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42nd Annual 2009 Virginia City
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RESULTS - 42 starters, 18 finishers
1. Nanci Gabri - Maveric - 11:25 PM 2. Leigh Bacco - EZ Silver Dollar - 11:25 PM 3. Matt Mdeiros - Rushcreek Oledom - 12:20 AM 4. Erin Riley-Kelley - Polaris NS - 12:27 AM 5. Andy Laursen - Rushcreek Nerf - 12:27 AM 6. Erasmo Sauceda - JC Charisma - 2:42 AM 7. Heather Van Fossen - Targa - 3:94 AM 8. Deborah Breshears - Solar Flame - 3:05 AM 9. Connie Creech - LS Steele Breeze - 4:01 AM 10. Karen Chaton - Ravenwood Mosham - 4:01 AM 11. Andrew Gerhard - MP Martini - 4:01 AM 12. Gina Hall - Fire Mt Destiny - 4:12 AM 13. Dave Rabe - White Cloud - 4:12 AM 14. Jeane Bauer - General Khuster - 4:12 AM 15. John Brain - Rushcreek Nails - 4:12 AM 16. Jeanne Bonner - Rushcreek Orie - 4:12 AM 17. Sally Hugdall - BR Ellila de Soi - 4:55 AM 18. Lou Egstrom - Maximus Dude - 4:55 AM
42nd Virginia City 100
When anybody asks me how rocky a particular ride is, I say, "Have you ridden in Nevada? Nothing's rocky compared to Nevada. You don't know Rocks until you've ridden in Nevada."
The Virginia City 100 was my first 100-mile ride in 2002, on a horse, Royal Raffiq, doing his first 100. We finished. I got my silver bracelet. : ) It is one tough, Rocky ride, with a lot of mountains to climb and descend. It is one very special tough ride, very like the Tevis in that it feeds an addiction for some people, who keep coming back to ride it, year after year, despite knowing how hard it is going to be.
I rode it in 2002 with Jackie Bumgardner and Nick Warhol, and Nick wrote a story about it - Virginia City: Tougher Than Tevis? This year's Virginia City was particularly tough, with 42 starting and only 18 finishing - their worst percentage ever. Ride manager (and rider and finisher) Connie Creech said, " The weather? Hard tough trail? All the rocks? I don't know why."
Every year lately, whether or not the VC 100 will even be held is up in the air. The basecamp has been moved around Virginia City and squeezed (and next year it will again have to be moved somewhere else). Basecamp was, in fact, part of a 'Stagecoach route' - a circular dirt track, inside of which everybody was camped - where a 4-pinto-horse drawn stagecoach carried tourists at a gallop around the circular road many times a day. Made for some excited endurance horses tied to trailers.
Just about every year, trails must be changed due to housing developments, or in this year's case, a new railroad track. Four new hard miles of trail had to be added to go around the new tracks, while 4 miles were taken off elsewhere. And there are always rocks. Lots of rocks. There's the infamous Bailey Canyon on loop one, that even the front runners have to walk - and it takes at least an hour to get through it. Dave Rabe, who marked much of the trail, said, "I hit EVERY ROCK on the quad marking trail." If you have trouble picturing all the rocks, just imagine all the mining that went on here, all the rock the miners had to deal with when they dug tunnels and holes in the ground. I think all of those rocks were deposited on the roads and trails of the VC ride.
Karen and Tigger’s Virginia City 100 Endurance Ride Story - Karen Chaton
So I figured well….maybe if White Cloud is okay to do the Virginia City 100, that I could maybe ride Tigger (Ravenwood Mosham). I’ve mentioned before the situation with him - but will again for those that don’t read my blog regularly. Tigger is my horse and we were getting along really well together. Then he had a ride start where he was a little too wired and the end result is that he bucked me off. I hadn’t gone far, so chased him back into camp, longed him and then went on to complete the 55 mile ride that day on him. I’m not fond of that kind of behavior, so Tigger went to live with Dave to see if Dave could correct that behavior and get him over it. I figured it would take a year, maybe more…or maybe never and in that case Tigger could stay with Dave however long he needed to because I didn’t want a horse that bucks.
I didn’t get to do Tevis this year, so wanted to do Virginia City to make up for it. It’s often hard for me to fit the one day 100’s in along with the multidays (that I prefer). It is fun to get to do a variety of things and sometimes that means giving up doing one thing in order to do another. In this case, I had to give up going to the Virgin Rim ride.
The Nevada All-State Trail Riders, Inc. (NASTR) was organized in 1968 for the purpose of preserving historical trails in Nevada by sponsoring and promoting horse back riding on these trails.
NASTR formed a cooperative agreement with the Toiyabe National Forest and Washoe County Parks in maintaining the Jones Creek/Whites Creek Trail in the Mt. Rose Wilderness. Annual trail maintenance is done on this trail on National Trails Day, the first Saturday in June.
NASTR purchased a mile of the Tahoe Rim Trail and our volunteers participated in building the mile. Trail maintenance is performed annually.
NASTR formed a partnership with the Nevada State Parks on a trails project at Washoe Lake State Park. This project received a matching ISTEA trails grant through the Recreational Trails Program. Our volunteer efforts have assisted the Park in providing more trails, wildlife viewing and recreational opportunities than ever before.
NASTR purchased a mile of the Western States Trail in Squaw Valley, CA to help insure its preservation for future generations.
NASTR currently provides volunteer trail labor for the Fort Churchill State Park TEA-21 matching trails grant project on the Carson River Ranches.
NASTR currently provides volunteer trail labor for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a TEA-21 matching trails grant project for restoration and maintenance of trails.
This year's Virginia City 100 is dedicated to Al Beaupre
1929 - 2009
* Rider #: 1624, 11,361 miles
* (20) Virginia City 100 buckles
o 26 starts - 20 completions, 2000 mile buckle earned in 2005
o 3 top tens
o First and BC on Joshlina in 1980
o 12 horses ridden, click here for Al's record
* (8) Tevis buckles
* 100 Mile Western States Run Completion (1980)