It's hard to feel enthusiastic about much when you're sleep deprived, and before I even climbed out of my too cold sleeping bag at 5:30 AM I was dragging. No time for slackers, however, since we were scheduled to take off on our horses at 7:30 AM. I wondered how the 50-milers managed, with a 6:30 AM start time....I was stiff and sore, and wasn't even on my steed! Uh oh, gonna be a long day. Our trusty crew, Lyn, already had water boiling for warm beverages, and Char and I each chugged down a poor-man's mocha: hot water, instant Folgers, and some instant powdered hot chocolate. The liliputian marshmallows melted before I got cup to mouth.
Seemed like there was so much to do: feed and tack up horses, fill our own tummys, get dressed, pack fanny packs and saddle bags with every accoutrement we might possibly need, collect necessary paperwork, and be at the starting post on time. We had intended to go for a leisurely ride Friday afternoon, but that didn't happen and suddenly we found ourselves with not even a spare minute or two to warm up the horses before the ride. I wondered how some folks managed to be up and on their horses so early....did they sleep on them? Leave 'em tacked up all night? Skip breakfast? Oh well, as I like to say, "it is what it is."
I was pleased that the temperature was cool in the AM and I hoped we could conserve our horses'energy throughout the morning. The weather forcast suggested a high in the mid-eighties. Anyway, Lyn and Katy helped us aboard and accompanied us to the start where we checked in, and before we knew it we were off! Oh my gosh, the culmination of all our weeks, and hours, and miles of training! I can't speak for Char, but my stomach was in knots with anticipation. It was quite pretty along the way. Nice forest service road, two-track, soft, and no rocks. The evergreen woods alongside the road smelled fresh and sweet. Wildflowers were abundant, even in August! Must be due to the cool, moist early summer we've had in Idaho this year. Lupine, larkspur, wild geraniums, indian paintbrush.
As the elevation slowly increased I remembered hearing someone say, just the afternoon before, how technical and difficult this ride was. I kept that to myself, hoping to spare Char unnecessary worry. Besides, I wasn't eager to relinquish our plan to ride our own ride, and I figured we'd discover for ourselves what the trail had to offer us and our mares. Furthermore, I had great faith in our two horses. Any horse person is familiar with the historic story of Justin Morgan and his legendary horse. Char's 17 year old mare Delight is a Morgan who had already demonstrated her fortitude during our training rides. My Arabian mare Tia traces every line in her pedigree straight back to the middle eastern desert and her bedouin-bred ancesters. The bedouins prized their mares above all else, for it was these devoted creatures who carried them into battle and determined the success or failure of such ventures. The war mares, as they are sometimes called, were known for their ability to run for untold miles and days across the desert, without hesitation, and without food or water, at the bidding of their masters. I was confident that my mare had what it takes and would make me proud.
Our trouble began early on, as we began to realize that we weren't, in fact, last out of the chute. For the first hour or so horses and riders appeared out of nowhere on our heels, upsetting Ti no end. Prance, toss, whirl, twirl...her panties were in a bunch from the getgo. When we, in turn, approached someone from the rear Ti was hell-bent on passing. She's always been this way. I had my hands full managing my Arabian steed and wondered if our very first competitive ride would end with a horse who exhausted herself from nervous energy before we really got started. I was enormously thankful to have Char and Delight close at hand. Char was her usual self: grounded, practical, prepared, and always managing to calm and reassure me at the exact right moment. Her praise and encouragement do wonders for my courage. It's affirming to hear someone praise my horsemanship skill at the precise moment I'm up there thinking "oh gee, hope I don't fall off now...". Delight and Tia are both quite alpha dominant in their respective herds, and neither has a particularly good track record of befriending other equines, so Char and I were surprised when they seemed to hit it off from the getgo. Throughout our weeks of training and conditioning together this unlikely twosome bonded in unexpected ways. They shared food, water, trailer rides, close quarters, high lines, etc. Tia has a very large personal "bubble" and has NEVER allowed another horse within ten feet of her during meal time, yet she allowed Delight to munch from her haybag and to eat out of her grain bucket with nary a swish of the tail! Wonder of wonders! I noted that, throughout the entire weekend, Delight's presence had a very calming influence on Tia whether in camp, on the trail, or going through a vet check. I don't know what I'll do when or if I should find myself going it alone.
We climbed up an over one ridge, crossed a brook, and climbed a second higher ridge. It seemed to go up forever. Our horses enjoyed the occasional water stops and chance to rest a bit. Char and I enjoyed the opportunity to slip out of the saddle and stand on our feet. And we hydrated ourselves from our own water and gatorade bottles. Delicious!!! We encountered no large wildlife, but chipmonks and squirrels were abundant, scurrying here and there across trails and among trees. Bird were ever-present as well, though it was difficult to identify them. The sky was a beautiful blue with very few scattered clouds, and a lovely morning mist rose from the surface of a mountain lake we happened upon. Ha, I thought Tia was going to take me for a swim in the lake. Thinking the girls might be thirsty, we stopped to let them drink. Tia just plowed right on in, only to discover that the bottom dropped away pretty quick! Whoops! Char and Delight thought that was pretty funny.
We met some neat folks along the trail. I'll remember Heather from Oregon, who's path we crossed several times during our first morning loop. She was out there by herself on her gelding, riding her own ride, not in a hurry, but relaxed and enjoying the journey. She was clearly more intent on being the best steward she could be of her horse's well-being than on winning some prize. And her lovely horse appeared as relaxed as she. I admired Heather's quiet confidence and so filed those impressions into a secure spot in my memory. We bumped into each other several more times during the weekend. Another memorable encounter was with Anya, Katya, and Katrin, from British Columbia, Canada. I was touched by the fact that they were all in this together, and that the two little ones seemed to be enjoying themselves so much. Char and I met them at a mid-point water stop in the morning, and didn't see them again until the evening ride meeting where, to our complete surprise, we learned that they had somehow overtaken us along the way that afternoon and completed the day's ride sooner than we did! Admittedly, we questioned how it was possible, and toyed with asking Sally Tarbet to explain. Sunday morning we learned that things aren't always as they seem. This trio was a seasoned bunch and knew what they were doing. We had the privilege of riding with them a good part of the way, and Katrin was generous and kind enough to answer as many newbie questions as we could think to ask. Anya and Katya were quick to laugh and smile, but they also paid close attention to their mom's instructions. Definitely future Tevis contenders, those little girls! Char and I enjoyed riding with them on Sunday, and I wouldn't hesitate to do so again. Not all of our competitors had such a balanced approach to the ride. We played leap-frog all day Sunday with a trio of women who seemed to want to run along the trail. The two younger ladies didn't seem very comfortable on their horses in the first place, and none of the three appeared to have any notion of pacing and rating their steeds. We felt bad for those equines, who had to canter, stop, trot, canter, stop, canter, stop, and so on all day. I wouldn't treat my horse that way. The long and short of it is that I clearly prefer the company of other riders with similar priorities: start with a healthy well-conditioned horse, and partner with it for a successful endeavor. I measure success by the mental and physical well-being of my horse and our ability as a team to put forth our best effort.
Riding back into camp was exciting! My guys hadn't arrived yet, a disappointment to me, but Lyn was there, as was Char's family. We felt like celebrities, even as we dumped tack, hosed off the girls, and made our way through vet checks. Both mares scored well on all measures and we got a thumbs up to continue in the afternoon. Lunch was quick, the horses had a snack, my family arrived, Char and I tacked up, and off we went again! Our afternoon ride was splendid, and I'll say more about that soon.
