Sunday, August 19, 2007

Crewing for Judy Long and Forever Dawn, 2007

Tevis 2007- A Crew’s Perspective

What a show, what an event, what a lot of work! I attended the Tevis again this year, as I intended to, but due to circumstances beyond my control, namely my knee surgery in April, I was unable to ride. I really wanted to ride the crazy thing again, as I intend to every year, but I couldn’t. Patience, Patience, Patience! This is a word that does not share residence with other words in my brain very well. What’s a rider to do when they can’t ride? Crew, of course! The day my wife Judy heard I was going to have surgery, she comforted me as a wife will- “Oh no, that’s no good. I’m so sorry. I’ll help you with your recovery. It will be okay- you will be better soon.” She gave me a nice hug. Thanks, sweetie. She then snuck outside, looked around to be sure I could not see her, pumped her fist up and down and said “YES!”, as if her Giants had just won the World Series. My outage meant only one thing- she would get to ride my Dawn on the big ride this year. He’s come quite a way in his first three years. (It’s amazing I have had him three years now. Where is this time going?) He has started 30 rides and completed 30 rides, including Tevis as his first 100 last year, which he pulled me through with ease. I didn’t want him to miss a chance to do the ride due to my injury, so Judy got the nod! My riding buddy Sally helped me beyond belief during my post surgery recovery by coming over twice a week and riding my boy to keep him going for me. Her prize? She rode him on the three days of the Wild West ride, where she had an absolutely wonderful time. She was just having fun and enjoying herself, but ended up in second overall for the three days combined. She decided then and there she was going to steal him, but is still working on her plan so I won’t notice. Perhaps spray paint Warpaint white and add on some flea-bitten specks and a pair of cute ears? She’s crafty!

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Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Crysta Turnage and CT Sinatra, Tevis 2007


This year, was truly just MAGICAL. Fate was on my side from the very beginning. At the AERC Convention in February, I had purchased a bunch of raffle tickets and had put about half of them into the National Awards drawing, hoping fervently to win the single Tevis Entry that the Western States Trail Foundation had generously donated. My mom and I had gone out to lunch, and at lunch I had stated how much I hoped to win the entry, my mom stated how much she hoped NOT to have won the entry, since it is non-transferable and she didn’t feel up to riding that trail yet. Words cannot express my utter shock, amazement, and pure joy that I felt when we came back from lunch and went by the raffle booth to find MY NAME as the winner of the Tevis Entry! I was totally speechless, just making some strange noises and pointing, until much squealing ensued. I had a huge smile on my face and was walking on clouds for the rest of the day, heck, the rest of the MONTH.

(photo by Lucy Trumbull)

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