Saturday March 31 2012
Up top, that horse is getting cooled down with ice-water towels. It was a brutally hot day (from my perspective, and from some horses' perspectives!)
That's Christina Kimery on the left, and Darolyn Butler on the right. Darolyn is always so photogenic! Christina finished, but Darolyn was pulled.
John Crandell on his super horse Heraldic. They had some bad luck. Heraldic stepped in a hole with a hind leg and was off for several strides. He cantered out of it, and passed the vet exam when they arrived at basecamp for the next vet check, but John opted to quit. "He doesn't owe me anything. He doesn't have anything to prove," John said.
That's one of my favorite people on the left, Jan Worthington, riding Serloki, and the gal in the middle, Lisanne Dorion, is riding one of my favorite horses, Golden Lightning (Leon), owned by Jan. Jan and Lisanne finished the ride. I should know the rider on the right, but I don't!
Heather Reynolds on Riverwatch. They finished 4th.
Melody Blittersdorf and Synthetic. They finished 10th.
Young Rider McCamey Kimbler and Elliptic finished 19th, and behind her is Japanese rider Kyoko Fukumori who unfortunately got pulled.
Ellen Olson is having so much fun riding SA Belshazzar, she almost rode out of camp without her helmet! She had to go back and get it. They finished 9th.
Don't know this gal, but loved the picture! Cooling off at a crew stop on trail.
Steve Rojek and Kim Denardis, looking good out on trail... but they got pulled.
Eventual winner Jeremy Reynolds and A Kutt Above on the second loop.
Doug Swingley (4 time Iditarod winner-turned endurance rider) on Stars Aflame. They were pulled.
Lindsay Graham and Monk. They were pulled.
Kelsey Kimbler and Cody Canuck finished 12th.
Golden Lightning trotting out at a vet check.
You couldn't miss Pete's Crew. (Becky Hart and No Repeat - Pete - finished 3rd.)
Speaking of - Becky Hart and No Repeat.
Jennifer Stevens, another Young Rider, finished 14th on one of Meg Sleeper's horses, Syrocco Cadence.
At the vet checks, you let the horses eat whatever they want to eat. Valerie Kanavy's horse Reach for the Gold, ridden by Wendy MacCoubrey, wanted grass.
Jeremy Reynolds and A Kutt Above coming across the finish line first.
More stories to come... though my computer died in Texas. Many more photos are up on Endurance.net:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2012USATeamTrial/
Great post, keep 'em coming--when you have a working computer, that is.
ReplyDeleteLove to see those huge trots. Just beautiful!
Great action photos, and some beautiful horses.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how hot it was in Texas. I would have wanted an iced towel, too.
Great photos! All the horses looked so fit & ready - seems a lot of pulls? Any whyfore?
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