Re: Dubai - Valerie

[Farafix@aol.com]

Tom,

We'll have to wait to hear from Val what her ride strategy was, sure it will
be very instructional!  I noticed in reading the USET posting that her ride
time was 17hr, 15 min with 2 1/2 hours in holds (she was 5 seconds ahead of
the Italian rider!).  If I'm doing my math correctly (no calculator, always
dangerous), her ride time was 14 hrs, 45 min.  A very brisk pace, given the
conditions, no doubt.  I read one comment before the ride that the trick would
be to see how slow you could go & still win, since the sand & heat would be
such a challenge.  The fact that Val was 1st or 2nd (I forget exactly) out of
the 1st check could mean she was 1st in, &/or her horse met P/R's faster;
could mean that even those in front were all pacing themselves to the
conditions, and being a bit conservative.  Were the riders pacing themselves
to the conditions, or to other riders??  Guess we'll have to wait for the much
anticipated details to know!  In the meantime, there's always speculation.

Speculatively,
Nancy