OD 25 (long)

["Snodgrass, Bonnie" <snodgrab@ncr.disa.mil>]

Sorry I can't tell you much about OD 100 results. I took a lawn chair and
sleeping bag up to the soccr field (finish line) and woke up enough to clap
for each rider as they crossed the finish. Several local Southern Maryland
horses were entered. Bob Walsh's two horses completed, side by side. Joann
Sowa (sp) rode his big horse Aries (not his registered name) while Bob rode
Houdini in his very first 100 ever. Pat Taylor came in a little earlier with
Rich Maxwell and Bobbie Lieberman. It was also the first 100 for Pat's horse
horse. She was really pleased with him. Nancy Smart unfortunately got pulled
for a lameness after making it thru most of the ride. Can't tell you any
more. Oh, by the way, the start of the 100 was pretty dramatic as in
thunder, lightning and torrential down pour. A really soggy start at 5am.

I completed the OD 25 LD with a whole 2 minutes to spare! Jennifer Spalding
came in first on her horse Northern Spy. Jennifer was using this ride as a
prep for the 50 at Gladstone NJ next week. I learned a lot from this ride
and believe my horse River did too. First of all, when ride management warns
you that you might want to get off and lead down the section of trail that
comes down off Massanutten Mountain just above Little Crease and you are
riding a horse with very little rock experience, LISTEN!  I took a look at
the narrow rocky stairsteps with the serious dropoff to one side and thought
"we can handle that". River thought she was being left behind and promptly
did a nose dive down the first drop. She managed to not fall off the
mountain and I scrambled off somehow where there wasn't really room and got
to her nose. She isn't stupid, just competitive. She froze with her butt up
a level or two from her front feet but had a leg thru the reins and
martingale. Took some doing to get a foot moved enough to get my reins back.
I led on down for a ways. Noticed that most the riders behind me decided to
do the same thing.

After coming down off Massanutten there was a long stretch of good road to
make up time on but no water. The temp and humidity was up some and we
needed water bad. All morning I was passed by various 50 mile riders. The 25
mile ride was the second half of the 50 mile ride. I realized that I was on
the last little piece of trail before the first vet check at McCoys Ford. As
I was coming up to the last creek just before the check I hollered at a
couple of riders behind me that we were almost into the check. Thought they
might not know. Of course it was Valerie and Danielle Kanavy. Think they
know that trail pretty good! Should have spent more time in the creek
cooling off but when they left me, River started spinning around in belly
deep water so I gave in (stupid!) and went on into the check. I didn't cool
her down enough before going into the P&R then  realized it too late.
Shouldn't have been rushing things. Nancy Loving gave me a 10 min hold.
River recovered fine, just needed to cool down. Second time thru I was given
a go ahead. Then we really got cooled off! Right out of the check is McCoys
Ford thru the Shenandoah River. When riding a horse named River thru the
River something had to happen. Just as the dark sky opened up with another
terrible storm, about half way across the river, River did another nose dive
and went head under into the water. Again I was hauling in reins and pulling
her head up. Poor mare had both ears full of water but regained her feet.

 We came out the other side and rode the next 5 miles thru a wall of water.
Never been so wet while sitting in a saddle. I hooked up with another rider
(never got her name!) who decided like me to slow down a bit. Well we
dwadled too much coming into the second vet check at Liberty Hall and I
realized we didn't have enough time to get over the next mountain ridge and
down into base camp. At Liberty Hall there was a long back up of horses in
the P& R area as there were only two vets there at the time. Ride management
decided to give us the extra time we were stuck there onto our ride time. I
waited 38 minutes to see a vet! As I left the check I felt there was no way
for me to get up over the top of Skyline drive and down the narrow, rocky
trail on the other side to to the finish in time. I left the check alone,
River looked back at all the horses behind her, looked ahead to the empty
road, looked back once more then turned back to the road and headed on home!
My girl finally figured out what this is all about. She charged up the next
ridge, blew by some other horses on the wide uphill road and rolled on down
the other side. We galloped on in and made 60 bpm with just two minutes to
spare. River was in good shape and full of herself. 

 Sorry to make this so long but I've been on a high since the realization
that my horse had finally gotten it (and figured out to trot down a rocky
trail!) This was one tough 25. Only 24 out of 40 completed. Time got a lot
of them. There were people at the OD from all over, Texas, CA, Florida,
Brazil. One rider has a crew member from New Zealand. Next year I'll try the
50.

Bonnie Snodgrass