nd (? or 3rd or 4th?) wind. We trotted
most of the climb and blasted down the gravel towards camp with hopes
of finishing before the cut off time. (We hadn't heard that the ride
was extended by 1 hour do to the trail sabotage!) Near the finish,
John Stacy on a "run away Keisha" came blasting past, apologizing.
(So many had passed us that day, I hadn't seen anything wrong!) As
we approached the finish at a trot, a horse tried to overtake us from
up the trail. Rocket (the original "I'll never go first" Arab)
decided he was NOT ABOUT to be passed again, and galloped in, tail
straight up! He cooled quickly & vetted thru w/ a mild grade 1 lameness
in his clubbed front foot. (A little strained?) Scott Avery had finished
about 30 min ahead of us, and Dorothy finished right at 12 hours.
Unfortunately, Dorothy's horse had strained a back leg in the
downhill towards home & could not vet "fit to continue" and did not
recieve a completion. Dorothy says she feels that she completed in
her heart, and she plans to return next year.
I wish that my crew had a camera at Liberty Hall so my husband could
show me how awful I looked before I go back next year. I think I'd
go anyway. (I can't wait for next year's application.)
Lessons earned & learned, obeservations to share:
1) The Old Dominion is the toughest ride on the east coast, and it's
GREAT!
2) Camelbak water packs are the greatest way to drink that I've ever
found.
3) Having 2 crews for several people works better than 1 crew for
each person. (Less hectic for the crew, and more folks to work on
the horse if we don't all arrive at the same time.)
4) Nobody EVER wants to make the first cut in the watermelon. Have it
cut up in bowls as finger food for riders & crew.
5) Send an extra trail sponge w/ the crew in case you loose yours on
the trail. Ditto on water bottles.
6) Carry the map that ride management provides, even if you won't
normally use it. Valerie Kanavy used hers to find the right direction
on the sabotaged bit of trail, <& SHE knows her way around up there!>
7) I NEVER want to ride down Sherman's Gap in the dark. (Lead
maybe, but not ride!)
8) Sports bottles make good emergency cooling for your horse when
there is no convenient water.
9) If your horse won't drink the water, then he gets to wear it!!
Never by pass water!!!
10) If you ever get lost at the Old Dominion, they have a bunch of
great folks who WILL find you, feed you, & find you a cold beer.
(Again, ask Tina Hicks.)
I hope to see you all there one year!
Linda Flemmer
ABF Challenger ("Rocket") & Eternal Point ("Major")
Blue Wolf Equestrian Supplies/ Blue Wolf Ranch
Chesapeake, VA
"In case of emergency - Fur side up, steel side down!"