This is going to be a long one. After a rather chilly night trying to sleep in the horse trailer we were up at 3:30 AM to get the horses ready to start the ride. The area is extremely dry and the amount of dust 168 or so horses creates is choking. I'm not sure of the official count but there were a lot. I know the ride # was down from previous years. All sorts of equines take part in this ride. At least 2 mules, Fox Trotters, Standardbreds, Appaloosas etc but obviously Arabians have the greatest representation.
I was shocked at how calm Tia was. Usually with a group of revved up horses Tia would be the ring leader however she stood camly waiting at the start. Good girl don't waste your energy as you'll need it. Trust me on this one.
The dust was ridiculously thick! Tia was coughing from all the dust and I had dust in places I didn't know existed. It is a mass start however pen 1 is started first. Pen 1 are those who are vying for the win. That wasn't me!! I was quite content to settle for last place if it meant a finish. I was riding with my friend, Wendy. We ride together a lot on endurance rides. Our horses complement each other and will push and pull each other which is ideal for endurance. Wendy and I also have the same concept about our horses and that their welfare comes ahead of all else so it's a win win.
The first vet gate was sheer pandemonium! Horses, riders, volunteers, scribes and vets everywhere. I somehow managed to get myself separated from Wendy. I have to say I totally panicked. I couldn't see her anywhere and I thought she had been right behind me. I walked to the out timer and asked if rider # 22 had gone through. She said yes. I thought well that's weird that she would have left without me. Bitch lol. I thought I'd better haul butt to catch up to her. I got to the next vet gate and no Wendy. Well Wendy was rider #24 not 22! I know that often you will end up riding these things alone BUT I wasn't expecting that at mile 36. AND our plan was to stick together as much as possible if we could.
Wendy said she saw me leave and the look of panic on my face so she chased to catch up to me. Ok all was good again.
After the initial vet gate the horses really start to spread out thank goodness. The craziness gets spread out however it is hard to settle in on a ride like this. So big, don't know the area and I've never ridden a point to point ride so that means I had to keep my vet card. Oh joy. How not to lose that when totally sleep deprived and a bit freaked out by it all. For those of you that know me calm has never been a word used to describe ME. I have a lot of Squirrel moments. I did manage to not lose my card but it was one grubby mess by the end of the ride.
We decided there was no way we were giving up the photo op at Cougar Rock. We both ride sure footed mares and we were confident they could do it. The thought is you get the picture at Cougar Rock or you get the buckle. I hoped that this was a myth but the lure of the picture was just too much to pass up. Up and over we went and continued on our way. I hoped that the pictures would make me look tall, slim and younger.
We headed into the canyons. This was the area I was dreading as the heat was supposed to be ridiculous. The cooling vest I bought was wonderful and saved me. Money very well spent!
Ok the canyons! Who knew there were 3 of them??? I guess I should have read up on that. They were brutal. Down, down, and down some more but let's throw in a ton of switchbacks just to make it interesting. I was so glad I worked with Tia in trotting down hills as well as going up. Once you get down the canyon then you get the joy of climbing back up the other side again with more switchbacks just for fun!! And 3 of them for your riding enjoyment. Ick! I can live without riding another canyon. Or at least no time soon. They have vet gates after the canyons and that's where a lot of riders get pulled. The heat, the climb and the descent take their toll on the horses and some riders.
When we stopped at Forest Hills for our hold I thought I should think about changing clothes. I read where someone suggested changing your underwear. I sat down and went to take off my half chaps and I didn't have the energy to unzip them. So unless I put my underwear on top of my riding pants it wasn't happening.
If someone tells you that you can ride Tevis without a light or glow sticks well they are just dirty rotten liars. The full moon does you diddly dot squat of good when you're riding through the trees.
As we didn't want to get lost in the dark we would join up with a rider with a light if possible. If they were moving out we would stick with them if not we moved ahead in the dark hoping we wouldn't lose our way or fall off a cliff.
At about mile 86 disaster struck. I had been following a horse for quite a few miles when he suddenly balked and we got too close. He kicked out with both hind feet and caught me in the face. Off I came and smack onto the gravel road. I got back up quickly as this is Tevis after all. Mustn't tarry as you need to be constantly moving or you're out. Only 1 problem. My nose is bleeding profusely. Like call in the Red Cross as I'm giving a donation bleeding. I had nothing to use to stop the bleeding so Wendy gave me her bandana. My motto is unless you need an ambulance get back on that horse and I did. My husband would have said to me you've been hurt worse. He's very compassionate. My knee was also injured in the fall making it hard to get back onto Tia so Wendy had to come to my aid to get me back in the saddle.
What I found out later is Tia spun away from the kick and started to go down the embankment. Tia's athletic ability saved her from tumbling probably to her death. (They didn't tell me this little gem until after the ride but maybe just as well). I wasn't sure if Tia was harmed and couldn't help but think (as my nose continued to flow like Mount Vesuvius) what a shame it would be if we got pulled so close to the finish. And yes that happens all the time. I got the vet that I had seen a couple of times and he assured me that Tia was fine. I asked him to tell me if he thought my nose was broken. Vet, Doctor. Whoever is handy. He didn't but found me some ibuprofen and we were off. Nose still bleeding but at least slowing.
One section of trail is crossing a river where they use glow sticks to mark the route and you stay between the markers. We were told that the river would be 1 1/2 feet deep there. Well liar, liar pants on fire!! Imagine my surprise when the water was up to Tia's belly and now I had soaked shoes and socks. Squish, squish down the trail we went. At the vet check at mile 94 I could tell Tia was tired but we were almost home. She vetted in well and we were in the home stretch. Once the horses get close to home they really pick up the pace as they know they are going home. As we had a cushion on our time we kept them to a walk for most of the way in.
We were very happy to see our crew at the finish line and know we had at least made it within the time allowed. We came in to the stadium and did our victory lap. I'm not going to lie. I cried. I was seriously tired having spent so much time in the saddle and relieved that I was done with just the final vet check to pass. Horses do get pulled at the finish and I hoped after everything I'd been through I wouldn't be a casualty of this. Tia vetted in very well. I believe a lot of A's but I don't have her final vet card. Wendy trotted her out for me as by now both my knees were totally useless. The trot out wasn't stellar but enough to get us the green light and our completion. I hugged the vet, cried some more and said a prayer of thanks.
I was surprised that I handled most of the ride well. I drank constantly, coped with the heat and didn't have a crash(well the one on the ground) or hallucinate. I guess some people do. I was a bit motion sick but that started after the fall so not sure if I would have had that or not if I hadn't fallen.
And once again was glad I had a helmet on my head. My knees ached though. One of my legs is seriously larger than the other from my fall. It will require icing and maybe some bute.
And once again was glad I had a helmet on my head. My knees ached though. One of my legs is seriously larger than the other from my fall. It will require icing and maybe some bute.
The volunteers at this ride are second to none. Dianne Roberts brought us a cooler with ice to soak our cooling vests, another lady lent us her head light so we could see down the trail in the dark. They would offer you food, fill your water bottles, sponge your horse, saddle your horse, hold your horse while you ran to the loo(which sometimes was behind a downed tree) all with kindness, interest in your well being and wishing you a great ride as you headed off down the trail again.
We were never aiming to win or to top 20. We just wanted to complete and get the buckle. Beginners luck? Maybe but I will cherish that buckle anyway. This was an amazing experience that I will treasure until the day I die. I have no doubt that I will still have some of that Tevis dust up my nose when that day comes.
I was a bit surprised to see my story here LOL. Darice Whyte
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