Owyhee Canyonlands Day 4

Friday September 30 2011

Another awesome 50 mile day with Jose!! It was his first time to do 4 days in a row.

We rode to the Joyce Ranch again, and up Sinker Canyon again,

but this time we continued another couple miles right up the canyon. Amazing rhyolite red cliff walls tower over the creek.


One cliff has 4 golden eagle nests on it (the eagles will use a different nest each year).


After a vet check we headed up to the foot of the Owyhee mountains again


and further up Bates Creek Canyon on a trail I'd never been before,


back down to Pickett Creek (Jose sees horses far in the distance)


and back towards home.


Jose was strong all day again - he's amazing. I Love Jose! One more day to go!

Top photo by Steve Bradley!

Owyhee Canyonlands Day 3

September 29 2011

Day 3 completed with Jose!

5000 AERC miles for me and the Raven!! (And 1645 miles for Jose, and Jose's first time to do 3 days in a row.)

Another gorgeous trail, (parts of it I'd never seen before), north across the highway through the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area and part of the Oregon Trail,


and up a cool wash-canyon,


to the vet check,


then down through the Joyce Ranch and up lower Sinker Canyon,


above and along the reservoir,


into the narrow canyon, past beaver ponds and cliffs with golden eagle nests.


Jose was awesome, as usual, just as strong at the end of the day 3 as he was at the start of Day 1.

3 days down, 2 more to go.

I Love Jose!


(Top photo by Steve Bradley!)

Owyhee Canyonlands Day 2

Wednesday September 28 2011

Another beautiful day for a long ride on a beautiful horse! Jose was awesome again! I love Jose!

Today we rode up into the foothills of the Owyhee Mountains. It was cool and breezy - perfect for the horses (and me).

Steve got a great series of us galloping by him. Jose was following Finneas and August, but he'd stopped to watch Rhett and Mac behind him in the distance (he knew it was them and not just other horses). He watched, and made sure everything was good with them (since he's the Owyhee Social Director), then eventually took off to catch up with Finneas and August. It started as a canter... then we both had a wild hair and it became a gallop. I Love Jose!

We took it easy on loop one, and easier on the rockier loop 2, but Jose was cruising on the last loop home. He was stronger today than yesterday. It's an amazing feeling. I'm not as tired today as I was yesterday either.

Day 2 down, 3 more to go!

Photos by Steve Bradley!


I took many of the lovely trail while riding, you can see them at http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2011OwyheeCanyonlands/

Owyhee Canyonlands Day 1

Tuesday September 27 2011

It was a beautiful day for a 50-mile ride with my pal Jose!

We rode to the Snake River and over the Oregon Trail.

One day down, 4 to go, hopefully!

Photos are by Steve Bradley! (Below, this is vintage Jose: he loves to stop on the top of hills and watch and study things. He stopped to look back at Steve after we galloped by him for our picture.)

Lots more photos of the day at http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2011OwyheeCanyonlands/

Scoot, Boot, Boogie!

Monday September 26 2011

I made it back from California late Monday night, spent Tuesday finishing posting all the photos and the ride report (if you're dying to see them, click here), then jumped right into getting ready for our Owyhee Canyonlands 5-day ride here that starts Tuesday.


Amanda helped Steph glue on the boots (I mostly watched, or smeared a little bit of the glue around - and fetched Jose from the hay bales, who kept escaping from his post where he was tied). We glued boots on 5 horses.

Then, pack the crew bags, get ready to saddle up and boogie in the morning!

North American Endurance Team Challenge

Sunday September 25 2011

A few photos from yesterday's 100-mile NAETC near Greenville, California.

The leaders coming into the first vet check up on the mountain.

Cheryl Dell's horse Reason to Believe took a tumble on the first loop. No ill effects - they ended up finishing 5th.

Trotting out for the vet at the first vet check.

71-year-old Jan Worthington and her cool horse Leon (Golden Lightning). They finished 11th.

Texan Darolyn Butler leaving the first vet check.

Romanian rider Radu Ciubuc leaving the first vet check.

Ron Brown leaving the first vet check.

Some of the leaders coming into the second vet check.

Christoph Schork on Stars Aflame (last month's AERC National 100-mile champions) and Doug Swingley (former 4-time Iditarod winner) on Pal of Mine in the lead coming into Vet Check 3.

The riders hot on the heels of Christoph and Doug.

One of the favorites, Lindsay Graham and Monk. They finished around 5th place... but got pulled at the finish for lameness. Bummer!

Ceci Butler-Stasiuk... she's unraveling her sponge to sponge her horse at the coming water trough and at the same time he's spooking from a line on the road!

Ceci - always happy riding! She wouldn't be doing anything else.

Doug Swingley, still leading on Pal of Mine into the 3rd Vet Check. They ultimately finished 4th.

Jeremy Reynolds trotting out A Kutt Above at Vet Check 3... the eventual winners.

The front runners charging into Vet Check 4.

Lindsay Graham and Monk at Vet Check 4.

Lindsay and Monk trotting out at Vet Check 4.

Lisa Green and her horse trotting out at Vet Check 4.

Jeremy and A Kutt Above, in a heart pounding sprint for the finish, just a couple lengths ahead of Meg Sleeper on Syrocco Reveille.

NAETC Vet In Day

Friday September 23 2011

I'm in Greenville, California for the North American Endurance Team Challenge. Should be a good 100-mile ride tomorrow - some of the country's (and Canada's) top rides and horses.

Here are a few shots from this morning's Vet In:

Up top that's Mountain team's Doug Swingley with Pal of Mine.


Caroline from Sweden, riding Doug Swingley's horse National Security. She's thrilled to be here!


Central's Jan Worthington and Golden Lightning, my sentimental favorites! They're the only horse and rider team I know who have been struck by lightning! (see the story link). They are hoping modestly for a Top Ten finish, but they are quite capable of more than that.


Central's Cici Butler Stasiuk and her husband Jason and DJB Cytron Kon JMS. I love Cici! She's always smiling and up and joyful, full of life, even when she doesn't win, but especially when she wins!

 
Radu Ciubuc, riding for Romania


Mountain team's Sue Hedgecock and Aireagle


Pacific South Team... I think this is Nicole Smith and Ravenwood Shahbar


Pacific South Team.. another team member

Many more coming, plus live updates on the ride on Endurance.net at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2011NAETC/.