Git R Done!

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.

Git R Done

Saturday April 11 2009

Here it is, in its short-tirety, a pictographic essay of the Git R Done endurance ride in Inyokern, California, "The Sunshine Capital of America." After Friday night and Saturday afternoon, I might petition the town elders to change that to "The Wind Capital of America."

It was a 30, 50, 75, and 100-mile ride. I could have called ahead and found a horse to ride... but I just took photos, and reconnected with some wonderful friends I hadn't seen in 2 or more years - this area including Ridgecrest is my old winter riding grounds.

More photos on endurance.net on the Git R Done page.

A story coming too, but I'm headed back to Owyhee today...

I get to kiss my horse tonight!

Full moon setting over the Sierras as the riders started on the trail at 6 AM Saturday in the 75 and 100-mile rides.

Such a 'tablecloth' hanging over the Sierra peaks here means only one thing for the day: WIND.

Riders on their first loop.

Oh dear -

- watch out for that Horse-Eating Tractor Tire!

Riders heading out on the second part of Loop 1.

Watch out for the fierce little attack Burrowing Owls! They like to run out of their burrows and hiss at the horses, and they sound like a rattlesnake. Apparently they are unaware of how tiny they are compared to a horse.

Heading toward the Sierras on Loop 2.

The most scenic picture spot of the day!

Wind is picking up down below.

Serious wind coming...

Wicked wind started again about noon and only died off a bit near sunset.

But the ride goes on - Jeremy Reynolds on Sir Smith leading the way after Loop 4. The two won this hundred mile ride in November of 2006 and 2008.

A long road, a long view over the Indian Wells valley, and part of the Slate Range in the distance.

These riders are done for the day.

This young rider is done for the day.