Riding across Spain - For ten days - they will trek east to west through the center of the country. Endurance.Net has sent Lynne Glazer to document and share in this experience of a lifetime! Her photos are just beginning to come in - photos of a rugged country with endurance riders focused on the prize - 10 days of competition through some of the oldest and most challenging country in Europe! Enjoy...
Imagine a competition which is equally a vacation and exploration, amidst the beauty and storied heritage of Andalucía. A point-to-point ride across the breadth of the province, where all stabling, bedding, and forage was ready for your horse at the end of each stage. Where food and drink for riders, ...[More ...]
Vetting in took place in the late afternoon in a large lot within the Cazorla city center. Portable stalls had been erected in blocks, a wash rack with 6 stations was also in place just for the competitors, which was re-installed at each day's finish. I enjoyed watching the entrants arrive and unload, with their vehicles already emblazoned with official ride markings. Crews had mostly SUV and some minivans, trailers were mostly two horse with some horse vans too. Many of the vehicles had sponsorship logos from companies or even individual provinces of origin. Riders were from all over Spain and four from France. The Canary Island team had a three hour boat ride just to get to the mainland, then the haul to the ride's start. Immediately adjacent to the stabling was a lovely large pasture for some grazing and down time...[More...]
Ride Day 1 - Lynne Glazer - I'm including the list of towns and highlights from the official listing; Etapa is stage, Salida is start, Meta is finish.
1a Etapa: CAZORLA (Jaén) - POZO ALCÓN (Jaén)
Salida: Recinto Ferial de Cazorla
Vet-gate: Nacimiento del río Guadalquivir (Quesada)
Llegada: Área recreativa del Embalse de La Bolera (Pozo Alcón)
Municipios: Cazorla Hinojares (P.A.)
Quesada (V.G.) Pozo Alcón
The day's weather was quite cool to start; the ride began at 8 a.m....[More...]
After the 4th stage, everyone had to transport their horses from Antequera in Málaga province to Ronda in Cadíz, inpreparation for the 5th day's start. It was a rest day for the horses, and after caring for them, also for their humans...
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...We ended up on a narrow cobble-stoned lane leading down to the road at the bottom of the gorge, and once everyone had collected there, the controlled start was over. Riders were quickly spread out, and much of the trail was single track through beautiful green hilly parkland. Early on, a gallery photo shows a couple of locals riding PRE horses in matching tan vests, tall boots and English attire, double reins on the first horse.
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I spent hours after the end of the festivities just looking at those stallions, who all pressed against the bars for scratching?the feeling of antiquity of spirit from those guys was just beyond description. I took no photos, just enjoyed the communion?hands on either side of their muzzle through the bars, our foreheads pressed against them. Heaven. There are some barn aisle silhouette shots, where some were getting dentistry.
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The sun was still rising as the riders mustered at the sport complex. In contrast to leaving Ronda, for better photo results this time I sat in the back of the video crew's pickup truck. Down a frontage road next to the highway, we soon came to a roundabout where the center lawn was occupied by life-sized horse statues in festive colors. Have a look, they certainly seem to be purebred Arabians to me!
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I caught a ride over to the Hotel Guadalquivir (named after the river) to meet the video crew. It was a leisurely start to the day, their hotel had a better breakfast than ours and I availed myself of it. I had dumped my luggage in Michael's room in order to be free and easy: it was Beach Day! Something I'd looked forward to: it began with a ferry ride across the straits of Sanlúcar. They loaded all of the horses along the edges with their riders, then loaded the vehicles in the middle?it was not a scenario for an unseasoned horse, and only one was snorty about it all. Of course, it was the 8th day, and most had a been there, done that attitude. A couple of photos of me in there, el Roja, not too many redheads in Spain, in fact I saw no other. It made it easy for ride management to know where I was!
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Day 10 (19/05/07) - Awards
For the final act, D. Antonio García Rebollo, on behalf of the Excmo. City council of Almonte (Huelva), presented a plate to the Organizing Committee to D. José Manuel Soto of recognition by the good development of this second Kaliber ride "Territories of al- Andalus" - Ecuestre Return to Andalucía, after which the Organización offered a supper to all the participants in a great final celebration.
I drove back to the hotel, with the streets still teeming with activity, my chance to slide the Fiat around, whee! The Hotel Toruño backed up to the wetlands, and my room was properly oriented to catch the sunrise.
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A Google Earth folder (playable) Tour of the path through Spain
