Endurance in
Henryville, Indiana
Requires Google Earth
Daniel Boone
Distance Riders
AERC
2008 AERC National Championship
Images by Angie McGhee
2007 AERC NC
2008 AERC National Championship
Images by Angie McGhee
Official Ride Photos by
Genie Stewart-Spears
Valerie Kanavy and King Ali Gold win 100
Miler!
Farzad Faryadi and Hot Desert Knight win Best Conditioned!
Teresa McCarty and Spectacular Gold win 50 Miler and Best Conditioned!
50 mile Championship
Angie's Audio Reports:
The 50 Mile Start || First Vet Check || First Loop
Second Vet Check || First to Finish! || Interview with Kanavy
Finish update || Top 11, including 3 Juniors! || More finishers
 |
 |
50 Miler Status - Finish - Detailed Results
Valerie Kanavy and King Ali Gold win 100 Miler!
|
|
100 Miler Photos by Angie & Bill McGhee
Angie's Audio Reports:
The 100 Mile Start || First Vet Gate || Second Vet Gate
Kanavy at Gate 3 (and pulls) || Top ten at Vet Gate 3 || Vet Gate 4
Kanavy first at Vet Gate5 || Kanavy arrives at Finish first
Kanavy and King Ali Gold win!|| Top Ten Finishers || Middle Finishers || The Turtles
ANGIE'S STORIES
Wednesday || Thursday2008 AERC National Championship Finish - Detailed Results
100 Miler Photos by Angie & Bill McGhee
starting |
the 100 |
Into the Night and Awards |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
ANGIE McGHEE's REPORTS
Wednesday, October 15 2008
Well, looks like the first rain we've had in quite a while wants to fall on the 100 mile National Championship Thursday. We had near record highs here in the Southeast today but the front that's bringing the rain is dropping the temperatures drastically so we're dropping from upper 80's to 67 for the high Thursday...and the darned 50's have made out like bandits...clear and highs in the 60's on Sat. Shame they can't switch it considering the 100's have so much farther to go.
I've been told this trail can be pretty treacherous in rain. I've done the 50 there and I recall it having steep ups and down along the ridges that fascinated me because there weren't any rocks. Hills without rocks are a mystery to me. I can see that it could get pretty interesting going down those when they're good and wet. Let's pray for just scattered showers to knock the dust down and bring in the cooler temps!
Angie
Well we're here in Henryville Indiana and the excitement is building. The weather is BEAUTIFUL, the fall colors are really getting pretty and everything looks perfect. Keep praying to hold off that rain tomorrow!
Camped next to Louis Burton and all the Oklahoma bunch, got folks from Vermont to Florida, Texas, all over out here and the horses look primed and ready to go. It's very warm today but a nice breeze so with a little shade things are perfect. Vet in is just getting started so I'm heading down to try and get some photos for you guys.
More soon,
Angie
Finally back from the ride meeting and of course had to chat my way back to the trailer. Anybody who knows me knows that can take a while.
Only gossip so far is that Cici Butler-Stasiuk is stuck in the airport in Houston, TX and may not make it in by start time. Darolyn has another rider along, Korolula Voigts of Namibia Africa who is willing to ride but am assuming would be in the non NC division.
Ride starts at 7AM EST Thursday.
First loop is 19 miles and comes back to camp. 40 min. hold
Loop 2: 16.5 Away Check 40 min. hold
Loop 3: 15.5 Away Check 60 min. hold
Loop 4: 13.5 Camp 40 min. hold
Loop 5: 15.5 Camp 40 min. hold
Loop 6: 10 Camp 30 min. hold
Loop 7 10 Camp Finish
Most notable trail info to most was that on loop 4 there is logging going on. They managed to convince the workers not to bring trucks in and out but they will be skidding logs down the trail, lifting them with a large machine and cutting off the ends to stack them on the truck. Could make for some very interesting riding on a hot Arab horse. ļ It got a bit confusing, but I believe they also said loop 3 was TOUGH, so hopefully that will take enough edge off of the horses to make them relieved to have a chance to walk past huge, screaming, metal grinding, clanging horse eaters.
Loop 5 was supposed to be the "fast" loop, an "easy" out and back that they can make good time on.
The last loop 10 miles will be repeated twice and though it has some hills sounded not so bad.
The big question will be the rain, how much and when?
Little notes: 3 vets will confer on any questionable lameness pulls.
Nice to hear ALL riders will be required to weigh in with the exception of Featherweights who can¡¦t possibly be underweight and juniors who have no weight requirement.
BC judging will be 9 AM Friday morning with all vets participating in the grading.
45 starters in the 100 AERC
65 total starters (50 and 100) in the AHA division.
Link for Daniel Boone Distance Riders page has been revised:
http://www.dbdr.info/NC%20Home.htm
Angie
Thursday, October 16 2008 - 100 Mile Championship
OK, looks like we're up and running at least for the time being. If you get impatient with the quality of my reporting, try to picture me holding my power cord in the one position where it connects with my left hand and my internet antenae thingy up in the air with my right hand, and pretty much typing with my nose. :-P Add to that that the connection is best under the Easyup, but it's raining and the wind is blowing pretty hard so there's the fear of getting the keyboard wet. If I have problems getting to the away vet check it will be because I drained my truck battery leaving this on all day. >whew< We'll get this down to an art eventually.
Finally got on weather.com and the news looks good! We have light sporadic rain right now, and it lists RAIN at 9 AM, but by 10-12 it's scattered, and by noon we've got some SUN!!!! Unless it drops a deluge as the main front passes over this may work out just fine.
The riders were all in good spirits as they started. People were asking if Cici made it. Always hard to tell who's out there in the dark. I heard Darolyn check in just as they were starting and ask "Is there a helmet rule here?" The starter said "Yes" and Darolyne shouted, "Cici, helmet rule!" So, looks like she was able to make it up from Houston some time between 9PM and 6 AM.
I asked Jody Buttram, who has done this trail many times about the first loop. Her comment was, "They go out about two miles and then they're going to hit some slick-ass pavement.They go down that and take a left and hit some 'slicker-ass pavement', that's why Cash Pony has on aluminum shoes. We did a big trot right up the middle of that last year and neither of them slipped once." I suppose if you add to that that it will be wet "slicker-ass pavement" this year that could be interesting. Other than that mile or so of pavement they'll be doing some ridge line jeep roads, some big hills, and have their share of climbs, but overall sounds like they'll be able to make time so I've got to get down there and see if anybody is in yet.
Angie
I'm back at camp and have e-mail. I've been sending in reports on spotty phone service so may have some communications.
The three "turtles" weren't 2 hrs. behind. Closer to 1:10 behind, so that was the spread at Gate 1.
Val came in at a fast canter, whipped off the saddle and trotted fast to their buckets. No "easing in" for Ali. The rest of the racers came in shortly thereafter. Word was Val started Ali 10 minutes after the pack (just an estimate) to keep him sane.
2nd check. Surprised to see several horses had caught up with Val and they all came in together. Farzad Faryadi's horse looked great and was right there with her.
Pulls so far:
Roxi Rivkand
Elroy Karius
Bob Walsh
Kelsey Kimbler
Laura Hayes
I'll get all these times keyed in now that we're back and you can analyze what you want. Bill got some great shots of the horses going down the trail at speed so I'll start downloading those shortly.
It's 3:30 PM, the sun has come out and it's getting pretty warm but there's still a cool breeze. The rain didn't amount to anything other than made it discouraging to get out of bed. No more than an hour or so of fine mist that didn't amount to anything.
We're expecting the front runners in shortly at Check #4 64.5 miles.
There was some kidding earlier that Val's horse wasn't quite himself...he was being kind of *good*. :-) She seems very happy with the situation. I did get a shot of the head gear though.
Angie
Nikki Meuton's out. She just hauled in from check 3 where she pulled herself at the end of the hold.
4 horses have arrived at check 4 as of 3:58
Here are their out times:
211 Val Kanavey 4:10
303A Farzad Faryadi 4:25
110 Cici Butler 4:30
116 Christina Phillips 4:31
Angie
Since I'm kinda caught up for a minute I'll just say a little about the ride itself.
I have NEVER in 20 years of endurance been to a ride where there has not been one mention of riders off trail, comments on possible mileage off, complaints about ANYTHING..until today. The Daniel Boone Distance riders have had their act soooo together it's just easy to forget things *could* go wrong. There have been tons of workers, no lines to speak of, they fed everyone Subway sandwiches at the away check, now, with it really kinda cold out they have put out a fantastic spread of home made chili, dumplings, good WARM food and if you're not a worker or rider it's $1. (hope Steph can handle that on my expense account!)
Nobody has had anything but smiles and complements on the trail, even when they're not around management :-). Just saw AERC Pres. Mike Maul. He said he got here around lunch. Bet it's a relief to come in and see a well oiled machine!
So, unless you've heard your rider is out, you needn't worry that they're off trail, etc. Just not much of that stuff going on.
As soon as possible I will update everyone on the remainder of the riders. With the away check I had to get back here with the leaders and an internet connection but as soon as I get my hands on the list I'll put it up.
Angie
Friday, October 17 2008 - 100 Mile Championship - BC
Whew! What a last 36 hours. :-P Sorry for the gap in communications. My Dell computer died, but I've got my mac up and going and using Running Bear's Wi-Fi we're back in business.
Awards this morning went great. Good food, happy riders, lots of awards.
So happy for Farzad Faryadi for winning BC for AERC & AHA rides. He is so well liked and everyone was just happy for him. His acceptance speech was classic. He thanked all the vets who had ever pulled him to teach him lessons and help him get better at the sport. Just a great attitude.
The fifties have taken over camp, triple the number of horses, and so many 100's still here, just beautiful horses everywhere. We're trying to imagine how to handle triple the horses in tomorrow. Should get interesting.
It will be impossible to keep up with *all* the horses coming and going from all the checks, but I will be posting the front 20 or so and will try to keep pulls up to date at all times. At the finish will list the entire group as they finish, probably 10-20 at a time.
Angie
Saturday, October 18 2008 - 50 Mile Championship
National Championship 50 begins
Well it's 8:25 AM and the 50's started at 7:30. We had a tad of rain at 5:00 but it just got the grass a little wet.
They delayed the start 30 min (originally planned to start at 7). I suppose to get more light but it was very overcast and was probably fairly dark in the woods. 117 horses start. The only two off the original list I know who didn't start are Laura Hayes and Suzanne Solis. I believe both are just unqualified entries though.
The field where they started was nice and large and they started off in an orderly manner but at the far end it just came to a log jam hault. Dr. Ken Marcellas said it was like the start of the Peachtree Roadrace in Atlanta..."They say "go" and then 10 minutes later you get to start running."
Amy was waiting to see if anybody came back but no sign of wrecks. The DBR may have some problems getting their posts up today. They're going to have to drive over to Connie Caudill's house for internet. Just for future reference folks, If you kid downloads a video game or a movie off Teddy's Wi-Fi it puts her over her usage allowance and she has no internet for 24 hours! Keep it simple please.
Angie