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Everybody on the left half of the continent already knows how amazing Rio is,
but for those of us easterners, most of what we knew was rumors. Not any
more. In a weak moment last February, Becky offered him to us. After
hyperventilating and passing out with the vapors, we managed to squeak out a
"Yes!", and then spent the next month running around crashing into each other
in a panic as to what we were getting into. While in California for the
Easyboot Ride and Tie Championships in June we test drove him (well, Kathy
did--I was kind of taped up from my recent crash) and apparently reassured
Becky that we weren't total yahoos, so the training continued.
We arrived in Santa Cruz the Tuesday before the ride and camped at the ride
site. Becky brought Rio down and left him with us for the week (I mean,
that's like leaving the keys to the Ferrari out on the table with a houseful
of teenagers). Rio is what we call "broke to death". Although he runs like
the wind and doesn't much appreciate piddling around while the rider tries to
figure out which way is up, he has impeccable manners, and stops and steers
like a dream. Can this be for real? We had a sudden very healthy respect
for Becky's Centered Riding training.
By race morning we had practiced the Ride and Tie process twice. Rio had
actually done one twenty mile R&T before with Steve Shaw and Becky, but with
two flatlanders on a course that he had won on several times, anything could
happen. As Becky had predicted, he started out very politely, climbing the
first mountain in the dark at a strong trot but on a loose rein, with Kathy
and I bumbling around looking for the trail. After about 90 minutes had
passed, the 100 mile riders started passing us, and Rio kicked into high
gear. Becky rides him in a TTEAM bit, which to us was important because it
includes a big curb. Lemme tell you, I was hanging onto that curb rein for
dear life. Surefooted? He's a mountain goat. Through the creeks, uphill
through the rocks, along the cliff edges, downhill through the ditches, as if
his feet weren't even touching the ground. Don't anyone ever tell you that a
20 year old horse is over the hill.
Tieing him was like rassling a bear. He always stopped promptly on request,
and I figured out to jump off immediately, otherwise he was gone again. I
quickly snubbed him to my chosen tree, at which point he often became angry,
flattening his ears and thinking that I was too stupid to see the other
horses continuing down the trail. He always stood quietly, though, looking
back down the trail for Kathy to come in sight. Since Kathy is very fast,
this is the first horse we've ever ridden that could keep up with her. Becky
had told us to let him pick his own pace, since he knew how fast a pace he
could maintain. It took me about 40 miles to really believe that. My strategy
on ride and tie has always been to conserve the horse, to make sure that the
horse didn't have to stop before the end. Well, I'm here to tell you that
Rio can canter the whole 100 miles, if you let him.
I had a heart monitor on him, and on the steepest climbs I would make him
walk, much to his disgust. As he marched up the mountains I would check his
heartrate, and it was often 112 or 114. Unreal. I cantered him into most of
the vet checks (Okay, when he knew the vet check was approaching he took us
in at his own recommended pace), and by the time I was able to get off his
pulse would be careening down through the 80's, and he was ready to vet
before I got my first cup of water down. We had an outstanding crew of Becky,
her student Michelle, Lachlan Leach, Bobbie Lieberman, Odette Parker, and
Barbara Thomas. Sounds like a lot of people? It was luxurious, but remember
they were caring for one hungry horse and two demanding runners...Rio eats
and drinks like a fiend, and we ate at every vet check like heifers being
fattened for market. Of course on the trail we were also wolfing down
Powerbars, Gu, and everything else we could scrounge.
Rio got stronger and stronger as the day and night went on. Not careless,
but like a fast sports car. He kept up a running conversation with himself
all day, mumbling, humming, grunting, and swinging his head to entertain
himself. We couldn't help but be in a good mood, because he was so happy.
Usually we have, well, little spats out on the trail, because you get pretty
darn tired as the miles go by under your feet, and your running partner is
the closest thing to yell at. I realized afterward that we had not yelled at
each other once, because we were so busy keeping up with Rio. What a
pleasure.
We began at 5:00 am, and finished in 3rd place at 2:15 the following morning.
Rio was fresh as a daisy, and we had sore feet and tired knees, nothing that
wouldn't heal fast. I fell flat on my face several times while running,
which was a little hard to conceal since I usually landed in thick dust and
came up looking like the Pillsbury Doughboy who'd had a little too much
confectioner's sugar. Kathy, who is ten times more athletic than me, of
course never fell at all, and two days later was skipping around the pasture,
not looking at all like she'd covered probably 60-65 mountainous miles on
foot and the rest on a rocketship.
Thank you, McCrarys for having this great event. Congratulations to all the
Ride and Tiers and 100 mile riders on their successes. Thank you, Becky and
Judith, for sharing Rio with us so we could experience how amazing he really
is. And a huge thank you to Rio, for the ride of our dreams.
Lani Newcomb and Kathy Broaddus from Herndon, VA and
RIO THE WONDER HORSE! Who although didn't win best condition because his
slugabed riders were five hours behind the winners, still scored a 9 on
soundness and a 10 on animation/way of going on Sunday morning!
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