2010 Owyhee Tough Sucker
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It (Still) Takes a Village....|| The 2011 Tough Sucker
The Sixth Annual Owyhee Tough Sucker No Frills Endurance Ride
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 A Tough Sucker Story |
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The 2011 Tough Sucker
Monday April 18 2011
7:30 AM, sunrise, The Raven is ready to ride the 50 mile Tough Sucker with Jose.
Jose is ready to ride with Rhett; Rhett and Steph have snuck off with Amanda and Replica. Jose and I will ride with his other bud Mac (and John), and his cousin Justy (and Carol). We let the 11 front runners get going down the trail as we wandered around camp warming up.
Five riders had already left on the 75-miler at 7 AM; 18 were on the trail for the 50; and 16 would start the 25 miler in an hour, including two who were just pulling in: Jeff and Mary. The same Jeff who bought Ben last week. Jose recognized Ben tied up to their trailer, and briefly stopped his search for Rhett to stare at him. "How is he?" I asked. "Jeff's in love," Mary said.
As Rhett's high-flying short tail disappeared over the first hill, we three set out on the trail. Jose knew Rhett was ahead of him... and he was determined to catch up with him. He concentrated on it for the first 15 miles...
It (Still) Takes a Village...
Sunday April 17 2011
...And everything in it to go to a 1-day endurance ride 10 miles down the road. It's the Owyhee Tough Sucker endurance ride, the first of the season. Literally, we could have ridden our 4 horses to basecamp on Friday, but we hauled them over - horse in one trailer, and things in the other.
You just don't know what all you'll need, so you might as well take everything. I take as much stuff to a one-day ride 10 miles down the road as I do to a 4-day ride halfway across the country!
Carol hauled her horse Justy, and our three horses Rhett, Mac, and
Jose, in her trailer down to basecamp at Regina's old place, and we
hauled our trailer full of stuff - grass hay, grass-alfalfa hay, oats,
senior, beet pulp, supplements, apples, carrots, apple crunch treats,
buckets, blankets (6 - because what if it rained overnight and the
blankets got wet, and we needed more during the ride?), easyboot
gloves, extra easyboot gloves, hoofpicks and hammers (to put the
gloves on), brushing boots, saddles, saddle pads (and an extra one),
bridles, extra sidepull for Jose, girths - and whatever else I'm
forgetting to mention...
Maps!  view as jpg file or download pdf  google earth - view as jpg or download pdf |
Online registration is open - it's easy, try it!
The ride will be based out of Regina's ranch again this year. Easy access off of Hwy 78, indoor arena for meetings and dinner.
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