more later, lunch is served!

Steph

May 21, recap

The language here still eludes me, I can't pronounce or remember the names (Nik is easy) well. The sounds are different from any other language I've heard. The people look a little different too. Dark skinned, and fairly small. Glossy black hair, small featured faces, they don't look oriental though, more like I remember the native people from Hawaii (my only other experience with south sea islands) - I guess that's basically Polynesia/Indonesia/Micronesia. Very friendly and gentle people, they seem to enjoy guests and visitors, and seem generally happy and relaxed. (maybe that goes with the tropics). As does sweating....

The food is sooooo good, but a little elusive also. I'm eating some sort of dry crunchy peanut/anchovy - seems unlikely, but very good. And the curries and coconut and peanut and lemon grass, shrimp paste, sweet brown sugar dishes. I can't really tell exactly what is in the dishes, but it makes for wonderful and adventurous eating!

So- the ride...

The big question in my mind (and others as well I think) is: Can it be done, can horses do 160km Endurance in the tropics. And another question - Should it be done? Is it just too much heat for the horses?

Can it be done - obviously yes. And the condition of the winning horse was amazing. I think the riders/owners/trainers here need to find a balance between 'lean enough to dissipate the heat' and 'enough body condition to do the miles'. On the low end of the scale, many of the horses here are (imo) simply underfed. When I see lean fit horses in the UAE I think - that's a lean fit horse, no extra body fat, but adequately developed musculature, and healthy looking, muscles fully loaded with energy. Some of the horses here were lacking the musculature, especially along the back and hip, and were ribby w/o the shine and gloss of an optimally conditioned horse.

But on the high end of the scale there were some awesome horses here too, not quite as impressive to the eye as the prime UAE horses, but fit and lean - but not too thin. Dr. Nik's horses (Ms Gedebe and Johgo) were very nice, he's obviously an astute learner. Tn. Hj Shuib's horses (including the horse I rode) were also in good condition - shiny and healthy looking (but still thinner than what I'm used to!). My horse was a good size anglo arab, narrow and lean, but well developed across the back and loins. He was also well schooled, I suspect Shu'ib has a history with horses, equestrian sports. There were other well conditioned, healthy looking horses - and some very fine athletes. They just need to help educate all of the participants here.

My ride story is rather brief - 35kms on the trail. But a very interesting trail. I never had a chance to ride 'my' horse before the ride (after opting out on Impressive),I put the first foot in the stirrups 15 minutes before the start. He's a big horse (15.2 or 15.3?) - dark red chestnut anglo, seemed pretty relaxed and reasonable. I could tell as soon as I got on that he was well schooled, a nice horse. Big, strong, goes well with a snaffle and contact, forward but not nervously so. Just the kind of horse I like.

The opening ceremonies started at 2pm. Lots of people, 2 long viewing tents along the riding arena, full of spectators, and the VIP tent at the head, the Malaysian Sports Minister, the Sultan, various royalties, the OC chair, Edaran (title sponsor, main supporter) watching from the stand. Drill team display by mounted police, a mock game of Pato - an Argentine game with a large 4 handled ball which has to be thrown into hoops on either end of the arena. Before the game, the 'master and referee' examined each horse to make sure the girth was tight. Once the game started the riders had to catch, throw, and retrieve dropped balls off the ground all from horseback. Sort of fast like polo, but focus in the air to catch the ball, and leaning down to the ground (thus the tight girths) to pick it back up when missed. Fast and fun. This was followed by 'Tent Pegging' - which I didn't entirely catch, but it's a game derived from the battle strategy of racing through camp on horseback, and pulling tent pegs out of the ground, collasping the tents around the enemy before they could rally. Fun.

While our horses were warming up, they had a 'Celebrity Ride' - Malaysian celebrities mounting up and riding around the arena - sort of cute. Not everybody was a superb rider. After the celebrities finished, it was time for Flag Off on the 160km. Only 11 starters, so not a lot of confusion. Pretty civilized. Yus, the young man helping me, walked Azreah up until 15 minutes before the start, then he announced that I could get on now. There's something wonderfully appealing in giving ones self up to the chances and whims that accompany riding in foreign places, following their customs. Whatever.. :)

Quiet civilized start, a few dashed off, the rest of us left at a nice trot. I had one interesting moment when my horse wouldn't walk under the start banner, just wouldn't. And I didn't know him well enough (at all actually) to know what his limits were regarding pressing him into a situation he didn't like. We made a few attempts, back around, forward again. Stopped again and backed away, big horse, head straight up in the air. Meanwhile crowds of spectators, cameras rolling, etc. :) Finally somebody took him by the bridle and led us under the banner, off we go.

more later -

Steph

More on the ride

I'm spending a few days on Langkawi Island (an island off the north west coast of Malaysia, Thailand is visible across the water), the Tanjung Rhu Resort. Absolutely Amazing. Thanks to Edaran Digital Systems Berhad (EDARAN) the sponsor, and the EEC organizing committee, and to Dr. Nik who came up with the idea to bring me to this foreign land in the first place. This is such a treat. I'll post more on this place later. Plus I'll put all the ride stuff together with some general observations and meandering thoughts - and all of the photos I have (and photos from the OC too) - I don't have a full Internet connect here, security firewall at the resort doesn't permit me to ftp directly to my server - so that stuff will have to wait a few more days. Assuming I ever leave this tropical paradise.... (horses?)

meanwhile - to carry on with the ride events ------

It's very very interesting starting an Endurance ride in the afternoon. The horses were relaxed, everybody was relaxed. Just setting out for a nice trail ride. I liked it, seemed sane, and a good way to start any competition - much less a demanding 160km ride when early conservation of energy pays off later in the ride. Only 11 of us, and I started out at the back of the pack (partially by design, partially because my horse wouldn't go under the starting banner :).

We started out along the pavement, nice clip clop start - then entered the palm oil forest. Palm oil is a major industry here (as is petroleum - shipped primarily to Japan). Malaysia also has a thriving IT and electronics industry, plus they are an auto manufacturer - the Proton is a Malaysian auto, and their newest car is the Gen2. A very ambitious nation for an island the size of New Mexico... It was glorious riding through the palm forest - really tall towering palms, bare trunks stretching up high, lush green undergrowth. We rode on the forest roads - felt very similar to our 'real' forest logging roads back home - graded, with switchbacks, crossing a stream repeatedly, then rising back up around another hill. Shady but very hot and still in these forests.

I caught up with two riders from Brunei - Pengiran Hj Shariffuddin Pg Hj Bakar and Pengiran Abdul Rahman Pg Apong - both riding leased horses from Sabih (on the island of Borneo). Shariffudin is a full time endurance rider, that's all he does, his wife is studying immunology in England (I think...) and he has horses in France where he prefers to compete. The other fellow, Rahman, was along as his support and pacer. We rode together off and on, passing each other in various spots, they were riding very cautiously, hoping to save their horses in the heat. I rode off and on with two other fellows, younger men, dressed in jeans and stopping for a cigarette break every once in a while. I couldn't help but be a mom - 'you really should quit'. And they couldn't help being kids. Nice guys. One of their horses wasn't drinking at the stops, he was concerned and spent extra time at the water stops. But in this heat, even at this pace a horse that wasn't drinking from the start would have a tough time.

Azrheal was a trouper - he drank from everything, even the streams. Really nice horse. As an anglo arab he might have a tougher time competing here, but he really didn't seem to mind working in the heat. He was lean and his blood vessels bulging. Plenty of forward energy and impulsion. At one point after helping him (he was not too bright maybe) past a scary check point with spotters and armed guards (security for the Royalty, for the Sheikhs, for all) I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him - skin hot to the touch. Amazing animals to be able to perform such work.

I came upon Dr. Nik (Dr. Nik Isahak Abdullah) and his friend Burn (Bakar Bin Man) as we were leaving the forest. We rode together for a while, past an old tin quarry, the deep pits now filled in with water. Men fishing on the banks and ditches. Past a 'farm' - brahma cattle and goats in small pens, wood and tin shacks, chickens, barking dogs. Poor people, but smiling and friendly, and quite incredulous to see a white woman riding through there plot I think...

We left the estate and rode the outskirts of a village, machinery, construction, more incredulous gazes. A welcome water stop along a street. Azhreal gulped and gulped, I gave him some electroltyes. Good boy. Back towards the forest again, and passed by the ride venue at about 20km. Horses happy to head back to the stable, only to be turned around again to head back down the trail. More forest, hot and still, jungly bird sounds. Then dropped down into another village. Some farmland, huge fields covered by nets, rows of some sort of crop, I couldn't tell what it was. Along the village roads, many many dark skinned people and children out to see the horses - laughing, clapping, generally enjoying themselves. Dr. Nik said these are 'proto Malay' people, the original Malaysian tribes. Small, dark, beautiful faces.

Back into the forest, waving at a few more smiling faces as we left the village, and winding through the palms back into camp. Walked and trotted into the vetting area, Azhreal was feeling good, strong and happy. Yus, the groom that was helping me met us as we came in and took us to the cooling area. Nik and Burn were there, Nik's horse Ms. Gedebe was taking longer than usual to pulse down, Nik was a little worried. Lots and lots of water - scoops, hoses, scrapers - they obviously have great respect for the cooling of the horses - though the water felt warm to the touch to me. Not sure how much it was helping, and little air for evaporative cooling. (amazing horses). Azhreal finally came down, when he dropped he dropped fast/boom down to 50. A little more time to make sure and off to the vet.

I gave my pinney to Yus and he trotted him out for me. On pavement, nothing is missed. I heard some unevenness as he trotted away, and coming back as he slowed down there it was, defintely a head nod. damn. Obvious to me, obvious to the vets - we're done. I hope it was nothing serious - it was really rocky trail out there, he was padded, but his farrier said he had a stone bruise about 6 months ago. Maybe still some soreness, maybe... who knows. Anyway I didn't feel too terribly sad. I was wet and soggy (it really doesn't help to pour water on yourself in hot/humid conditions - you don't get cooler - just wetter - and stay wet). Starting to feel some rubbing on my tender white skin from the wet clothes and tack (next time I'll bring talcum powder and keep myself as dry as possible), so it's probably just as well that I pull now. (these are the things we tell ourselves to ease the dissappointment :)

On the way back I saw Dr. Nik - he said 'we're out' - Ms. Gedebe is lame. A hind end lameness, maybe muscle cramp, unexpected - but he said 'this probably explains why she took longer to pulse down'. More dissappointment. Three of us pulled at this first hold, and watched as the other riders hooked up their headlamps and headed back out. It was around an hour before dark, they would soon lose their light. The moon (almost full) had risen, but I suspected that in the dark forest not much moonlight would penetrate. True, they would rely solely on their headlamps, and on their motorcycle guides.

After the rest of the riders left, I took a (cold) shower at the stable, and joined Dinah and the officials for a while. Not many riders, lots of miles to go, lots of waiting. There were two officials from Down Under - Denise Trollope from Australia, head of the Ground Jury, and Tony Parsons DVM from New Zealand, foreign vet delegate. Nice folks. First time in Malaysia for Densie, Tony had been here before, liked it. I invited him out to Idaho to vet a ride sometime, ya never know!

I started feeling cold, cool damp night air, fans going all the time from the tent roofs, a little fatigue, hungry. Finally got a ride (Amran our wonderful driver) back to the hotel around 12:30 - hated to abandon Dinah... but she was cheerful, and 'I'm here to work!'. Hot shower, and cool sheets, slept well but I was still, in spirit, on the trail, trotting along in the dark.

Steph