Biltmore Ride

[kenayala@juno.com (Kenneth J. Ayala)]

Just a few notes from the Ride Manager's desk, now that she has had a
couple of good nights' sleep and the "clean-up" job is done....We have
had "mud" years and "flood" years, but I guess this was the "heat" year. 
With temperatures suddenly 10 degrees above normal after an abnormally
cool spring, few horses were truly acclimated to warmer conditions (ALL
the Florida horses finished!) and only careful riders and competent vets
managed to bring the horses through to a good finish.  The vets did treat
7 or 8 horses, but only one true tie-up, and even that horse was back at
his trailer recovering safely before nightfall.  Most of those in
metabolic difficulty seemed to suffer from muscle spasm,(dramatic, but
short-lived)  and with electrolytes and fluid recovery, they were not
long in any distress.  We had no horses in the treatment stalls
overnight!  
I was especially proud of a few riders....Dinah Rojek doing a Top Ten
fifty at Biltmore after a long recovery from hip surgery this
winter....Maggie Price FINISHING the 100
after two non-completions at the 100-mile mark on two previous
occasions!....Mark Elliott-Heavyweight winning BC in the fifty with best
vet score as well!...Debi Gordon on Redman winning the 100 for the second
time....Melissa Crain on Charbiel, winning her second Biltmore
BC!....both junior 100s finishing--Kasey Coleman from Ohio and Jesse
Jarrett from NC(.and special thanks to Maggie Price and Angie McGhee who
picked up sponsorship when starting sponsors had to drop out!)....and ALL
the riders that  didn't finish but said they'd be back to try again next
year!
   We had more last minute cancellations that usual this year--a few
broken trucks, some family illness, and quite a few horses not sound
enough to come.  On Sunday before the ride, there were 157 entered; as
you can see we started only 128 (3 did not vet in sound), so I had a LOT
of calls at the end.  I didn't want riders to think that the waiting list
was not valid, but it is impossible to replace that many horses just a
few days before the ride.  This is the first time we have had so many
decide not to come the final week--guess this has been the year for
lameness in horses!
  I wish to thank all those who did come and especially those who came to
volunteer their help at the vet checks and on the trail.  I look forward
to the ride next year and hope many of you will return and bring rider
friends who have yet to experience the beautiful trails at Biltmore. 
Anne Ayala

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