Sunday April 11 2010
I'm on the road, first to the Git R Done endurance ride in Inyokern ("the Sunshine Capital of America"), California. It was an AERC/FEI ride, distances of 35, 55, 75, and 100 miles - many riders have the goal of qualifying their horses for the chance of being one of the 5 rider/horse teams on the World Endurance Championship in Kentucky in September.
That's Jeremy Reynolds and Sir Smith up top - they won the 100 in 8 hours 6 minutes. Smitty looked fantastic all day long, sure didn't look like he'd done a hundred miles when he crossed the finish line with the sun still above the Sierra foothills.
Jeanine and her horse Gallentry's Quest, on his first 50. The spring flowers are busting out all over the desert.
My Belgian friend Leonard flew in to ride one of Christoph Schork's horses, TC Mounshine, on the 100, to try to qualify for the WEG. He enjoyed the horse and the ride... but they got pulled after the 5th loop.
Leo didn't have a crew, so he had to schlep his gear around by himself in the vet checks. Something he was not used to! (but he found it humor-ful).
Canadian Gail Jewell on A Salisbury Rose in the 75. Rose was doing fine, but when Gail got on to go out on the 4th loop, she got dizzy (she'd had a fall 2 weeks prior). So she opted to pull. Her husband Leroy Karius finished 6th in the 75.
Jeremy Reynolds' twin brother Tim finished second and got Best Condition on Ssamiam in the 75. The only way most of us can tell Tim and Jeremy apart is by the horses they are riding. It was easy this ride - Jeremy rode a chestnut, and Tim rode a gray!
Joyce Sousa and LV Integrity were pulled on the 100 for lameness. Here she is crewing for her daughter Jennifer Neihaus's horse MC Gallantly. He ended up being pulled too, for dehydration. Both horses were fine the next day.
The winning 100 team - Jeremy & Heather Reynolds, and Sir Smith, at the finish line.
Check it out - a Raven nest! (with babies) in the barn where we had the ride meetings and dinners. The Ravens ignored us and went about their business while we went about ours.
The scenery is beautiful. I can't imagine sitting in a saddle for 100 miles or 50 for that matter. Don't think my butt could take it. I give these guys a lot of credit for being in such good shape.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention, but the photo isn't mine. :0) I did order two of the photos that you did take of us, and one of them is a FABULOUS picture of Speedy G (G Ima Starr FA). I think it was the last one you took of us. Hope to see you soon, but next time mounted!
ReplyDeleteSaw the photos...great job!
ReplyDeleteWOW 8 hour finish. I hope that Sir Smith isn't peaking now...and can stay sound til Sept cause that team looks like WEG material!!!
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