Quickshiver 50 and Julie Suhr's 25,000!!!

[Linda Cowles <linda_cowles@mentorg.com>]

Quickshiver - errr - QuickSILVER's fall ride at Grant Ranch should have
been experienced by MANY more Californians - at least that was the
opinion of MaryBen, who compiled a list of everyone who quietly slipped
from the rider lists ("uh-oh" is right!) after hearing the foreboding
weather reports about rain starting Friday night and building to a
crescendo of thunderstorms Saturday night!!!

This ride was most notable because Julie Suhr passed her 25,000 mile
mark! She and Bob rode well, and ended up finishing 11th and 12th!!

I've had a chronic itch to ride 50's this year. Endurance brings out the
best (or worst!) in people, self included. Has something to do with the
endeavors undertaken in order to participate in this sport. For me, I
have four neat horses, and have race-gimmies - want to be able to
compete at least three of them! "Endurance gluttony" is what friend Mike
Black calls it! Rides that get extreme, like this one, test our
assumptions about ourselves and our horses, displaying our strengths and
weaknesses in stark contrast.... They are opportunities to learn, and to
form strong bonds with co-endurers. I love this stuff...

I'd entered 2 horses in the 50. Gavilan, for his 4th 50 of the year, and
big (16.2) red Camshaft "Cammie", an appy mare bought off the racetrack.
At 10 years, she had transformed from a fast, unsafe racetrack reject
into a baby-sitter. Cammie finished the Fireworks 30 AERC and Silver
Spurs NATRC rides, and was ready to try 50's. 

My son was going to ride Cam while I rode Gavilan, but he had to cancel.
The entries were in and I had my heart set on entering both horses, so I
asked Mike Maul if he'd ride the stronger of the two (Gavilan) for me.
I've had Gavilan since he was 10 months old, he was bred by a best
friend, and he means the world to me. Mike had ridden Gav before and
done well with him. Cammie wasn't in the same condition and needed to be
managed during the ride, and would be better off with my lighter weight.

Mike left his horses in Texas, so locals know him as a reliable catch
rider, riding horses the way us finicky owners want them ridden. Having
experienced endurance riders like Mike Black and Mike Maul available to
help condition my extra horses and share experience with has been great!

The ride meeting Friday night was cold, and we told ourselves it
wouldn't rain until Saturday evening.... Right! The rider list had
shrunk to under thirty 50 milers (from the anticipated 75), but there
was an enthusiastic group present to toast Julie Suhr, who would have
25,000 miles at the completion of the ride. Ride manager Brian presented
Quicksilver member Julie with a commemorative belt buckle while
informing those of us with gray horses that if Julie's wonderful 19 year
old gray had to be pulled for **any** reason, the nearest gray would be
confiscated by the management team as a replacement! The response was an
outbreak of laughter - everyone knows that Julie built her endurance
career on finishing rides well... this time would be no different!

Nancy Elliot introduced us to the vetting team when she stood up - this
had been reduced to a one vet ride, but what a vet! There would be four
loops back into camp for all vet checks, making the now small ride very
manageable.

The next morning, riders straggled out for the beat-the-rain 6:30 start.
We searched for ribbons as the light slowly seeped into the foggy and
cold mountain valley campground. It rained over night, but had not
completely saturated the soft clay soil; this morning it continued to
rain lightly, and the footing was mud - the first mud most of these
horses had been in since last winter. The slick California soils would
provide a serious workout for everyone accepting the challenge to ride.

Gavilan and Cam moved at a good pace when the footing was decent, and we
visited with Cory Soultau, Judy and Nick, Julie and Bob Suhr, Jessica
Tudor, Jane Wilson and many others. Judy's Warpaint was ahhh - Judy - is
"repeatedly expressive" a good phrase? Warpaint is one very big, strong
opinionated horse!

Grant Ranch Park is set high in the mountains above San Jose. Trails
roll over hills with a few significant climbs and many beautiful vistas.
When it's dry, this is excellent footing - except the squirrel-holed
finish line! Overall, the footing was fine for a conservative trot in
many areas, but we had to ride strategically.

The first vet was the end of the ride for Cammie, who had a slight
muscle pull in her hip. I was VERY pleased with how she had done to that
point! This big racetrack terror was a great girl the entire first loop.
Blanketing her, I crewed for Mike and Gavilan, then turned my attention
to staying warm and settling in as a ride volunteer.

My first act as a volunteer was to turn my big three horse gooseneck
trailer into Command Central - I re-parked it up where it would provide
a windbreak, and the guys strung tarps between it and the trees. I
brought several extra winter horse blankets, and rain soaked, chilled to
the bone volunteers huddled against the trailer under horse blankets
drinking hot cider and cocoa, and talked of hot tubs. Eventually many of
us ended up in the horse-box, and there was a discussion about going
into the gooseneck compartment and jumping into sleeping bags on the
bed, vetting and P&R'ing through the windows!!! 

Soon, the call went out that the front running 50's were coming into
lunch after their 2nd loop. As I prepared to help P&R, I realized that
Gavilan and Mike were in the group! Yikes! Grabbing blankets and
stealing Cammie's bran mash and hay bag for Gav, I set up a chair for
Mike and tried to focus on crewing. 

Gavilan looked great, and had once again surprised me. He is this very
easy, quietly enthusiastic guy that moves so effortlessly that I assume
we are riding in the middle or back of the pack - he doesn't feel "fast"
with his easy consistent manner. He consistently eats up the trail. This
wasn't a fast or large ride, so I'd expected him to top ten, but he and
Mike got along together great, and had moved up to come into lunch very
early. He looked fresh, was moving great, and ate and drank well. Ken
Cook talked Mike into allowing himself to be duct taped (duck taped?)
into a rain suit, and soon they were off with Cory Soultau and Jim for
the third loop. All of the riders and horses looked good, if cold, and
Cammie remained the only pull.

At the third vet, Mike and Cory were 2nd and 3rd behind Jim, and the
tough loop with the now drenching rain, steep slick hills and icy wind
had taken their toll. The horses all looked very good, but were cold and
tiring. Mike looked the happiest of the foursome in Ken's green plastic
suit and duct tape gaiters! Mike and Cory vetted the horses through
efficiently, and headed out with a good spirit to finish the last loop.

At the finish, front runner Jim was well ahead of Cory and Mike, who
walked the two tired wet gray boys across the finish line together -
Mike and Gavilan tied for second!!! Gavilan and Cory's horse were both
cold and tired - everybody was in the same boat at this ride. The
weather here had been dry and warm until Friday, when winter came on
like a train. Everyone who completed deserves a hand for doing so well.
Last I heard there was one pull (Cam) and one 50 that pulled herself
before the last loop. 

The remaining riders straggled in slowly, with Julie Suhr being the only
rider with enough energy left to trot enthusiastically across the finish
line! Julie, you are a marvel! Everyone was chilled to the bone - but
the inclement ride was finished! My thanks to the Quicksilver club for
their spirited camaraderie and a great ride. Special thanks to Mike
Maul, who did such a great job of riding my guy Gavilan in his first top
ten finish!!

Mike said he thinks it was the hardest ride he'd done. Sunday morning,
after a stay in a nice warm barn, Gav and Cam were both moving great,
had nice tight legs and supple muscles - Gav looked virtually
unridden... atta boy! Good riding, Mike!!!

Cheers, Linda