Endurance Riding

Lake Sonoma: Our final endurance ride of the 2012 season.

One month ago, Jake and I almost didn’t make it to the coveted Lake Sonoma ride. But, we conquered the odds, and made it to ride camp just before dark!

Lake Sonoma turned out to be one of my favorite rides this year. The weather was perfect, the trails were fun, and the views were gorgeous. AND Jakob won First Junior! His prize was a cool new hay bag for Beauty, embroidered in red script: “1st Junior Lake Sonoma 25.”

We enjoyed catching up with old endurance buddies, making new friends, and spending an extra night camping. Jakob and I rode out again together on Sunday, the day after the race, just the two of us and our horses. We explored some new trails, but we also relived the adventure, retracing some of our steps from the day before. We played a game of “who could grab the most ride ribbons down from the trees at a gallop.” This game sure helped ride management clean up the trails they had marked for the ride!

We turned our long weekend into a vacation and instead of heading home on Sunday, we drove to a friend’s house in Wilton, where our horses spent a day and a half in Bren’s beautiful pasture. Jakob and I enjoyed Bren’s farm, including her two fillies, who are just as rambunctious and cute as any other baby animals!

We are now spending our short winter days getting ready for the holidays… and next year’s ride season: the year of the Tevis Cup and hopefully, Jakob’s first 50. 2013, BRING IT ON!

Jakob had a home school assignment to write a poem about an adult he knows with a special dream. He chose to write about me and my dream of completing the Tevis Cup. After he had finished writing, he handed me his composition book. I couldn’t help but smile after I read the poem.

doesn’t stop

by Jakob Chase Gregory

the mom has a dream

the mom has a life

she gets on her horse and she rides like a kite

her horse keeps going it doesn’t stop

not for a drink

not for a bite

she goes like the wind and never stops

she crosses the line like never before

the tevis is over

but she doesn’t care

she keeps going until she can’t no more

Asali and I hitched a ride with my endurance buddies, the Straub sisters, to the Trinity River Challenge near Ruth Lake in Trinity County. We arrived on Thursday afternoon after a 6 hour haul.

On Friday morning, we got the horses ready for our pre-ride. We set out on the trail that was to be the start of the ride the following day. What we discovered was a 3200 foot climb over 4 miles! Parts of the trail were so steep and soft, I was lucky that I didn’t slip off my horse’s rump as I was riding bareback. Before the summit, we turned right and completed our pre-ride on a 7 mile loop back to camp, stopping to let the horses play in the river.

That evening, after looking over the ride maps for the Trinity River Challenge 2-day endurance ride, Teresa decided not to ride both days. I was having my own doubts too after learning how technically difficult the ride was going to be. But, always up for a challenge, I decided to give it a shot the first day and then leave the option open to just the ride the 25-miler (rather than another 50 miles) on Sunday.

Saturday morning was chilly as I got Asali tacked up for day 1 of the weekend’s endurance ride. Our start time was 7 am and we were off with the front runners, climbing that 3200 foot STEEP trail to the summit. The trail was very primitive, as it had been created by the ride managers using only hand tools. (Natalie and Willi did a pretty tremendous job blazing their own trail for us.)

Once at the top, we enjoyed beautiful views where you could see nothing but tree tops for miles. The trail at the summit was relatively easier, as least compared to the one we had just traversed. We hooked up with a young 18-year-old endurance rider, Joanna, and her little morgan mare, Beatle. (Joanna is mature beyond her years; she is a double major at Humboldt State, planning to apply to veterinary school after graduation. I enjoyed her company.)

Joanna and I took the time to hike alongside our horses on the long downhills. We also “tailed up” (walking behind the horse while holding on to its tail) a steep road to the vet check. I was pleased to find a rider who liked to get off almost as much as she liked to ride – we figured out we hiked a total of 10 miles during the ride, and those miles gave our horses much needed breaks.

The most memorable part of Saturday’s ride was the River Trail – we made a loop around a river, encountering a swinging bridge (Joanna refused to look down), lots of lush green forest, and a cool breeze. We cantered around a huge portion of the trail, me dropping the reins and enjoying the ride!

Joanna and I crossed the finish line sometime around 5 pm, making our ride time about 9 hours. We made Top Ten, coming in 9th and 10th respectively. Asali looked so good and I felt pretty well myself that I decided to attempt another 50 miles the following day.

Sunday morning was a bit chiller than the morning before and I had trouble getting myself out of the sleeping bag. Outside, I could see my own breath in front of me, dancing with excitement. I mounted in a hurry and we were off at 7:30, with Joanna and Beatle by our sides.

We rode in a large group at the beginning and got lost not far from the start. We went about 6 miles off trail, but since the horses were fresh, it didn’t take us long to back track.

Once we got headed back in the right direction, we hit a goat trail. This trail was narrow, cut into the side of the cliff. There were turns, and ups and downs, and every time a horse’s hoof sent a rock tumbling over the edge, you held your breath. The views were spectacular and as I gazed out across the skyline, holding tightly to my reins, I imagined being on top of the world.

After the first vet check, Joanna and I rode on a long, hot, dusty road back to camp. It was mid-day and the sun was not very forgiving. We were able to move out on the trail, but we were both wishing the road would take us down to the river.

We finally did hit the river after what seemed like hours. We were just around the corner from ride camp, which was the finish line for Joanna and Beatle, as they were riding in the LD (limited distance; 25 miles). For Asali and me, it was our 45 minute hold and vet check before the second half of our ride.

At the vet check, I soaked my hair in the shower of Linda and Teresa’s living quarters horse trailer. I was hoping wet hair would help me cool off. I also took the time to cool down my horse, make her a mash, and then make some lunch for myself. We spent an extra 15 minutes at the hold before starting out on the trail again.

We had to conquer the 3200 foot climb again before we finished. Although I knew I had some horse left, I could feel that Asali was tired. I decided, rather than to ask her to carry me, I would lead her up the 4 miles to the summit.

As I began walking up that mountain on my own two feet, I really started to doubt myself. I saw another rider up ahead, a young woman named April, on her Arab stallion. I kept trying to catch up, using them as motivation. But soon, April and her stallion disappeared up ahead of us and Asali and I were alone.

It was quiet and the shade cover made the trail look dark. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and I was thirsty. I remember wondering if I was going to pass out. I momentarily considered turning around and quitting, but then I thought about the time my brother took me rock climbing. I had pushed myself to the limit physically, wanting to quit more than once on that climb. But when I got to the summit, I was on top of the world and the high I felt at that moment lasted for days.

I continued to put one foot in front of the other, refusing to quit. I kept thinking of the summit and I talked aloud to my horse, more to encourage myself than to encourage her.

When we reached the top, I was thrilled to see the water buckets ride management had placed there were still full. Asali dove in and drank a ton. I gave her a second dose of electrolytes as well.

We headed out on the loop that was marked with pink and black ribbons (originally ride management had us doing a longer loop, but when they found out all of us had gotten lost and ridden an extra 6 miles in the morning, they sent us out on a slightly shorter loop for the second half of the ride). I mounted Asali and she moved out for a little while before slowing down again. I decided to dismount and hike alongside her again. I kept putting one foot in front of the other, but Asali was walking awful slow and I began to worry we wouldn’t make it to the finish before dark. Just then, a couple hunters drove by, stopped and asked me if I needed anything. I said “no,” but the comfort of seeing someone else alive out there in that backcountry gave me encouragement to keep going.

I remounted Asali and decided that if I needed to hike again later, I would do it with my ipod in my ears, hoping that a little regae, Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller Band, Ani DiFranco or the electic tunes of The Duhks would be enough to keep us going to the finish line.

A few mounted steps forward and I saw April headed in our direction, going the wrong way. As she passed me, she told me she was done. She was “over it” and was headed towards ride camp to take a rider option out of the ride. I looked at her and said, “After we just climbed that fucking mountain to the top, no one is climbing back down until we finish this loop.” I told her that at Hat Creek Hustle, I had taken a rider option 5 miles from the finish, but I knew now that Asali and I probably could have finished that ride if we had had the company of another horse and rider team. April felt like her stallion was quitting on her, but I told her he probably had enough gas to get to the finish – he just needed a buddy and I had a feeling that my mare, who was in heat, was probably all he needed.

From that point, April and I committed to finishing the ride together. We had a great time – we laughed, we almost cried, we shared stories, and we picked up souveniors along the way (her a robin feather, which she stuck in her helmet, and me, a few ride ribbons I stole from the trees). We made it to the end of that pink and black loop, and we dismounted and began hand walking our horses all the way down that steep trail. We stopped a few times on the way down to regain our footing. We also stopped, April crouched and at attention, to watch a mama bear and her cubs, in the distance. Just a mile from the finish, a couple of other riders, the older ladies who had been in last place, passed us up. April and I laughed, humbled and proud that those riders caught up to us and didn’t get stuck on the mountain in the dark.

When we reached the finish, everyone was cheering for us. April and I hugged and high-fived. She announced that if it wasn’t for me, she would not have finished. The truth is, though, we carried each other to the finish. I only did for her what Sarah Teasley and her horse, Red, did for Asali and me, 8 miles from the finish of the Camp Far West ride, when I was about to quit.

I walked away from the Trinity River Challenge with another new-found friend, a redheaded 30-year-old who is just as crazy and independent as me. I learned that everything happens for a reason and in those moments when we feel like we can’t do it, we really can. It is only when we push ourselves to the limit and overcome our fears that we find out what we are really capable of. It is then, in that moment of success, that we are able to learn and grow, and possibilities become endless.

Well, it’s been a month since the Tevis Cup. I don’t quite know what has taken me so long to write about my experience at the event that is known as the world’s most difficult endurance ride. What I do know is that as Gary and I were driving home after we saw Alyssa Stalley and her horse take their well deserved victory lap, my mind was spinning. I had been up for 24 hours straight and I was overwhelmed with all that I had seen, heard, and learned over the course of the day.

Our day began very early on August 3rd. We loaded up the car with our camping gear and headed for the Foresthill vet check, where we dropped off 5 bales of alfalfa hay that was generously donated by Vanella Farm in Durham. From there, we headed to Robinson Flat, about 30 miles down the road. As the scenery became more remote, Gary, the boys, and I were amazed by the beauty surrounding us. Declan was a little scared to look out the window as we ascended around the curves because the road seemed to disappear into the canyon below.

When we arrived at Robinson Flat, we took the time to enjoy our surroundings. We had lunch under a big tree and then set up our tents before joining hands with the other volunteers to get the vet check ready. The boys kept busy making signs for the vet check and we had time for a quick hike before sharing in a pot luck dinner.

On Saturday, we were up before the sun. Gary was assigned to help with parking and getting the crews into the vet check in an organized fashion. The boys ran around doing odd jobs while I helped with P & R. (P & R stands for pulse and respirations; as the horses enter the vet check, P & R personnel make sure the horses have pulsed down to criteria, usually 60 beats per minute, before they are allowed to proceed to the veterinarian for the vet check.)

There was an air of excitement as the first riders arrived at Robinson Flat. I tried intently to watch each of the horse and rider teams as they came in to the vet check. I wanted to make mental notes as I watched the riders take care of their horses. I also wanted to watch the crews to see how they assisted their horse and rider teams. But, once the riders started coming in, it was chaos – controlled chaos, but still chaos. All of a sudden, the vet check got quiet and I realized it was over. The teams were back out on the trail, conquering the Sierra Nevadas, hoping to make it to Foresthill. It was time for us to clean up and move on.

After we had fulfilled our volunteer duties at Robinson Flat, my husband, the boys, and I jumped in and helped crew for Peggy (the endurance friend I had met at Wild West last year and rode with at the American River Classic this year) and her husband, Sam. Crewing was fun and a valuable learning experience. Gary and I had the opportunity to talk about strategies and what I was hoping for in my crew when I ride Tevis next year. The two things we decided were crucial to a successful team: a great attitude and organization. Crewing is most fruitful when everyone knows their jobs or at least what is expected of them. And when everyone is having fun, the stress level is low – a good thing for both horse and rider!

As horses and riders left Foresthill, Jakob and I watched them ride away, the glowsticks hanging from the tack disappearing into the night. Jake began, excitingly, talking about riding Tevis himself, and made me promise I would sponsor him one day. I proudly responded “yes,” and my mind filled with images of Jakob and I riding through the Sierra Nevadas together, enjoying the beauty, the company of our horses, and crossing the finish line with memories to last a lifetime.

Peggy and Sam did not finish Tevis this year. Sam got really sick on the trail and they both took rider options. After we helped them take care of their horses, we went to Auburn to watch the Top Ten riders take their victory laps. We then drove home, and as I was putting my head on my pillow at 5 am, I was filled with anticipation and excitement for next year’s Tevis, the year when I hope to cross the finish line on my beloved mare to receive the coveted 100-mile, one-day buckle.

Part 1: Does That Count as Falling Off?

We arrived at ride camp in Georgetown, CA just before noon. After getting camp set up, eating some lunch, and having Dianna (our hoof trimmer, fellow endurance rider, and camp neighbor) trim our horses, we decided to set out for our pre-ride. Jakob and I both decided to ride bareback. We started at the beginning of the Dru Barner trail, the trail named after the first woman to ever complete the Tevis Cup ride. We had a great time on our pre-ride, but we experienced some decent hills. At one point, on our way back to camp, we were climbing up a hill, when I heard a small shout from Jakob. He had lost his balance, plummetted off his horse, and landed in the soft dirt on his bum. He stood up, hysterically laughing, and then said, “Does that count as falling off? Because in my book, that was just a slip off.” Then he preceded to convince me that he had done it on purpose, as if it had been an emergency dismount. Jakob’s horse is almost 16 hands and when he realized he wasn’t going to be able to get back on, he decided to hand-walk her the mile back to camp. I dismounted and did the same with Asali.

Leaving our campsite for a pre-ride.

The Dru Barner trail.

Jakob riding bareback.

Part 2: Being in Two Places at Once

It was after dark and Jakob and I were cuddled up in the tent. Yes, that’s right, a tent. Thanks to my dad, who purchased us a 2-person REI tent, we no longer have to sleep in the back of the horse trailer. Jakob and I were almost asleep, enjoying the air from our battery-operated fan, when a couple text messages came through on my cell phone. My brother had sent us two video clips from World Fest, a music festival him and his girlfriend were at. The video clips were of Ani DiFranco, one of my favorite independent artists, playing live. Jakob and I played those video clips over and over again, inside our quiet tent. I closed my eyes and was transported to the World Fest, my body moving with the beat Ani was creating.

Part 3: UFO in Ride Camp?

At 2:10 am, I was awakened from a deep sleep by a soft roar from the sky. When I looked outside my tent window, I saw a hazy glow on the other side of camp. I swear I saw headlights rising through smoke. I was frozen inside the tent, not wanting to venture out to the bathroom. I could just imagine the headlines in the next issue of Endurance News: “First Rider Ever to Get Abducted By Aliens in Ride Camp.”
The next morning, I found out the smoke was from a camp fire that had just been put out. And the headlights were head lamps – several riders had been up trying to catch a few loose horses that were running through camp. As for that soft roar I heard in the sky, that still remains a mystery…

Part 4: Crazy Horse

At 8:00 am, Jakob and I were off on our first 5.5 mile loop. Both horses were feeling good. And of course, Asali was a little crazy. She tried to bolt. Then she tried to buck. Then she thought if she rode sideways down the trail, maybe she would be able to get out from underneath the death grip I had on the reins. Beauty kept pace with us, calmly wondering why we looked like we belonged in the circus. I was secretly wishing I could switch horses with my son.

Part 5: Back to Loving My Horse

On the second loop, we began to have an incredible time! Jakob and I experienced narrow, single-track trail that we could really move out on. The footing wasn’t bad, the trail was well-marked, there was plenty of shade and water, and the scenery was beautiful! My favorite part of the ride was at mile 14 when we rode the horses into the creek and let them splash and play. We were about half-way done with the ride and we were loving it!

Part 6: Worried About Beauty

A few miles after the creek, Jakob and I noticed that Beauty was breathing really hard. Asali had been setting the pace and Beauty had been keeping up, but when I saw how hard she was breathing, I became worried that maybe we had been going too fast for her. We decided to park it in the shade for awhile. Jakob fed her an apple and we waited. Then we decided to continue on without re-mounting. Jakob and I handwalked the horses for awhile. Just before Jakob remounted, I gave Beauty a second dose of electrolytes. We continued on in our saddles, but at a walk. When we finally approached a water trough at our 20.5 mile mark, Beauty drank almost 1/2 the trough. I had never seen a horse drink so much at once! After that, she was a new horse! When we got to the vet check a couple miles later, she pulsed down before Asali and had amazing vet scores!

Part 7: Booking It to the Finish

Because we had spent a great deal of time allowing Beauty to recover out on the trail, we left our vet check with little more than an hour to make it to the finish. We had about 7.5 miles to cover – we knew we could do it, but we knew we had to move out the entire time. That last bit of trail was fun – it was a whirlwind of more narrow, single-track trail. The horses knew they were headed back to camp and they didn’t slow down until we clocked in at the finish at 3:04 pm, just 11 minutes before ride cut-off time.

Right after completing the Gold Country 30!

Dinner!

And strawberry crepes for dessert!

Part 8: I’ve Got Muscles

After the ride, I arranged rides home for Asali and Beauty. I had blown the power steering pump on my truck pulling into ride camp and I did not want to travel down the hairy 49 with no power steering and two horses in the back of the trailer. So, Asali went home with Dianna that night and the next morning (after a long night of stress for Beauty who had to camp by herself), Dennis and Joann Martin got Beauty safely off the 49 and into Auburn. Robert Weldin was kind enough to drive my truck and trailer down the 49 for me, while Jakob and I followed behind in Sharon Wimberg’s car. And while another endurance rider, Nikki, had offered to get Beauty from Auburn to Paradise, we collectively decided to put Beauty in her own trailer. I muscled the truck home on manual steering, picking up Asali on the way. We all arrived home safely, thankful for the help we had received from those endurance riders we now call friends.

There is always that one horse in ride camp that loves to put on a show. Well, this time, it was Asali. On Saturday morning, as I was leading her out to the start of our first 50-miler of the weekend, Asali began rearing, head tossing, and bucking circles around me. Suddenly, she had turned into a rodeo pony! It was so impressive that more than one rider commented on her performance. Asali was pitching a fit because we were leaving her buddy, Gambler, a thoroughbred gelding, behind. My girlfriend, Ashley, and her horse, Gambler, had joined us for the weekend to take part in the camping experience. Ashley had also entered Gambler in the 10-mile fun ride on Saturday, as well as the 15-mile fun ride on Sunday.

I decided to follow my friend, Teresa, and her friend, Dawn, out to the start on Saturday morning. Asali knew Teresa’s two horses and she eventually calmed down. We rode the first 4 miles with Teresa and Dawn before taking off on our own and completing the first 10-mile loop in an hour and a half.

Copyright Gore/Baylor Photography

During that beautiful 10-mile loop, I realized I had begun chaffing in some very sensitive areas. So, during our 30-minute hold back at camp, I adjusted my stirrups, making them shorter so I would be able to get up out of the saddle easier. Once back out on the trail for our second loop (25 miles), we rode with Willi, a gentleman from Germany and his Missouri Fox Trotter gelding, Ro. It was not long before I realized the shorter stirrups were not going to work out, but we were moving at a good clip and I did not want to ruin our momentum or ask Willi to stop and wait a moment, so I ignored the pain in my right shin. Finally, the pain became unbearable, so I yelled out that we needed to stop and Willi waited while I put my stirrups back down to their original length. Soon after this, a woman from Tennessee, on her Tennessee Walking Horse, joined our little group of two. All three horses matched pace well and we continued down the trail together, enjoying eachother’s company.

At some point during this loop, we came upon two pie plates, marking which direction we were to go. Well, we misread the pie plates and we ended up heading in the wrong direction. This mistake cost all of us our placings (we were somewhere in the top of the middle of the pack) and we ended up doing 2 additional miles of trail (which may not seem like a big deal, but when you are already doing 50 miles, you don’t want any extra mileage on top of that).

Despite our mistake, the three of us committed to finishing the ride – and we stuck together until the end. We hit the finish line after the last 15-mile loop at 5:20 pm. Ashley was there waiting, with camera in hand, and as I walked Asali in for our final vet check, I was filled with relief and pride.

That evening, as I was getting ready for the awards dinner, I realized that my right shin was severely swollen and red. My left ankle was also bothering me, as I had been putting more weight in my left stirrup to save my right leg. I began to worry if I was going to make it through the next day’s ride. I iced my shin, took some ibuprofen, and then before bed, gave myself a liniment rub.

On Sunday morning, I awoke at 6 am, determined to work through the pain. I saddled up Asali, who looked great. I was excited to ride with Ashley – everyone was doing the same first 15-mile loop and because we were all given the same out time, Ashley and I were able to ride together. Willi and Ro joined us as well, but a few times, we left them in the dust when Asali and Gambler decided to race. We had a great time on the first 15 miles and it was an absolutely gorgeous trail – snow capped mountains in the distance, a rushing creek, and green grass by our sides. We also went through a portion of narrow trail that was hugged on either side by towering pine trees, their branches reaching out, causing us to duck through their maze.

Copyright Gore/Baylor Photography

Copyright Gore/Baylor Photography

When we made it back to camp, a hot breakfast awaited us. Ashley untacked Gambler, for they were done for the day. Asali and I vetted in and then relaxed for the remainder of our hour hold. When we headed back out, we once again rode with Willi and Ro.

The next 25 mile loop was extremely tough. Willi and I missed our first turn (the ribbons had actually fallen off the tree and were on the ground) and ended up about 2 miles off-track AGAIN. When we got back on track, we were on a boring forest service road which seemed to never end. It was hot – worse than the day before and although there was shade, there was also a lot of sun. I was feeling the pain in both my right shin and my left ankle and I couldn’t wait for the ride to be over. The horses were tiring out on us, so we walked most of this loop. Willi and I did not exchange many words, but I was happy I was not alone. We were in last place and I was starting to lose it in the heat, with my pain. I remember thinking, “I can’t lose it in front of a stranger,” and it was that thought that kept me sane. When we finally arrived at the highway crossing for the second time, we knew we were headed back to camp – finally! The volunteers offered us cold water, held our horses for us so we could briefly take a break, and I dunked my helmet in the cold water trough.

We started to move out a bit on the last leg of the journey, stopping only a few times to let the horses graze on what little grass was on the trail. When we finally made it to the vet check and our last hold, I was miserable. Teresa and Ashley came to my rescue – taking over care of my horse. Teresa held Asali for me while I ate the amazing cheese sandwich she had made me. She untacked my horse, sponged her, and fed her. Ashley brought me water and helped Teresa with Asali. I sat down in the rocks, determined not to move until our hold was up. Asali dove into her grain mash as if she had never eaten before. We had a hard time getting her face out of the food just to listen to her pulse for a minute. She finally pulsed down to 60 and remained there, but since she usually pulses down faster and lower, I was left feeling a little concerned. She was okay, but she was definitely getting tired.

When the vet did a comprehensive check of Asali, we discovered she was extremely back sore. It was then that I realized I had been riding unbalanced all day – all because of the pain I was in. I knew I had ridden unbalanced the day before too, which contributed to the soreness she was experiencing now. While we passed the vet check (back soreness is not cause for a pull), I knew I could not put the saddle back on her – nor could I ask her to carry me the last 10 miles. So, I ditched the saddle for a bareback pad, determined to hand-walk my horse as much of the 10 miles as I could. I told Willi and Ro they could go on ahead without us if they wished, and they did. We left the vet check about 6 or 7 minutes behind them.

As Asali and I headed back out for our last loop, she was reluctant to go. She did follow me, but she was hanging her head low and had her ears back. I talked to her a lot, trying to encourage both of us to “just keep swimming.” I even sung the song in Dory’s voice! But after 2 and 1\2 miles, I stopped and looked at Asali. I put my forehead against hers, closed my eyes, and just took a moment to gather my thoughts. I felt myself breathing with her and I knew that my horse would follow me all the way to the finish. I knew she wouldn’t give up on me, but I decided at that moment that I couldn’t ask any more of her. Asali had already carried me 90 miles and I wanted to finish with a great looking horse, rather than making it to the finish with a horse who just looked okay. I turned her around, and handwalked her the 2 and 1\2 miles back to camp. I walked up to Dr. Jerry Long and Dr. Rob Lydon and told them I was taking a rider option out of the ride. It wasn’t about the finish anymore – my job was to take care of my horse. Dr. Long gave me a hug and Dr. Lydon tipped his hat off to me. Then Dr. Long vetted my horse – she had a pulse of 48, so even though we didn’t “finish,” we did finish – and we finished strong! That 5 miles of walking had actually improved my own soreness and Asali looked much brighter when we got back to camp. She finally peed for me, she ate, drank, and rolled in the dirt, and I gave her a liniment rub, some bute paste for pain, and iced her legs before we settled in for bed.

On Monday morning, Ashley and I awoke to a horse galloping straight towards our tent – a horse had gotten loose in ride camp, and luckily, Teresa caught the mare before she ran through our camp. Ashley and I decided after all the excitement, it was time to pack up and go home. We broke down camp, took the horses for a walk down to the creek, and then loaded them up in the trailer. Asali had recovered beautifully and her back soreness was minimal; she did not look like a horse who had just covered 95 miles in the last two days. I drove away from Hat Creek Hustle without a question that next time, Asali and I will conquer the entire 100 miles!

On Friday, after visiting with family in the bay area, I took my 10-year-old son and his horse, Beauty, to the Cache Creek Ridge Ride, near Williams, CA. Asali and I had the pleasure of sponsoring them on the 25 mile ride on Saturday. Here is Jakob’s story of his first ride, copied word for word (although I fixed a few spelling mistakes):

CACHE CREEK RIDGE RIDE!
by Jakob Gregory

I liked the ride because it was beautiful and they organized the ride well. My favorite part of the ride is the meadow with the grassy field where you could run. My least favorite part is the finish because I wanted to keep riding and when Beauty got worked up.

I want to go to the ride next year because of the beauty. Thank you Alyssa and Jennifer, also volunteers. You never waste a moment in the saddle. Beauty and Asali, you worked hard!!!!!!!!!!

I have to agree with Jakob that the Cache Creek Ridge Ride is well managed – that is the main reason why I will probably make this an annual ride for us. It was hot and sunny and not very shady on the trail and we also encountered many steep, difficult climbs, but we had so much fun riding. This was a challenging trail, especially for a junior rider on his first ride. I could not have been more proud of Jakob or his horse, Beauty, who we adopted from a horse rescue almost 2 years ago.

I have two favorite memories from the weekend. The first was on Friday night, when Jakob and I were getting ready for bed. We were both cozy in our sleeping bags in the back of the horse trailer. We left the door to the trailer open so we could see the stars above us. Jakob spent some time reading aloud to me, using his head lamp for light. Jakob was reading from his book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I enjoyed hearing his voice and I eventually fell asleep to the silly story.

My second favorite memory occurred on Saturday, when we were towards the end of the competition. We were on a wide dirt trail, side by side. The horses were feeling good and we began trotting, and then cantering. Jakob and I held hands and continued down the trail, side by side. We were all alone, in open country, being carried through the sun on the backs of our horses. I heard Jakob laughing and I remember wanting to freeze that moment in time.

I am going to end this blog post with a quick account of an incident that happened when the ride was all over – after we had presented our horses for P & R (pulse and respirations) and received our completion time. Jakob and I were walking the horses back to our camp when something went awry with the hose on the water truck. Both horses spooked and galloped off. In the process, my arm got tangled up in Beauty’s reins, Asali knocked me over, lunging me forward and to the ground, right in Beauty’s path. I was dragged a couple feet and then trampled by Beauty. I came out of this potentially dangerous accident relatively unharmed. While I have several bumps and bruises, a swollen knee, a mild black eye, and overall soreness, I could have ended up with a massive head injury. I heard Beauty’s hooves hit my helmet several times and I know the only reason I was talking and walking after the incident was because of my helmet – it saved my life! I am sharing this story to stress to my readers how important wearing a helmet is. Accidents happen, even with those horses who rarely spook, who have lots of training, and who are older in age. It does not matter how experienced of a horsewoman or horseman you are, an accident can happen anytime, anywhere and it can happen so fast, you aren’t able to get out of the way or stop yourself from falling off. So – wear your fricken’ helmet!

On that note, I can say I am glad I got “trampled” and “dragged” checked off my list all at once. My chances of those things happening again are pretty slim so I can deem myself “been there, done that.” After the eye injury I suffered following my first 25 and now this accident following Jakob’s first 25, I am really hoping our subsequent rides are uneventful. Otherwise, people are going to start wondering why we continue in this crazy sport they call endurance.

A few of our pre-ride photos from Friday afternoon:

And finally (drum roll please), a short video of our ride on Saturday:

FINALLY! The 2012 ride season has started for us!

On Friday morning, I loaded up Asali and drove to Folsom Lake in Granite Bay for the American River Classic (ARC). I had decided on the ARC for a few reasons – one, it was fairly close to me (less than a 3 hour haul), two, it was a point to point ride (I love not having to repeat trail), three, they offered a Pioneer Division (the challenge sounded right up my alley), and four, it covered part of the Western States Trail, ending at the same finish line as the Tevis Cup (how cool is that?!).

I arrived at the ride alone, which is not unusual for me. I knew most of my endurance friends had attended Yosemite Gold Cup the weekend before, so I was not expecting to see anyone I recognized. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see Roberto and his son, Vasco (I met Roberto at Cache Creek last year and then his son and mine did a fun ride together at Hat Creek Hustle last June). I had the pleasure of camping next to Roberto and Vasco, and then at the pre-ride meeting, I enjoyed Sharma’s company (Sharma is the author of Tevis, From the Back of My Horse; she signed a copy of the book for me and Jakob at the AERC Convention back in March).

On Friday night, as I tried to fall asleep in the back of my horse trailer, I felt this wave of excitement and nervousness. Because it had been 7 months since our last 50 and we failed to make it to the limited distance ride that was to mark the start of our 2012 season, I wondered if we were conditioned well enough for this ride, especially since I had heard the ARC was a technically challenging, tough 50. I also began to go through everything I needed to take with me in the morning, making a mental note not to forget anything. I had entered the Pioneer Division, meaning that I was to be the sole caretaker of my horse for the entire 50 miles. I had no crew, nor did I have a crew bag that would be delivered at the vet checks by ride management. Everything Asali and I needed for the day would be carried either in our saddle bags or around my waist in my new waist pack. I had grain, carrots, electrolytes, 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, lots of snacks, 3 water bottles, 2 vitamin waters, extra hoof boots, ibuprofen, sunscreen, sunglasses, chapstick… somehow, I fell asleep during my list, as if I had been counting sheep.

My alarm went off at 4:15 am. I woke up, got dressed (in my funky new purple riding tights), gave Asali a mash, put on her new Renegade hoof boots, got her saddled, took down her electric fence paddock, locked up the truck and trailer, forced down a banana and a breakfast bar, and somehow mounted, all by 5:30 am.

I did not start with the front runners. I hung back and started out at about 5:40. This was part of my new strategy, to keep Asali from bolting at the start. It worked. Although I could feel my own anticipation channeling energy to her, Asali did not take off running. We kept up a good warm-up pace, following the glow sticks in the dark of the early morning.

At mile 2 or 3, we threw both back hoof boots. I dismounted and decided to strap them to my saddle rather than put them back on. The trail had relatively good footing and since we train barefoot, I knew Asali would be fine. We continued on our way, encountering many difficult hills, with boulders we had to pick our way through. There were also narrow passes, with sides so high, I had to be careful not to scrape my legs or catch a stirrup on something. Asali would just bulldozer through each obstacle as if it was nothing, which increased my anxiety. When the trail mellowed out a bit, I breathed a sigh of relief, enjoyed the early morning sun, and made Asali stop while I snapped a few photos of the water.

At some point during the ride, I ran into Peggy, a woman I had ridden the first part of a ride with at Wild West. Although at first we didn’t remember each other’s names, we certainly remembered our short time together on the trail last year, and we were thrilled to reunite. Our horses remembered each other too. Peggy was riding with a friend. Michelle and I had never met, but Michelle knew who I was right away, for she has been following my blog.

For the rest of the ride, Peggy, Michelle, and I played leap frog. I would ride with them for awhile, then I would take off alone with Asali. Then they would pass me during one of a few stretches where I decided to hike or jog next to my horse. At one point, I joined up with an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, a gentleman named Jim. We talked about our careers – his as a doctor, mine as a nurse, before he went on ahead and I decided to hang back with Peggy and Michelle. I was enjoying riding the ride slow. My goal was not just to finish, but to finish with a lot of horse left.

There was something magical about riding this trail too – from Granite Bay to Auburn to Cool, back to Auburn. We traveled on the Pioneer Trail, riding as pioneers, and then we met up with the historic Western States Trail. The American River Classic is the oldest sanctioned 50 mile endurance ride in the world, and I was thrilled to be experiencing its history, and hearing the stories that traveled through the roar of the American River below.

The highlight of the ride, for me, was racing across No Hands Bridge with no hands. I gave Asali permission to choose the pace. I sat on her back, with my arms stretched out in the wind, merely a passenger. We were carried across by the same energy those Tevis Cup riders felt every year as they crossed this same bridge in the dark. And although we were the very last horse and rider team to enter the final vet check, I was cheered on by a young volunteer, a girl in elementary school. Before we left the vet check, she said, “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose. It matters if you finish.” I responded with a thumbs up, an enthusiastic “Amen, sista!” and continued on my way, knowing exactly why I love the sport of endurance.

Peggy, Michelle, and I met with some challenges just 4 miles from the finish, but we, together, worked as a team. We suddenly were not competing against each other, but with each other. We crossed the finish line at 5:06 pm, as the very last riders, all of us logging the same end time, knowing that the victory was shared amongst us. And I, along with Asali, could have kept on going…

I am sitting here in front of my computer crying, and as I am, feeling very foolish for the tears.

Jakob and I loaded up the horses in the trailer this morning. It was pouring down rain, so we had to tarp all our camping gear in the bed of the truck. We headed out towards Reno, on our way to the Nevada Derby. We knew clear skies and sunshine awaited us for Jakob’s first 25 on Sunday.

We made it all the way to the Tahoe National Forest, but when we hit 3,000 feet I saw the rain hitting my windshield turn to slush and then, snow. I told Jakob to cross his fingers and hope that the snow didn’t stick to the ground. But as we continued on, the snow got so heavy I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of me. We weren’t carrying chains, but even if we had been, I would have been afraid to go on while hauling the horses. I made the decision to turn around. As I did, we got temporarily stuck and I jack-knifed the horse trailer (which is what I think may have caused a dent in the front of my trailer).  

We did make it down the mountain soon after, heading towards home. I put the truck in the lowest gear and descended at 20 miles an hour. When we hit Grass Valley, on the way to Marysville, Jake and I parked at a gas station and discussed what to do. He cried a lot, out of complete disappointment. I told him I could call my endurance friend, Linda, who didn’t live far away, to see if we could crash at her place for the night and then try to make it to the ride in the morning (by 8 am for our ride-out time). But, later, Linda talked some sense into me. We both decided it was better for me and Jake to get the horses home safely and de-stress ourselves, as there was no guarantee the weather would improve overnight (I later found out the roads through Tahoe had been closed).

On the 70 outside Marysville, when we weren’t far from home, 4 cars rear-ended each other in front of me. I was able to stop in time, but I had to slam on my breaks, leaving skid marks in the road, and jostling the horses. 

Jakob and I spent 5 hours hauling the horses today, only to end up right back where we started from. When we pulled in the driveway to our home, I breathed a sigh of relief that I had gotten my son and our beloved horses home safely.

We’ve been home a couple hours now and the disappointment has left Jakob. He is playing Wii with his younger brother and looking forward to going to the movies tonight. But for me, the disappointment has just sunk in. I know nice weather is right around the corner and there are a plethora of rides we can do together, starting next month. 

My disappointment comes from the fact that this is the third ride I have tried to take my son to. We had to withdraw from a 25 miler last summer when Beauty had an allergic reaction to a bee sting, leaving her eyelid swollen shut. She also felt “off” when I was riding her the day before the ride, which gave me confirmation to withdraw her (I had already been considering it when she had the allergic reaction the week before).

The second ride we withdrew from was in September. I had signed us up for another 25-miler, not realizing we would be closing escrow on our house the same exact weekend.   

This morning, as I pulled out of our driveway, I smiled, thinking, “third time’s a charm,” but we didn’t make it to this ride either. As soon as we got home today, I looked at my husband and said, “Is this some kind of omen? Is someone trying to tell me something? Is Jakob not supposed to do endurance?” Gary laughed and said, “I think the endurance world is just scared of Jakob. Cause once he actually gets there to the start of a ride, he is going to kick some serious ass.”

Cache Creek Ridge Ride – Here We Come! 

On Thursday, March 8th, I loaded up my family in the car for a weekend away at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, the exact place where the American Endurance Ride Conference was holding their annual convention. We decided to leave one day early, on Jakob’s 10th birthday, so we could spend the day celebrating. We took the 70 East to Reno, traveling on the Feather River Scenic Byway. It was one of the most picturesque drives we had ever encountered. The boys enjoyed driving through tunnels and over bridges, all the while being right next to the beautiful Feather River. We were also adjacent to some old train tracks, imagining what precious cargo those trains must carry.

 We made a couple stops on the way to Reno, including one in Quincy, where we had lunch at a cute little diner. After about 4 hours, we arrived in Reno, checked into our hotel, and then the boys were off playing in the hotel’s large arcade.

 That evening, Gary and I surprised Jakob with a nice birthday dinner at an upscale Italian restaurant located right in the hotel. Dessert was his favorite – carrot cake (with his football nickname, “Dogtown Diesel,” displayed on it)! After dinner, we stopped by the hotel room, where Jakob discovered a few surprise packages – cards, books, birthday money, a new riding helmet, and a new hay bag for his horse, Beauty. Then we were off to the bowling alley, where the four of us competed against each other – Jakob, Declan, and I all lost to Dad.

 On Friday morning, I was up early in order to attend a series of seminars at the AERC Convention. Gary and the boys stayed occupied in the arcade and also went to see a movie (War Horse) at the theatre located in the hotel.

The first seminar I attended was a panel discussion titled “Enduring Wisdom from Enduring Veterans.” It included a question and answer session by John Crandell III (winner of the Old Dominion, the Tevis Cup, and the AERC National Championship all in the same year), Valerie Kanavy (two-time FEI World Champion, two-time AERC National Champion, and FEI Silver Medalist at the 2011 PanAms), Dr. Arthur King (AERC and FEI veterinarian), Kathie Perry (earned 21 Tevis buckles, AERC Hall of Famer, and co-founder of AERC), and Christoph Schork (over 230 endurance wins, including 85 best conditions, winner of the Quilty Gold Cup, and part of the U.S. Team to Worlds). Here is some valuable advice I gathered from the veteran endurance riders:

John: Goals are important. We should all be there to do a little better than we did before. We should challenge ourselves. BUT, don’t get unrealistic about your goal – LISTEN to your horse. Sometimes our horses are telling us something but we’re so focused on our goal, we miss what our horse is telling us.

Christoph (on preparing for a 100-miler): Ride and train with groups. Do a pioneer ride – two or three 50-milers in a row. Check the horse after each day. Three successful rides in a pioneer/multi-day event equates to a better chance of finishing the Tevis Cup.

Valerie: There is no perfect horse, every horse has strengths and weaknesses – take up the strengths and shore up the weaknesses – YOURS too!

Dr. King: PACE yourself. Don’t focus on the rider ahead or behind. Focus on the trail – it’s the trail that will beat you!

Kathie: Train on the horse you are going to compete on. Ride and train your own horse. RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE. You know your own horse, but only if you trained him!

From left to right: John Crandell III, Christoph Schork, Valerie Kanavy, Dr. Arthur King, and Kathie Perry

Following the panel discussion, I attended a seminar by Dr. Susan Garlinghouse titled “Equine Emergencies on the Trail.” Dr. Garlinghouse said there are a few essential items you should always carry with you when riding on the trail: a stethoscope, watch,  thermometer, sponge or scoop, collapsible bucket or other water carrying device for your horse, a leatherman tool with pliers, vetrap, and something you can make a pressure bandage out of (terry cloth hand towel, clean tube socks).  Dr. Garlinghouse discussed many common emergencies, including colic, heat stress, muscle disorders (“tying up”), esophageal obstruction (choke, which is not the same thing as choke in humans; it usually resolves on its own and is not typically a life threatening emergency), eye injuries, and lacerations and bleeding wounds. The take home message: If you think your horse needs a vet, get a vet!

I also had the pleasure of attending a seminar on Endurance Horse Nutrition, presented by Dr. Pagan of Kentucky Equine Research. He described how energy is the nutritional factor most affected by exercise. The digestible energy requirements of performance horses cannot be met by forage alone. I learned that feeding fat to endurance horses is good. The idea is to train the horse to use fat for energy during competition. Fat can be fed by adding canola oil, flax seed oil, or soy oil to the horse’s diet. Feeding beet pulp and bran is also good because it doesn’t produce as high a peak in insulin. Grain is good, but in moderation. Grain intake should be limited to less than 5 pounds a meal. In addition, it was suggested that grain not be fed right before an endurance ride because it can cause glucose to be too high at the start of a ride. Lastly, alfalfa is a good choice of hay to feed during endurance rides (it should be fed sparingly when not competing). Alfalfa has protein (which is typically reserved for foals and broodmares due to its contribution to growth), but good fiber, and high water holding capacity.

After the seminars, I had the pleasure of attending the trade show with my family. Jakob and I spent all our birthday money – he got a new bridle and breast collar, as well as a sponge and a pair of sunglasses. I bought myself a pair of riding tights by Evelyn at Just for Horsin-Round. I also got a pair of ice boots for Asali. Then Jakob and I decided to head over to Sharma Lynn Gaponoff’s booth to check out her new book, Tevis: From the Back of My Horse. Sharma graciously signed a copy of her book for us.

On Saturday morning, we packed our things and checked out of the Grand Sierra, but before we left Reno, Gary and I took the boys to the famous automobile museum in town.