Endurance Ride
HERE'S THE STORY!!!!
By Bill Wicklund
Eagle's ThunderNToby, showed up at my house in her truck and trailer at
9:00 AM on Tuesday, May 30th. We loaded all the stuff I needed into her
truck and trailer, including Thunder, and set out for Palmyra, Wisconsin. We
pulled into a truck stop at Cuba, MO. at 9:00 PM. By 10:00 pm, there wasn't a
space to pull into. We started again early in the morning. (Deanna got up at
4:30 AM). We were on the road by 6.Uneventful day of travel; we got Thunder
out a couple of times to excercise and eat a little green grass. At about 5 PM,
we pulled into HorseRiders Campground near Palmyra, Wis. Kathy Smith and
her husband and 3 children were there from Idaho. We found our campsite,
and got Thunder out and set up his water and hay, unwrapped his legs. I set
up my tent. Deanna unrolled her awning and unhooked her truck. Kathy's
family came over to visit for a while.
I had planned that Thunder should have a couple of days to recover from
the 1000 mile trip. We were right on schedule. At 6 or 7 Thursday morning,
we got up and lazed around the campsite. Dodie Sable from Pennsylvania
arrived and visiting started in earnest. Thursday, I had my usual trail
breakfast, pop tarts and Pepsi, with a side of tomato juice. Deanna talked me
into bacon and eggs with toast and jam Friday. WOW!!! spoiled rotten.
Thursday afternoon I took Thunder out for an 8 mile spin. It was in the
mid-70s, both of us enjoyed it immensely.
Friday morning, the rest of the riders started arriving; Diana MacDonald
from Canada, Vicki Smith from Vermont, Patty Bass from Tennessee, Lucy
Hess, without her horse from Missouri. Lucy's horse is laid up this season, so
she had agreed to show up and, if my back was too bad for me to ride, she
would ride Thunder. Since I was feeling pretty good, she encouraged me to
ride. I took Thunder out for a spin of about 8 miles, and enjoyed it just as
much as Thursday. That is a story in itself. About 2 and one half miles out, we
saw a large lump in the trail. Just as I pulled an inquisitive Thunder's head to
the right, it snapped at us, BIG snapping turtle. We circled wide around it.
About 100 yards up trail, we saw a couple of large lumps in the trail, about the
same color and size as the turtle. So, we circled wide around a couple of
large piles of horse manure. On the way back, Thunder circled wide around
the manure, and when we got to the place of the turtle, he stopped and
looked up, down, right, and left for that turtle. Did not see him though.
Back at camp, I found a vet waiting for horses, and took Thunder in by
himself and got checked in. Till this time, he had not gotten the idea that
check-in was a part of this game. But he checked in with his best
performance yet. He likes women vets better than men.
Briefing Friday night was very well done. The trail was to be 15 miles
South, and them a vet check at a parking area. From there 10 miles back to
camp and a vet check at 25 miles. The 3rd loop was to be 13 miles to the vet
check, then not stopping, on another 5 mile loop around and back to this
North parking area for the 3rd vet check. That made the 3rd loop 18 miles,
then 10 miles back to camp for the final vet check. Now, for the ride!
4:45 AM Up to feed Thunder, wrap my leg, eat my bacon, eggs, hot
chocolate, and toast-with-jam breakfast. Saddle up at quarter to 6. We are to
have a group picture at 6:15, so I take Thunder out and about for a small
warm-up. With an intelligent horse, I want to keep his mind busy. Otherwise,
he thinks up things on his own, usually not my choice of things for him to do.
Deanna was shooting pics of the 2 of us as well. We MUST remember that
our goal, and our ONLY goal is to finish and get Thunder's blue card signed.
We started right on time at 6:30. For the first loop, I wanted to go pretty fast,
(for us), and try to make a 6 mph pace. It was cool, (60s, 76 was the high for
the day), and we started in the rear of the pack. I got him alone, and we hit a
nice pace. I like to ride alone at a competition, I can concentrate on the pace,
the horse, and the trail. It is easier to get lost if you are talking. We did get
caught by Steve on a Rocky Mountain Horse, and rode with him for a couple
of miles; first time for that at a competition for Thunder. At 10 miles, we
passed the vet check and had to go another 5 before we were to stop.
Deanna was there with a cold drink for us. We finished the loop and came
into this first vet check right on the time I wanted to be there. Thunder pulsed
down quickly, about 5 minutes. We went over to the vets, and drew the male
vet. It took him 2 minutes to get the capillary refill that only took 3 seconds for
either of the 2 female vets to get all day. Thunder got all A s on his card, and
we were into our 40 minute hold. Thuinder ferociously attacked his beet pulp
and oats, while I got juice, water, and a banana. He drank some water, not as
much as I wanted him to drink. He wasn't dehydrated.
I planned to be in to the half-way point by 11:30. When we left the first vet
check, Thunder was feeling good! He picked up a canter on some meadows
on his own, so I let him canter for a while. We had good footing, and it was
cool. We continued to make good time. As we came over a rise a little past
halfway into the 2nd loop, 4 miles left to go, we came upon Dodie leading her
mare, and walking with Sheryl Levin, one of our Appaloosa riders. Sheryl's
very experienced Endurance horse had taken exception to her sponge, and
deposited Sheryl on the side of the road. Dodie was walking with her to keep
her company. They were making pretty good time, walking. Ascertaining that
there werte no injuries, we continued on. I know as soon as Dodie had found
Sheryl a ride, she would be hot on our trail. About a mile from where I passed
them I crossed a road where a pickup was waiting to collect Sheryl, (her horse
had already made it back to camp). WE hit camp about 11:30, right on time!
Deanna was waiting to pulse Thunder down. I expected him to take about 10
minutes to pulse down, but he surprised me by coming down in 5. He passed
the vet check like a perfect gentleman. Went to the trailer to wait out the
balance of our 40 minute hold. We were exactly where we wanted to be,
half-way home with more than half of our allowed time to finish.
I started out about 5 minutes late into the 2nd half of the ride, just time
enough for Dodie to get ahead of us. I had planned to slow down this half, but
Thunder had other ideas. He liked the pace, and as long as he wasn't
showing signs of stress, I just let him roll where he felt like it. We were getting
a little tired when we came in sight of the last vet check, we had 5 more miles
before we could stop here. Deanna was there, as well as Lucy, and they both
came over and had cold drinks for me and Thunder. We drank down what we
could, and got back on trail. Long 5 miles, but we got into the vet check just
before 3:00. With Lucy and Deanna both cooling him, Thunder pulsed down
in his usual 5 minutes, and we were into our last 40 minute hold. My back was
starting to bother me, and I had left my pain pills back at camp, (smart rider).
We left about 3:45 and had till 6:30 to get into camp, 10 miles. As my back
was giving me a REAL PAIN at the trot, we practised our extended walk much
of this last loop. I would estimate we walked for 7 of the 10 miles. Thunder
found he has a really good, fast walk, almmost 4 miles an hour. We walked
into camp about 5:40 to cries of 'what are you doing here, there are 3 riders
behind you'. The only complaint I had about the ride was that we had to
present the horse unsaddled to all the vet checks, lots of trouble and work for
the rider. I unsaddled Thunder, and he was down then, so took him to the vet
for our final vet check. He checked out fine, but in that country, you are
supposed to bring the horse back after an hour for one more metabolics
check. That's fine, except that it is right in the middle of the rider getting to
eat. (Pizza, provided by the ApHC directors, Thanks guys).
Now, we could CELEBRATE!!!! Now, I could drink a PEPSI!!, I had 3.
In the National Championship ride, there were 19 starters, 14 finishers,
and Eagle's ThunderN Toby was 12th to finish, and the ONLY stallion to finish
the Inaugural Appaloosa National Championship Endurance Ride!
We left camp Sunday about 11 AM, and were home about 8 PM Monday
evening. Mission accomplished!