Ruby’s 2nd endurance ride of the season! I hadn't planned on doing this ride since it was so close to the 2 day 50 I had just done with her. This ride was the Western Maine 250 mile ride. A 5 day ride. Each day being 50 to 55 miles. Each day was a separate ride and on 4 days they also had 30 mile Limited Distance Rides. I went to the ride to work as a volunteer. After a few days scribing for the vet and talking to him, he convinced me it would do Ruby no harm to do another ride so soon. As long as I only did the 30 mile Limited Distance ride. And many others that had seen Ruby at the Pine Tree ride were bugging me to go get her. They all wanted to see her again. So, Friday evening after I was done scribing, I went home and picked up Ruby.
The ride went great! Ruby was a real star! She didn't bray until 4:00 AM. But, since we had to be up at 3:30 AM that was ok! I rode with Bill Rice. That is who I had ridden with at the Pine Tree ride. Ruby and Bill’s horse Potoca travel nice together. He was real happy to have Ruby to ride with again. The woman I got Emma Jane from was there with her new horse but she knew she would be going too slow to ride with me. It was hot and humid. We didn't have to do any circles at the vetting, so Ruby did a beautiful trot out and vetted in with all A's. No one can believe what a beautiful trot Ruby has. One woman there that was from PA, said her friend competes with mules. They are also Arab mules and she says none of them trot beautiful, or as willingly as Ruby. The 30 and 50 mile riders all started together at 5:00 AM Ruby was very wound up when I was trying to saddle her and it took a few tries to get the saddle on! (naughty mule!) Stephanie (Bill's wife) offered to hold Ruby while I got on but Bill told her to stay from Ruby because "she's a mule". Yeah, so? Didn't matter, Ruby wasn't bad when I got on. She was a bit excited when we first headed out but not even close to how excited she was at the Pine Tree. Bill and I quickly settled into a good pace. Not far into the ride we caught up to Heather Hoynes. She is a vet and a world class competitor. It was a first ride for her horse and he was a nut case! So, Heather was holding back from a pack of riders ahead of us. Her horse went nicely with Ruby and Potoca. People that saw us on the trail could not believe what a fabulous big Arab trot Ruby has. That was one of the things I got so excited about when I first rode her in Illinois.
The first loop was 18 miles. When we got to the first fly by, the crew people there said we must be setting a fast pace, we were the first riders they had seen. ?????? We knew there was a big group ahead of us????? We look down the road the way we had come and here comes Steve Rojek and another rider. You have to know Steve to appreciate this. Steve is all excited, "Oh, yeah we got lost” he says, “but, look what I got! We stopped at a yard sale and I found this great jacket! It was a bargain! Only $5!". And he is holding up a red, white & blue leather jacket proud as can be! It was too funny! Of all people to be excited about such a bargain. Like he can't afford to buy a leather jacket. And this is also a man who has on several occasions been on the US Team and ridden in the world equestrian games.
We kept up a good pace and came into the hold at 7:15 AM. We stopped at our trailers, stripped tack and as soon as Potoca's pulse was good by Bill's heart rate monitor, we went up to the vet gate. Ruby was pulsed right down to 52. And Ruby did a lovely trot out. She got straight A's on her vet card. In the heat and humidity, that was impressive. We had a 45 min. hold. Ruby was not drinking yet. She did eat some grain and was devouring grass. We got out of the hold on time with only 10 miles to go. We kept up the same pace though it was getting steadily hotter. Heather was still with us and all three equines seemed fine. We kept up a pretty quick pace until the last mile and walked them in. Bill and I went straight up to the vet gate. Ruby pulsed at 48!!! Wooooohoooooo!!!! And she did another lovely trot out once again getting straight A's on her vet card. Outstanding! After having scribed for the vet for 3 day, I knew it was rare for any of the horses to get straight A's throughout the entire ride. Our ride time was 4 hrs. 13 min. Nearly an hour faster then her Pine Tree ride time. (the milage was actually slightly shorter)
Once again everyone was extremely impressed with Ruby and both vets agreed that Ruby really does have some potential to be very good at this sport
Western Maine V August 4th 2007 8/S-F1. 3:34 Mestemaker-Harris, Catherine on Phlairr
2. 3:46 Hartmann, Lynn on Syrocco Blair
3. 3:59 Mruphy, Hanna on WWA Gypsy Sun
4. 4:00 Murphy, Frank on Desparaddo
5. 4:13 Ross, Cindy on McAllister's Ruby
6. 4:14 Rice, Bill on Potaca
7. 4:15 Hoyns, Heather on Zainal
8. 5:45 Robbins, Kathleen on Aramis
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