Dudley's Excellent Championship Adventure

September 27 2016

Dudley travelled to Utah for the first time for an endurance ride, he rode on an island for the first time, he finished the AERC National Championship 50 miler for the first time, he rode with buffalo for the first time, and he got his stomach pumped for the first time!

Wait - what?

I rode The Dude in the AERC National Championship 50 on Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake. We finished next to last, but that's not the point. The point was, we rode nonchalantly amongst the buffalo on the island, and, since I'd convinced (well, almost convinced) Dudley that they were just Big Fat Hairy Cows, he had pretty much no problems with them. 

He Stink-Eyed some of them away from a water trough that we wanted to drink from. 

We had to pass through a herd on the trail, and he just stink-eyed his way though them, even though buffalo sound exactly like Khaleesi's dragons on Game of Thrones, with breathy fire-breathing gurgling rumbling coming out of their buffalo throats. If you don't watch Game of Thrones, this is what dragons sound like (around 0:56 to 1:02).

The only time he got a little scared was when a big bull laying near the trail lifted up his hind foot to scratch his head. That did not look like a normal cow, and Dudley scooted waaaaay wide off the trail.

We rode with our new best friends, Simone Mauhl and Boogey. The boys got along great together.

Dudley felt great after the ride… felt better every day in fact. And except for some hand-walking around camp several times a day, he was stuck in his pen at the trailer… feeling better and better every day. I was reporting on the event, so didn't have time to ride him around any more.

So, what happens by Saturday afternoon, right about the time that the front-running 100-mile riders are coming into camp for the finish? I see the back horse trailer door wide open. I see Dudley's head down, and he doesn't hear me and pop his head up to look at me when I call to him, like he'd been doing all weekend. 

UH-OH, oh $hit.

Dudley had finally figured out how to open the back trailer door, where the grain was stored, and he got into 2 bags of senior and oats. Well, I freaked out. I cussed worser than the worst cussing sailor or pirate in the history of maritime cussing.

I had no idea how much of the grain he ate; I only knew that Dudley is prone to laminitis, and he has foundered before. Ohhhhh, I panicked and howled and beat my breast and moaned and cursed and cussed some more. Dudley knew he was in big trouble. 

I was afraid he might colic or his feet would be destroyed. Neighbor Cindy suggested activated charcoal, which she has treated her naughty pig of a horse before, when he got into grain. It can be used to treat toxic ingestions and as a form of gastrointestinal decontamination.

I found Kathy Backus, Dudley's favorite sweet new vet. (Sadly, she'd been pulled on the 100 mile ride - sad for her, but lucky for me and Dude!). Kathy soothed my panic, sure, she had activated charcoal and she'd bring it right over. 

Dudley thought this nice, happy, fun, laughing vet was so sweet, but - wait, what was she doing, putting this syringe of nasty black crap down his throat!?!? Ooooh, it was so horrid, but the vet was so nice and happy and competent, he just kept swallowing it and wrinkling his nose, and she finished and petted him and laughed and left, and I told Dudley, "Well? THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!"

I still don't know how much grain he ate, but I do know that he did not founder, and I do know that I learned a big lesson that I already should have known, with Dudley around - ALWAYS LOCK THE DOOR TO THE GRAIN.

Dudley pouted and wouldn't look at me the rest of the evening. I took him out on a long moonlight walk that night, and he seemed fine. 

In the end, he was fine. He must not have ingested enough grain to cause damage, though to him, I'm sure the icky treatment was worth whatever grain he got!

It was a good ending to a most excellent Championship adventure.

You can see more photos from the National Championship rides, including more buffalo, and more lovely scenery, and read a few more stories at
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2016AERCNC/

2013 AERC National Championships

September 27 2013

Yes, the same ones in which I pulled myself for metabolics!

Since I pulled so early in the 50 mile ride, I made it back to camp for some nice shots of the exciting galloping finish. Two days later was the 100 miler, and despite running around like a headless chicken doing this and that, including putting out glowsticks on the trail close to dark, I got some shots throughout the day of that ride too. Here are a few shots from the 2 days at the rides in and around City of Rocks National Reserve.

Riders on the 50 mile ride:

The awesome sprint between two skilled riders and awesome mares for 1st place on the 50: Christoph Schork and Stars Aflame (also the 2011 100-mile AERC Champs) by a length over Dennis Summers and Hey Soulsister.



Kevin and "Far" - 3rd place. Kevin said the ride was "frantic" - all day! Far was on a mission, going fast, all day. Even when Kevin got off to run down the hills, it was full speed! "It was crazy!"


Gina Hagis from Vermont finishing 10th. That's Castle Rocks State Park in the background. Gina and Tom arrived at the ride site a few days early and helped set up camp and mark trail, and Gina rode and finished the 50 and Tom rode and finished the 100, and they helped take down things after the rides. They were the wonderful kind of folks that you felt you'd known for a long time, and you gave a big hug to when they left, even though it was the first time you'd met them!


Riders on the 100 mile ride:

Above:
Riders leaving the first vet check.

I don't know these riders, but the light was fantastic at the first vet check at Elephant Rock at 17 miles.




Canadian Elroy Karius on 18-year-old Apache Eclypse, at the first vet check. They finished the 100 miles… only to get pulled at the finish for lameness - ARGH! Still, Elroy said it was one of his best rides ever on his horse.


Early leader Bev Gray and Jolly Sickle at 60 miles at Castle Rocks State park. The pair, who were 2012 National Best Condition champions, finished 6th.


Colorful Bev Gray and Jolly Sickle at the first vet check



Robert Ribley on his sometimes ornery Crow Pony. He and his wife Melissa finished 29th and 30th.


100-mile winners Kevin Myers and Farrabba (Stoner). I rode this horse on a training ride in Colorado last year! He's fabulous. But don't just take my word for it. (He also won the Haggin Cup, Tevis' Best Condition award, in 2012, with Rusty Toth aboard).


For more photos, and my good story on the event, see:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2013AERCNC/

Horse is Fine, Rider is Not Quite

Saturday September 21 2013

I asked my surgeon the most important question ever: "So, how soon afterward the surgery can I RIDE?"

"Two weeks," he said. "Don't do anything strenuous before that."

So I started riding again, 2 weeks and 1 day afterwards. Short rides - 6-8 miles a day. The first day back was a little sketchy… I felt a little faint at times (although I blamed that on the heat, which is usually totally legit), and I had to take a long nap afterwards. I rode a little bit every day for a week; and then we came to City of Rocks to start setting up for the AERC National Championship 50 and 100 mile rides - setting up camp, marking trail on foot and horseback. Nothing longer than a 12 mile ride, or 10 mile hike (downhill), but it all felt good. I wasn't up for running a marathon, but I was ready to ride more.

And then I rode the AERCNC 50 miler on Bodie.

Or, well, part of it.

The first 17 miles to the first vet check was great. It was a cool morning, and Bodie and I had a great time, trotting over the Boise-Kelton Stage route and Salt Lake Cut-Off through Emigrant Canyon, and over the California Trail through the valley of City of Rocks National Reserve, and on to the vet check at Elephant Rock.

And then I sat down while Bruce and Nance crewed my horse. 

And then it hit me. I was tired.

The longer I sat, the more tired I got. "How far is it to the next vet check?" 23 miles? 23 slower miles, a lot of climbing? 

And then I was exhausted.

A heart doctor/runner/endurance rider did a study where he found that riding a 50 mile endurance ride is the equivalent stress on your heart as running a marathon. I wasn't up for a marathon.

I'm an endurance rider. I've been tired, sore, scared and hurting while riding, but I've never quit an endurance ride, unless it was for the horse. I quit this one. Gave myself a metabolic pull. I had overestimated my super hero powers - I wasn't up to doing a marathon yet. (Besides, if I'd fallen off my horse out on that 23 mile loop, I wouldn't have been doing him any favors.)

I felt bad about wimping out, but when I revealed to Dr Mike the vet about my recent surgery, and said "But the surgeon cleared me to ride after 2 weeks!", he said "But did you tell him what kind of riding you do?"

Dr Matt the vet said, "This isn't your average trail riding…"

Oh, yea. If you ride endurance you don't really think about it, but 50 miles is a whole 'nother ball game compared to short trail rides.

That made the quitting a little easier to stomach, although it's disappointing to discover I'm not as immortal as I thought I was. (I mean - a little surgery - come on!)

Well, anyway, it was a nice training ride for both of us. The horse is fine. The trail kicked the rider's butt. I just need a little more time before I'm up to doing a marathon.

2013 AERC National Championship Trails Preview

Wednesday February 20 2013

Steph is putting on the 2013 AERC National Endurance Championship at City of Rocks National Reserve, same place as the City of Rocks Pioneer Trails multi-day ride (which will be in August of this year). The 50 mile championship is on September 20 and the 100 mile championship is September 22.

Jose and I are scheduled to ride in the 50!

Here's a video preview of the trails to tempt you!




(or link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpMfzZAHsA

AERC National Championship - 50 Miler

Sunday September 13 2009

The 50 was quite a ride too - smoking hot fast pace from the front runners. The first phase of 13 miles had a good climb, but that didn't slow the front runners down. The second phase of 24 miles was even faster - much of it downhill on logging roads that the leaders cantered most of the way on. Three of the front runners were pulled at this second vet check back in camp.

April Cyrek on her stallion DB Air Alamahn, and Kenneth Keele on his gelding Ravenwood Shabar raced together the last 13 miles, every step of the way. And it was a galloping finish, with April crossing the line a head in front.

But she'd pushed her horse too hard this day - he had an hour to recover to the pulse criteria of 64 and he didn't. That made Ken and Ravenwood Shabar the winners. The ride time was just at 4 hours for the 50 miles (!) - and this was not an easy flat course. Whew!

Kassandra DiMaggio did a great job of putting on this National Championship ride (which included FEI divisions); the community of Greenville, many sponsors, and over a hundred volunteers helped out. ALL of the proceeds from the ride go to charities, including Greenville community services and the Veterans Guest House.

Here are a few pictures... many more photos, and (soon to come) stories at www.endurance.net/international/USA/2009AERCChampionship.

And now I'm off to Virginia City, NV, to cover next weekend's Virginia City 100! (A ride I got to do in 2004.)

AERC National Championship - 100 Miler

Friday September 11 2009

It was quite a ride - not an easy one (lots of climbing and descending on the first loop), hot, and quite a bit of strategy. The pace was fast up front, and 3 different leaders got pulled during the day. 62 started at 5 AM, with Lindsay Graham and Monk finishing at 7 PM, and Gail Hought and Ted Goppert finishing at 4:55 AM! 41 finished altogether.

Getting ready today for the 50-mile Championship on Saturday.

Very busy weekend!


Lots more photos are/will be at

www.endurance.net/international/USA/2009AERCChampionship