NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP-Jerry's story

[hikryrdg <hikryrdg@evansville.net>]

Its been a week since the race. The dust has settled, comments posted,  and
memories build as each day passes.  I've always wished that when I first
started to do endurance riding that I would have made a diary of each ride
I did.  So for a little history forth future I'll tell this story about the
race.  Its just about heavyweights and our duel.  For the rest, the course
was the same just a few different twists here and there.  The ride camp was
situated deep in the Lincoln National Forest just outside Cloudcroft, New
Mexico. On a bend in the road, parking for the rigs was so that one could
park under talk pines, right next to the roaring Sacramento River.  Plenty
of water, grass and shade for the horses.  Primitive camping at its best!!!
 During the week before the race, rigs pulled in.  New friends were made
and a lot of time was spent with older friends.  Of course story telling of
races from the past were told all week long.  Three new heavyweight
friends, Linda Fisher, Henry Christmas and Carl Taylor.  Our  fraternity of
heavyweights is small compared to the tiny hinie club.  So we stick
together.  A common bond made out of the curse of carrying to much weight.
By Thursday, most of the  riders were in camp.  We spent Thursday with out
horses, checked tack, saddles, all the goodies that had to be transported
to the vet check.  And then a re-check.  I replayed the strategies a
thousand times in my mind.  Trying to lay out a plan for all the different
challenges that were to be put before us  on Friday.  Went over the fine
points of crewing with Diane finally  she told me to just go take a nap and
relax.  I did.  By Thursday evening my nerves were a wreck.  For the riders
meeting I tried to put on my race face. It didn't work.  At the riders
meeting there was enough tension and electricity to begin a fire storm.
But everyone was in a great mood.  Randy gave each rider a chance to
introduce him or herself.  That helped to take the edge off.  By the time
the riders meeting was over, each rider had a good idea of what was ahead.
Time for one more handful of Almond M&M's, a glass of milk and off to bed.
Sleep? You gotta be kidding. I drifted in and out of a slumber all night
long.  Toss and turn.  Turn and toss.  No real sleep.  And all of a sudden
it was 5 a.m.  Time to feed Irene, hope he eats well this am.  His diet is
2# of endurance 101, 2# equine energy, 2# oats,a nd 1 # of corn.  He ate
the whole thing, as usual.  For me it was oatmeal, orange juice, vitamins,
and for desert,some peach pie, and then just before the race began, another
handful of Almond M&M's, and some milk.  At 6:30 it was saddle up time,
The race began at 7.  Irene was wired.  He knows when its post time.  We
walk, trot, and then canter a bit.  The canter really got him fired up. I
dismount, walk him in hand.  Back on, its time to race!  What luck.  Randy
decided to do a controlled start.  He picks Carl Taylor with a bright
orange shirt.  We're off at a walk.  Up a lime rock road for about 2/10th
of a mile then the trail begins.  Just a Carl begins turn onto the trail,
we are dusted by the whoosh of several featherweights.  Carl begins a light
trot, and zip, zip, zip, several more pass us. Its obvious the race is one.
 Up the canyon we go at a slow trot, single file up the draw.  No passing
here.  Light trot, walk, then we're at the top.  A hard left turn.  Zip,
zip, several other lightweights pass us.  I decide to stick with Carl.
While behind him, I tried to see what kind of  rider he was, and to measure
his horse. Good horse, good rider.  My work is cut out for me this day.
This is going to be a race  for sure.  As the trail goes along we pass each
other several times.  Irene is racing relaxed.  That s plus for us.  Just
ahead is the trot by.  We slow down, trot through, and then there is a
small draw with water.  Carl is ahead of me, his horse is down into the
water, doesn't drink.  He's out of the draw and moving on.  Irene stops,
takes about twenty big gulps.  We're ready to race.Irene gets a big pat on
the neck.  Up a small grassy area, and then were moving into Apple Canyon.
This is supposed to be the hard part of the race.  Its steep enough to make
you walk, a few rocks.  Should I get off and tail?  Carl is ahead and he's
on.  So I remain on Irene.  That was  a mistake.  I should have tailed.  At
last we're at the top.  Terrific views, its clear and you can see almost
into Mexico.  Wow, what a place to ride.  All of a sudden we're at the top.
 Still behind Carl, we begin to move out.  Dawn Perrine on Mikie pulls up
next to us we are getting along real well, so off we went, two stallions
running side by side.  We passed Carl, and began to roll on downhill.  We
picked up the pace.  Carl was back there.  I couldn't shake him.  I'm
thinking , this guy is on a bionic horse.  He doesn't drink and his horse
runs full out.  I'm impressed!!!  We pull into vet check # 1. The pulse is
60 for the day.  UGH!  Irene is holding at 64.  Carl walks past us into the
vet check.  It is a bionic horse!!!  Two minutes later Irene is down.  Must
be the elevation, cause he usually drops like a rock.  We clear the vet
box, I turn around and gees, its Skinner coming into the Box.  Now I have
one in front of me and one right behind me.  Now the pressure is on!  I'm a
nervous wreck.  We ran the first 22 miles in just under 2 hours.  We were
flying!  The lightweights ran it in one and one half hours!.  Some more
Almond M&M's, some of Trumans home made racing brew for heavyweights, a
bologna sandwich.  I'm pacing, but ready.   Carl leaves.  A two minute drop
on me.  Well, we came to race, so I guess its time to turn it loose.  The
next loop is 22 miles.  Irene is fresh.  Really fresh.  Out of the first
vet check we fly.  Susan Kasemeyer(MOM) and Judy Sandlin is with me.  Three
southeasters riding with each other.  At about a mile out Susan tell me she
just had a glimpse of Carl's bright orange shirt.  Cool, as long as I can
keep him in sight, I'll save the real racing for the last 9 mile loop.  We
press on. No Carl.  We step up the pace, no Carl.  Gees, this guy is on the
bionic horse of the century.  Lots of water on the trail..Irene is drinking
just fine.  We press on,,,,, no Carl.   At the same time I keep looking
back to see if Skinner is gaining on us. No Skinner.  I'm in no mans land!
Ah this is awful.  My tummy tenses, we press on.  More water, and Irene
takes in a tank full.  I know this will get us through to the end, such a
good boy.  And I wanted to catch Carl on this loop and blow his doors off.
Can't, he's on a bionic horse!  Gees, we are flying again through meadow
type pastures.  Cows everywhere.  And Irene loves to punch dogies.  He
gives them the level eye as we pass.  More water, we tank up.  I'm wanting
to move out but can't see any ribbons.  Susan (my life saver for the day)
see them.  We're off.  I can't see squat with out my glasses.  She is my
seeing eye dog for this loop.  Wow, we are flying, right into the old
homestead.  More water ahead.  I see Annie, perched on top of her pick up.
I ask, how far ahead is Carl.  She tells me that Carl has not come through
yet.  I'm stunned.  I question her again, for if you know Annie, she is the
type to really pull a fast one on you.  She assures me that Carl has not
been through this gate.  My mind reels.  I wonder if he is lost.  Made a
wrong turn?  Who knows.  Maybe he is sick?  His horse is sick.  No, we
would have seen him.  Gees, what going on.  More water at the homestead.
We're off again, moving through high summer pasture.  Lush grass.  The cows
look fat and slick.  Susan picks up the pace.  No time to waste here.
We're flying again.  This is really racing.  Out of the pasture onto a
road, down the road, a little more pasture, more road, and then there it
is...... Vet check # 2.  All three of us roll in together.  All three
horses drop at the same time.  That means all three, Judy, Susan and myself
leave together. The horses ran that loop in a little under 2 hours.  The
same time we had on the first loop.  No wonder I thought we were flying on
this loop.  The horses trot out, sound.  Good CRI's.  Now all we have to do
is to hold our own, keep our horses sound for the finish.  I look up.  Here
comes Carl and Skinner.  Don has blood all over the side of his face.
Seems like he took on a low limb and lost.  He assures me that he is ok.
Tough old coot.  Carl is of good spirit.  Alas, he made a wrong turn. I
really, really feel sorry for him.  He was racing hard and doing so well.
Yet at the same time I can't allow myself to get lazy.  I know he will come
after me on the last loop.  Nine miles in of which the last four miles is
like going down hill on marbles.  OK, so now I have two of em, pushing me
home.  Irene is still fresh, ready to roll. I have some more Almond M&M's,
some more of Trumans home made brew, and we are off. I digress here to tell
you that the two leading featherweights FLEW out of camp.  Separated by
just one minute.  I've never seen two ladies more determined to beat each
other.  It was a thrill to watch them leave.  After 40 miles of hard
running they still had a lot of horse left.  What a race!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Times up, and off we go. Susan and Judy blast out of camp.  Not to be
outdone, Irene takes off in a cloud of dust.  All three of us are booking
it for home.  Up a short draw, more pasture, more dogies. Last stop for
water.  We tank up and off we go.  We're now back up on the top.  I'm going
to guess at an elevation of 9,000+ ft.   And from here its downhill all the
way.  Judy left us some time back, she is way out front.  Susan and I stay
with each other.  We're rolling along at a good pace on a non rock section
and all of a sudden I loose my brakes.  The reign snap breaks.  Nothing to
slow him down.  One side is still connected.  So I turn him in a circle.
He wants to run, but finally he stops.  Snaps not broken, just open.  Must
have been opened when he had his last drink.He likes to drink then rub his
nose on his for leg, hence the snap opened, and later, no brakes.  With
brakes reset, down we go.  At last we hit the same spot where we began in
the am.  Down the draw, across the road and then across the Sacramento
River, up a hill and then about 500 yds to the finish.  Irene knows he is
close to camp, he picks it up, and we fly across the finish.  Good boy, a
job well done.  We cool him out, do a trot out and a CRI.  He is sound and
has a 48/48 CRI.  I about as happy as a pig in slop.  This guy packed 225 #
all day, ran hard, and was ready for more.  I'm so proud of him.

                                       For those of us who like to race,
this is what its all about.  All week long we had fun, it was exciting.
Would I do it again? In a heart beat. Being the first year for the National
Championship to be held as a one day race has drawn a few detractors.  Too
bad they were not there to savor the fun and excitement.  The National
Championship will grow, that's for sure.  Hope to see you there next year.
 Jerry Fruth


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