At RBTR, when Liz and I rode together, she told me that one ride I really needed to do was Iron Mountain Jubilee (formerly Virginia Highlands). She told me about the great ride camp and the gorgeous trails. I was sold immediately. As luck would have it, that was the next ride that Dr. Bob and his crew were planning to attend. When I expressed interest, Dr. Bob offered to have me ride Magic. YES!
It wasn't until we finalized our plans that I realized how much of a hassle it was for Dr. Bob (though he didn't seem to be complaining). Beth was going to ride Spirit in the LD, and Angela (who is quickly becoming one of my favorite people) was trying to qualify for the National Championships, which meant riding back to back 50's on Tess and Indy. That's three horses, and Dr. Bob has a three horse trailer.
So he simply went in and traded his three horse for a four horse and added Magic to the list.
I'm serious.
I was told that the ride distance would be a ride day decision based on the weather. I told Dr. Bob that I'm not picky and would happily ride whatever distance he saw fit.
The night before we left for the ride, I wisely decided to Google directions so I knew which way we were going. Foolishly, I assumed this ride would be near the OD trails, making for a four hour drive or so. Boy was I wrong! Turns out the ride, in Ivanhoe, VA, was pretty much on the North Carolina border. Whoops! Our drive time suddenly doubled, and it was clear we weren't going to catch up on sleep before leaving for our trip.
Luckily, Mike has packing for endurance rides down to an art and he played Tetris with the car while I set the horses up for a long weekend.
Herbie was super excited to see that we were definitely Doing Something, but quickly realized that 'something' was another endurance ride.
"Dammit..."
By now, we know 81 like the backs of our hands and we made the trip quickly and uneventfully, stopping just outside of Roanoke for a quick lunch. The whole trip took us eight hours.
Along the way, things got pretty silly.
Mike did all the driving.
Which left me free to take selfies with the dogs...
Finding camp was easy, and we were making our way down a dirt road and under a railroad trestle in no time. When I saw ride camp, I was slightly stunned. Ride camp was at the Ivanhoe Horse Show Grounds along the New River and I knew it would be a good spot for camping (with amenities!) What I didn't realize is just how many people were going to be there. I was especially surprised since the Northeast Challenge was the same weekend in Maine, and most of the riders I know had headed north. Ride camp was packed.
Only about one quarter of ride camp is visible in this shot.
It took us a few minutes to find Dr. Bob's rig (especially since I didn't know what trailer to look for). As always, they had picked a prime spot in camp, and had left plenty of room for Mike and me to set up camp. We had easy access to the bathrooms and were far away from other dogs and the excitement of vetting, etc.
I found out that I would be riding the LD. I had been entered in the 50, but Dr. Bob dropped us down to the shorter distance, which was probably a good idea for a lot of reasons. I was looking forward to a short ride, and being able to crew for Angela after.
I braided Magic and walked the dogs while Mike unloaded the car. Then we pitched our tent. We seem to have finally mastered sleeping in comfort at these rides, and we wound up giving a tour of the tent to pretty much everyone. It wasn't long before everyone was calling it the Hilton. With enough room to stand up and fit both the cot and the dog crate, it's roomier than most people's sleeping quarters. As for the cot... it's as big as our bed at home and now features nearly six inches of memory foam. Dr. Bob offered to let us sleep in the LQ with them, but after sitting on our bed, realized we were probably better off in our tent. Haha.
We camp in style
It wasn't long before we were down by the vetting area to cheer Angela on as she and Tess crossed the finish line. They vetted through clean and got their completion... and the turtle award! Angela was grinning from ear to ear and had clearly enjoyed a wonderful day of riding. I was glad we got to be there for the finish.
Shortly after Tess got tucked away for the night, it was time for dinner and Friday's awards. The food was great, but I'll admit I was too busy gabbing to eat much. I did shut up and pay attention to the ride briefing since I'd never done Iron Mountain before. The meeting was informative and easy to pay attention to, and ride management had supplied trial maps to all the riders. I pocketed mine for ride day because there had been reports of some funny business with the trail markers. I find it all very suspicious since the same people who are suspected of screwing with markers at RBTR were lurking at this ride as well.
The ride meeting also featured a talk about helicopter insurance. In these remote areas, if you get hurt, you are getting flown to the hospital. Even if you get taken to someplace local, there's a good chance you're taking a chopper to a bigger facility. That costs roughly $20k, which most insurance companies don't cover or only partially cover. There's a company out there that specializes in insurance for these life flights, and they've worked out a deal with some of the southern riding groups to bring affordable coverage to events like this one. I joked that we might want to look into investing into helicopter insurance. Note to self: NO JOKING WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.
That night featured a gorgeous sunset over the river, followed by a to-die-for moonrise directly over the peak of the mountain across the way. I didn't manage to get pictures of either one, but Becky Pearman snagged this beauty of the sunset:
Photo used with purchase.
I also snagged these shots of the river from our friend Colleen's Facebook page because I never managed to get down there myself:
We were in bed relatively early that night because we all had a long day ahead of us. Also because Stephanie forgot to bring the rum she promised me. I won't let her forget it. None of us will. But especially me. In 50 years, I will remind her of that time she let me down, and she will exact her revenge by putting rum in my IV and killing me. We've discussed this at length.
Stephanie holding Indy, but no rum.
I slept very well that night. The memory foam did the trick. It was also the quietest ride camp I've ever slept in. Despite the enormous number of horses and rigs, all was still. I woke up fairly disoriented at one point, and couldn't figure out where I was. All I heard was the sound of crickets in the trees. No horses neighing. No dogs barking. No generators. It was very surreal.
It also helped that Mike and Dr. Bob had unscrewed the light bulb on the side of the bath house. We didn't realize it was there until darkness fell and we saw that it was shining directly into our tent. I wish I had a picture of Dr. Bob climbing the mounting block onto a pile of coolers to reach the offending bulb. (Don't worry, Mike climbed on top of the Rav and put it back before we left on Sunday.)
We were up at 6am so we could cheer Angela on at the 7am start. She was riding Indy for the first time, and I could tell she was already in love with the mare. Who wouldn't be? That horse is an incredible athlete!
The 50's went out at seven, and Angela looked happy and peppy despite riding a tough 50 miles the day before.
Indy spots Mike in the weeds.
Then it was my turn to get ready. Magic was being a goober, as usual. What was unusual was the fact that I had a really bad case of pre-start jitters. We were starting down a stretch of gravel road again, and the memory of his epic bolt at RBTR was still fresh in my mind. Thankfully, this stretch of road wasn't down hill, but I was still unexpectedly nervous. Dr. Bob gave me a pep talk, and I told Beth that I was planning to wait for everyone else to start before heading out. I told her she didn't have to wait for me, but she assured me that she wasn't going anywhere, and reminded me that I could feel free to ride Magic straight up Spirit's butt if I had to.
"Remember to follow the bull's eye," she told me repeatedly, referring to the perfect black spot on Spirit's rump.
Getting a pep talk.
To be fair, Magic was being a really good boy at this point. He moseyed quietly around camp, grabbing at grass and frisking people for carrots and peppermints. This is also when I had a really awesome moment. Magic was busy harassing Stagg Newman, and Stagg said, "Good morning, Dom! Safe trails." I nearly fell off my horse. Stagg Newman knows my name. OMG!
We also got the chance to pose for some nice pre-ride photos (thank you, Mike!)
We waited for the rush to go out at 8am, then quietly made our way down to the start of the trail. At first we walked, and Magic seemed to have his brain firmly between his ears. I breathed a sigh of relief and we picked up a trot. Well, Spirit gaits, but still...
We rode down the trail side by side and I was excited for the ride ahead. My jitters stopped and I remembered to ride the horse I had then, not the horse I had ridden three weeks prior.
And that's as far as we got.
The ride and ties had started a few minutes behind us, and one of them passed us. Magic got a little forward, but I patted him and reassured him.
Then another one passed us.
Then another cantered quietly by.
And Magic started to lose his mind. I parked him up Spirit's butt, but it wasn't helping. Very clearly, the problem was other horses running up behind us. I know Dr. Bob and company have worked on this during conditioning, but there is just nothing you can do to simulate dozens of horses passing at high speed.
I tried to ride it out and stay calm and collected, but it just wasn't happening. I could feel those rocket launchers revving up in Magic's hind end, and when I shortened my reins, he protested with a violent buck. I sat deep and he started to rear, first just a little, and then repeatedly and higher and higher.
"Beth, I am not doing this," I said firmly, and I hope not too rudely.
Magic still had his front feet off the ground when I kicked out of my stirrups and jumped to the ground. Mike had seen that I was in trouble and came power walking down the road to meet us. By this point, the rest of the ride and ties were catching up to us, and passing in groups. I led Magic to the side of the trail, where he basically hyperventilated. I had a firm hold on him and was able to hold him mostly still. Still, his neck and shoulders were growing dark with sweat already. I knew I had made the right decision by getting down and I am sure he would have bolted if I'd stayed on him when the rest of the horses went by.
Honestly, I think the horse needs to go to rides and be held at the start while everyone goes by so that he has to deal with it. Then, after everyone is gone and he has time to get his wits back about him, he needs to go out alone and walk, walk, walk until he's settled. He's only six years old, so a lot of this is to be expected. Simply put, the horse is fitter than his training. He has figured out that this is a horse race. He needs to learn that the more he acts up, the more horses pass him, and that the better he behaves, the more horses he gets to catch. I think he's the type of horse who could start in front and stay there some day, but not until he learns to mind his manners. I don't mind riding fast, but only if the horse keeps all four feet on the ground.
Mike told me that Dr. Bob feels bad that this is turning into training and not just competing, but I assured him that I don't mind. This is normal baby endurance horse stuff and it will pass with miles. I just plan to be very conservative in the mean time. Call me old and yellow-bellied, but I would rather be on the ground than riding it out at this point.
Eventually, all the ride and ties were out, twenty minutes after our start. Magic stopped prancing and threatening to rear and Mike gave me a leg up back into the saddle. Beth had waited ever so patiently with me and we made our way down the trail.
My personal heroes.
I still had my hands very full, but we were able to keep it to a dull roar. Magic was pulling and fussing, but at least he was trotting and not galloping. We went up the road, with me using Spirit as a barrier as needed. Eventually, Magic settled down and we were able to lead and/or ride side by side.
When we passed the actual trail head, the color drained from my face and any doubts about whether I'd done the right thing by dismounting left my mind. The trail went up, up, up along the side of the mountain. As is so commonly the case with these mountain rides, we were along the edge of a forested cliff. Below, the wide river was a mere silver ribbon gleaming through the tree trunks. It was a relatively wide trail to start, but grew gradually more narrow, and ended in a hair raising set of switch backs. Had we been bolting, I would have had to choose between dying when the horse stampeded off the end of the mountain or taking my chances by bailing into oblivion to my left. O my god...
This helmet cam video, taken by Linda (who I met at this ride, and who was riding the spotted horse that wasn't Spirit) shows part of the first loop:
By the time we reached the series of switchbacks, I was white knuckled on the reins. Magic was trotting along at a fast clip. He wasn't out of control, but he wasn't really listening or paying attention either. The trail wasn't all that technical up until that point, but I still would have liked for him to at least be aware that he had four legs.
The best way I can describe the switchbacks, which were firmly marked "WALK ONLY" on bright orange signage, is as follows:
I met a woman at the ride who used to test parachutes for the Navy. She simply said, "That wasn't nearly as scary as those switchbacks today."
"Beth... at what point do I start having fun?" I groaned. "Because I don't think I'm having fun..."
I think everything would have been fine from that point on, if it wasn't for the fact that we had gotten shuffled in with the ride and ties. Don't get me wrong, they were all extremely courteous and kind, and none of this had anything to do with them specifically. The problem was that we would pass a horse tied to a tree, only to have it catch up to us and pass a few minutes later. This cycle was on repeat all morning, and every time a horse would pass us, Magic would get antsy again.
By the time we were on the gorgeous single track climbing up the mountain, he had regained a large portion of his brain, and I was actually starting to enjoy my ride. Magic and Spirit took turns leading and everything was fine as long as it was just the two of us. Magic got over the other horses passing him back and forth, and things were going just fine.
The trails, as Liz had promised, were absolutely stunning. There was a fair amount of rocks, but unlike the OD trails, which are rock on top of boulder, the rocks were interspersed with sandy footing that surprised me at that elevation. I didn't even realize how much climbing we had done until we were on top of the mountain ridge, with the earth falling away on both sides around us. I highly recommend this trail to anyone, whether you're looking to compete or just do a rigorous pleasure ride.
The trail was also pretty varied on the first loop. We rode through Cripple Creek, which was mostly dried up, and which featured some big river rocks and mossy logs. I laughed because I knew several Virginia-bred standardbreds with Cripple Creek in their racing names, and it was cool to see the actual place they were named after. We road single track through ferns, laurel, and rhododendrons. We passed through dense areas of pine forest and past slender trunks with green, green leaves. The trail alternated between rocks and sand. We rode following ribbons, then blue diamonds, then orange squares. Much of the trail was permanently marked, and ride management had hung signs when important changes took place.
Towards the end of the first loop, we emerged through a manned gate into the range lands. These were massive, rolling pastures where herds of black angus graze, and the views were stunning.
Unfortunately, I didn't get much time to enjoy the views. Magic saw the open space and wanted to go. I told him, "I would love to canter through all of this, big guy, but only good horses get to canter, and you're not being very good." He did listen when I asked him to walk down the slick grass hill, but then one of the ride and ties came bursting out of the tree line behind us. I heard his horse's hooves thundering up behind us, and Magic gathered all the muscles in his body to leap forward with them.
"O, no no no..." I said through clenched teeth.
The ride and tie rider realized quickly that I had my hands full and slowed his horse to a walk, but it was too late and Magic's brain was gone. I jumped safely to the ground as he started to rear and surge forward.
Wild man. You'll notice I'm not on him.
Once again, we were left standing on the side of the trail, waiting for Magic to cool it. I was so frustrated that I felt ready to cry. We were fourteen miles into the ride and Magic was still acting out and fighting with me. He should have been tired. Instead, he was as fired up as ever. He reared in protest as the other horses went out of sight, and I told Beth that she could go on ahead because I was planning to hand walk as long as it took. Again, Beth refused to leave me.
When I saw just how wide and seemingly never ending the range lands were, I wanted to just quit.
Eventually, the other horses were far enough ahead that I got back on Magic. He only seemed to have a problem if Spirit was leading and other horses passed us. I wonder if he thought Spirit was going to leave with the other horses, and I wasn't going to let him go too. The grade went back up, so I found a steep hill to use as a mounting block.
We rode across and up the range lands, and I spotted Becky's ATV parked on the hillside. She had picked a stunning location for ride photos, and I was thrilled to see her. Turns out she lives right by the hold and is very familiar with the area. As we rode up to her, I turned to Beth and said, "Ok, time to fake a smile and look like I'm not scared!"
I have to tell you, Becky is amazing. Magic and I didn't give her much to work with, but she got a great shot of us anyway.
©Becky Pearman
After that, Magic was back to being on his best behavior, and I was able to actually enjoy the gorgeous vistas around us. I pulled the camera out and took a ton of photos of the breathtaking scenery in every direction.
A few pastures later, we spotted the cattle who reside in the area. They were minding their own business down by the creek, but stared curiously at us while we rode by. I didn't realize how big they were until we were up close and personal with them. Beth was openly surprised at how good Spirit was being. He apparently has a well known fear of cows. To be honest, Spirit was may more worried about crossing the watering hole than he was about the vegetarian cattle. That's when Magic took the lead and bravely worked through the crossing. That's part of what frustrates me so much about Magic's recent behavioral problems. He is such a brave, thinking horse. He works through the truly scary things, even when his instincts are screaming at him to turn tail and flee. But we can't handle horses trotting quietly past us. HORSES! Ugh.
Shortly after the range lands, we emerged into the away hold. Mike looked relieved to see me in one piece. Stephanie took one look at me and knew I was flustered, even before I announced, "Here, take this. I'm going back to New Jersey."
I will say that Mike managed to get some stunning photos of us making our way in. I was still in grin-and-bear-it mode, but the hug I gave Beth was anything but fake.
Thanking Beth for babysitting us.
To my relief, Magic vetted through quickly and quietly. He was a little dehydrated and scored a B on skin tenting, but he'd been drinking deeply from every trough and bucket in sight, so I wasn't terribly concerned.
We had bigger problems, however. Spirit was off in his right front, and even after we soaked his hoof in ice for half an hour, he wasn't sound enough to continue. Beth was pulled and I was going to lose my crutch.
I decided not to think about it and spent the hold taking care of myself. I had already had a ton of water on the first loop, and drank a Gatorade to replenish my own electrolytes while Mike dosed Magic for me. I ate a sandwich and a hot dog, and snacked on fruit snacks and yogurt. I was still pretty hungry, but stopped myself from over eating after remembering the queasy feeling from my second loop in WV.
Right around noon, my out time rolled around and I saddled back up. Dr. Bob had offered to let me pull and take the trailer back with Beth, but I told him, "I'm game to try to take him alone. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I should have bought that helicopter insurance..."
We had switched Magic to the hack at the hold. I figured I couldn't possibly have less control than I had with the bit, and I hoped he'd at least stop flinging his head if he wasn't wearing a bit. I did play it safe by walking down the grassy slope after the out timer instead of riding it. Mike walked down to accompany me and Becky got a photo of him looking concerned as I mounted and rode away.
Another one by Becky.
Magic and I were dead last when we started the last loop, and I have to say we rode the heck out of those last 15 miles. It's like Magic finally put two and two together and realized we were doing a distance ride. Suddenly, I had a forward, willing, and focused horse who was listening to me again. I rewarded him by letting him move out, and we ate up the trail together.
That loop was perfect.
We started catching people almost immediately. I caught a couple on their quarter horses in the creek heading out of the hold. The woman, who would go on to complete and get her turtle award, told me that her horse was four and doing his first ever ride. I told her he looked like a wonderful and sane mount. She said, "Well, he's not an Arabian so I don't have to deal with those issues. What is your guy?"
"He's Arab and Saddlebred..."
"So you're getting it from both sides, huh?"
"O yeah..."
On the mountain, we caught Natalie and company. Her five year old was also doing his first ride. At the water stop, we picked off a few more riders. On the mountain, we rode with a pack of three other riders for a bit, before passing them on the next down hill.
I didn't have to ask Magic for anything. He was rolling right along, and I gave him frequent walk breaks whenever the footing got tricky. We rode along the ridge on a loose rein and I was finally smiling and enjoying myself. I didn't take a single photo for the rest of the ride because we were too busy cruising.
Shortly before the road crossing, a woman on a gray horse galloped past us and warned me, "You have a whole group of fifties coming up behind you..."
To my relief, Magic didn't even bat an eye as she tore off down the trail and out of sight. This was the horse I have grown to love.
By the time we were back on the single track trail along the cliffs, I was totally relaxed. Magic was covering a lot of ground, and we had moved up to mid pack (out of 51 riders). We flew down the hard packed sand trails, and even down the hills he felt steady beneath me.
It's too bad he's having these training issues right now, because I think he'd be rocking the endurance world otherwise. Those long legs make quick work of the terrain, and he is a machine going down hill when he's focused.
Before long, we hit the switchbacks again, down hill this time. When I heard we were going in the way we went out, I had had horrible visions of us plunging to our deaths on that stretch of trail, but we were steady and relaxed by then. It was a bit like maneuvering a tractor trailer because Magic has such a long body, but otherwise we were fine.
We caught another woman down in Cripple Creek. Her horse was fussing about being left alone, and I offered to stay with her for company, but she ushered me on. I had to laugh when she told me, "[My mare] has to learn to deal with it." I know that phrase well!
As we made our way along the river for the last time, the fifties did start to catch up with us. Colleen and Dale went galloping past, albeit politely, in a neck to neck battle for second place, and Magic extended his trot but didn't put a foot out of line.
We went past the rail road trestle and into camp.
I dismounted and handed my ride card to the in timer. There was no sign of anyone I knew. I knew I was way ahead of when they were expecting me and I loosened Magic's girth and walked in towards our crewing area. I tried to call Mike, but couldn't get enough reception for the call to connect.
I found Beth dozing by our water tubs, and she immediately jumped up to get ice. I spotted Mike walking Herbie at the top of the hill and started shouting for him. After the tenth time, he heard me and looked completely startled. He threw Herbie in the tent and sprinted down the hill. I've never seen him feel so guilty. He missed my finish photos, but I told him I didn't care.
I had already started sponging Magic, and Beth and Mike joined me in icing him down. In a few minutes, his pulse was down to 62 bpm (finish criteria was 60) and I decided to walk him down slowly.
I asked for a courtesy check, and was dismayed to hear that he was still at 64. Then, the excitement started to get to him. He flung his head around and pranced. 68. A nice woman offered to let me use her water so I wouldn't have to walk him all the way back. 64. Other horses went by. 72. Mike ran to retrieve Spirit. 78. I rubbed and patted and the nice woman ran to get mash. 62. Courtesy check. 64. 72. 64. 72. I walked him into the ring and parked him in the shade against a fence and he started to settle. 64.
You get 30 minutes to complete after you cross the finish line. At 29m45s I walked into the vetting area, with my stomach in my feet. After all that, he wasn't going to pulse.
With ten seconds on the clock, the vet listened and announced, "Sixty. Time for 242..."
I pounced on her and hugged her tight.
I trotted Magic down and back. He was sound. Back was an A. Gut sounds good. Cap refill B. A's across the rest of the board.
And then, just as I was about to get my completion, I caught a glimpse of Magic's left flank. Just barely visible, there was a flutter.
No.
No no no.
A moment later, the vet's brow furrowed and she placed a hand on Magic's flank. She frowned then said, "I am going to have to give that hug back. I have bad news..."
"He's thumping, isn't he?"
Nick confirmed it (a formality, really, I knew we were pulled). The funny thing is that there's no formal rule about getting pulled for thumping. It's at vets' discretion, and I've heard they don't pull for it in some regions. I can't argue with the outcome, and agree that a horse who is thumping in our climate is having an issue that would certainly prevent him from continuing safely. Still, it sucks to work so hard and have such a roller coaster of a day emotionally, all for nothing.
My heart sank as I earned my third pull in a row. Before this year, I had two pulls total. Ever. Both on Ozzy.
I thanked the vet for her time and trudged out of the ring. By then I was second guessing everything. Did I ride him too hard on that second loop? Should we have done more electrolytes? Should I have sponged him more before coming down for the check? Was it because he got too excited? Is there something really wrong with him?
Realistically, we probably just need to tweak his electrolytes. He's a big guy and may need a stronger mix than the full blooded Arabians. Obviously, at this point it's not a fluke, and is probably something about the horse himself. It's possible that his recent behavior at the starts has contributed. I hypothesized that he's burning through all his electrolytes at the start and ending up dehydrated despite drinking well all day. (He drank deeply at several spots on the trail on the second loop.) It's possible he just can't catch up after that sort of effort at the start.
Either way, I was severely bummed.
Once Magic was settled in his pen, Mike drove me back to the away hold to notify Dr. Bob of our pull and ask him what he wanted me to do for the horse. I was going to seek out the treatment vet, but she had gotten called away on an emergency, and Magic didn't seem uncomfortable.
The drive over was beautiful and I got to see some stunning properties along the way. We had ridden past a cabin with a gorgeous view on the last loop, and I was glad to find out that Mike had gotten to take in some of the scenery for himself. Oftentimes he doesn't get to see much other than ride camp, so the long trek to the away hold was a good thing.
I could live here...
Dr. Bob took the news well, though I suspect he wasn't entirely surprised. He gave me a tube of calcium-rich electrolytes to give Magic. He had to get back to vetting, and I was relieved that he didn't seem upset about the pull.
We made our way back to the trailer, and I dosed Magic just as Dr. Lynn pulled up to do a spot check.
"Is everyone ok up here?"
"Actually, can you look at this guy for me? It's Dr. Bob's horse..." I filled her in on the details.
An exam revealed that, aside from the mild thumping, Magic seemed perfectly fine. His heart rate was normal. His guts were rumbling away and he had taken in enough water to catch up on his hydration. She recommended treating with CMPK orally, then waiting an hour. I knew we had calcium gluconate on hand, but Mike saved the day by quickly finding an unopened bottle of CMPK in the trailer.
After that it was just a waiting game. Angela was on her last loop of the 50, and we were starting to worry about how long she'd been out.
Eventually, however, we spotted a pink shirt on a spotted chestnut mare coming towards the finish line. We cheered her on as she crossed, then dove in to take care of Indy.
Poor Indy hates, hates, hates cold water, and she was giving Mike a wicked stink eye as he approached her with the ice buckets. Sorry, mama!
Angela's vetting went off without a hitch and she got her 50 mile completion, for a stellar 100 mile weekend! The girl is my new hero. She is six for six in her first ever endurance season, and they haven't been cake rides. She is qualified for Nationals. She still had energy to spare and she was pleasant to everyone every single time I saw her.
We got the horses reunited and settled down just as Dr. Bob came back from vetting. He consulted with Dr. Lynn and we gave Magic more CMPK before I took him out to graze.
Soon after, it was time for dinner and awards. I visited Becky's trailer to buy some ride photos, then moseyed down to join everyone in the bleachers.
Colleen and Brad came down to join us and we shared stories and laughs while stuffing our faces with pulled pork and beer.
Beth shared an amusing story from her day. Apparently, she arrived back in camp to find our car parked in the sun and locked up tight with all the windows rolled up. With a rising panic she ran up the hill to find everything quiet. Our dogs weren't making a sound and she was horrified. For a moment, she thought we had left them locked in the car and that they had died.
And then she remembered the Hilton, and figured out that we'd left them crated in our roomy, airy tent, where they were sleeping peacefully, unperturbed by the outside world. I thought it was super sweet of her to think of checking on them.
The awards were the perfect mixture of touching and funny, and I realized I should have fought harder to finish at the end of the pack. Turtle and the five next in line all received tickets for this year's raffle horse, among other prizes.
I have to say that this ride was really well run from start to finish, and it was a good crowd to be in. I could nitpick and say there was one spot on trail that wasn't very well marked, but it was right after the road crossing and there were spotters there to guide the way. Really, it was process of elimination and you went down the only trail that wasn't marked with a Private Property sign. I did it wrong anyway because the spotter got her left and her right confused, but it didn't take long to figure out.
I walked away from the day feeling good despite the troubles and tribulations. Getting pulled sucks no matter how it happens, and it was a hard 30 miles for reasons unrelated to the terrain, but any day competing is a good day in my book. I'll admit I had a teary moment in the car on the way to the hold, but it passed quickly. It's a sport, and not an easy one at that. Manure happens.
The night was spent sitting next to the trailer with head lamps and wine while we ran four giant bags of IV fluid into Magic. He hadn't resolved after oral treatment, and he was acting pretty blah, so we decided to play it safe. Two bags in, he was ready to rip the whole camp down, but we made him deal with it.
By the time we went to bed, I was utterly exhausted. Once my head hit the pillow, I was out, and I didn't stir again until morning.
Ride management also provided breakfast for us the next day. Biscuits, gravy, and sausage made for a delicious meal, and an adorable black lab puppy with too much skin for his body made for good company. I bought a t-shirt to remember the ride by because they came in a variety of colors and sizes and I loved the design. It later turned out that Beth, Stephanie, and I had all picked the same colors for our shirts. Great minds think alike, I suppose!
After breakfast, we quickly tore down our respective camps. As I mentioned, Mike has this loading the car thing down to an art. Next thing I knew, it was time to hit the long road home. I was so sad to part ways with everyone, and six weeks feels like way too long to wait to see them again. I found myself missing them right away. Endurance ride hangovers are the worst... and this one promised to be particularly bad.
We got the car packed and the dogs settled in the back seat. We loaded up the horses without a fuss and took down their temporary paddocks. Then we all exchanged hugs, well wishes, and goodbyes before parting ways.
Mike and I made good time on the return trip home, only stopping for lunch at a Sheetz when the gas tank got low. We arrived in our driveway at 6pm to find everything as we had left it. Four horses upright in their pastures greeted us, happy to see that the food truck had arrived. And just like that, it was back to the daily grind...