Fw: OD

["Lori Hayward" <haywardl@shentel.net>]

Deb wrote:
>I will tell you that as a usual rider, it gave me a whole new
>appreciation for my CREW (Pete and Beth Ann) and all the "behind the
>scenes" organization and gut-work they have done for me in the past.
>Deb LaBerge
>
I was crewing for Earl Baxter who came in 11th and I can relate with
Deb......this was my first crewing experience and I can tell you it was an
education!!!  I think one of the things that made it such a slow ride was
the lowered pulse criteria(60bmp) which is not an easy criteria to make in
the hot, humid mountains of VA.  Earl's horse was running a little hot(we
used 200 gals of water on him not including what we took out of water
troughs) but everything else was great!  He ate extremely well and all of
his metabolics were good it just took a little more cooling time.

Linda Crandall also won the OD trophy, Darolyn Butler got BC.

Top ten riders all finished by around 3:30 am and 11th through 25th finished
after 4am(I think that was the most ever finishers in the last hour that
they have ever had).  It was a tough ride this year....hot and humid during
the first part of the day.....A huge storm blew in right at start time so
they had a pace car and didn't play chariots of fire this year.  The footing
was not real good in several areas from the wet season we've had(this in
addition to the normal rocks!).  The total completion rate was not bad for
an OD (25 out of 49 starters) and they didn't have to put ANY horses on
fluids this year from any of the rides!!!!!!!  Does anyone think that
besides the riders using their heads that the lower pulse criteria had
anything to do with this???

Lori Hayward
LIV2RYD in VA but had a great time crewing too!!!!!