Friday, January 30, 2015

Redheaded Endurance: Crewing Tevis 2012


Tevis 2012 has come and gone! Preparing to prepare to prepare, wait, mad dash, wait, mad dash, wait, mad dash, Finish! Need I say more?

Well, it was an awesome learning experience! Karen is incredibly organized and had lists with her needs/wants for each check written out for us. It made life pretty easy! It was my first time crewing in this high pressure environment and I won't deny I had a few moments where I wish I was more on top of things, but overall I think we helped out quite a bit and we did our best to make Karen's day easier. I do hope to complete Tevis some day and it was great to see how things can be done efficiently for horse and rider to get through the holds smoothly. I appreciate the chance to gain this knowledge and aid Karen on her journey to her 4th Tevis completion.

Read the full story (with tons of pics):  Redheaded Endurance: Crewing Team Chaton: Tevis 2012

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Jenni Smith and Stoner, Tevis 2014

Rather than share a blow-by-blow account of the ride, which I've done a couple times before, I thought I’d do a pithy (yeah, right :)) list of key memories and learnings from Tevis 2014;

The weather was remarkable – mild and slightly humid. I didn't even put a jacket on as I left the trailer I crashed in on Friday night to saddle up Stoner at 4:00 AM (near Truckee, CA - elevation nearly 6,000 ft.). It was a gift everywhere but in the canyons, which seemed their typical scorching, torturous selves. The finish rate and times are reflective of getting about a ten degree discount on race day.

Even on a sure-footed horse, you can wipe out. Stoner is a careful and nimble horse. I've ridden the other end of the spectrum and he really is good on his hooves. But about 10 miles into the ride, doing fast switchbacks on level but silty ground, he got his front legs tangled and we somersaulted forward. I remember waiting (it seemed eons) to see if he’d recover…if that head and neck would reappear in front of me. Then I just closed my eyes and heard the loud sound of my helmet making contact with the earth. I held my breath hoping he wouldn’t roll over me, but we didn’t collide.

Next thing I knew I was on my feet running up the trail after him, calling for riders in front to catch my horse. We’re all still pretty tightly packed that early in the ride and the woman riding directly in front of me had heard the wreck and stopped and dismounted. She was easily able to catch a clearly-bewildered Stoner. I ran up to him, re-mounted and off we went. I asked Kevin (Stoner’s owner, riding directly behind me) a couple of times if Stoner looked okay. Neither of us could detect any anomalies in the way the horse was moving so we just kept going.

- See more at: Thoughts on Tevis 2014

Monday, January 26, 2015

Jenni Smith and Stella, Tevis 2013


The start (5:15 AM) was dark and dusty, per the usual. Jenn and I were in Pen 1 (you have to qualify based on strong performances the 18 months prior) and we went out behind perhaps 30-40 riders. We were able to pass a few horses on our way to Squaw, but that was where we really were able to move up. The mares trotted up 95% of the climb to Watson's Monument. It was really impressive, they were like wind up toys. I asked a couple of hikers at the top of the monument how many horses has gone by and they said four or five. So we were in the top ten at that point. 

Granite Chief - a spectacularly beautiful but treacherous portion of the ride - was smooth and simple. Czoe led through the bogs and rocks along the tiny snaking trail as if she was channeling a mountain goat, Stella in her wake.  Three other riders drafted us most of the way through this section. The mares drank well at each water stop and we got through the first vet check at Red Star - a risky spot for Czoe who is more susceptible to cold and will start to shiver if she has to stand too long in it - without a hitch. We left there jut before 9:00 AM as the fifth and sixth horses. 

The mares were eager out of Red Star and we traveled fast into Robinson Flat (six miles further). Jenn was concerned about getting in ahead of the schedule we'd given our crew. We ended up only arriving about 10 minutes early (just after 9:30), but half of our crew and the majority of our equipment had been held up on the road in. We managed to cobble things together until they arrived and the vet check went smoothly. 

- See more at: Tevis 2013 - The Story

Friday, January 23, 2015

GoPony: Random Musings on Crewing Tevis


This is by no means a hard-and-fast rulebook of how crewing must be done, but instead more of a look back at my crewing experiences, since I have managed to properly blog about absolutelynone of them. I've not been in the position (yet) to have to write crew instructions, but this is coming from the perspective of one who has been the crew, and what is helpful and useful and what riders can potentially do ahead of time to make for a very happy crew.

I've been very fortunate to crew for friends and fun people. I've not had the experience of grumpy riders, or demanding riders, but instead riders who have been conscientious about things like providing water/snacks for their crew, and being gracious, grateful, and generous in how they've treated me before, during, and after the ride. (This is why I like crewing: It's been a positive experience for me.)

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Parry Kietzman and Jaazi, Tevis 2014


On August 9th I had the opportunity to participate in the legendary Tevis Cup, a 100-mile endurance ride that is considered to be the most difficult in the world. True confessions: Although I've been riding horses for most of my life my background is in jumping and I’m still relatively new to endurance. That said, since last fall I’ve been fortunate enough to have an incredible mentor, Peter, a veteran endurance rider who has been letting me ride one of his horses, Jaazi. Over the past year he’s taught me a ton about how to be successful in endurance, so when he asked me if I’d be interested in riding Jaazi in the Tevis Cup the answer was an enthusiastic “yes!”

I’ve gotten to know Jaazi very well over the past year, which is important for a ride like the Tevis Cup. Everything about it is just relentless, so going into it you want to know that you trust your horse and his athleticism and that you know how to take care of him while he’s performing at a high level for a very long time. At the other endurance rides I’ve been to (all 50 miles in length) there are usually opportunities to kind of take a break and zone out a bit, but the terrain at Tevis is so rugged (coupled with narrow trails, thousand foot drop-offs, and tons of elevation gain and loss throughout the day) that you never get much of a chance to relax. This was Jaazi’s (and my) first 100 -mile ride so my main goals were to deliver a healthy horse back to Peter at the end of it and to give Jaazi a positive experience.

Peter, Jaazi, his other horse Remy, and I left on the Tuesday before the ride and drove up to Auburn Fairgrounds, the finish line. We set up camp and went on a pre-ride of the finish the following morning. We rode down as far as the Lower Quarry vet check, which is six miles from the finish. I’m really glad that we did this because the end of the ride is rather confusing and on the day of the actual ride I’d be covering it in the dark. Of course, looking at it in daylight I saw how sketchy and narrow the trail was in sections, with tight turns, steep dropoffs, rocks, low hanging branches, etc. Fortunately Jaazi is very sure-footed so I wasn’t very worried about us falling off the edge. On the way back from Lower Quarry we also made Jaazi practice walking around in the river since there would be a couple spots on trail where river crossings would be necessary. Peter and Remy have completed the Tevis Cup three times before but wouldn’t be competing this time around.

Originally we were going to leave for Robie Park (the starting line) on Wednesday afternoon, but we heard that it was raining buckets up there and decided to stay in Auburn for another night. We left very early Thursday morning instead, and managed to get the best campsite ever when we arrived at Robie! It was right next to where the horses leave camp for the start, which meant I wouldn’t have to traverse everyone else’s campsite on my way to the starting line on Saturday morning (in the total darkness since the ride starts before dawn). We didn’t have a lot to do after setting up our camp, but Peter and I did go on a ride down a bit of the beginning of the trail to see how it was. My husband, Ben, also arrived to help with the crewing.

On Friday I checked in with ride management and discovered that Jaazi and I had qualified to start in Pen 1. The top 60 horse/rider teams (based on their performance during the season before) get released onto the trail first since it’s assumed that they’ll be going the fastest and this helps avoid traffic jams. I wasn’t planning on racing since this was Jaazi’s (and my) first 100-mile ride, but he is a naturally fast horse so it was nice to be placed in this group. We also had the pre-ride vet check, which Jaazi easily passed (and was so excited he tried to canter and veered into me during our trot-out! I think the ride photographer got an interesting sequence of photos of us). After that there wasn’t much to do as I already had all my tack and gear ready for the next day and we needed to give Jaazi a rest, but there were a few events like the pre-ride meeting and a buffet for all the riders and crews. Peter also had a set of topographical maps of the trail that we went over in detail.

On Saturday morning I got up at about 3:15 to start eating breakfast and tacking up Jaazi. Peter had already been up much earlier to feed and electrolyte him (being crew at Tevis is hard work!), so Jaazi was pretty much ready to go and just needed his saddle thrown on him. I was mounted and walking down to Pen 1 by 4:30. I expected things to be a little scarier in the darkness with all the fresh 100-mile horses around, but Jaazi was very focused and clearly intent on hitting the trail. Pen 1 is an actual corral that all 60 horses have to mill around in before they’re allowed to start the ride. We were supposed to just walk around in circles to get our horses warmed up, and there was a lot of traffic. Jaazi is known for trying to kick other horses at the start of rides, but fortunately I was able to keep him under control and he walked around very calmly the whole time. Somebody else got kicked (not that I could see because it was so dark!) and started shouting and cursing, which got a lot of other horses all riled up and nervous, so Jaazi and I retreated to the outermost edge of the pen until things calmed down.

When they opened the pen we had to walk a mile down the road to the actual starting line as a group. We got there about 10 minutes early and had to just stand there until they opened the trail, which was interesting (try telling all these racehorses they have to just stand on a road for 10 minutes!). Again, Jaazi had his game face on and managed to stand mostly quietly for most of the time (started getting pretty antsy by the end of it). I passed the time chatting to the rider next to me, who was also making her first Tevis attempt. I thought our horses were friends after that but as soon as they opened the trail and we started moving forward her horse abruptly kicked out viciously at us! Nimble Jaazi canter pirouetted out of the way (has he missed his calling as a dressage horse?) and as far as I could tell the hoof only grazed the side of the water scoop I had attached to his breast collar. It was a pretty tense moment for us, though, as a good kick can lame your horse and end your ride.

We got going again at a rapid trot and didn’t have any more issues after that. The beginning of the ride is pretty stressful as there is a lot of traffic (no pulls yet and the herd hasn’t spread out) on single-track trail that isn’t good for passing people on. Everyone has different ideas about what the pace ought to be, the horses are all keyed up, and it’s still pretty dark so you can’t quite tell what you’re doing. But we survived! After the attempted kicking things were about as uneventful as they could be, we kept to a pace that I was satisfied with, and as dawn broke I could start appreciating how beautiful all the scenery was. They definitely chose a spectacular area for this ride!


The trail map via TevisCup.org.

There is quite a large mountain you have to get up pretty close to the beginning of the ride, and many people get pulled at the top of it, which is the very first vet check, because they ran their horses too hard in the high altitude and got their heartrates up too high, so I decided to play it safe and do walk/trot intervals up it rather than trotting the whole way up. We easily passed the first vet check and started our descent into the Granite Chief Wilderness. This is quite a sketchy section of trail with huge, sharp rocks and a bog. People who have done this ride before said the footing here was the worst they’ve ever seen it! A friend of mine who is an excellent rider had her horse actually fall down more than once in this section. I was lucky in that Jaazi had some ungraceful moments where he lost his footing and had to scramble to regain it but we never hit the ground.

The most interesting landmark on the way to the first hour-long hold of the day is the infamous Cougar Rock. This is a giant, steep chunk of granite that you must scramble up as fast as you can before toppling off backwards or to the side. There is a bypass if you think your horse isn’t going to be able to manage it, but I was really hoping to go up it. The decision to do it or not is pretty much made at the base of it where you assess how forward and game your horse is in that moment. As we left Granite Chief I was starting to think that since Jaazi had been kind of clumsy in those rocks maybe we didn’t need to go up the GIANT rock, but I wasn’t going to decide until we laid eyes on it. When we arrived there was one horse going up and two horses taking the bypass at the same time. I must be certifiably insane because as soon as I saw the rock the first thought that popped into my head was “oh, we’ve definitely got this.” Jaazi was clearly having the same thought because he never even glanced at the bypass and immediately started motoring up the rock. Halfway up you have to change direction 90 degrees to the right. Jaazi was briefly puzzled by this, paused, and started losing his balance! I shouted at him to “get up” and told him that he was a good boy, and he pulled himself together and bounded up the rest of the way. Unfortunately my equitation in my official Cougar Rock photo is not the greatest because I lost my seat a bit when he did that! Oh well, we survived and it was a ton of fun. Jaazi obviously thought so too and pranced down the trail afterwards with much head-tossing. Best horse ever.

Most of the vet checks at Tevis are what we call “gate and gos,” which is when there is no mandatory holding time and you can leave as soon as your horse reaches the official resting heartrate and passes the veterinary inspection (although you would be stupid not to stay at least a few minutes to allow your horse to eat and drink and possibly administer electrolytes). There are two major holds, though, at mile 36 (Robinson Flat) and 68 (Foresthill), where you have to stay for an hour. The hour starts after your horse reaches the resting heartrate, so it’s not strategic to come galloping into these checks because then you’d have to stand around for a long time waiting for your horse to pulse down. When I was on the road leading into Robinson Flat I hopped off of Jaazi and started leading him in to get his heartrate down more quickly, and was met there by Ben and my other crewmember, Lynette. They had buckets of water to pour on his neck to cool him and stripped his tack as we walked so that he’d start to cool down right away. He quickly reached the correct pulse and we went to vet in. This was uneventful, as was the rest of the hold, where Jaazi ate and drank very well. Soon enough it was time to leave, which Jaazi was very impatient to do and leapt down the trail as soon as we were released from the hold.

The middle third of the ride (Robinson Flat to Foresthill) features three very steep, hot canyons. At each one you have to go all the way down to the bottom and then climb all the way back to the top. I got off and jogged on the downhill portions to rest Jaazi’s back and legs. Downhill trotting is hard on horses so any time you can give them a bit of a break is a good idea. At the bottom of the first canyon was a river crossing where the water was almost deep enough to reach his belly! I took some extra time to scoop water all over Jaazi to cool him and allow him to drink before crossing. The way up on this canyon is the hardest of the three, and is the only point during this time that Jaazi hit a wall and didn’t want to continue. We were already past the 50-mile point, which is the farthest he’s ever gone, so he was sure I was crazy for still having him out there and couldn’t figure out why I wanted him to keep going. We got about halfway up the canyon when he just stopped and wouldn’t go forward at all, even when horses passed him, which he usually hates. I got off and fed him some handfuls of grain from my saddlebag and then had to lead him up the rest of the way to the top. At the top there was a water/hay station where he ate and drank very well, and after that he was like a completely fresh horse! The second canyon was no problem for him, and on the way up he actually got very frustrated that we were stuck behind some slow people since he wanted to trot. As soon as we got to the top and could pass them we galloped off and made great time to Chicken Hawk, the last gate and go check before Foresthill.

Peter and Lynette were there to crew me since Chicken Hawk is known to be a particularly difficult vet check to pass and I could use the extra help. We passed and just had one more canyon, the smallest of the three, before Foresthill. Getting to Foresthill was no problem for Jaazi and he easily passed the vet check/pulse down when we arrived. It’s kind of fun being at this hold and also leaving it because it’s in the middle of a town that gets very excited about the Tevis Cup. All kinds of people were sitting on camp chairs on the side of the road just to watch the horses go by like it was a 4th of July parade, and I passed a lot of people having BBQs at their houses and cheering as the riders went by. When we left it was getting pretty dark, and by the time we got through town and back onto the actual trail it was completely dark! I lost some time at this point because I haven’t done any riding in the dark (and you don’t get to use a headlamp or anything because it would mess up your horse’s night vision) and felt pretty disoriented. I had also picked up a friend who was starting to feel nauseous (a common problem for people riding in the dark. I was fine, thank goodness. My grandfather always used to say that a true Macdonald never gets seasick, so maybe a true Macdonald also doesn’t get motion sick on horseback in the dark. I wonder how many Macdonalds have tried that to date). After a bit I got used to being in the dark and felt confident enough to return to our usual pace of trotting. Jaazi was very sure-footed during this time, was very focused and forward, and kept us on trail like a professional (except for one spot where we went off trail at a switchback and got very confused! Fortunately my friend had her brain turned on and helped us find our way back onto the real trail). At Francisco’s (mile 85 gate and go) we picked up a third friend who was riding at our pace. She’s done Tevis before so she went in front, which was a nice break for Jaazi who had mostly been leading before then.

A very cool part of the trail was the river crossing. It was completely dark and the water went up past Jaazi’s belly, but there were glowsticks in the water to show the riders exactly where to go. A lot of the ride volunteers hang out at the river to supervise the crossing and were having a huge party! They offered us some food but we wanted to keep going and make time. I was worried that Jaazi wouldn’t want to go in the river since he had been very reluctant to cross some small creeks in the dark, but he motored right through it like it was no big deal! After the river one of my friends started to feel like her horse was having an issue in his back end and joined a group that was going more slowly than the rest of us. Unfortunately she made it all the way to the finish line but was disqualified at the end for lameness. So disappointing! My other friend and I made it to Lower Quarry in good time (the check Peter and I had ridden to on Wednesday). This was a gate and go vet check that Jaazi passed, but sadly my friend’s horse had developed a lameness and she was pulled there.

I did the last six miles of the ride by myself, which turned out to be a lot of fun. Jaazi, amazingly, still felt very fresh and forward and we did a lot of it at a flying extended trot. He definitely knew exactly where we were and was dead set on making it to the finish. We passed a lot of riders on spent horses, which Jaazi got a huge charge out of, and got to the finish line at 3:32 AM. Peter and the rest of my crew were there (just to watch, they weren’t allowed to crew me until I completed my victory lap in the stadium), and as we trotted up the last hill to the finish line I overheard him saying, “look at him, he’s as fresh as a daisy!” Jaazi powerwalked all the way to the stadium, and when we got there I only had to think about cantering when he took off at a gallop for his victory lap. Good show! He quickly pulsed down afterwards and had a beautiful final trot-out for his last vet check. He got an A as his final vet score and was very perky, calling for Remy as soon as we left the stadium.

In all, we had a fantastic ride and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go. I achieved my goals of bringing back a healthy horse and giving Jaazi a positive first Tevis, and also mostly managed to stick to the schedule I had made for myself in advance. We finished in 52nd place out of 188 starters and 107 finishers—I’ll take it!

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Dr. Elaine Dornton and Remington Steele, Tevis 1989


When the Going gets Tough by Patti Bailey - Previously printed in Arabian Horse World, July 1990
Copyright Patti Bailey 1990

My Arabian stallion, Remington Steele, is the only US and Canadian National Top Ten Halter Stallion in the history of the breed to successfully complete the Tevis Cup 100 Miles One-Day Ride, the granddaddy of all endurance races held in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains each summer. The reason why this particular accomplishment has not occurred before — especially in the same year — became painfully apparent as we progressed through the undertaking… one of the most grueling tests of endurance, stamina, and athletic ability in the world. “Why would anyone in his right mind enter a Top Ten Stallion in such an event?” asked my show ring associates. “A show horse can’t make it!” declared my endurance riding friends. “You’ll ruin him!” proclaimed everyone.

But we’ve always believed that a top halter mare or stallion should also be a top athlete. Since halter classes are really breeding classes, judges should consider from to function, and a good Arabian should represent both well.

Yes, I recognized that I was taking a chance with a valuable, proven show horse and sire, but Remington was worthless to me as a stallion unless he could do something… and do it well — balanced, comfortable and correctly using his conformation. How sad for the Arabian horse, if this most noble of all God’s creatures… this bold and hearty war horse whose spirit and courage was instilled in him by the very breath of God– is reduced to being an object d’art so fragile it should no longer be called on to perform…a museum piece instead of a capable companion.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Lari Shea and Sherif - Tevis Cup Winners 1989

Training for the Toughest Test
by 1989 Tevis Winner Lari Shea

Did I expect to win the Tevis Cup when I entered my twelve-year-old Arabian gelding, Sur Sherif, in the 1989 Western States One Hundred Miles in One Day Endurance Ride through the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains? No...I was simply determined to finish.

That might have seemed like a modest goal, considering how fast Sherif was, how well he moved, and how quickly he recovered after exertion. But Sherif had a way of being his own worst enemy and allowing his psyche to get him hurt. In the 1987 and 1988 Tevis Cup races he was hyper, distracted, unratable, and out of control. Both years he hurt himself, and I think it was because he fought me along the trail. Both years he was pulled by the vets.

Sherif was not just your run-of-the-mill endurance horse with a ho-hum upbringing. He came to me at the age of eight with very little training, quite a history, and more than his share of what people call "an attitude." In 1985, when Jim and Shirley Scott of Willetts, California, gave him to me, he was a very low-mileage eight (I'll tell you why in a minute), barely broke to ride, untrained and unconditioned-but they thought he had enormous potential as an endurance horse. The moment I rode him, I agreed. I felt lots of suspension and great strength in his stride. "Ooooh, boy. This is an incredible horse," I thought. "If I can get him conditioned properly, he'll be hard to touch."

Monday, January 19, 2015

How it All Began - The Legacy of Wendell Robie

Wendell Towle Robie (1895-1984)
By Gordy Ainsleigh © 2008

Wendell Robie spent his entire 89 ½ year of life in Auburn, California, a gold rush and railroad town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains about an hour‘s drives east-northeast of Sacramento on the road to Reno. Yet his involvement and innovations in finance, politics, lumbering, and endurance events for horse riders and runners-walkers have had, and continue to have, a dramatic impact on great many live in diverse parts of the world.
...
In the early 1950s, a horseman from Montana wrote a letter published in Western Horseman in which he announced that his own worthy steed was the greatest and fastest cross-country endurance animal in all of equinedom, and challenged any and all those who doubted this to race them over any trail at any distance. Wendell responded with his own letter, accepting the challenge and specifying that the test course would be from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, in California.

Wendell started preparing for the match, training his good horse Bandos, then an early teenager, and mapping out a course. The distance from the shores of Lake Tahoe to the fairgrounds in Auburn is about 55 miles by air, so the course Wendell had in mind was probably about 80 miles. However, the confident horseman from Montana never answered Wendell‘s challenge, and no one knows what happened to him. He or his horse may have experienced an incapacitating misfortune.

Wendell was still stewing over this at the last campout in 1954 of the Sacramento Horsemen‘s Association. It was at Robinson Flat, a beautiful cupped between ridges, 6,900 feet up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 30 miles west by trail from the shores of Lake Tahoe.

Sitting around the campfire for one last time before the snows of autumn closed in on the high mountains, one of the horsemen reproved Wendell for bragging up his horse, Bandos, so much, and began rhapsodizing about the great horses of yesteryear, the like of which were gone from the earth in this soft modern age of the mid-1950s. Wendell took offense to those remarks, and pressed the man to be specific about what those great horses of yesteryear could do that made them so great. His fellow horseman answered that, for instance, there had been horses in the last century (the 1800s) that could cover 100 miles across mountains and deserts in one day. Wendell‘s response was that he thought his good horse Smoke (Bandos‘ nickname, since he had turned from a bay colt to a gray mature horse) was up to that task. The disbelief with which Wendell‘s comment was received spurred Wendell on to what was probably his greatest achievement in his lifetime: the founding of the Western States 100 Mile Ride and the sport of equine endurance riding.
Read the Full Story

Friday, January 16, 2015

Tom Bache and Kenlyn Scarlet, Tevis 2012


I had a great experience at the Tevis Cup ride, and I'd like to share it with those who are interested. The compressed version is that I'm an old guy (now 69) who has had the good fortune over many decades to do a lot of interesting, challenging, and adventurous things, but Tevis is a very special
experience. Do it if you can!

The Tevis Ride is at a level far beyond that of other Endurance Rides -- the huge numbers involved as riders, volunteers, vets, crews, and spectators; the difficulty of the course and duration of the ride; and the duration and intensity of the overall experience. We spent an entire week with the Tevis
community at Auburn and Robie Park. Do try to spend time in Auburn where people know and support endurance riders. We really enjoyed our time with other riders and their support teams -- great people from around the country and the world.

It's been 4 1/2 years since I first climbed on a horse, and I only started endurance riding 3 1/2 years ago, so my observations are those of a relative novice. Tevis was my first 100. With this caution, I offer some comments about the course and lessons-learned for next time (God willing, there will be
a next time).

Read more: Some reflections on my experience at Tevis Cup 2012

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Steve Hallmark and Tug, Tevis 2009

I first became aware of the Tevis when Pat and I became introduced to Endurance Riding while living in the Pacific Northwest. While it was interesting to follow the race over the years, I never really thought the opportunity to ride the event would present itself.

My journey to ride ’09 Tevis began during a conditioning ride on Super Bowl Sunday in ’08. Kathie Perry and I were getting in a quick ride that morning at Folsom Lake before heading off to our respective Super Bowl events. During our ride, Kathie asked if I had any interest in riding Tevis. I replied yes, and asked if she would help me prepare. Her response was that she would, but I would need to give it my full commitment.

Read more here: Steve Hallmark and Tug, Tevis 2009

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Kevin Myers and Far, Tevis 2009

Quoting Julie Suhr: How Will You Know How Far You Can Go Until You’ve Gone Too Far? 
Far and I took on the ultimate challenge last weekend and I daresay we are both stronger beings as a result of it, and I have yet to find my own answer to Julie Suhr’s question. . .
Far: who could resist?
I have felt drawn back to the Tevis trail since riding it two years ago on a wonderful horse lent to me by a generous friend. There is not a more challenging trail and there may only be a few trails on earth more beautiful and more liberating than the Western States Trail. I have yet to find them. I rode in Easyboot Glue-On boots this year, and the difference from riding in steel shoes was quite remarkable.
Far is one of those horses you know will only cross your path once in your life. I am fascinated in his curious mind and by a fire that burns in him very deeply. He grew up in the large open spaces of the mountains in the interior of British Columbia and he loves life.
I have transitioned three of my own horses to barefoot in the last 13 weeks and I have been around many other horses in the area who have decided to make the move from steel shoes to barefoot. Each horse responds very differently to the change and Far has been the horse who has adapted the most easily of them all. His movement barefoot and in the Gloves and Glue-Ons seemed immediately more comfortable for him than in steel shoes, and his feet look better than they ever have. It seemed fitting, then, to take on the challenge of the Tevis trail: what better test for the latest in many years of equine boot technology?

Far and I managed to pre-ride most of the last 17 miles of the trail into Auburn in various sections with Leslie Spitzer in the week prior to the ride. We went up to Robie Park on Thursday – and I’m glad we did. We got a better choice of camp spots and it gave us a chance to get the Glue-Ons applied by Garrett and the EasyCare Team before pre-riding the first few miles of the trail. Far was a monster on the pre-ride on Thursday and I wondered if he would be too much for me at the start line with 180 horses around him. It weighed heavily on my mind.
The start was smooth – other riders were polite through the controlled walking section to the official start line. He had a quick moment of panic when he crossed the first footbridge and stepped his left hind off the bridge entirely – just long enough to realize he would not be able to touch the ground with that leg before pulling it back up and continuing on. That was one of the few times I looked down to see if the boot was still on – it was. I was further back in the crowd than I wanted to be – the speed was already slower than I wanted and I knew we had to get ahead of some of the groups if we were to ride to the strategy we had planned.

We managed to dart past about 40 riders before we got down to the ski-hill road: we were riding in tune with each other, each of us knowing what the other wanted. He felt strong – very strong – and we walked and trotted up the Squaw Valley towards Emigrant Pass before coming to the first water and hay at High Camp at 13 miles. He demonstrated almost none of the tripping I remembered from the previous year and the boots felt like they took the much of the concussion out of the hard-packed road. It was like jogging in running shoes.
We pulled into Lyon Ridge at 25 miles and trotted through. I refilled water bottles, let Far eat and drink for a few minutes and continued on up and over Cougar Rock. What a rush to be back on that rock with a horse I know and trust so well. The boots took all the slip out of the rock – it really felt like we were riding on suction cups across the rock face as we climbed. I looked back over my shoulder and enjoyed the breathtaking views. What a sight: those images will keep you coming back for more.
Far ate up the miles to Robinson Flat voraciously, flying down the road as it rose and sank all the way to the first hold. In the prior year the road seemed like an unforgiving section of trail because it was so hard. This year I hardly noticed because the foot lands so much softer in boots. I was soon sittting in the shade of a pine tree enjoying a tuna salad sandwich and a Starbucks Double Shot. My trusty crew made up of Rusty, Bill and Leslie all know me and the horse well enough that I did not have to think.

I stayed for ten minutes at the Deadwood vet check while he ate and drank before setting off down the 2,665 foot descent to Eldorado Canyon.I remembered the trail as being somewhat scary because of the drop-offs, but I have so much trust in this horse that it seemed like we were meant to be there, adding up the miles at a good speed. Far felt fresh and eager and we were soon approaching El Dorado Creek. Far tanked up on fresh water and then we set off back up the canyon towards Michigan Bluff.We walked and trotted our way down the 1,700 foot drop to the infamous Swinging Bridge. I got off and hiked the steeper sections. We spent a few minutes down at the bottom while he drank from the river and I crossed the bridge on foot. As the bridge began to swing ever so slightly, Far’s pace quickened considerably and I found myself holding him back behind me. For a moment I though he might start to run, but we got to the other side without incident and I remounted for the 1,565 foot climb up to Devil’s Thumb.
I tailed him about 90% of the way up. I arrived at Michigan Bluff fairly dazed, but Far looked great and the trusty crew was there to give me encouraging words and steer me in the direction towards the Chicken Hawk vet check. We trotted along the road with the comforting feeling of the boots gripping the asphalt. Far felt like a freight train – strong and willing and eager. The boots just seemed to give more spring to Far’s already lofty gait.
We paused for a while at the Chicken Hawk vet check: he vetted through with lots of spring in his trot before setting off towards the milestone of Foresthill. Climbing up Bath Road is such fun – people are lined along the street in the chairs – they clap and cheer when you arrive. One of the people in the crowd asked me if I was using spray-on boots. Glue-Ons are probably the closest thing I suppose! Far vetted through without any issues and I enjoyed the hour hold immensely by eating a tuna salad sandwich and a huge bowl of home-made fruit salad.
I had fun this year trotting through the town of Foresthill– not even changing my speed as we trotted across the black-top, much to the shock of the volunteers who were convinced we would slip as we went from trail to road. I remember thinking the slight downhill grade last time was risky as the hind shoes slipped a little as we walked and trotted our way down to the trail. This year was very different – we skipped through town at a nice clip without even so much as a skid on the slick pavement.
I was fortunate to have more than an hour of daylight to get me through the most technical parts of this trail and I managed to make up some good time. I was grateful to catch up to Christina and to enjoy her good humor and good conversation. Dave Rabe would catch us a few miles before getting to Francisco’s in the soupy blackness along the rest of the California Loop. It was an enchanted night.
We arrived at the Francisco’s vet check at 11:19. The volunteers were punchy and the food for horse and rider was plentiful. The vets were plucky and so was my horse. Dave and Christina both agreed we should continue riding together, and off we set. When Christina got to the road, she trotted off and we stayed at a walk. We should have stayed with her: we missed the trail turn-off at the bottom of the hill and instead walked most of the hill up before realizing there were no ribbons and no glow sticks. We probably lost about 20 minutes in the process. We hand-walked and cussed our way back down the hill to the turn-off and rode the single-track trail for the three miles to the American River crossing.
Far pulled and pulled his way towards the Lower Quarry vet check. This was one of the points in the trail last time where my horse showed signs of soreness on the rocky road. Not this time. We vetted through at Lower Quarry at mile 94 at 1:56 AM. The volunteers were helpful and generous and each horse had the luxury of a loaned wool blanket on its rump. We paused for a few minutes, but the finish line in Auburn was within reach and we were eager to get there.
It would take us just over an hour to finish the last five miles of trail. We were riding to make sure the horses finished without issue and there are some technical sections down there in the blindness. Far marched his way up the final hill to the finish line. He drank, vetted through, and was pronounced fit to continue. The buckle was ours: what a horse: is he a horse!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Kevin Myers and Czar, Tevis 2007

Tevis Cup 2007: Frantic and Precarious

They say there is 19,000 feet of “up” and 22,000 feet of “down” on the Tevis trail across the 100-mile span from Truckee to the Fairgrounds in Auburn: the hardest and most coveted 100-mile race in the world. The stigma and safety issues have kept me away from Tevis and I always assumed that visually the ride would be as unforgiving as the technicality of the trail. I was very wrong: it is one of the most breathtaking locations on earth. The vistas are wide and the pines are strong; the rock formations are incredible and the lakes and rivers are the gold leaf on the crown of Tevis.

I felt like I was on the list under false pretences: the subject of Tevis had only come up in February, when I offered to crew for Clydea at Tevis in 07 as a gesture of thanks for letting me ride Zeb at three 50-mile rides during the winter while my young horses were being legged up to compete later in the year. Clydea smiled and nodded on the few occasions I mentioned it, but it was not until we were at dinner together one evening when she said “Rather than crewing for me, I would actually prefer it if you would ride the Tevis with me.” Why would anyone refuse an offer like that? Clydea has ridden Tevis at least six times, and this would undoubtedly provide a very rich experience for me to paste into my book of memories.

And so the training and planning and riding and strategizing began, overtaking most other things in life, or at least becoming embedded in them. We trained consistently – and I learned much from Clydea about building distance and speed. We drove up to pre-ride the last 66 miles of the trail in June, which showed me just how risky this ride was to be.

Read More: Tevis Cup 2007: Frantic and Precarious

Monday, January 12, 2015

Winning a Haggin Cup: 7 Step Strategy to Top Ten at Tevis

Rusty Toth and Stoner riding through Foresthill. Photo by Merri Melde/Endurance.Net. 
Article by Kevin Myers

We set out with a goal ten months ago, and built the strategy around that goal. The goal was simple: to achieve a top ten placing at Tevis 2012. We thank Garrett Ford for his support and encouragement that we could train our horses to this level. Our reading list was 4th Gear by Dennis Summers.

The essential components were:

- See more at:  Our 7 Step Strategy to Top Ten at Tevis - 4th Gear Here We Come

Friday, January 9, 2015

Bruce Weary and John Henry, Tevis 2009

“Many people know that this was my seventh attempt at Tevis...”

I am writing this little memoir at the flattering request of an embarrassing number of good people who, for some reason, have taken an inordinate interest in my horse and our completion of the Tevis this last Saturday (and a good part of Sunday). There is so much to tell, that I just couldn't seem to boil it down to one title, as it is really a story of the wonders of the ride itself, as well as the horse that carried me through it. I will have to write in installments, as I want to do this ride justice, but also don't wish to bore anyone. So if I ramble on too much, I hope someone will be kind-hearted enough to tell me to please shut up!

Many people know that this was my seventh attempt at Tevis, and though it honestly never occurred to me to quit trying or to be embarrassed about my past failures, I was painfully aware of the disappointment and vicarious suffering endured by my wife and the many friends who have pulled for me over the years. It was really for these people, more than myself, that I wanted to finish this time, and why we trained and prepared so fully over the last year. I felt it was the least John Henry and I could do in return for the friendships and support we had enjoyed all along. Inspiration is where you find it, and I found it in some unusual places: Winston Churchill's shortest and most famous speech, "Never give up. Never, never, give up." The 2004 Tevis video. The match race in "Seabiscuit." The immortal words of that 21st century philosopher, Rocky Balboa, who said, "It's not about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward." I know, it's cheesy, but it worked for me. As far as inspirational people, there were many, some of whom certainly deserve to be mentioned here. First and foremost, my wife, Dayna. She is not only the love of my life and my very best friend, she has offered the greatest support and the harshest critical insight when I needed both. She has foregone her love affair with the Tevis trail for several years so that I might keep trying. She is known in familiar circles as the "Crewing Queen," a title that is extremely well deserved. Though she owns a 50th anniversary buckle, she has more Tevis dreams of her own, one of which is to wear a 1,000-mile buckle someday. Thank you, honey. I could not have achieved this goal, nor the life I have, without you. I love you.

Then there are people like Barbara White, who has become our friend, confidante, advisor and co-captain in getting Dayna's horse, Crickett, to the Tevis finish line twice. Barbara earned her record 28th and 29th buckle on Crickett, and we think it only fair that the least she can do now is put him through college before returning him to us. :) Thank you, Barbara, for wanting this as badly as we did. Barbara's mother, Julie Suhr, is an inspiration to so many, including Dayna and I, and I guess one can have no stronger mojo working in your favor at Tevis, than to have Julie pulling so hard for us. They say that in order to finish Tevis, you must make peace with the "Tevis Gods." I think the Gods knew that if we didn't finish, they would be hearing from Julie Suhr, and it wasn't going to be pretty, so they left us alone on ride day. Julie's husband, Bob, though usually content to quietly reside in the background while everything Tevis swirls around him, is a man I would very much like to resemble when I grow up. He is remarkably funny, principled, an accomplished endurance rider, and openly adores his bride. Any man would do well to emulate him. Thank you, Bob and Julie.

Without a doubt, the most important figure as far as actually helping me to effectively prepare John Henry for what he would face on the Tevis trail, thus assuring our success, is Michele Roush, DVM. She agreed to be my coach very early on in our training. She is extremely knowledgeable, detail oriented, and thorough. I learned more from her about how to condition a horse than I had learned in 25 years of endurance riding experience. Michele, we simply would not have finished had it not been for your coaching, insight, strategies and steerage on ride day. Though I was often not the best student, we nailed the final exam! Thank you so much for your friendship, patience and guidance.

Other notable people include Dick Dawson, Dr. Susan Garlinghouse, Karen Chaton, Bruce Anderson, Dr. David Nicholson, Ron Barrett, Jeanetta Sturgeon and a host of others who, at one time or another, added inspiration or a piece to the puzzle. I hope you all know who you are. Thank you.

Though I had ridden Arabs for most of the 25 years I have been doing endurance riding, about six years ago, I became curious about gaited horses and began experimenting with them. I have had several in that time, and had some success, especially with a Foxtrotter mare, named Sugar. She and I failed at Tevis in 2007, and shortly thereafter I moved her on to a nice lady who trail rides, and began looking for my next candidate. I found a horse broker, Fred Mau, in New Mexico, and flew over to look at his herd. I sifted through several horses, and decided to take John Henry, an eight year old TWH, on a test ride. We went about 15 miles, and I noticed how sure-footed and good-minded he was, as well as smooth gaited. At one point we tied the horses to a tree so we could hike a short distance to see a unique waterfall. When we returned, Fred and I noticed that John Henry had come untied, but was standing stock still exactly where I had left him. "Oh yeah, he ground ties, too," Fred said.

A few minutes after we got back, I caught his pulse at 32. He impressed me enough to bring him home. I spoke to JH's original owner, who raised and trained him. He had been a working horse all his life, having done everything from carrying ten year old children to serving as a pack horse in the mountains on elk hunting trips, so he was used to hauling weight up and down hills. Being reasonably fit already, I took him on his first 50 miler two weeks later, which he finished easily, and nearly top tenned amongst some eighty horses.

Well............that got the wheels turning. The more Dayna and I watched this horse, the more we were fascinated with him. He is the most "human" horse either of us has ever owned or been around. He "talks" (nickers) to any person he sees, and if you go away for 30 seconds and come back, he will greet you again as if you'd been away for a week. He is demanding at feeding time, and will stand three legged, with one foot carefully placed in his hanging feeder until we arrive with his ration, then gently remove it and begin dining. He has an unrivaled appetite, drinks well, trailers and camps like a pro, and will even lie down when tied to the trailer and never disturb his surroundings. All well and good, but then that question to my wife popped out of my mouth, in a moment of weakness and fantasy, "Do you think he could finish Tevis?" God bless Dayna, she usually lets me roll with my wild ideas until I either succeed or it's clear I'm going down in flames. "You're going to need some help," she said. "Call Michele Roush and see if you can get her to coach you," she added. Knowing there would be groveling involved, I wrote Michele, who took pity on me, and agreed to offer her services in our quest for Tevis gold. She had already been coaching Dayna with her horse, Crickett, and has a supreme record both as a rider and a vet, so I know she was sticking her neck out a bit to work with an unproven gaited horse, and a rider who had stepped up to the plate and struck out six times previously at Tevis.

After John Henry had done a half a dozen 50's Michele had us reduce our ride schedule, and be more selective in the type and difficulty of the rides we attended. We did more specific conditioning at home, and I think the turning point for John Henry took place at Mt Carmel. We decided to try to do all three days, and see if he stood up to the task. Barbara White rode with us on Dayna's horse,Crickett, those three days, as she was preparing to ride him at Tevis herself. Now, Barbara has been around a bit, and ridden and known some pretty good horses, so I felt she was a good sounding board, and could offer objective opinion about JH, if she rode along side him for three days. Needless to say, we were both astonished at what he accomplished that weekend. He not only kept up with Crickett, who is no slouch, but he got stronger and faster each day, and more amazingly, recovered at the same time Crickett did all weekend. We never had to wait on him. Of the 20 horses that did all three days, Crickett and John Henry finished 5th and 6th.

Okay, so now I'm getting a rash. The kind you get when you know you might just get to show up at Robie park with a horse that has a chance. Michele designed a workout program to peak JH in the weeks prior to Tevis, and we also took him along with Crickett to the Tevis Educational ride, to show him the trail and see if he could handle carrying me out of those challenging canyons between Last Chance and Foresthill. Not only did he, but he led our group much of the way. He became the mascot, as several of the riders wanted to ride near or behind him due to his calm nature. They knew he wouldn't kick, fidget, or endanger the other horses when frequent stops on the trail were necessary. Both horses handled the trail easily, and after that, Julie Suhr wrote and said, "Now put them both in bubble wrap, stick them in the freezer, and don't let them out until Tevis." Which we promptly did. I was always taught to respect my elders. Finally, it came time for Dayna to take the horses and head to Robie Park. I stayed home to work and flew up a couple of days later, and arrived to see two well rested, well fed horses, waiting to venture off into the Sierras. Barbara and I had a lovely pre-ride on Friday morning, just to get the kinks out and get a look at the first stretch of the trail. John Henry is a very good downhill horse, and he also needs about four miles to get his "machinery" warmed up, and to let his heart rate settle in at aerobic levels. The Tevis trail offers the perfect start for him, as it is downhill for a little over six miles down to the Truckee River. Though Crickett and John Henry were very attached to each other as they rested at camp, they have no separation issues once the ride begins. Barbara headed toward the starting line, while I took John Henry off in the opposite direction, to let him warm up. We planned to not ride together, as Crickett's pace would be undoubtedly faster, and I wanted to keep JH at a pace that worked for him.

The trail was in very good condition, and had been widened in many places, so there was really no risk of getting trapped behind other riders. Michele Roush had carefully worked out a time schedule for us, which I tried to adhere to as closely as possible. John Henry was good about both passing other horses, and being passed without a fuss, as we made our way down to the river and up the other side toward High Camp. However, I had to stop to pee once, and he did circles around me while he watched other horses passing us by. I hate that, and it's why I never wear my good shoes. :) I kept a close eye on his heart rate as he powered up the service road through Squaw Valley, and I think we beat our time schedule to High Camp by a few minutes. One thing Michele grilled me on was to stay focused when I arrived at any stop. I would look for the water, feed, PR people, the vets, and then track my time so as not to squander time needlessly. This was crucial to getting through the day without running overtime, or feeling like I had to ride faster to make up for wasted time. We had practiced our electrolyte protocols, as John Henry would need them replenished throughout the day if he was to continue feeling good and wanting to work. It worked like a charm; in fact, he basically became a freight train in the last third of the ride, at times running along in dark, with his pulse around 118-120. He drank deeply all day and night, and had excellent hydration scores throughout the ride. Thank you, Michele!

We led a group of riders through the Granite Chief Wilderness, aka "the bogs" and his big walk and sure-footedness really came in handy in getting us through there in a timely fashion. We watered at Lyon Ridge, then made our way mostly alone to Cougar Rock (we went around, as I wasn't risking a fall that could end our day) and Elephant Trunk, on the way to Red Star. Things can get clogged up at Red Star, but this time the vets were working diligently to get people vetted and out quickly. We got in, pulsed down, ate for a couple of minutes, got vetted and out, all in nine minutes! Onward to Robinson, I was reminded that this section of the trail is *not* all downhill. I counted at least five climbing sections, and John Henry showed some signs of fatigue here. We were alone, and he wanted to walk the uphills. We finally skated into Robinson around 11:20, about 20 minutes behind schedule. Robinson Flat is always a bustling blur to get through, due to the amount of people, horses and vet lines, which were pretty long this year. We waited to be vetted for about 15 minutes, and John Henry had a 52/52 CRI here. He ate a smorgasbord of feed, took a nap (which always makes Julie happy) and we headed out on time toward the canyons that lie between Last Chance and Foresthill. We had trained hard for these canyons, which have been a source of concern for me ever since I first attempted Tevis in 1994. If you don't know what to expect, or you or your horse aren't fit, they can be overwhelming. We were blessed with cooler weather this year, but those canyons can be very warm and are always muggy, so, long ago I decided that I would be fit enough to tail him out in order to save more horse for later on. I hiked steep hills for several months and used a home video workout program called "P90X," to get in shape. (When I first used it, I thought it stood for "Puke 90 Times") :) These strategies worked, as I was able to tail him out of both canyons, and felt good afterward. My GPS and heart monitor showed that John Henry pulled me out of those canyons at 4 mph, with his heart rate not going over 120. Dick Dawson told me when he saw us at Deadwood, that John Henry had that "look" that told him we would finish. Perfect time to hear that. Many people have asked me at what point during the ride did I begin to feel like we were going to finish. My best answer is "at Foresthill." Pulse criteria at Foresthill is 64, and after climbing out of Volcano Canyon and up Bath Road, John Henry presented at 56. I sought out one of my favorite vets, Jim Baldwin, to do our vet check, as he is very fair, and extremely fast at evaluating a horse. Michele offered to trot him out for me so I could watch along with Dr Baldwin. He looked great, and Jim told me, "Let him rest and get some chow, and he should take you home. You have a lot of horse here." There was a crowd watching his vet check, and as the message rippled through that we would be going on, there was cheering and applause that gave me an adrenaline rush, and, I suspect John Henry, too. Michele saved my bacon again, as during the hour hold she found that JH had sprung a shoe, and she took him to the farrier to have it removed, straightened and put back on while I was eating and taking care of me. There were tears and lumps in throats as my wife Dayna, Julie Suhr, my daughter Elysse, and my crew all realized for the first time that unless I fell off, we were very likely to see Auburn before dawn.

With glowbars on JH's breast collar lighting the way, and a crowd of well-wishers sending us off from behind, we left Foresthill on time, right at 9:00. We were guided down Foresthill Road and through town by dozens of volunteers. Along the way, pockets of people were hootin' and hollerin' and carryin' on to such an extent that it caused me to think to myself, "That's okay. I remember my very first beer, too." :) John Henry's power walk helped us to slowly catch and pass a small group of riders that had gone out before us. One rider asked, "What kind of horse is that?" "A Walker," I replied. "Apparently!" he said. We headed onto the Cal-2 trail, and descended into increasing darkness that was softened somewhat by the 3/4 moon that hung in the humid night air. The switchback turns on this section of the trail are very sharp, and though I had many times been told to simply trust my horse's night vision, I didn't hesitate to flick my flashlight on for an instant every now and then to make sure we were negotiating the turns safely. Our group had a somewhat ghostly appearance as a line of glow bars floating three feet off the ground, and traveling single file ever downward to the American River below. John Henry led much of the way, as the riders behind liked being able to see his glowbars, and his gaiting helped us cover ground faster than a walk, but not as fast as a trot, which some were reluctant to do in this much darkness. I had seen this section in the daylight, and it is very precarious in places. Some who have seen it in the daylight, have refused to ride it at night. However, the darkness mercifully makes it very difficult to actually see the scary parts, so, we continued steadily on through the night toward our next goal--Francisco's. Located some 17 miles from Foresthill, even though we kept moving constantly, it took our group four hours to reach Francisco's, where we were greeted by reassuring bright lights and the friendliest and most nurturing volunteers I had met all day. Francisco's is historically famous for that. John Henry was at 60 when we arrived, and he dragged me to the water and then some wet alfalfa, as he began putting himself together for the last stretch of trail. We vetted out without incident, and I lingered a few minutes and had a sandwich and a cup of coffee while JH chowed down some more. We said goodbye to the volunteers and stepped back into the darkness on our way to the waters of the American River, now only some three miles away. As we approached the river's edge, there were several horses in front of us, and John Henry became unruly, fighting to get around them and into the water. After a few expletives from me, I allowed him to crash into the water, forgetting to lift my feet and legs clear of the water's surface. You know that deep breath you take when someone dumps ice down the back of your shirt? Yeah, that's the one that hit me as my legs became instantly soaked in the chilly but refreshing American River. John Henry had planted himself and began drinking like a Shriner at a NASCAR race. We climbed out the other side, and from that point on, I had trouble rating John Henry. He knew the trail, as he had seen it on the Educational Ride, and apparently his own personal homing device kicked in as he hammered his way down the trail on our way to the Lower Quarry vet check. Some of the faster horses had left us at that point, as time was getting short, and most riders had concerns about making cutoff times. The overwhelmingly bright lights of Lower Quarry were soon in view, and we made our way down the short, steep trail into the vet check which offered a smorgasbord of food, warm blankets, bleary-eyed but cheerful volunteers, and of course, the vets. After we vetted out, I checked the time, and saw that it was 3:20, and realized that we had better get moving, as we still had six miles of dark trail to negotiate. I later found out that my wife and crew were becoming increasingly nervous about my arriving on time, due to the late hour, and the time delay in the reports they were receiving as to our location. I left Lower Quarry and followed Steve Hallmark, a local who knows the trail.

It was very dark, and the glow bars had become few and far between, and I would have been very reluctant to move along quickly along this section, as I had ridden it in the daytime, and I knew there were rocky sections that could be tricky. I owe thanks to Steve, who somehow knew when we could trot and when we needed to walk, and we marched toward Auburn, with the clock ticking down. Finally, we reached the last single track that leads to the Auburn overlook, and as I glanced over my left shoulder, I could see the lights of the finish line, and could hear the faint hum of the generators that gave them life. In just a few short seconds, we emerged out the darkness, arriving at 4:56, with just 19 minutes to spare. We were met with applause, cheering, whistling, bright lights, and a very welcome water tank for John Henry. I sifted through the small but mighty crowd to find my wife, who was sobbing on her cell phone. Julie Suhr had waited at the finish line until around three in the morning, and finally had to retire, but not before admonishing Dayna to call her the moment we crossed the finish line. I would love to hear a recording of that conversation. I asked Dayna later what was said, and she replied, "I don't really know. We were both crying so much I couldn't understand everything she said. She did say to go take care of you and John Henry." My wife knows that I am often unable to speak when I am emotional, so I grabbed her and hugged her for a very long time, as much to regain my composure as to thank her. "You finally did it!" she said. "John Henry did it. I was just along for the ride," was my answer. Michele Roush tracked JH's pulse from the moment we arrived, and she quietly told me to follow her as she led him to the vetting area, and told me he was down and ready to present. The vet checked him over, pronounced him at 60 bpm, and asked for the trot out. Michele trotted him out and before she could turn around and trot back, the vet turned to me, shook my hand and said: "Congratulations, you're done." I must have set a world record for hugging the greatest number of women in the shortest period of time after that.

We led JH to McCann Stadium, and though there were only about three people in the stands, we took our victory lap. John Henry gaited the entire way around, looking sharp and sound. We peeled his saddle off, and led him off to shack up with Crickett, and to get some much needed rest and chow. Dayna had laid out about ten glasses and two bottles of Champagne for each of us to toast the night, which was quickly becoming day. A glowing satisfaction flowed over all of us, that persists, and likely will for some time.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Heidi Larson and Ash, Tevis 2013

Our group headed to the 2013 Tevis cup on July 14th, stopping to let horses out of the trailers every 3-4 hours. Our group consisted of riders Dean Hoalst, Sandy Cheek, Tiffany Buob and myself, and Dean’s crew; Bob Westergard. Dean was the only one of our group that had experienced the ride, with two completions under his belt. We stayed at John and Diane Stevens, the absolute best hosts, so that the horses could recover from their long drive. We spent the week relaxing with pedicures, shopping for ride food/drinks, getting the boys out for a couple of rides, including riding the last 6 miles of the California loop into the Auburn Fairgrounds and going over the “no worries” bridge. We were a giddy bunch, keeping each other laughing till our sides ached, encouraging each other and going over what we might need for the ride. We had no real ride plans except to do our best at coming into the finish on sound horses and most importantly, riding our own rides.

We arrived at Robie Park on Thursday, somewhat late in the day – but with plenty of time to set up camp for the boys and take them for a walk around one of the largest ridecamps I’ve ever been to. Running into other NW riders was a welcome sight as it was nice to see familiar faces amongst so many strangers. Friday we took the boys out for a “leisurely” ride out the start for about 3 or 4 miles. Ash was doing pretty good till we turned back for the camp and then I had my hands full. Throwing and shaking his head and cantering in place gave me some concern for how the start might go. I’d been given a Pen 1 card and knew that I could get into a group of fast movers. The start of the Tevis ride is a downhill grade for a few miles. Part of my endurance riding with Ash is that I usually never leave with a pack of horses, choosing instead to walk out of camp on a loose rein and on top of a horse with his brain intact. There were 160 horses leaving that next morning and this wild boy under me was making me more than a bit nervous for the 5:15 AM start. 

Our vet in went fast, but was confusing with all the lines you had to go through. Ash’s HR was 33 – the vet was from Australia and I thought he said 53 and about had a heart attack. I looked up and saw Dr. Root and had to give him a hug – it was so nice to see him. As he was a treatment vet this year, I did tell him that I sure hoped I didn’t see him on Saturday! I slept poorly that night, probably getting about 3 hours of sleep total, waking an hour before my 3:45 AM alarm. Ash seemed calm while tacking up, but then he usually looks pretty mellow with me just walking into his corral and throwing the saddle up without tying him, but I know that he’s very aware of what is happening and that we’ll be heading out soon. Once he was tacked up and I was mounting up, I could see his shoulder muscles start to shake, a sure sign he’s anxious. Dean, Tiffany and I walked as casually as we could (Tiffany’s horse Rye looked ready to launch straight up but he stayed calm) down to Pen 1 and waited for them to release us to the long walk to the start. We could hear when Pen 2 was released and before you knew it, both pens of horses were waiting on the road, spread out over likely about ¼ mile stretch. It was relatively quiet, with just a few horses in our close proximity circling and getting a bit antsy, Ash being one that needed a few circles and flexing. The Blakely family was directly in front of us and it occurred to me how difficult it might be to bring a family of four and all their gear and horses to this ride, keeping track of their children on a fast and dangerous trail. Thankfully those kids ride like centaurs and do not appear fazed by fact that they are surrounded by 156 other horses and riders.

When we were finally released to head out, amazingly Ash kept his cool. We parked him behind Rye as Tiff wanted a familiar horse behind them for the start. At some point prior to the climb out of Squaw Valley, Ash and I got in front of Dean and Tiffany. I was looking forward to a hill to take a bit of the edge of off Ash, I’m not a huge fan of extended downhill trotting but that first 10 miles you just don’t have much of a choice. The climb up to Emigrant pass was beautiful, views to die for and a good spot for Ash to stretch out and get into his big working trot. At the first water near the top, you couldn’t look in any direction without seeing riders and horses taking an opportunity to have a pee break. There is not much modesty at the Tevis ride.....

The worst section of the ride came pretty quickly, the Granite Chief Wilderness is where the infamous bogs are. They didn’t seem bad to me, perhaps this year was better than others, but the fact that we were in a group of 8-12 horses, going at speed, downhill and with slick, flat granite rocks in the trail made me very nervous. Ash’s back feet slipped off a couple of them and made me cringe. There just wasn’t really any way to slow down in that crowd, you could just hang on and try to stay balanced and cue him for turns in advance. At the first Gate/Go at Red Star, I asked for a courtesy pulse, he was hanging at 64 which is unusual for Ash, but then he pee’d and immediately was down to 60 so off to the vet we went where he was down farther to 54 – passing his VC with good scores and just slightly low on skin tenting, which is not unusual for him. By the time we were on the approach to Cougar Rock, there were only a couple horses ahead of us. I watched them go over Cougar Rock fairly easily and the hill up to the rocks didn’t seem too bad, Ash felt super strong and as he’s pretty surefooted I opted not to go around. I didn’t have to encourage him, he headed for the rock like he’d done it before. I barely had to steer the way the arrows tell you to go and before I knew it we were over the top. I was pretty sure we didn’t get that awesome flying leap photo, he seemed to just step up and over the top with ease. I remember the photographer telling us that he looked great. 

Other than the Granite Chief area, the first section of Tevis reminded me so much of our NW Renegade ride, riding on ridges with views from both sides. At around 10 am we cruised into Robinson Flat where our crews were waiting. Becky Vital and her son Justin packed our tack, fed us, sponged us and got us back out on the trail after our one hour hold where Ash had pulsed down immediately. Once out on the road/trail we just cruised along, partly with Diane Steven’s on Titan, her gorgeous two time Tevis horse. We were both wearing tights she’d made and I think we about blinded some of the number takers along the way! Ash and I caught up with a small group right before Pucker point, the man in front of me letting me know it was coming so I could get my camera out for some photo ops. I’d watched the YouTube video on this section and thought I’d recognize it, but if I hadn’t been told I might not have know where I was, it just didn’t look quite the same from the back of a horse. If you’ve ever ridden in the NW region at a place called Kalama Horse Camp, the Fossil and Cinnamon trails have some similar steep and rocky trails. I was feeling right at home and thinking we might actually have a chance if I could just keep Ash from pulling me and taking charge. To this point he was still being a bit of a brat, I had told Becky that I’d taken the H off his name and replaced it with another S. 

There were two water tanks just about a mile from Last Chance but Ash didn’t want to drink and when we got to Last Chance he only had a small sip. I decided to slow down a bit and this is pretty much where Tiffany and Sandy caught us. Ash vetted through fine and then the three of us continued out on to the trail together and hitting the canyons during the heat of the day. We went down to the water under the swinging bridge, Barbara Suhr White had said not to bypass it, but go down and let the horses drink and cool off before their hike up to the top of Devil’s Thumb. Lynne Glazer was also there taking photos and I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to have photos by her! The bridge swayed a bit but nothing bad, all the horses walked across it quite nicely and then we started the long hot climb. There is a volunteer water stop at the top, very nice people helping sponge and fill water bottles. I had a small meltdown when a volunteer accidentally gave my two large water bottles to someone else who didn’t want to give them back. She finally gave me one of them, but by then the lack of sleep and emotional toll had taken over and I just couldn’t stop from crying. Sandy saved me by telling me she’d lost it at Robinson and had cried AND threw up, making me laugh. I just didn’t want to part with my water, knowing I’d be needing it for the next canyon. The next climb was hotter, fewer trees for cover and while not as steep, it seemed longer.

We hit bees a couple of times along these sections, taking off at a fast trot whenever the horses started stomping. The Blakely’s were in front of us with Wasch off tailing – both groups had hit the bees and since Wasch was at the rear and going slower, I’m pretty sure he got the short end of that stick. At Chicken Hawk Ash was drinking great again and pulsed down into the 40’s almost immediately. The vet there complimented me on how good he looked. Foresthill was a welcome sight and we got there around 7 pm I think, so we were all pretty pumped that we’d be leaving on the California loop in the light. Having a crew was such a luxury, Tiffany and I had a quick shower and change of clothes while our horses were in excellent hands, being fed, sponged and rested. At 8 pm we left Foresthill, heading down the street where people were sitting on lawn chairs, waving and wishing us good luck. We were excited to leave and were laughing and waving back to our adoring fans. We felt like superstars, trotting down the road towards the trail, locals on either side, people coming out of businesses to wish us well. In our state of euphoria we nearly missed our turn – how embarrassing would it have been to keep waving and have to back track? That set us off again into fits of laughter, we rounded the corner and a large black cat crossed right in front of us. Not to be deterred, Sandy shouted out that she was pretty sure in the failing light, it was just a “brown” cat, certainly not a black nor an unlucky one!

The moon was up, the trail was dim and we decided we’d better get a move on, taking advantage of whatever light we still had. Ash headed for the front, his favorite place is to lead, even when he’s tired and once it got dark he took charge and seemed to say “hang on up there little lady, and try not to spook”. It hadn’t really cooled down much – maybe into the 80’s but the horses picked up the pace and we cruised at a trot all over those hills till there really wasn’t much left of the light. Switchbacks in low light are interesting and a bit scary. It was very dark when we hit Cal 2 and all the glowsticks hanging in the woods. All the horses vetted through fine at Francisco’s – we were feeling like we were ready to have the ride be over at this point and the horses were ravenous, we felt bad having to make them leave their lovely mashes and hay to head back out there in the dark. But the river crossing was coming and I was looking forward to it, like a little kid waiting to ride the log flume at Disneyland. The volunteer spot here at the river had music, people playing bean bag toss games, sleeping in tents, lights all around, we wanted to stay and hang out with them, they looked like they were having a blast! The river approach looked like an airport runway – with glow sticks positioned like a lane about 10’ wide. I really wanted our photo here but know it’s not an ideal spot for photographers. Tiffany’s horse Rye led us in and we all let out a holler when the water went up to our calves. The horses plowed across the water while we wondered how deep it might really get. The volunteers heard us and cheered us on our way across and up the bank on the other side. 

The next section seemed long, Ash still leading and still pulling on me. I thought at some point I should check his shoes, for some reason I remembered thinking he might have stepped on his front shoe and sure enough, his right front Ground Control shoe was gone. Thankfully I had a Renegade spare and put that on, but then I worried all the way to the Lower Quarry that it might come off, that I’d have to backtrack to find it or that he’d not be sound for his trot out. He felt fine, no head bobbing but I worried nonetheless. The girls kept talking – likely to distract me. He vetted in at Lower Quarry with a HR in the 40’s, trotted out sound and was digging into the mashes provided by the volunteers like he was going to eat the bottom out of the tubs. It was very hard to drag him away, but there was only 6 miles left and we needed to get a move on. I think it was around 1:30 AM. At this point Ash was still pretty much leading and when we walked he started doing this long, running walk, it felt like he was gaited. Ash has never walked out like that before and Tiffany and Sandy complimented him on being such a fast walker, I’m not sure they believed me, but at home he’s really very pokey at the walk. He was motivated and once we hit the spot we’d pre-rode, he just seemed to put it in gear and move out. Tani Bates would be so proud of him!

The Renegade boot stayed on, I could hear its plastic hollow sound and had the girls check on it occasionally for me just to be safe. I did not want to make us get in any later than we had to, but on the other hand, we wanted sound horses so we were trying not to rush and do anything stupid at this point. My mind was starting to play tricks on me, I thought I saw a dead elk where there was just a fallen log and then a dead possum – I didn’t tell the girls, I didn’t want them to think a mad woman was leading them to their demise! 

As we came through the final mile and up the hill into the fairgrounds, the crews waiting could see the lights and started hooting and hollering. The lights and voices were so comforting. The boys had a small drink and then we headed down to the stadium for our vet checks. The stadium seemed so small compared to watching the videos, Sherri and Diana from American Trail Gear stayed up to watch us come in, Diana snapping photos from the stands. The announcer was giving our biography and saying we were first time finishers, then Sandy, also a first time finisher, then Tiffany, also a first time finisher – he sounded a bit amazed by the time he got through the three of us. Prior to the ride, we were talking to someone about it being a 50% completion rate at Tevis. We were informed that for first timers, it was more like 30% so statistically only one of us should have completed. Riding together, while unplanned, likely contributed to our success. We encouraged and comforted each other and the horses seemed to like the company as well. Ash would stop when he got a bit ahead of the boys and look over his shoulder and wait till he could see them, then off he’d go again looking for the next glowstick. As we rounded the stadium at a trot, suddenly my horse, who’d trotted 100 miles, crossed a river, went over bridges, climbed cliffs, ran from bees and faced 110+ degree heat, took one look at that chalk line and said “no way, we aren’t allowed to cross those, we’ve been avoiding them all day”, and proceeded to spook to the left. Our final vet check went smoothly, Ash’s CRI was 48/48 and he trotted out and back sound, getting all A’s on his vet card.

The Tevis ride is very humbling, from the historical significance of the trail, to the number of volunteers that take care of the riders and horses, from the organizational skills required to put on an event this size, to the massive donations required to feed and take care of all the horses. The horses keep going, carrying us all day, giving all they can give and being the very best trail partners. Our families, crews and friends watched our progress and cheered us on. Some riders may not make it to the end, but every mile is a gift and riding the Tevis is an experience none will likely forget. The next day at the awards, Tiffany, Sandy and I went up for our certificates and Legacy buckles that had been donated by former recipients. I could hardly wait to open mine and see who had won it the first time around. I was shocked to see the name I’d wanted to see most, Barbara Suhr White. We had emailed each other, sending lists back and forth, Barbara giving me advice about sections of the trail and things she’s learned over her many years riding the Tevis trail. After the awards I introduced myself to her, hugged her and was so composed that I promptly burst into tears. I just wish I’d thought to get a photo! She had ridden Ss Riftez to a 24th place finish in 1985 and now her buckle is shared with me and the best endurance horse I’ve ever ridden – my little Ash.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Max Merlich and Junior, Tevis 2009

Ever since we were pulled in 2007 this ride has haunted me. It was my own fault that time, I had under elyted Junior and he had gotten a big charley horse cramp at 64 miles. Since then I have learned that he needs a lot more under heavy work in hot conditions. While I am thinking about it I will say he used 16 doses of 2 oz. each to get thru the ride this time and I think that was about right for him and the conditions. I also used quite a bit of probiotics out on the trail which seemed to keep his appetite on pretty well during times in the past where I would expect him to be pretty picky.

He had done two 75’s, a two day 100 and the Sunriver 100 in prep for Tevis. He then had three weeks off after which he was rode fairly hard on July 4th in the mountains for a day and then lightly two other days on the holiday. The following weekend Lisa, Darlene, Mona and I did the 26 mile loop up at Herman Creek in the Gorge and that was the last time I was on him. He had another 3 weeks of rest and high living and his ribs had long since disappeared again.

Lisa and Darlene and I hauled down on Thursday, leaving at 3am and getting into Robie around 5pm with a few stops. He made the trip well and we only had three hours of heat over 90 degrees. At Robie it had thunderstormed hard and it was cool and damp, very nice. The next day we vetted and packed, our crew chief Jane Switzer showed up as well as Lisa’s sister Lynne, Karen, her daughter Laura and Sarah, all friends of Jane’s. We made plans and visited old friends and went to bed early. From the PNW there was Ernie Schrader, Cassandra Berbube, Sue Walz, Nance Worman, Merri Melde, Laura Yost, Chandler Yost, Kara Yost, Danny Grant, Kim Hoffmarks, myself and Karen Ellis. Out of the 12, we had a 75% completion rate, considerably better than the average.

The start was 2 pens and the mule and I were in pen 2. I think pen 2 was let go early as we were led down the road and smacked into pen one who had not been let go yet, it was only 5:05 am. So….. we all stood in the road into Robie at the start, which fortunately is 2 track dirt, and waited 10 min. Amazingly it was orderly where I was and I think I actually got out before some people in pen 1. Then we went. I remember how jacked the mule was in 2007, it had taken 2 people to hold him to get on but this year he had his game face on and was pretty calm. By the 8 mile mark at the 89 crossing it was still orderly and then we were around the hill above Squaw Ski Area and on the ski slopes. The sun was up and it was a beautiful day. The climb over Squaw is like 3000 foot elevation and it seemed to go pretty fast. We jog trotted most of it and soon were thru High Camp and into the Granite Chief. The trail was in very good condition here and the bogs were minimal. The views were fantastic, the mule was very strong and the day held promise. I rode with Laura Hayes for a while and with Melissa Margetts on her paso and we had a fine time. We were into Red Star slightly ahead of our schedule and I noticed Junior was getting beat up from the crupper already from all the downhill trotting. If you don’t trot it you won’t make it on time but it is the only ride I have ever trotted such rocky downhills. You just have to grit your teeth and hope for the best. Junior is pretty good at picking footing and it seemed today he was at his best. I had him padded on all 4 and for that I was glad. We vetted fast, ate some and were off for Robinson. We made good time there as most of it is good trail and two track. Here I was lucky, I got off on an uphill to give him probiotics before we got in and then I tailed a bit up the road. I discovered he had a golf ball size rock wedged in on top of his pad in the rear but it back in rear of the shoe and digging on his heel bulb. He would have been sore soon but it must have just happened.

Into Robinson we came and it was a zoo as usual. My crew was great and we got him untacked and let him roll, vet thru and eat. Jane had found a great place and Laura and Sarah held food for Junior who was eating well. Lisa and Lynne had not been there that long, they had taken the truck to the fairgrounds while Jane had left from her home in Auburn very early. It was a good hold, the crew replentished my drinks, I changed girths as my new one was scuffing his elbow again, Darlene and I vet wrapped his crupper in the outcheck line and put Preparation H on his croup rubs. He had a good exit CRI and we were off out into the old Star Burn where there were no trees and it was getting hot.

Here I met up with Clydea who was on her own after her husband Jim had to call it a day. I also rode with Skip Kemerer and a fellow named Arnie who rode a black Arab and could run well on the ground. We were soon off the burn but this section is steady downhill and rocky and hot. We came into Dusty Corners and were glad for the water and the drinks and fruit. It was not a vet check and Arnie and I were out of there fast. The next section is out past Pucker Point and in some real nice timber in the shade on single track and is one of my favorite sections. It is fast and cooler and good footing. We trotted around Pucker Point and back into the hot sun and on into Last Chance. This is aptly named as it will be quite a while before you get to another check. Junior pulsed and vetted good and we took an extra few min to let him eat as they had mash as well as hay. They have great volunteers on this ride and they made sure we had food and all our drink bottles filled, I had six of them. 

We left at the trot and caught Clydea where it starts into the American. I got off here and led down to the swinging bridge and was glad for the company. The bridge was swinging and bucking and I wish I had ridden across, I hear happy feet behind me and I thought the mule might make a run for it but he did not. There is a great water stop 200 feet across the bridge and we all cooled off and filled our bottles. I tailed out of there and things were going fine, it was hot but not as hot as 2007 and I was able to stay off him all the way up. However our peaceful march was broken by a big crash and screams shortly after and as I came around a switchback a horse had gone off the next one and was crashing into the ravine at the bottom. I was sure somebody had been hurt badly and I made up my mind that if they were my day was probably over. You just can’t leave somebody in a place like that hurt. As it turned out it was Skip Kemerer’s horse that was over the side and Skip was clamoring down to the horse when I came around the tree. He had been leading her and she slipped and went down and Clydea, who saw the beginning of the accident, said the horse became tangled in the rein loop and then panicked and went over. The horse was dead, Skip was okay and his daughter Ashley was very upset, it had been her screaming. Clydea and I headed for the top to get help and two other ladies stayed to get Ashley back on her horse and on up the trail. Skip was insisting she go and it was probably the best thing. It was it was not all that bad of a place where the accident occurred, it was not a cliff, just steep slide rock. But once the horse was over and sliding down they are big and heavy and he hit the bottom hard. We were met by officials coming down out of Devils Thumb as Clydea outdistanced us on the hill and got word of the wreck. 

We did not spend any time at Devils Thumb as the gate and go Deadwood was only a mile up the trail. Here we got through quickly and it was a pretty sober crowd. We had only come 5 miles since Last Chance but it was a 2200 foot hole to go in and out of and we had one just like it coming up in Eldorado Creek. It is actually 6 miles and not quite as steep. When we got in the descent I got off and ran and led most of the way down. At the bridge there were a couple of great fellows who were bucketing water up out of the creek, no easy feat. The commented that most horses would not drink there but the mule drank a bucket. He had also drank out of a couple of nice cisterns on the way down that had been made out of trickles. I left out of the bottom and soon got off to tail. I was passed by two guys who were real runners running uphill with their horses following. We had a nice pace going out but we were overtaken by anxious riders who thought they were behind time and had to pass. This was a problem but we got it done in shifts eventually. They thought there was a cutoff at Michigan Bluff at 6:15 pm but it was just a suggested time. The cutoff was at the next gate and go Chicken Hawk and that was at 7:30 pm. We had a pace that was about an hour ahead of that. 

We got up into Michigan and had a drink, talked to Julie Suhr and trotted off to Chicken Hawk a couple miles up ahead. I got off and tailed up into the VC and Junior was 48 and sound. It was interesting that half the riders that had passed us on the climb were being told to re-present when they got their horses down. I left in front of most of them and was soon off leading down Volcano Canyon. It was only 800 feet deep or so and has a nice creek in the bottom where Junior and I enjoyed a cool drink and bath. It was getting on towards evening but it was still pretty hot. I tailed him out and soon we were on the road into Foresthill and I was met by Lisa with some alfalfa which we ate on the fly. There was a big and boisterous crowd on the road and it was strange to get a reception like this at an endurance ride. It was kind of embarrassing. Our in time was 7:44 after we walked him up the half mile into the VC. He was still up but came down quickly after we got him unloaded and watered down. Darlene trotted him out nicely and he passed and Jane and the crew had a nice spot picked out for us. Laura and Sarah held different foods for Junior and he ate steadily but he also had the stares. I think I had them too. At this point of the ride, 68 miles, I would equate it to some other 100’s I have done in effort to go the entire 100 miles. However the worst climbs and descents were behind us, our time was not bad, and we prepared for the night ahead. The crew put on his glowsticks, I got my night helmet and we were out of there at 8:44. Darlene has taught me to leave vet checks at the trot or canter and we left at a good trot. 

The trail goes right down the street through Foresthill and there were lots of fans and well wishers. I think there were two bars that had spilled out on the street and the patrons appeared to have been there a long time. I heard cheers for the mule and went into the dark canyon trail with a smile, just the mule and I. I expected a 4 hour trip on the 17 miles to Francisco’s but I was hoping for a little faster. It wasn’t. The Yost girls passed me two thirds of the way but they had stronger horses and we could not stay with them. It was very dark in the timber and brush but moonlight on the open areas. You could see the river sparkling in the moonlight right under your left stirrup a thousand feet below if you cared to look as well. I got some vertigo because I have trouble telling up hill from down at night. Junior was not wanting to trot uphill anymore but we were trotting all the flats and downhills. The moonlight would shine on the cutbank above the trail and it kept appearing to me that the trail went uphill. I expected him to break his trot and walk but he would turn left downhill and speed up. It felt exactly to me like he had decided to commit hari-kari and dive over the cliff. In actuality he was only following the trail which did not climb as I thought it would in my mind, but turned left and descended into the dark. This was repeated over and over on that trek. It was complicated by the fact that he was tiring and wanted to break gait a lot. I finally would turn on my headlamp and ride with it on for a while. This did not seem to bother him but it tended to give me more vertigo. In the end I just turned it off and we went. 

We were caught by some ladies with a few miles to go into Francisco’s and followed them on in. Lots more people were catching up to us. We climbed up to Franciso’s, hoping for provisions and rest were met by lots of great volunteers. Junior pulsed high so we elected to untack him. Then he wandered off and peed and his heart came down and vetted through fine. Here is where Ernie was pulled, I saw him trot out Spot and that was that Spot was lame. I was sorry to see that as he is such a fantastic horse and has had such a great season. Junior ate mash and alfalfa while I tacked him up, we got full bottles and I left with Bruce Weary on a TW horse. Three miles to the river and somehow I let the people ahead of me get out of sight so we got to cross the river by ourselves. It was lit up like a 747 runway in a big curve to the other side with glow sticks in milk jugs and the mule thought it was a trap to kill him. He went but he did not go easy, the water was on my boots and seemed to be flowing pretty well. He got a bath on the final few yards with the sponge and we were back on the trail. Next was a stop with a tank full of water and alfalfa where we probably wasted too much time.

On into Lower Quarry which was lit up like a prison and somebody yelled if you are not out of here in 10 min you are pulled. This created panic as there were a LOT of people in there. It was also not correct as the cutoff time for there was more like 30 min. I was praying he was down and I would not have to pull tack and since we had walked in he was. The vet made me trot twice, the second time one vet ran behind him to look, this I had never seen. The vets had a conversation, one said LF, one said RR then they looked at each other and said he was the soundest one they had seen in a while and told me to go. It took two people to drag him off alfalfa but we did sadly and I got on him and Cassandra and I trotted on. 

You are at the Hwy 49 Crossing fast and then up over the hump and down to No Hands bridge. We passed people on the bridge but from there to the finish, about 4 miles, it is all uphill. Junior was done trotting uphill but I calculated we still had a margin to make the cutoff mostly at the walk. I told him if he got us up there on time I would never bring him back to this ride. However soon all the people we passed in the VC were upon us and some were insistent that we let them pass. There were no places to pass for a while and the angst was rising from behind. I think there were 8 or 10 back there who wanted by. Then Junior had to drink at a little cistern and that did not help settle those who wanted by. Several folks behind me were saying we were fine for time but one or two were not buying it. Anyway I found a spot, on the outside which was a mistake and let them by. It was not a good spot and I was not comfortable in any way with it but they all got by. The last one or two were a surprise to me and we hooked legs and for a short moment I thought Junior and I were going to join those in the over the side club. However we did not and we continued on at the walk up the hill. 

My gps wore out the second set of batteries and my watch light quit about the same time. I was beginning to thing they were right, we were going to be late when we hit Robie Point. A nice fellow there tending water said we had 25 min of trail and 45 min of time and I was very glad to hear that news. He also mentioned that some of it was trottable. We soon caught up to Cassandra and I told her to go on and hurry, I would be along. Not long after I heard cheering and I knew we were going to make it. You cannot see the end until you are right there as you are climbing. Then we were at the finish, Lisa was there and my crew was there. It was 4:59 and we had made it with 16 min to spare. It took him ten min to pulse down to 68 and he trotted out sound and we were done. However we had to tack up and make a victory lap which was being touted as mandatory. All I can say about that is it was not an awe inspiring performance. 

It was getting light and we had covered 100 miles, 19000 feet of climb and 22000 feet of descent in just under 24 hours. 170 or so started, 87 finished and we were 79th. The winners had 6 hours on us but only 25 finishers came in before 3am. About half came in between 4am and the 515 cutoff. Like I said, we were lucky and did not have any delays and Junior was well rested and had a good day. Still at the end he was rode as hard as I ever intend to ride him just to make the time cutoff. I knew he would have to give it all and have good luck to get it done. Whether he gave it all or not is a moot point as I suspect a mule will always hold something back, that is the reason he would not trot uphill anymore. It was the first time in 3000 race miles, which he passed going up over Squaw earlier in the ride, where he had absolutely refused to trot uphill and I was mindful of that. There have been plenty of times where he thought trotting uphill was a poor idea and I have walked most of those grades, especially late on a hard ride but this is the first time where he refused. I am ashamed to say I asked him more than once and in more than one way but he has forgiven me for it and I am NOT taking him back to Tevis again. I might take another horse or mule some day but not him. He has paid his dues.

The whole experience of Tevis has been amazing. It is intense from the box to the wire and I will never forget it. The trail is the most challenging I have ever been on when you look at the whole length of it, the tremendous verticals and the amount of rock. You have to ride as fast as you can to get it done but you have to ride smart to conserve energy as well. You have to bring a tough animal that can trot downhill on rocks and stay sound and you have to be a little lucky along the way as the completion rate remains at 50% every year. You have to have a good support crew and I certainly did as well as all the help and advice I got from Darlene and encouragement from my endurance friends and family. I was thinking of all the junkies out there watching their computers in the middle of the night wondering who was still going. I was laughing with Nance that we were going when Day one of Pink Flamingo started in Idaho and we were still going when Day two of Pink Flamingo started. We decided they were all wimps for taking a night off to sleep! I thank them all, all the officials who put the ride on and hundreds of volunteers. I never saw one in a bad mood all day and that was pretty cool. I got to ride with some great people and made some new friends. Now Junior is back in his pasture with Dunne, resting up and living the high life again. He does not appear worse for the wear but he is going to get some well-earned time off.

Max