July 19 2025
It’s always fun to go to a new ride. Hillbillie Willie loves new trails. And Crazy Daze, near Spokane, Washington would be slightly cooler than home, and in the forest, so, shade! It was rather a long drive (around 9 hrs) for a one-day ride, but, it fit well in our schedule for the upcoming 3-day Old Selam ride on august 29-31, where my big lofty goal is three 50s on Willie. (Subject to change of course.)
This time Willie and DWA Papillon would be making the trip, Pappy being Willie’s BF (Best Frenemy), as opposed to his BFF - Best Friend Forever DWA Barack.
Our ridecamp and the ride would take place in the Riverside State Park, over 9000 acres along the Little Spokane and the Spokane rivers. We’d be riding briefly on loop 1 and 2 along the inviting cool green Spokane river.
As usual Regina Rose chauffeured Connie and me and our steeds to the ride. Chris Sprague took over the ride this year, and thank you to Chris and to the ample volunteers who helped! Unfortunately only 12 started the 50 and 11 started the LD, but there were a good number of trail riders who also rode and had fun.
It was an early 6 AM start, and Connie and I fell in whenever we found a nice bubble. We weren’t out to win, just to finish! Willie and Pappy had never ridden together, but Pappy is fitter than Willie, and I figured they might be able to match pace pretty well together. And anyway pretty much Willie was not going to let his BF get out of his sight on the trail since they travelled all this way together!
Loop 1 and 2 were the same, a 20-mile loop, with loop 3 being a smaller inner 10-mile circle. After a couple of miles along a soft single track trail, we dropped down into the aptly named Deep Creek, devoid of water but a rocky boulder-y SOB with a good rocky climb out.
Pic by connie
The ponies took turns leading for a few miles, but any time Willie was in front, he wanted a small bubble with Pappy. He’d slow down his trot as much as possible to keep Pappy close, and he’d turn his head one way then the other, never straight, because he was keeping his Popeye eyeballs on Pappy. Pappy really wanted to be in front anyway, because he got a bit anxious following behind, so it just worked out best that Willie and I stayed behind him. Willie’s bubble was still pretty small, he did not want to be more than two horse lengths behind Pappy! He’s not like that when he rides with other new Instant Best Friends on other rides. He can go far in front or far behind them, (or solo), but when he’s with Pappy or Barack, his bubble shrinks a lot.
BFFs when they are eating grass together on the trail
Not so much BFFs when Willie dares to trot beside Pappy
It was a fun day, hot but not too hot, working our way along the woods, through some nice grassy fields, above and briefly along the Spokane River. We did a lollipop on the first two loops where a nice couple took our numbers and re-supplied us with cold water! Water troughs were every four miles or so, and the horses really appreciated that. As did I, because by loop 2 I was dunking my cool vest in every one of them and sponging the horses off.
Low clearance
Vet check
At the second vet check, after 40 miles, Pappy had a slight hitch in his gitalong (probably found that rock with his name on it), so, oh no! Willie would have to go out and do the last 10-mile loop solo! So when it was time, I climbed aboard, and I urged him into a trot leaving camp, leaving behind his BF. The first mile or two Willie was a bit sad, but then, he just went into his efficient agreeable forward trot, enjoying some new trails in the forest. We didn’t encounter anybody except for a couple of pleasant bike riders who pulled over for us, and then suddenly we were back in camp, back for the finish and a re-uniting with BF Pappy.
At Willie’s last ride, City of Rocks, it took him a while to pulse down at the vet checks and finish, and his pulse was a good 10 beats higher all day. Here at Crazy Days, it took him a few minutes to pulse down at each vet check, so I wasn’t going to show for BC, because I knew he wouldn’t have a good CRI. I got talked into it though, so we showed. And I was right, his CRI was 54-72. But everything else was good, so another 50 miles in the books for Hillbillie Willie!
Willie pacing along!
Pic by Adrienne
That CRI is a little scary. How is his electrolyte/hydration? Barring the season when the Dragon was VERY VERY FIT, she needed a lot more electrolytes than her dinky Arabian pals!
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