What's your toughest ride?

["Joe Long" <jlong@mti.net>]

Some of the talk about heat & humidty, altitude, east-west, and such
got me thinking.  What is the toughest ride you ever rode?  A specific
running (year), not overall?

For me, choosing the "Top Three" was easy:

#1.	The 1980 Heart of Dixie, Alabama.  This ride is normally about
a seven or eight on a scale of ten.  The first running in 1980 was
during a severe heat wave -- there were livestock advisories out,
farmers were losing stock in their fields.  A horse standing quietly
in the shade of a tree would be wet with sweat.  This was before the
days of fixed time limits, so the 50's were allowed 15 hours -- none
finished in less than twelve.  The 100, though, was a one-day ride and
so could not extend the time.  It had six starters, one finisher (me)
in 23:39 (including four hours of vet checks).  Completion rate:  17%.

#2.	The 1987 Race of Champions, Utah.  A combination of extremely
high altitude (base camp at nearly 12,000 feet), lots of elevation
gain, and unusually hot weather resulted in only 16 finishers out of
88 starters (all experienced 100 mile horses and riders).  Completion
rate:  18%.

#3.	The Old Dominion (I don't remember the year), Virginia.  It's
the Old Dominion.  Under a "Bermuda High."  Completion rate (that
year):  29%.

I'd be interested in hearing some other folks "Toughest Ever Rides."

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
Business Page  http://www.mti.net
Personal Page  http://www.rnbw.com