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PRELIMINARY RESULTS:
Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3
2011 Springdale Romp I and II Pioneer - Feb 3,4,5 and Feb 7,8,9
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Eastern Arizona Courier
Published on Sunday, February 13, 2011 8:24 AM MST
Veterinarian Sid Vargas of El Paso, right, checks the physical condition of a horse at the Graham County Fairgrounds during the Springdale Romp, a distance riding event, on Tuesday. Riders are required to vet their horses the day before the ride, halfway through the ride and after the ride. Thirty-three riders (61 were expected but many couldn’t make it due to bad weather) from across the country came to Safford to compete in endurance rides.
Veterinarian Sid Vargas of El Paso, right, checks the physical condition of a horse at the Graham County Fairgrounds during the Springdale Romp, a distance riding event, on Tuesday. Riders are required to vet their horses the day before the ride, halfway through the ride and after the ride. Thirty-three riders (61 were expected but many couldn’t make it due to bad weather) from across the country came to Safford to compete in endurance rides. Photo by Brian Wright
http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2011/02/13/news/doc4d55c7b65b13e536945060.txt
Springdale Romp Day 3 - That's More Like It
Sunday February 6 2011
In some circles (like endurance snowbirds that come south to ride and escape the cold in the winter), 18* F might sound cold. But if you survived Day 1 riding in the (freakish weather) -6* wind chill, you'd consider the overnight temperature downright balmy for Day 3. Trail boss Scott Sansom didn't even have to ride out on his ATV today and break ice in the water troughs on the trail.
After getting razzed for riding LDs the first two days ("I am starting two young horses!"), Tennessee Mahoney tied for first in the 50 on her older horse Just Magnum. She'd toughed it out the first two cold days because "we risked our lives getting here, I'm riding all 6 days!" She and Shawn got stuck in New Mexico after escaping Colorado. Dian Woodward and Christoph Schork also tied for first with Tennessee. They'd also had a hellacious 2-day trip down from Utah, having to stay at a fairgrounds not far from their Moab home with the temperature dipping overnight to zero. They'd skipped riding on Day 1 to let their horses recover from the ride.
Veterinarian Carter Hounsel also got razzed - and inducted into the official southwest endurance vet club when he got a speeding ticket (and he will slay me for posting this).
Caroline Diehl brought a whole group of girls from the Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona to ride the LD. It's an international college prep boarding school that has an equestrian program with some obsessed horse girls. "The girls ride 1 1/2 hours, 5 days a week," said Caroline, "then all day long on one of the weekend days. The horses and the girls are fit!" They appeared to have a ball (it was the first endurance ride for a couple of the girls; the rest have done LDs and 50's) and the horses looked like they hadn't done anything at all at the finish.
Ron and Dominique Bowers came down to squeeze in all the endurance riding they can do the three months of winter that they aren't guiding horseback tours with their Desert Mountain Trails camping trail rides in Arizona (on the Apache Trail, Arizona Trail and Grand Canyon), and Utah (Monument Valley).
Only 3 riders finished all three days on one horse: Robert Bischoff rode all 3 days of the LD; Stephanie Palmer DuRoss and Effee Conner rode all 3 days and 155 miles.
Sunday is a day off; Monday starts the next 3-day Springdale Romp. The weather should be great: barely freezing in the morning and highs in the 60's. Now that's the Arizona winter weather that the snowbirds and locals have been looking for.
Springdale Romp Day 2 - No Wimps Here
Saturday February 5 2011
Ride Manager Ray Sansom summed up day 2 of the Springdale Romp at the ride meeting/awards dinner: "The good news is: it's getting nicer! The bad news is: everything's leaking!"
It was almost balmy this morning, at 11*, but it was the absence of a gale that helped matters a lot. Still a breeze, and still biting cold, but if you survived yesterday, it was nothing. Sue Summers loaned me her Carharts for standing out on the desert shooting horses and riders, and boy did they feel good, though I still hunkered down in the car between riders.
It's not the weather keeping these hardy souls from riding in the Springdale Romp; it's the weather still keeping many from getting here. People are still calling and emailing the Sansoms and saying, "We're still planning to come! We're still trying to get out!" A couple of people arrived late at night. Some will probably wait till Monday for the start of the second 3-day (it's actually two separate 3-day rides; Thursday-Friday-Saturday was the first; Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday is the second; 35 and 50 or 55 miles each day).
8 of 9 finished the LD, and 17 of about 19 finished the 55 miler.
Springdale Romp Day 1
Thursday February 3 2011
Those weathermen missed the low temperature forecast. It wasn't 9 degrees F, it was 5*F. The windchill was -9*F. (They broke a record here.) You couldn't recognize some riders because they had facemasks on, or hoodies pulled down to a tight tiny circle to peek through. Mount Graham, at 10,700 feet in the Pinaleno Mountains to the southwest, imitated Mount Everest with blowing snow whipping off the peak.
But most of the intrepid riders who signed up the night before climbed on their horses for the 8 (50 milers) or 9 AM (35 milers) start. all the 13 LD riders finished, and about 17 of 20 finished the 50.
Did I say Intrepid??
The temperature is supposed to get up to the high 40's tomorrow - that's practically balmy!
SDR is PDC
Wednesday February 2 2011
"So, you came down to warm, sunny Arizona to vet a ride?" I said to Dr Carter Hounsel. "Yea, and i"m still looking!"
No warm and sunny here at the 6-day Springdale Romp in Safford, Arizona. It's pretty darn cold. It's right around freezing and the brutal wind makes things much more interesting.
Winter Carharts and furry hats are the de rigueur dress code.
A lighter has to be used to melt the markers enough to draw numbers on horse butts at the vet in.
Horses are shivering in their blankets.
Of course, Arizona is luckier than most of the rest of the nation, but there are going to be some pretty intrepid riders on tomorrow's 50 and 25 miler.
Hopefully I won't be found frozen in my tent in the morning (overnight low is supposed to be around 9*), and my camera equipment will still function.
We'll see!
Springdale Romp - This two event three-day Pioneer Ride (for a total of six days) will be held in southeast Arizona. LD rides are 35 miles each day. Endurance is 50, 55, 50 each event. A Fun Ride will be held on February 5.
Evening Meals Provided for Riders on ride days. Meals available for purchase for all others.
Pot Luck Dinner - Sunday Night before the ride meeting to start the second 3-day ride.
Dogs welcome - on leash.
Base Camp is located at Graham County Fairgrounds one mile south of Safford, Arizona on Highway 191. Full RV hook-ups ($15 per night) and stalls ($2 per night) available. Enclosed, heated meeting room for dinners and ride meetings.
The Trails - Primarily BLM land and crossing some private property. This will be a flatland ride with minor elevation changes. Footing will be dirt and sandy washes with very little rocks. This should be a very easy ride.
Low Desert Ride - Elevation is 3000 foot. Be prepared for cold nights and nice days. Do bring rain gear just in case.