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Sheesh you guys!!,
I was only gone a few hours today and you sent me 31 messages asking
for my version of the Washoe Ride. Okay, but I warned you, it's a
looong one... Sorry digest subscribers, it's self-preservation in this
case. Just send any bills for scrolliosis treatment to me, okay? Those
of you who've already received copies, just hit that delete button
now...
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Hi All, =
My friend, Virginia Schmelz, and I had a great time at the Washoe Valley=
rides near Carson City, Nevada this weekend! The weather day and night =
was just gorgeous. The 100 was one in the National Championship Series a=
round the country. The rides were put on by Connie Creech and Liana Come=
aux, and we were very pleased with their management of the ride and all t=
he extras they provided. We'd heard Thursday night that they had about 2=
00 entries as of that time, and changed our plans to get there Friday mor=
ning instead of waiting until the afternoon. Glad we did...many thanks t=
o our friends here in Ridecamp! Karen Chaton saved us a spot across the =
drive, so we got to see each other more often. (She did the 100.)
Virginia rented a room in a nearby motel (at 75, the thrill of camping i=
n a tent has worn off <g>). My son, Shannon, and I stayed in our tent in=
camp to care for the horses, who were tied to the trailer (we don't have=
corrals yet). Choosing to use the tent was a big mistake. It's made of=
nylon and when the wind came up at night, it snapped and popped, so I co=
uldn't hear much of what the horses were up to, nor could I get much slee=
p either night. Next time, we sleep on an air mattress in the trailer. =
I've done that most often when camping and it's a lot less hassle.
Both Jakar (arab), and Neggie (peruvian), were nervous the first day the=
re and wouldn't drink well. They were both seasoned campers, but not in =
a crowd of high-powered horses. Neither had ever been to an endurance ri=
de before. Both horses preferred to drink from the trough management pro=
vided near our campsite, so Shannon and I took turns walking them to wate=
r often as well as providing buckets at their tie spots. Neither had dra=
nk more than five gallons all day, and we discovered during the afternoon=
that they would drink very well if we took both to the trough at the sam=
e time. One watched for danger while the other drank his fill <g>. We d=
osed with electrolytes and probiotics after they began drinking well. Bo=
th vetted into the ride with A's in hydration by that evening.
Jakar is on pasture with no hay at home, and we had to bring some old ti=
mothy to try to imitate the unirrigated desert grasses he normally eats. =
He also gets LMF Endurance Ener-G morning and night. I made a slurry of=
the LMF by adding water while in camp. Jakar's gut sounds were a B the =
whole weekend under three different vets. He got A's in everything else.=
(Even his back, thanks to switching to the SS. We used a crupper and b=
reastplate, and the Woolback pad with inserts.) =
The trail itself was very tough, for US anyway. Jakar and I entered the=
50 for his first ride. Both the first and second loops (25 and 20 miles=
) were up the side of a mountain, right from camp, to a series of rock-st=
rewn hills that topped out at 7500'... 2500' above camp! What gorgeous v=
iews of the snowcapped Sierra Nevada mountains and the surrounding valley=
s!! I shot a whole roll of film on the ride. We had the good fortune to=
rate well with Helen Rogers and Ralph Truax who were great company. We =
took four and a half hours to do the first loop and vetted right in at 52=
pulse and looking great.
Jakar wore his eggbutt bit and running martingale for the first loop and=
then we switched to just his halter for the remainder. He was NOT the e=
asy-going kid's horse he normally is at the start of group trail rides! =
I got off and tailed on a few really steep sections and messing with the =
running martingale got tiresome. I also "hoofed it" down some of the roc=
ky, sliding downhills. There's one series of extremely rocky, steep, lon=
g hills the locals call the SOB's. I couldn't even get all the way up ta=
iling on the first one! I guess I'd better do more "hoofing it" at home =
and get myself into better shape!! My forearms and hamstrings are feelin=
g it today.
Virginia was allowed to wait to ride with us since the 25 shared the sam=
e two last loops with the other rides. We dilly-dallied in camp and left=
a half hour late. Neither of us was going to worry about placing or tim=
e on this ride... We were there for fun! A couple of 100-milers with les=
s-that-eager horses latched onto us at the out gate and drafted us up the=
hill. Good idea! I'll remember that little trick when my horse doesn't=
want to leave.
We left them to their second loop at the top of the hill and continued o=
n, always climbing, climbing. Needless to say, we did a lot of walking i=
n that eight miles of uphill on a cinder mine road. We caught up with Ra=
lph in a grove of aspens. He'd been taking it easy with his new horse, B=
ravo, who was on his first 50, stopping to graze in the meadows, and just=
generally making it a good experience. Ride volunteers were at the top =
where the loops intersected. They had hay, water, and carrots for the ho=
rses and water, juice, and snacks for the riders. They chose a nice warm=
nook for this water stop, in out of the mountain winds. =
Susan McCartney DVM and her friend came down the hill at a good pace and=
the three of us moved in behind them for a really fun ride down Jumbo Gr=
ade. There were mountain bikers and 30 or so dirt bikers using the same =
trail and we had hang gliders popping up over the edges of the hills ever=
y so often. We definitely got a taste of multiple-use trail riding! =
The wind was howling up the draw and I couldn't hear, so I had to keep l=
ooking back to make sure Virginia and Neggie were still there. She lost =
her hat at one point while we were cantering up a hill and jumping the st=
ream back and forth. When I glanced back to check, there was a dirt bike=
r roaring up the hill behind her! I whipped Jakar around and dashed back=
down waving my arms for him to stop. He did and then took off his Darth=
Vader type helmet so he could get close enough to Jakar to hand me Virgi=
nia's hat, which he had retrieved. Very nice gentleman! (and cute too!!=
<vbg>)
The Nevada All-State Trail Riders club has worked long and hard on getti=
ng funding and volunteers to work on the new trails and equestrian campgr=
ounds in the state park at Washoe Lake. We got to ride one of their new =
one-track trails down the hill on the second loop and it was wonderful! =
We flew down that hill on good, cushiony footing, winding through the sag=
ebrush. The five of us looked like a little train coming down the mounta=
inside. We all came into the check down and ready to start our 15-minute =
hold. =
Virginia and I left a few minutes late again to begin the last five-mile=
loop, but caught up to Susan and her friend in the deep sand on the beac=
h. We walked along being blasted by the afternoon winds coming down the =
Sierras and across the lake. The waves were crashing on the beach. Very=
pretty and NO mosquitoes! Virginia and I took up our places behind the =
other two and took advantage, once again, to learn some pacing techniques=
from them. After leaving the beach, we cantered through the deep sand =
for a half mile or so on our way back to the sandy road to camp, where we=
continued on at a canter, (passing some others), to the finish. All our=
horses were down by the time we walked the quarter mile to the vet check=
, and could've gone for more! We were both over nine hours riding time, =
but our horses looked great. We bottom-tenned this huge ride!! Hehe! J=
akar never reached the checks higher than a 52 pulse straight in, which j=
ust tickles me all to pieces.
Connie and Liana provided us with a great BBQ with all the trimmings, wh=
ile we received our completion awards. Some very fresh-looking 100-miler=
s dashed by the BBQ area out on their way out of camp at a high trot, hot=
on the trail of their last five miles. It was awe-inspiring to see the =
go-getum attitude of those teams! All in all, it was one fantastic weeke=
nd for us. It wasn't without it's thorns, but we overcame those without =
a glitch. Jakar even lost a shoe on the beach the night before, but Ted =
Goppert (sp?) came to the rescue for us. First shoe he's lost in the thr=
ee years I've had him and it had to be then <g>! The people we met were =
really friendly and helpful, and we got the chance to meet many of our Ri=
decampers. We learned a bunch by just watching everyone. Great ride...W=
e'd like to thank Connie, Liana, NASTR, and all the vets and volunteers t=
hat obviously worked so hard!!
Happy Trails!, Nikki (310 miles), and May Dey Jakar (50 miles)
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