Re: 25 mile story

["Maggie Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

I also hesitated to write about my horse's first Best Condition because it
was a 25 mile LD.  I was pleased as punch and my husband brags to all our
clients about it (he crewed for me so he figures he deserves some credit)
but I didn't feel comfortable telling about it on RC because I was afraid I
would be accused of 
a)  thinking I was a true endurance rider (no, a 25 mile BC doesn't make me
one but I also ride 50s which should count)  or
b)  ruining my horse for the 50s  or
c)  whatever gripe people can come up with for the fun of it!
So...without telling a long story...my horse (who has been doing 50s) won a
Best Condition....we could not do the 50 as I had pneumonia the week
before.  We settled for the 25 LD.  My daughter rode with me and she was
first over the line (did a beautiful job with her little 3/4 Arab...yes, I
let her race in, too).  She can't wait to do 50s with me now.  I actually
came in 3rd and was very surprised to win BC.  Even on a 25.  It made me
feel good about what we do with our horses...our conditioning, our feeding,
our strategy (which was pretty simple...let him do a pace that he was
comfortable with).  The neatest thing about it was that we did NOT
race....our horses settled into an easy lope (granted it was an easy trail,
pretty flat) and maintained it with an occasional trot for a change of
pace.  They had a ball....Linda Sherrill took pictures that day and ours
show 2 horses towards the homestretch, ears forward and loving it!  THAT is
what it is all about.  I think the extra oxygen I took in that day helped
me recover even faster from my bout of pneumonia so it was therapeutic,
too!  We had FUN...my daughter, myself AND the horses.  First over the line
and a BC were just icing on the cake and proof to us that we are on the
right track and capable of eventually achieving this same feeling doing the
50s with our horses.  I think an occasional 25 mile LD is fun and a good
change of pace (my horse hates CTR so I'd rather ride a LD if I want to do
25 miles).  In light of recent debate, here's my 2 cents:  JUST RIDE!!!! 
Don't waste your time bickering over who is champion and how they got
there....share everyone's joy and accomplishments with their horses whether
it's a 25 mile (or 12!), 50 or 100....we share a love of horses and an
awesome sport.  Let's clutter up Ridecamp with all kinds of fun ride
stories of ALL lengths and leave the debates elsewhere.  We are ALL
champions!!
Maggie
Michigan

----------
> From: Lucy Chaplin Trumbull <elsie@calweb.com>
> To: RideCamp <ridecamp@endurance.net>
> Subject: RC:  25 mile story
> Date: Wednesday, September 01, 1999 3:27 PM
> 
> Paints2123@aol.com wrote:
> > 
> > It sure as heck made
> > me decide not to post about my first 25 mile ride.....I was thrilled!!
> 
> 
> What? I was ranting on about my greenie's 12 mile accomplishment on 
> here the other day (we all have to start somewhere and that was her
> start. I was a proud mother). Tell the story!
> 
> -- 
> **************************************************************
> Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com
> Repotted english person in Sacramento, CA 
> http://www.calweb.com/~elsie
> 
> with Mouse and Provo
> **************************************************************
> 
> 
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=