2008 Tom Quilty Gold Cup - Nanango
2008 Tom Quilty Ride Stories
FINAL RESULTS - HERE
Narelle Wockner Photography
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Preliminary final results. They are subject to checking:
Ride Name: Tom Quilty Gold Cup, held on 20/09/2008
Location: Nanango Show Grounds
Distance: 160km
Gate times only, no heart rates
Heavyweight Division
------------------------------
1, Matthew Sample - Tuldar Saladin Gate: 05:29, 07:10, 08:21, 05:42,
08:43, 09:11, Time: 11:27:09
2, Selwyn Nix - Dunbar Mahadik Gate: 09:58, 11:42, 19:14, 09:09,
09:19, 41:35, Time: 14:54:25
3, Stephen Gray - Ashraf Sparkling Panache Gate: 20:00, 21:36, 26:15,
27:50, 26:07, 29:50, Time: 15:31:10
4, Ernest Schrader - Porcelain Doll Gate: 05:18, 08:37, 08:30, 09:35,
05:31, 10:03, Time: 15:39:31
5, Paul Fitzgerald - Merton Amadeus Gate: 10:35, 11:41, 17:56, 09:49,
35:00, 14:20, Time: 16:10:55
6, Dick Collyer - Crystabarbara Gate: 07:38, 10:41, 10:11, 11:36,
11:20, 08:42, Time: 16:26:28
7, Mitchell Teusen - Tequila Sunrise Gate: 11:52, 17:05, 00:00,
17:06, 40:09, 24:18, Time: 16:39:33
8, Olaf Lochtenberg - Matta Mia Ademi Gate: 09:43, 19:04, 15:08,
14:23, 51:43, 07:12, Time: 17:19:20
9, Shimpei Miyamoto - Shah Vale Shamal Gate: 08:32, 14:54, 09:15,
10:54, 57:17, 06:32, Time: 17:22:12
10, A.P Caslin - Timeless Gate: 12:15, 16:03, 15:06, 17:51, 40:41,
17:59, Time: 17:30:30
11, Jonnie White - Die Kinder Spyder Gate: 08:41, 07:33, 12:47,
11:34, 05:59, 06:01, Time: 17:51:15
12, Greg Garred - Shanninwood Sub Gate: 11:25, 12:20, 14:48, 09:39,
30:41, 21:31, Time: 17:53:33
13, Mark Nimon - Sundown Park Miss Jacob Gate: 18:02, 12:22, 14:02,
20:06, 41:40, 23:41, Time: 17:55:26
14, Alwyn Torenbeek - Dal Gangle Gate: 20:00, 17:04, 11:46, 10:50,
29:59, 12:44, Time: 18:06:51
15, Elisabeth Paton - Freelance Gaytu Boysey Gate: 08:55, 11:25,
11:56, 16:37, 07:42, 10:12, Time: 18:12:47
16, Keryn Mahony - Bremervale Justice Gate: 10:28, 16:45, 08:15,
11:10, 10:20, 05:00, Time: 18:13:38
17, Ian Brown - Unique Design Gate: 09:18, 15:31, 12:04, 13:28,
21:45, 15:09, Time: 18:33:55
18, Michael Combe - Erin Park GBH Gate: 10:09, 20:16, 19:50, 11:21,
06:28, 08:11, Time: 19:43:15
19, Jan McPherson - Follyfoot Bint Ajouz Gate: 09:46, 17:24, 11:48,
06:04, 09:18, 05:48, Time: 21:33:56
19, Louise Pearce - Tropic Danone Gate: 09:24, 18:19, 13:04, 05:59,
08:25, 06:06, Time: 21:33:56
21, Con Bouzianis - Conderosa Rassim Gate: 09:10, 09:43, 18:49,
05:06, 06:22, 07:23, Time: 21:56:30
- Clive Politte - Meltharina Mahzada Gate: 14:18, 11:47, 11:21,
14:40, WDN (Leg 4)
- Jan Rohweder - Warraba Haziel Gate: 17:00, 24:05, 20:45, 09:27, WDN
(Leg 4)
- Laura Salisbury - Musical Gully Pizzecato Gate: 11:59, 15:05,
16:08, 15:40, WDN (Leg 4)
- Ivan Sampson - Hillbrae Kasemo Gate: 14:30, 27:15, 17:29, WDN (Leg
3)
- Jaime Garred - Shannonwood Ezar Gate: 11:24, 12:20, 00:00, WDN (Leg
3)
- Phil Coleman - Alnotarj Statistic Gate: 12:15, 22:55, 05:00, WDN
(Leg 3)
- Len Law - Lenannlaw Vitality Gate: 00:00, WDN (Leg 1)
- Matthew Gadsby - Dardanga Fingal Gate: 18:58, 14:01, 16:00, 10:26,
08:53, 14:34, V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 6)
- Vern Berry - Hirstglen Louisville Gate: 19:01, 16:36, 11:55, 07:48,
07:51, 06:44, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- Ricky Petersen - Ashraf Sparkling Polaris Gate: 17:40, 20:35,
28:58, 27:25, V/O Heart Rate (Leg 4)
- Ian Davidson - Tristram Nicholas Gate: 08:01, 09:49, 05:50, 16:04,
V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 4)
- John Dugan - Aratahnes Galaxy Gate: 08:17, 18:42, 13:01, 23:08, V/O
Heart Rate (Leg 4)
- Paul Lengronne - Banjo Star Gate: 10:56, 15:09, 20:23, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Warwick Toft - Tora Blar-Zay Gate: 08:55, 12:35, 15:30, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Allan Caslick - Cameo Zanadu Gate: 12:54, 15:24, 06:34, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Stephen Barlow - Dunwingeri Maashhar Gate: 10:04, 01:43, 15:07, V/O
Lame (Leg 3)
- Mark Harvey - Raymar Yasmin Gate: 11:52, 17:29, 10:17, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Roger Warner - Hillbrae Kahalan Gate: 15:23, 13:34, 18:51, V/O
Lame - LF (Leg 3)
- John Fry - Bessona Tania Gate: 24:53, 25:56, V/O Heart Rate (Leg 2)
- Bob Sample - Aloha Millennium Gate: 06:38, 11:21, V/O Lame (Leg 2)
- Rod Strahan - Shardell Azrark Gate: 06:50, 00:00, V/O Metabolics
Non-Inv (Leg 2)
- Heather Roberts - Bagherra Bethany Gate: 15:31, 16:24, V/O Lame
(Leg 2)
- Gary Pevy - Dakila Pascalle Gate: 07:02, 33:02, V/O Disqualified
(Leg 2)
- Liz Cullam - Bullarto Fiorelli Gate: 19:24, 22:23, V/O Metabolics
Non-Inv (Leg 2)
- Tim Weismann - Maverick Gate: 11:20, V/O Lame (Leg 1)
- Roman Stoffel - Sundown Park Eastwind Gate: 12:21, V/O Lame (Leg 1)
- Patrick Leary - Jirrima Smooth Sailor Gate: , V/O Lame (Leg 0)
Middleweight Division
------------------------------
1, Margaret Wade - China Doll Gate: 03:00, 09:18, 05:53, 05:55,
05:14, 01:18, Time: 10:56:24
2, Donna Weismann - Hirstglen Fargo Gate: 11:13, 10:12, 12:53, 11:10,
12:10, 15:24, Time: 11:00:14
3, Jodie Patterson - Celebration Gate: 07:52, 09:55, 06:00, 05:41,
05:33, 04:46, Time: 11:29:11
4, Cora Becker - Obi Rain Dance Gate: 06:54, 08:05, 05:36, 06:05,
06:16, 10:35, Time: 11:33:19
5, Scott Hill - Kalkadoon Kismet Gate: 06:23, 07:00, 07:10, 07:12,
10:03, 04:19, Time: 11:58:24
6, Kristie McGaffin - Kurrajong Concorde Gate: 03:30, 11:11, 07:49,
07:36, 07:37, 09:18, Time: 12:04:05
7, Jennifer Gilbertson - Kurrajong Shadad Gate: 09:10, 12:31, 09:08,
09:21, 07:02, 07:34, Time: 12:13:33
8, Mark Tylee - Brookleigh Maestro Gate: 07:54, 09:02, 12:00, 09:37,
08:20, 16:57, Time: 12:15:05
8, Derek Armitage - Burralga Bourbon Gate: 10:12, 11:40, 09:10,
09:12, 08:59, 12:48, Time: 12:15:05
10, Linda Meredith - Anglesea Trooper Gate: 08:13, 08:17, 15:15,
06:51, 08:47, 10:06, Time: 12:33:03
11, Penny Toft - Electra BBP Murdoch Gate: 05:39, 10:45, 09:56,
10:09, 08:11, 11:13, Time: 12:46:44
12, James Sheahan - Castlebar Hot Potato Gate: 08:38, 07:22, 13:32,
07:31, 10:05, 14:33, Time: 12:53:29
13, Louise McCormack - Formosa Park Tali Gate: 07:51, 11:34, 16:17,
13:57, 16:25, 44:30, Time: 14:03:30
13, Judith Burton - Woodbourne Ruby Gate: 07:27, 12:11, 03:27, 09:44,
05:26, 36:30, Time: 14:03:30
13, Tarnia Kittel - Splendacrest Dryad Gate: 19:24, 26:03, 19:26,
15:41, 17:30, 46:30, Time: 14:03:30
16, Mette Sutton - Tuldat The Magician Gate: 12:30, 11:26, 09:04,
18:23, 06:03, 18:17, Time: 14:09:43
17, Marion Lengronne - Sasam Gate: 05:44, 09:19, 09:51, 09:25, 07:52,
11:34, Time: 14:26:26
18, Jamie Mollema - Littlebanks Tic Tac Toe Gate: 21:09, 27:41,
28:36, 25:34, 22:51, 13:50, Time: 14:31:10
18, Vanessa Tiffen - Allira Park Wings of Fire Gate: 05:54, 07:45,
08:32, 07:46, 04:02, 10:50, Time: 14:31:10
20, Ken Moir - Johroy Custom Made Gate: 11:07, 13:31, 18:39, 12:56,
11:23, 04:52, Time: 14:37:08
21, Shelley Cowan - Magic Glenn Katana Gate: 06:25, 09:51, 10:28,
11:54, 08:37, 56:23, Time: 14:42:37
22, Lesley Nancarrow - Touchwarr Kiara Gate: 19:47, 25:36, 19:44,
17:04, 15:33, 42:10, Time: 14:51:50
23, Derryn Nix - Rowallan Rufous Gate: 07:56, 12:09, 11:05, 09:19,
09:19, 41:35, Time: 14:54:25
24, Simone Krahnen - Kalkadoon Zorro Gate: 06:00, 12:35, 13:54,
09:54, 37:31, 17:59, Time: 16:07:19
25, Dean Hoalst - Pioneer Park Navarone Gate: 06:29, 06:38, 13:01,
09:51, 12:03, 11:21, Time: 17:45:02
26, Anne Simmons - Hillbrae Kazsan Gate: 11:59, 15:28, 09:37, 08:30,
19:59, 08:20, Time: 17:45:36
26, Carmel Trevorrow - Niarob Ngym-El-Sadat Gate: 10:08, 23:52,
28:54, 10:36, 06:43, 09:09, Time: 17:45:36
28, Terry Wood - Tallawarra Chance Gate: 09:29, 11:18, 22:56, 23:11,
53:10, 08:32, Time: 17:53:36
29, Katrina Bodewes - Tallawarra Spy Gate: 09:36, 11:23, 22:58,
23:14, 53:04, 08:32, Time: 17:53:42
30, Gerard Bou - Splendacrest Fiesta Gate: 13:30, 18:09, 08:40,
11:13, 06:21, 04:33, Time: 17:55:21
31, Charisse Glenn - Bacchante Silver Lace Gate: 11:39, 13:36, 16:08,
08:39, 21:59, 05:34, Time: 18:06:51
32, Bridget Nottle - Kitt Gate: 05:39, 10:45, 11:17, 13:29, 03:41,
04:52, Time: 18:13:38
33, Jo Hamilton-Branigan - Aloha Kamahl Gate: 04:59, 08:19, 05:30,
06:19, 08:29, 05:04, Time: 18:19:19
34, Jessica Vermeer - Macedonian Rakkali Gate: 14:15, 13:06, 12:37,
11:55, 13:45, 08:12, Time: 18:19:44
35, Patricia Waddell - Inshallah Windsong Gate: 04:27, 14:07, 07:30,
04:10, 11:33, 05:12, Time: 18:30:22
35, Adrian Brickley - Alpines Ripplin Waters Gate: 09:41, 12:28,
05:35, 05:37, 11:33, 05:59, Time: 18:30:22
37, Kristy Waddell - Velona Bartez Gate: 15:13, 10:25, 11:44, 09:13,
07:45, 12:14, Time: 18:32:42
38, Yukinobu Horiuchi - Pinfeather Gate: 20:32, 14:13, 11:43, 10:44,
29:59, 05:55, Time: 18:35:35
39, Albert Knight - Abbeywood Rumor Gate: 25:29, 22:33, 14:33, 16:54,
16:35, 13:54, Time: 18:37:06
40, Corey Lunt - Eljannah Wafa Gate: 11:25, 24:12, 24:01, 26:33,
25:20, 17:45, Time: 18:42:15
41, Anne Barlow - Tyto Ivan Gate: 10:04, 11:33, 14:24, 11:32, 07:50,
07:13, Time: 18:48:47
41, Karen Rhodes - Shadow Gate: 09:57, 10:38, 10:57, 11:10, 06:50,
07:13, Time: 18:48:47
43, Caroline Gillam - Bashan Malachi Gate: 09:03, 10:30, 10:56,
10:46, 12:55, 12:10, Time: 19:24:16
43, Ouida Ratapu - Jessie Gate: 09:42, 18:36, 08:58, 11:36, 29:08,
10:04, Time: 19:24:16
45, Raewyn Carter - Maioro Nakita Gate: 10:00, 10:45, 13:07, 14:36,
18:48, 13:26, Time: 19:46:27
46, Sonya Ruprecht - Yahweh-Salih Sir Ibn Gelibene Gate: 10:20,
15:03, 14:24, 50:20, 10:41, 12:43, Time: 20:03:07
47, Ruth Van Der Wegen - Aratahnes Impressive Gate: 12:41, 15:04,
12:23, 14:20, 10:01, 12:48, Time: 20:39:07
48, Harry O'Brien - Big Joe Gate: 10:47, 24:34, 15:00, 08:38, 09:37,
05:43, Time: 20:40:47
48, Simon Slemint - Ralvon Jordan Gate: 10:52, 24:34, 14:44, 08:35,
09:17, 05:43, Time: 20:40:47
50, Takeshi Ito - Splendacrest Perfection Gate: 13:43, 24:01, 21:36,
18:02, 07:58, 13:02, Time: 21:53:36
- Jan Tyrrell - Zalman Gate: 08:47, 12:03, 06:43, 07:28, 00:00, WDN
(Leg 5)
- Kim Fuess - Lilonda Count Richael Gate: 11:54, 14:15, 08:27, 00:00,
WDN (Leg 4)
- Beverley Rayner-Mason - Karumba Nariel Gate: 18:35, 24:00, 24:59,
13:10, WDN (Leg 4)
- Bob Locke - Ally Gate: 14:39, 13:57, 12:38, 12:20, WDN (Leg 4)
- Wayne McKinnon - Dunbar Lexus Gate: 15:09, 16:03, 16:50, 14:54, WDN
(Leg 4)
- Laura Cheney Fewson - Cyden Cloud Dancer Gate: 08:02, 09:00, 00:00,
WDN (Leg 3)
- Megan Law - Nikki Gate: 00:00, WDN (Leg 1)
- Judy Battams - Denwells Lenzwela Gate: 13:16, 27:58, 25:10, 27:13,
27:37, 11:42, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- Chris Enstrom - Willovale Sirahh Gate: 08:08, 08:35, 11:48, 08:04,
30:31, 07:04, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- Garry Bennett - Karabil Yaningi Gate: 08:59, 12:11, 15:42, 16:27,
44:28, 20:47, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- John Hampson - Eaglemoon Gate: 10:01, 14:09, 14:23, 09:47, 56:53,
07:20, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- Rowena Robinson - Karumba Nazrani Gate: 10:06, 14:22, 16:48, 13:49,
13:43, 29:26, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- Chris Cheney - Magdalina Gate: 04:20, 18:29, 11:00, 12:39, 57:25,
V/O Lame (Leg 5)
- Anita Lunt - Rayjen Boaz Gate: 10:13, 23:17, 24:07, 26:21, V/O Lame
(Leg 4)
- Trevor Copland - Coal Dust Gate: 20:25, 17:10, 12:06, 15:55, V/O
Lame (Leg 4)
- Carolyn Foley - Highland View Kelandi Gate: 08:01, 11:40, 09:40,
15:05, V/O Lame (Leg 4)
- Emily Streckfuss - Webbs Creek Captain Starlight Gate: 09:10,
12:44, 11:08, 10:07, V/O Lame (Leg 4)
- Raymond Griffith - Alhambra Jazz Dancer Gate: 09:35, 13:19, 13:24,
19:53, V/O Lame (Leg 4)
- Brook Sample - Brookleigh Mozart Gate: 05:20, 06:18, 09:26, 05:04,
V/O Lame (Leg 4)
- Joyce Corbett - Reeflex Gate: 08:53, 09:54, 12:12, 00:00, V/O Lame
(Leg 4)
- Margaret Boland - Alandell Karlinta Gate: 13:40, 21:07, 19:27,
30:57, V/O Lame (Leg 4)
- Kerrie McAuliffe - Gurangada Sundance Gate: 08:59, 10:59, 16:45,
00:00, V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 4)
- Dale Hargreaves - Kai Hai Sterling Aarimis Gate: 11:29, 18:49,
19:05, 06:54, V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 4)
- Sonia Bonham - Box Hill Elnino Gate: 15:13, 10:25, 12:48, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Rose Ross - El Gamal Indian Desert Gate: 12:36, 07:20, 11:47, V/O
Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Alan Lindsay - Kintamani Mistral Gate: 07:09, 12:07, 13:32, V/O
Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Ann Batt - Roxborough Nato Gate: 17:10, 19:22, 26:36, V/O Lame (Leg
3)
- Christopher Noonan - Bremervale Katlyn Gate: 07:08, 17:48, 11:21,
V/O Lame (Leg 3)
- Caroline Fitzgerald - Lanamere Femmara Gate: 10:32, 11:41, 17:50,
V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Helen Astel - Alnotarj Zakar Gate: 09:43, 19:35, 08:27, V/O
Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Narelle Childs - Arsley House Eryldene Gate: 07:07, 12:09, 16:18,
V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Corey Nix - Dunbar El Maestro Gate: 07:55, 12:06, 11:05, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Gayle Holmes - Captain's Creek Rupert Gate: 06:37, 20:03, 25:14,
V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Jeanette Norman - Bellarine Passion Gate: 10:51, 15:14, 13:18, V/O
Lame (Leg 3)
- Libby Nichols - Meltharina Moosa Gate: 10:09, 11:25, 19:52, V/O
Lame (Leg 3)
- Kimberley Ryan - Cyrus Gate: 04:11, 13:14, 11:08, V/O Lame (Leg 3)
- Julie Kemp - Al Baraq Gate: 12:42, 15:57, 14:34, V/O Lame - RF (Leg
3)
- Tanya Trevarthen - Cicada Lodge Oliver Twist Gate: 12:40, 16:41,
14:28, V/O Lame (Leg 3)
- Peter Kelly - Wollumbin Faiz Gate: 11:41, 15:43, 10:04, V/O Lame -
LH (Leg 3)
- H. E. Sheik Saeed bin Maktoum bin Khalifa - Diamond Centrefold
Gate: 09:22, 30:45, V/O Heart Rate (Leg 2)
- Christoph Schork - Donnybrook Gate: 10:52, 29:06, V/O Metabolics
Non-Inv (Leg 2)
- Thomas Wilde - Cobber Gate: 25:57, 28:08, V/O Heart Rate (Leg 2)
- Olga Bartlett - Mt Eerwah Anastazia Gate: 07:51, V/O Lame (Leg 1)
Lightweight Division
------------------------------
1, Amaya Fenech - Pilgrim Gate: 09:14, 08:40, 04:44, 00:06, 10:25,
10:22, Time: 11:27:18
2, Angela Hawks - Phantasim Gate: 09:56, 13:10, 06:14, 05:45, 05:07,
11:10, Time: 12:30:14
3, Clare Fleming - Mangueira Moksha Gate: 14:59, 13:29, 09:00, 07:51,
09:10, 08:51, Time: 12:33:25
4, Maxine Leary - Sunhaven Brooklyn Gate: 04:36, 06:06, 05:45, 05:51,
05:05, 03:48, Time: 12:46:44
5, Saasha Turrell - Moondarra Cimeron Gate: 12:33, 12:39, 15:18,
09:49, 06:22, 09:06, Time: 13:02:02
6, Rebecca Miller - Jayhal Cloud Gate: 09:22, 13:22, 11:36, 12:29,
20:59, 14:17, Time: 13:17:18
7, Brooke Warner - Magnum Gate: 04:09, 05:38, 07:00, 00:00, 03:44,
04:16, Time: 13:51:45
8, Sally Genninges - Arinya Park Nazzerin Gate: 12:59, 11:10, 14:43,
10:26, 06:55, 12:52, Time: 14:37:08
9, Shay Corbett - Murland Park Mikahla Gate: 10:38, 11:41, 17:50,
09:49, 35:00, 14:20, Time: 16:10:55
10, Della Weier - Lilla Gate: 07:33, 10:40, 05:09, 11:31, 11:20,
08:42, Time: 16:26:28
11, Karen Hill - Sa 'eed Gate: 13:15, 12:13, 10:54, 07:58, 50:30,
15:25, Time: 17:23:08
12, Trish Smith - Anglesea Summerleas Gate: 09:57, 14:50, 11:58,
13:14, 53:53, 10:51, Time: 17:23:23
13, Alix Jones - Shellal Cattle King Flyte Gate: 13:18, 16:48, 12:05,
11:43, 34:59, 08:46, Time: 17:42:45
14, Amanda Powell - Summit Park Ras Gate: 12:19, 10:03, 07:55, 08:30,
06:09, 05:16, Time: 17:59:17
15, Brianna Bainger - Blue Bronco Gate: 06:12, 12:05, 06:02, 03:55,
07:29, 05:06, Time: 18:19:19
16, Teresa Vermeer - Bellarine Spechelle Gate: 14:19, 13:09, 12:45,
12:07, 14:10, 08:11, Time: 18:19:44
17, Karen Trundell - Rodborough Eclipse Gate: 07:57, 09:56, 12:57,
08:09, 29:41, 07:39, Time: 18:24:14
18, Angie Clark - Zara Farm Shadasj Gate: 04:50, 13:24, 04:03, 03:58,
06:33, 05:37, Time: 18:30:22
19, Barbara Draheim - Danbar Silk N' Satinn Gate: 07:32, 10:41,
09:45, 11:44, 11:43, 05:16, Time: 18:31:44
20, Ros Ryan - Rainbows Reach Scoot Gate: 12:14, 22:52, 14:03, 11:41,
06:45, 09:02, Time: 18:32:42
21, Caroline Windle - Aloha Arabian Graceful Gate: 10:10, 19:36,
19:45, 11:17, 06:28, 08:11, Time: 19:43:15
22, Jan Wade - Hajra Leonie Gate: 12:00, 23:08, 30:04, 51:20, 11:11,
14:36, Time: 20:02:07
23, Satomi Kitamura - Mt Eerwah Silver Mariner Gate: 11:44, 23:48,
21:32, 10:30, 07:58, 12:47, Time: 21:53:36
- Terri Anderson - Ashwind Gate: 11:08, 11:09, 09:54, 06:32, 06:51,
00:00, WDN (Leg 6)
- Riyo Noyori - Belgari Bentley Gate: 13:33, 17:13, 28:07, 16:37,
54:45, WDN (Leg 5)
- Amily Daw - Parlour Mountain Pandora Gate: 06:46, 06:54, 05:15,
06:44, 05:58, WDN (Leg 5)
- Yvonne Knight - Alhambra Troubador Gate: 11:14, 22:09, 05:15,
14:56, 12:04, WDN (Leg 5)
- Corrine Beasley - Castlebar Moonlight Gate: 05:19, 05:01, 12:59,
06:26, WDN (Leg 4)
- Rachel Kuns - Kelkette Park Finesse Gate: 11:52, 08:49, 19:15,
22:30, WDN (Leg 4)
- Lisa Stoffel - Candy Gate: 10:41, 23:13, 23:52, 26:16, WDN (Leg 4)
- Sonya Ryan - Lindall Farvio Gate: 12:22, 26:15, WDN (Leg 2)
- Sasha Laws-King - Castlebar Topaz Gate: , WDN (Leg 0)
- Telea Leary - Conroy Gate: 13:26, 26:31, 25:54, 26:19, 50:30,
19:27, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- Kirsty Owen - Jaytee The Rebel Gate: 11:38, 11:44, 06:10, 06:06,
04:00, 02:23, V/O Lame (Leg 6)
- Carla Jones - Mt Eerwah Nikita Gate: 09:21, 09:33, 12:39, 13:06,
12:35, V/O Lame (Leg 5)
- Vicki Gaillard - Trazir Mystic Shai Gate: 09:39, 21:43, 21:51,
28:54, 25:28, V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 5)
- Rohan Stanes - Hillbrae Bandito Gate: 14:12, 17:28, 13:10, 28:07,
V/O Lame (Leg 4)
- Helen Fitzgerald - Allira Park Wings Of An Eagle Gate: 16:56,
19:42, 22:52, 13:06, V/O Lame - LH (Leg 4)
- Nina Jackson - Stanpark Kilara Gate: 10:56, 14:28, 17:40, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Wendy Jones - Kalim Gate: 13:10, 14:18, 12:07, V/O Lame (Leg 3)
- Margaret Harvey - Banbra Shadow Gate: 10:43, 11:46, 17:45, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Natarsha Teuwsen - Niarla Silver Flair Gate: 11:06, 17:10, 12:01,
V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Karen Hamelink - Tonique Gate: 11:00, 08:52, 24:54, V/O Metabolics
Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Wendy Chambers - Narmond Silver Gift Gate: 11:50, 11:05, 10:47, V/O
Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Kaylea Grogan - Bacchante Banjo Gate: 03:49, 13:59, 10:40, V/O Lame
(Leg 3)
- Leah McIntosh - Dakila Renoasette Gate: 23:04, 26:23, V/O
Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 2)
- Christine Christie - Reg Gate: 16:39, 15:26, V/O Lame (Leg 2)
- Melanie Anderson - Ausden Kon Tiki Gate: 19:20, 26:50, V/O Heart
Rate (Leg 2)
- Chelsea Moore - Rahim Whispah Gate: 09:17, 09:31, V/O Lame (Leg 2)
Junior Division
------------------------------
1, Leila Callander - Devenward Imootat Gate: 11:36, 07:03, 09:43,
07:04, 10:21, 14:06, Time: 12:04:25
2, Jade Vergis - Carnarvon Cavalier Gate: 05:51, 07:06, 09:34, 00:00,
05:18, 06:34, Time: 12:10:11
3, Georgia Toft - Malricia Bern Gate: 06:32, 12:22, 14:18, 12:35,
04:22, 04:17, Time: 13:51:45
4, Ingrid Ambrosiussen - Shaah Gate: 10:41, 09:03, 15:33, 08:27,
06:13, 30:00, Time: 15:03:30
5, Harlee McCarthy - Hirstglen Sahara Gate: 13:43, 16:19, 11:53,
07:36, 07:51, 07:09, Time: 19:58:37
- Tasha Ellison - Eastwinds Song of Joy Gate: 13:33, 12:35, 12:21,
25:51, 00:00, WDN (Leg 5)
- Alexandra Toft - Bramall Jazzmin Gate: 04:12, 14:04, 12:43, 07:50,
WDN (Leg 4)
- Jasmine Shields - Woodbrune Betty Gate: , WDN (Leg 0)
- Jasmine Shields - Tamar Gate: 05:56, 07:47, 08:58, 11:26, 10:01,
V/O Lame (Leg 5)
- Emma Smith - Kintamani Charisma Gate: 07:11, 12:08, 13:28, 06:00,
V/O Lame (Leg 4)
- Erin Lee Krahnen - Rodborough Bey Abdul Gate: 05:57, 12:23, 14:00,
V/O Metabolics Non-Inv (Leg 3)
- Luke Torenbeek - Belyando Gate: 20:19, 17:05, 01:43, V/O Lame (Leg
3)
- Timothy Sutcliffe - Talbarear Rapier Gate: 15:36, V/O Metabolics
Non-Inv (Leg 1)
- James Green - Hirstglen Maybe Gate: 12:12, V/O Lame - LH (Leg 1)
Quick Quilty Recap... by Anonymous
WELL.....AND WHAT A QUILTY IT HAS BEEN! THE ADRENALIN WAS RACING ALL WEEKEND. THE WEATHER WAS ANYTHING FROM 'HOT' WITH THE CHANGE TO A 'HUGE' STORM! BUT , AS ENDURANCE FOLK ARE KNOWN FOR....ON THEY WENT THROUGH THE NIGHT.....FANTASTIC! MEG N CHINA DOLL'S WIN WAS AS EXCITING AS IT GETS. LINE UP FOR THE BEST CONDITIONED HORSE LOOKED TREMENDOUS AND EVERYONE, NO MATTER IF THEY FINISHED, LOST HORSES OUT BUSH (FOUND GRAZING IN CONTENTED BLISS LATER), VETTED OUT OR NOT, HAD A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER AT THE "NANANGO TOM QUILTY OF 2008!" CAN HARDLY WAIT UNTIL NEXT QUILTY....CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ON THE HARD WORK AND UNFORGETABLE WEEKEND IT'S BEEN!
Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride report, part 1 - Jay Randle
Hi All
WOW! The 2008 Nanango Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride has been run and won by Meg Wade on China Doll! With over 200 entries, dozens of volunteers, hundreds of spectators, and a cast of thousands of strappers/crew/kids/families/supporters, this ride will go down in history as one of the most exciting Quiltys EVER!
The Splendacrest Team arrived at the Nanango Showgrounds on the Wednesday before the event, and settled the horses in. During the day our foreign riders also arrived, to be amazed at the scene before them! Takeshi Ito, Satomi Kitamura, and Riyo Noyori (all from Japan), and Kim Fuess and Charisse Glenn (from USA), were joined by Liz Cullam (from Western Australia), and welcomed to the Splendacrest camp. And what a campsite we had! A large marquee, complete with flashing coloured lights and all the comforts of home, together with a secure and well-laid-out yard area for the horses made up the campsite.
Wednesday evening saw everyone welcomed to the 2008 Quilty with a cocktail party for our friends and neighbours, and much fun was had by all (along with a few laughs)! Thursday dawned bright and warm: just a taste of what was to come. Everyone sorted out their horses and went out for a ride to look at the last phase of the track... a 14km loop. During the day on Thursday there was also the opportunity for riders to attend a series of lectures hosted by the Australian Endurance Squad, which several of my riders took up and commented on the value of doing so.
On Thursday evening everyone was invited to the AERA Awards ceremony and a dance party to follow, with a very good band playing. By all accounts this was a most successful evening, and the excitement continued when a stoush with a group of local hoons broke out. But all ended well, and the music and dancing continued on into the wee hours.
Friday morning was also quite warm, and the final nominations were taken care of. The entire secretarial team put together by the ride organisers was professional, friendly, warm and welcoming to everyone, and the nomination process proceded very smoothly. Then it was off to the pre-ride Vetting, with Dr Brian Sheahan overseeing a group of about 20 Veterinarians from all over the country. A smooth operation was managed by Chief Chief Steward Tom McCormack, ably assisted by Dorte Colja and Jeff Bonham amongst others.
The entire showgrounds then quietened down somewhat as the riders and strappers all tried to get some much-needed sleep prior to the ride commencing at 4am Saturday. However I also noted many riders up and bright-eyed by 2am, waiting nervously for the start time!
I relied heavily on my crew of helpers to assist with the saddling and preparation of the 11 horses in my care. Thanks to Sam Dobson, Alissa and Steph Tulk, Jess Hewitt, Renae and Robert Kuhn, Mal Caldwell, Jan Kittel, Angela Head, Britt and Liz Geddes, Yuko Crease, Diane Wilson, Kristan Kershaw, Gesina and Horst Krause, Deb Jewell, and Kim's friend Cherry, for all capably carrying out their assigned duties throughout the ride! We couldn't have made it without you all!
.....
Best regards
Jay Randle
SPLENDACREST ENDURANCE TRAINING
www.freewebs.com/splendacrest
Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride report, part 2 - Jay Randle
And they were off!!!! Out of the brightly-lit arena and into the darkness of the early morning, over 200 horses quietly departed on their long and gruelling day. The first two phases of the ride ended at an away Vet-check called "Treeby's", which was at the top of a long and tiring climb for both horses and riders. Here we met our charges as they arrived, and were successful in getting all but one horse through the second Vet check. Unfortunately Liz Cullam, riding Bullarto Fiorelli, was vetted out after 70kms with a slightly elevated heart rate (due to a VERY excited horse!). The ride organisers had all the transportation of horses back to base camp very well organised, and Fiorelli was floated back to be checked out by the Treatment Vet there. All was good however, and she was pronounced well and happy and returned immediately to her yard for a big feed!
The third phase of the ride returned to the Nanango showgrounds, and here we had our first withdrawal of the day, with 16-year-old Lilonda Count Richael (Ricky) looking a bit tired after doing 100kms in the heat! So unfortunately my great friend, Kim Fuess of the USA, only experienced part of the 2008 Tom Quilty! Oh, but let me mention the heat!!! It was HOT! Very hot! There were several casualties after the second and third legs due to the heat, and the water provided on track and at the Vet checks was used at a great rate of knots! After all the remaining riders came back in off the fourth leg we suffered another Vet out when Aratahnes Galaxy (Chevy) was lame in the trot out, therefore knocking John Dugan out of the ride. And it was at this stage that Riyo Noyori decided that she wasn't able to continue her ride, and therefore the great little Bulgari Bentley was withdrawn (looking great, and obviously able to continue easily!!).
I was just about to send our Japanese riders off onto the fifth leg, when a storm warning was posted, so I decided to hold them in camp until the storm passed, and BOY! was I glad I did! The mother of all storms was suddenly upon us, and we all huddled under the marquee throughout the lightning and thunder, hail and rain that swirled all around us. For over an hour we were deluged, and our thoughts and prayers were with those riders out on track with their horses. I was extremely concerned because my two youngest riders, Tarni and Ingrid, were out there along with Charisse. But then we heard excited screaming approaching through the storm, and Tarni and Ingrid appeared out of the rain with their horses, Splendacrest Dryad and Shaah, having finished the last leg of the ride in the storm. We hastily put the horses into a secure yard, and then left them to their own devices....... no strapping measures taken, just hoping that they would survive the storm! The girls were soaked and freezing (along with the rest of us), but that didn't stop their excitement at having completed the 160km course.
The rain finally abated, and with it came the news that Charisse was on her way in off track, so we eagerly awaited her arrival at the finish line. She arrived with stories of lightning striking close by, and the biggest storm she'd ever seen! Apparently she had decided to get off her mount, Bacchante Silver Lace, and run along the track to keep warm! During the storm the Vetting area was totally closed down for 1.5 hours, and the ride officials decided to suspend the ride for that period of time, adding 1.5 hours to the total riding time to be allowed for completion.
.....
Best regards
Jay Randle
SPLENDACREST ENDURANCE TRAINING
www.freewebs.com/splendacrest
Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride report, part 3 - Jay Randle
We were finally able to vet the three horses through, and they all passed with flying colours. So, Tarni and Ingrid had attained the coveted silver buckle of a Quilty completion! Charisse still had the final leg of 14kms to do, as did Gerard Bou on Splendacrest Fiesta. Both arrived back at the ride base on happy healthy horses, and both then vetted through easily. Splendacrest rider Amanda Powell had been riding Summit Park Ras for Lisa Stone of Marburg Manor, and this combination also completed at this stage. And we were now up to a total of 5 completions!
The remaining two Japanese riders, Takeshi Ito and Satomi Kitamura, took a little longer to complete the last two legs, but also arrived back at ride base with healthy happy horses, and both vetted through very well at the finish..... another 2 completions to add to our total!!!
So we finished the ride with 2 Vet Outs, 2 Withdrawals, and 6 Buckles from the horses in our camp, with an additional buckle gained by Amanda Powell on her borrowed mount. Another Japanese rider, Yukinobi Horiuchi riding Pinfeather owned by Alwyn Torrenbeek, was also successful in gaining his first Quilty buckle! All in all, a very good result, and one that I am very proud of!
At the presentation ceremony on Sunday afternoon, the final results were posted, with our riders placing as follows:
Ingrid Ambrosiussen riding Shaah: 4th Junior in 14:03 Tarnia Kittel riding Splendacrest Dryad: 13th Middleweight in 14:03 Gerard Bou riding Splendacrest Fiesta: 26th Middleweight in 16:20 Amanda Powell riding Summit Park Ras: 14th Lightweight in 16:22 Charisse Glenn riding Bacchante Silver Lace: 29th Middleweight in 18:06 Takeshi Ito riding Splendacrest Perfection: 50th Middleweight in 21:53 Satomi Kitamura riding Mt Eerwah Silver Mariner: 23rd Lightweight in 21:53
A huge thanks must go to Barb Timms and her capable organising committee. You all did a magnificent job under stressful conditions on the day. In fact, 'thanks' is not enough..... please consider all of you hugged very tightly!!!
.....
Best regards
Jay Randle
SPLENDACREST ENDURANCE TRAINING
www.freewebs.com/splendacrest
TOM QUILTY 2008 - by American riders Kim Fuess and Charisse Glenn
WARNING: This is really long but how do you put 10 days of non stop adventure in just a paragraph?
This year, three So Cal riders had the opportunity to attend the Tom Quilty Cup in Queensland, Australia. The ride was held in the town of Nanango in Queensland. Charisse Glen, Cherry Stockton, and I left for Australia on an 11:30 pm flight on Saturday 9/13. Christoph Schork and Dian Woodward from Utah were also on our flight. Last year, Christoph placed first in the Quilty. We arrived in Brisbane on Monday 9/15 and headed towards the Gold Coast for some sight seeing. Monday evening we stayed with Aussie endurance riders outside of Yamba. Some of you may remember meeting the Australian riders that came to the US earlier this year and rode the Duck's Mojave ride and 20 Mule Team. We stayed with Jane and her family. When we arrived, a BBQ/party was in full swing. Kim and Leila (who both rode here earlier this year), Christoph, Dian, Scottish endurance rider, Clive, and Jane's family all were waiting for us as we had gotten lost and were about two hours late for dinner. We had a great time in Yamba and I could write a novel on all our Australian adventures... sightseeing, getting lost, driving on the wrong side of the road, shopping, Aussie slang, and not seeing a live kangaroo the entire time we were in Australia, etc. But for list purposes I will stick to the equestrian aspect of our trip.
On Tuesday, Jane took us around to see all her endurance horses. Her family kept 5 or 6 competition horses at their home and the rest of the horses including brood mares, babies, and youngsters were kept in various pastures in the surrounding area near her home. Jane had close to 40 horses and I have to say overall the horses were most impressive. All of the horses looked like really tough endurance horses. The most amazing thing was that they all had well defined withers, huge bone, and incredibly big feet. As a whole all these horses had long shoulders, short cannon bones, and many were short to medium backed. Most of Jane's horses looked like they could carry heavy weight riders with ease. In general, this was the look of most of the horses I observed at the Quilty base camp.
We arrived at the Quilty ride camp on Wednesday. It was like a flashback to the late 80s/early 90s AERC ride camps I remember. It is really quite different from our typical base camp today. There were no mega living quarter trailers, no motor homes, and just about everyone camps out. Even the largest endurance barns (Meg Wade and Peter Toft) had relatively modest camping quarters compared to what you see here. There were lots of two horse trailers and tent camping. It was really quite refreshing as almost every camp had a campfire going and everyone hangs out by the camp fire and actually visits (lots of partying). I thought it made for a much friendlier atmosphere. Jay Randle of Splendacrest Farm (who visited the US last year) hosted a martini party on Wednesday night that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. The three wimpy Americans only lasted until about midnight but we heard that the dancing, drinking, singing, and partying went on for hours. There was another party on Thursday night but we were still recovering from Wednesday so we missed out not only on the party but a brawl between the local townees and some endurance riders at the AERA party.
Two of the most noticeable differences about Australian endurance that I noticed right off are these: 1. That there are lots of young riders between the ages of 14-25. I think there were about 14 juniors entered in the ride and I believe juniors are 15 years and under. There were several riders that looked like they were in their late teens and early 20s. 2. Many riders ride for barns or teams and they wear team shirts and hats. For example, I believe that Peter Toft had over 20 horses entered and all the riders, crew, support, etc wore the Toft blue jerseys and hats.
For those that don't know the Tom Quilty Cup is to Australia what the Tevis Cup is to the US endurance riders. In many ways the pre ride experience is very similar to Tevis. The base camp, checking in, formal ride meetings, vendors, spectators watching the vet in process, etc. all reminded me very much of Tevis. But, there are many differences. For one thing the Quilty Cup moves every year. This year it was held in the state of Queensland. Next year it will be held on a completely different trail and in a different state. This year, there were actually vet checks that were NOT held at base camp. Now, this was not a big deal to us as AERC riders but this really was a big deal to the Australian riders. I guess it is very unusual to have an away vet check. In fact, ride management seemed apologetic that they could not route the course back to camp for the first two vet checks. On Thursday, ride management gave a formal walk through at the away vet check so everyone was comfortable with the set up. We just couldn't figure out what the big deal was to have a vet check away from base camp as we are so used to away checks at AERC rides. Think of all the point to point rides or big loop rides that never come back to base camp at all or come back only at the finish.
One of the biggest differences is that all Australian horses have to carry log books to every ride. A log book is a complete ride history of that particular horse's endurance career. In essence, it is a book of ride cards. In Australia, a log book is a very big deal. Not only is it necessary to enter a ride but for many owners it is source of pride. It was very common for riders/owners to want to show us their horse's log book. We were told that some horses had even two or three books because they had done so many rides that they had filled their original log book. It is definitely one of the most important documents when it comes to buying or selling endurance horses. So what goes into a log book at rides (grades/scores from rides, BCs, withdrawls or vet outs, etc.) becomes a very big deal.
From my point of view, trying to keep track of a log book during the ride could also be a really big deal. Riders do not carry their log books but leave them with ride management and pick them up when they come into a vet check and give them back when they leave. Can you imagine how organized ride management has to be to keep track of 200 log books during a 100 mile endurance ride!! To me, the log book thing would have really been stressful if it hadn't been for the "strappers". In Australia, your crew person is called a "strapper". I don't think anybody rides without strappers. In fact, this ride would have been very difficult to ride without crew just because you had to collect your log book when you got to the vet check and turn your log book in when you leave the vet check. From what I could gather there are not many rides you do without strappers. For my particular experience, I was expected to turn over my horse completely to my "strappers" the moment I got into the vet check. This was really, really, hard to do because even when I ride with crew I am right there to participate and give feedback to my crew. At this ride, I was expected to just walk away and let others unsaddle, cool, trot out, feed, water, and resaddle my horse. I wasn't very good turning over the horse completely to the strappers and probably just mostly got in the way. I tried, but giving up complete control and responsibility of the horse was just too foreign to the way I normally ride.
The trail itself was absolutely beautiful and was one of the most well marked courses I have ever ridden. The ride management flagged every possible hazard that was on the trail. Even when a log that stuck out a little on a one lane dirt road it was marked with caution tape. The course was on nice footing and was either up or down with very little flat. I don't think the longest up or down hill I rode was more than a mile in length. They told up to expect hot, humid conditions but I didn't feel that the weather was extreme. I was coming from summer conditions in So Cal and Queensland was coming out of one of their coldest winters I was told. Many of the horses were not prepared for the heat.
I pulled my horse at about the 60 mile mark. It wasn't his day and by the third vet check I knew that this horse had had enough and there was no reason to continue on. I was riding one of Jay Randle's horses. She was kind enough to give me Ricky, a 16 year old bay gelding, who was very experienced and had taken many of her clients through 80K and 160k rides. Ricky was given a withdrawal which is equivalent to our RO. The horse must pass a final vet check and be deemed to fit to continue for this to be marked in his log book. In my case, because of logistics and my ignorance of the system poor Ricky had to be vetted through three different times: First for the vet check, then for the exit check, and then a third time because I was two minutes late for the first exit check. Technically, I had started the next phase so the horse had to pass a third vet eheck.
So I went from Quilty rider to Quilty strapper. Charisse was still on course riding a young mare named Quartz. Cherry and I joined forces to help Charisse. All in all what a great experience. It was so interesting to be able to watch how all the other "teams" crewed. I was in charge of getting Quartz's log book. Cherry had become an old pro at this as she had been "strapping" all day so she showed me the ropes. Crewing Australian style... basically you hang out with other strappers until ride management called for us. Then you run down to meet your rider and the real fun begins. I have to say it was really funny to listen to ride management in their formal Australian accents on loud speakers announcing "strappers for rider number 130 meet your rider". This announcement meant your rider had passed the last check point 3k before the vet check and you better get down to the vet area to get their log book, meet your rider, and get "strapping". This went on all day and through the night.
One of the luckiest things about withdrawing early was that I did not have to ride in the most horrendous thunder and lightening storm I have ever experienced. It was so bad that the ride was suspended for at least 1.5 hours. Vetting stopped, the electricity was turned off at most of the ride site, the tents were lowered and battened down. Cherry and I sat in the rental car for over an hour while this storm raged. The rain came down in sheets and lightening was flashing in all directions. When it was over, there were puddles that were almost up to our shins. We couldn't believe that riders were out in this in the dark. In fact, our rider, Charisse, was out in the middle of her 5th leg while this storm raged. At this point, we really didn't know if they would just end the ride for safety purposes. But the Aussies are tough and there was no question that the ride would continue. Charisse came in completely drenched but both she and the horse looked great and were ready to head out on the last loop. She will have to tell this part of the story because her experience was just so unbelievable I could never give it justice in my account.
Charisse finished the ride in great spirits and really worked hard to earn her Quilty buckle. This was a real endurance experience! All in all, three out of the five American riders earned their buckles. This was a much better completion rate than the overall ride which was below 50%.
Even though I didn't finish the ride, my overall Australian endurance experience was great and really interesting! The Australian riders were fun, helpful, and friendly. I met some wonderful people and I hope those friendships will last a lifetime. Oh, by the way, did I mention they breed really nice horses! Jane's (who we stayed with in Yamba) horses did extremely well. Leila was the first junior and in the overall Top 10 on one of Jane's horses. This horse earned BC and was third for the Quilty equivalent of the Hagen Cup. Another one of Jane's horses came in 3rd. There are lots of similarities to our endurance riding here but there are also many, many differences. Some of these diffrences were good and some of them not so good. I learned a lot by riding in a different system and I definitely came back to the US with a new appreciation of how we do endurance here.
Kim Fuess
Here's a follow up on Kim's great post.
I will fill in the blanks.
What an epic adventure. Memories of the Quilty will forever be etched in my brain and the memories will remain for a lifetime. Not only was it the legendary Quilty, but the people I met and the wealth of knowledge that I gained make it one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
The Quilty is Australia's equivalent to our Tevis. The main difference is that although the Quilty at one time was run on the same course, for many years it has become a roving ride, traveling from state to state yearly. This does not however diminish its difficulty.
Kim and I were fortunate to ride borrowed horses, created by an exchange that we did earlier in the year. Cherry came along as our crew or as the Australian's like to affectionately call them "strappers". Without going into all of the details, let's just say it was great experience.
There were many similaries in the "strapping" but there were definitely differences in the strategy of riding a mountainous course. In spite of those differences I must say that the winner's horse looked fantastic at the finish and the next day.
Kim and I however were bringing up the rear and decided that we would ride the way we ride, pacing at a conservative trot and jog. Most of the competitors that we rode with, rode differently than us and took the uphills faster and the down hills at a slower pace. We found it humorous as the day progressed that we passed and were passed by the same people all day.
The race started out a bit rough for me. My mare decided that I wasn't letting her go fast enough and at every turn made an attempt to bolt and unfortunately for Kim, tired to run her horse off of the trail. As if she didn't have enough on her hands with her own horse Kim helped me to pace my mare by running interference. It became a sheer test of wills for the first 20 miles, at which time she gave in and began to listen to me.
The first vet check was an out check that the Aussies are not used to at all. They mainly have their checks back at base camp holding with an FEI style set up. The vet check was at the top of a horrendous climb. The first time Kim and I dismounted well before necessary and I was particularly winded trying to keep up with my horse who thought she needed to trot up and pull me along the way. On the second time around, we had caught on and both of us stayed mounted until the last turn.
Starting onto the third leg, it was starting to warm up. Thankfully Kim and I both had water bottle holders on out saddles, but most people did not carry water with them and relied on the Race to provide it. When we did get to the stops that provided water we found that they were almost out and as the race progressed, I discovered three stops that had run out completely.
Kim being the horsewoman that she, is elected to withdrawal at the end of the third leg, about 100km or 62miles. Her horse was not in a place that she felt she should go on.
I continued solo, finishing the 4th leg without a hitch. The 5th leg was supposed to get some rain so I grabbed a light windbreaker and headed off into the dark. The windbreaker proved useless when I really needed it.
Although the markers were fantastic when it was light, I found them difficult to follow at night. The markers are colored arrows with numbers on cardboard. For the evening they had a spot of reflective tape on the cardboard, so as long as you kept looking around with your light you could catch a glimpse of it and know that you were on the right track. At times it was not very apparent, but I didn't get lost and was grateful for that.
It started to rain lightly and there was a fair amount of thunder and lightening in the distance. I caught up with a group of riders and was happy to not be out there solo. When we hit the top of the mountain there was a checkpoint to give your number. At that point, the lightening and thunder hit the ground 10-15 ft from where I was standing.
The lightening was quiet until it hit, then it was incredibly loud and shook the earth. My little mare was courageous and tried to maintain composure, but found herself shaking and wanting to bolt.
Everyone jumped off and ran to cover beside two trucks that were there. I followed like a sheep and did the same. But then I realized that I was next to metal and had a flash that this was a bad idea. Just then I saw Alywn Torrenbeek trotting down the road. He is a legendary endurance rider, in his 70's and the one person I would want to be with in this situation.
So instead of trying to mount my horse, I grabbed her reins and started to jog to catch up. Maybe a half a mile or so later I caught up and was able to mount.
There is a moment with every horse when they decide to give in to you. It was at the moment that I decided to jog away from the top of the mountain that my mare looked at me and understood that I was her lead mare. She completely gave into me and it was truly a magically moment. Lightening illuminating the sky as bright as one can imagine, water running in sheets down the road, becoming knee deep in a flash, riding the legendary Quilty with a horse at my side, life couldn't be better.
We came into basecamp and were told that the ride was suspended for 1.5 hrs. At which time I changed into some dry clothes, thankfully Kim had her polar fleece breeches that she loaned to me and I was warm as toast.
The ride resumed. I was allowed to vet thru, then start my 30 mins. hold. So at 92 miles I had to wait 2 hrs before finishing the last 8 miles.
There was nothing that was going to stop me at that point. I figured if I had to walk the rest I would, but thankfully my mare looked great and felt strong. She was only getting better all day. We finished with a ride time of 18:06 and with just a fraction under 5 hours of holds and ride suspensions, it made for a long day.
I was happy to finish and estatic about being in Australia at the Quilty,
We met some incredible people during our short visit, Alwyn Torrenbeek who gave me an incredible riding lesson and was just a pleasure to meet, Trevor Copland who fed me and shared his insightful thoughts and ideas, Dave-o and Jane for their generous hospitality, Clive and John for their comradeship. Thank you to Jay Randle and her entire Splendacrest team for the horses, the camp and the hardworking strappers. And a special thanks to Diane who became my horses biggest supporter. Additional thanks to Cherry for strapping and for her words to keep me centered and to Kim for everything!
We were joined at the Quilty by some other Americans. Christoph Schork, who won it last year and his partner Dian. Unfortunately, luck was not with him this year and he vetted out at the 2nd leg. Also Ernie and Dean from Washington State both of whom completed.
I hope to return, sooner than later… Gidday.
Charisse Glenn