Crooked River 3 day 80 CTR Waterford, ME May 2010

I’ve decided to attempt the 3 day 80 mile ride with poor old Marie. She is in good condition. But, I’m quite sure she is developing some arthritis as any older hard working horse is likely to. So, I would just take it a day at a time and see how things went.
I headed off to the ride at about 8:45 AM and arrived at the fairground at 10. I brought Zephyr with me. Few people had arrived so I had a good choice of places to park. I decided to park where I could have an electrical hookup. I pulled into the best spot for me and realized I was going to have a hard time reaching the hookup with my cord unless I turned my truck around. I was just getting ready to turn around when Scott Hatch came over and thought I would make it with my cord if I just unloaded Marie, then backed up as far as I could. This worked and I could just reach with my cord. But, then I realized that I could not put Marie on the Spring Tie which I was planning to use as it would put her up against the side of a building and there was an exposed waterline pipe there that wasn’t safe. So, I just set up my electric pen for her. She’s probably happier with that anyway since we will be here for three days.



I got Marie settled in, set up camp then made myself a sandwich. Amy Beem had arrived and she asked me if I wanted to go for a quick ride. So we went out for about an hour at a quiet walk. Amy is riding Weezie her Appy mare (that I think is awewome). Allie Marie was riding Amy’s horse Washburn. Allie was not riding Washburn in the competition, she was just here to work the ride. Another friend of Amy’s, Rhonda, was coming to ride Washburn in the competition. Kyle Neilson had come and he was riding one of Kathy Brunje’s horses. It was nice to see so many familiar faces here at the ride. Marcia Deleware, Kathie Brunjes, Tom Hutchinson, Irving McNaughton, Jean and Elliot Bridges, Kyle Nielson, Steve Rojek, Sondra Day, Peg Dockham, Mindy Veinneau, Bill and Stephanie Rice, Kelly Jack, Jeff Gardner, Scott & Jan Hatch, Stephanie Buckley, Char Jewell, Janet Brunjes & Louise Lester who are running the ride and many others.



Marie was quite restless because she did not have a buddy near her. I tried to take a nap but Susie arrived and Marie started hollering and hollering non-stop wanting to be with Susie’s horse Spark. I finally got up and went over to visit with Susie while she set up camp. Marie continued to fuss over not being near Spark despite the fact that Steve Rojek had come and set up near me so Marie did have company. But, not to her satisfaction apparently. We all headed up to get vetted in. The Vet judge is Heather Hoyns and the lay judge is Sondra Day. Dr. Hoyns did not like the way Marie looked at the trot so asked me to bring her back again when everyone else was done vetting in. She was not happy with how Amy’s Washburn looked either. So, I waited and took Marie up again later and I was passed to start the ride though Dr. Hoyns was still not happy with how she looked. Washburn also passed. We all sat at Amy’s trailer for a while and visited then eventually went down to Melby’s for supper. I had the haddock dinner which was very good. Later I walked Marie and ran into Mindy Vinneau doing the same. I have not seen her in a while and it was good to talk to her. While we were chatting it was announced the riders meeting. There was strawberry short cake for everyone which was a pleasant surprise. After the meeting, I asked Char Jewell if she could put me in the starting line up near Marsha Deleware. I was hoping to ride with her as I knew her horse would set the same pace as Marie. I checked with Marsha to see if this would be ok. She didn’t mind but she was already riding with Cathy Demick and said we’d need to check with her as her horse could get a bit competitive. Cathy said we’d try it and see how it went. Then we all went back to Amy’s trailer to relax and visit some more. We did not stay up very late and I was very tired from having worked the previous night. It was a bit overcast so I put Marie’s rain sheet on her in case it rained during the night. It turned out the overcast was from smoke from very bad forest fires in Quebec in Canada and it hung over us all weekend. Zephyr was thrilled when I put him up in the goosneck with me for the night.

I was up early the next morning. I fed Marie then headed to the food shack for breakfast. They provided cooked breakfasts for this ride which was nice. Today was French toast and sausage. Then, it was time to tack up and get ready to ride. The ground was wet and it was a bit chilly so I put Zephyr in the trailer with is food and water. He was not happy about this. He does not like being shut in the trailer for some reason. Marsha, Cathy and I were sent out together. We were second out in the starting order. Cathy’s horse, Stetson, was quite excited but Cathy rode so well you couldn’t really tell. Marie hung back last in her favorite position. A few miles out, Stephanie Buckley and her daughter caught up with us. There was another woman riding with them who was new to the sport. Her horse was very worked up dancing and tossing his head continually. Stephanie’s ponies are quite spirited but well behaved. The larger group was getting Cathy’s horse Stetson agitated. Finally Cathy told the other the they needed to ride on ahead. The woman riding with them said no they didn’t. Stephanie immediately said “yes we do” as she understood what was going on a led the way ahead of us. Stetson was much happier once they were out of sight. A little further down the trail we came to a lake where we could water the horses. We walked them in and I looked down and saw something long and thin swimming around. At first I though it might be a small eel. Then I notice there are more. A LOT more, and that’s when I realized they were leaches! YUCK! None of the horses wanted to drink. Just as we were leaving the pond, Scott Hatch pulled up with his truck. We said hello and were on our way. Very soon we came up on the woman that had been riding with Stepanie and her daughter. She was walking and her horse was not with her. She seemed to be ok so we told her to go back to the pond and catch a ride with Scott Hatch.

Cathy Demick on Stetson, Marsha Deleware on Piper & Cindy Ross on Marie

We got to the hold in good time. Marie just pulsed down in the 10 minutes allowed. All else was well. Vet still wasn’t thrilled with how she looked but let me continue. We were a few minutes late getting out of the hold but not enough to be a problem. The second half of the trail was good and we made good time. We finished in perfect time. When we got back I took Marie right to the trailer to sponge her down and wait for my final P&R for the day. I debated keeping her with Marsha’s horse but decided to see if she would be ok on her own. She wasn’t thrilled but was ok. But, just as the P&R person was getting ready to take her pulse, Susie came into camp and Marie spotted Spark. Marie’s pulse shot right up to 60. ACK! The P&R person gave Marie a minute and her pulse came right back down so all was well. I went up for the trot out. We were passed to ride the 2nd day. Susie didn’t want to wait around for awards so she packed up as soon as she was done and headed out. After I took care of Marie I took a nap for a while.

Kate Rogers, Louise Townsend, Amy Beem, & Allie Marie

Zephyr and Chindi


Stuffed Ponies made by Amy Beem



When I got up, I went up to Amy’s trailer to hang out with her. Louise Townsend had stopped in to say hi to everyone. Zephyr was having a great time playing with Amy’s dog Chindi. Supper that night was very good. Barbecued chicken, green beans, corn bread, salad, and a wonderful selection of cakes for desert. After supper was the award ceremony. After supper I walked Marie, then settled her in to her pen for the night with lots of hay and water. I put a wool cooler on her as it was cool out. Then, Zephyr and I headed for bed.

I was up early again in the morning. I fed Marie and walked Zephyr. Then I went to the food shack for breakfast. This morning they were serving pancakes. I sat and talked with Lois Crowley and Alan Wells. After I ate I got Marie ready to go. The ground was dry this morning and it was warm so I left Zephyr tied out. He was much happier outside. Once again Cathy, Marsha and I were second out in the starting order. Today Stetson was much calmer and Cathy was very pleased with him. The ride when well to the hold. We were riding the same trail as yesterday but made better time. Marie pulsed down fine. When we went for our trot out, the vet was very unhappy with the way Marie looked and told me I could not continue. After further thought, she told me to come back in 10 minutes for a recheck. I told Cathy and Marsha not to wait for me, so they headed out when it was time. I took Marie for her recheck. She looked a bit better though the vet still wasn’t happy. She decided to let me finish the day.

Cindy Ross on Marie

I quickly got ready and headed out. Marie moved right along at a good clip and in a few miles I caught up with Cathy and Marsha. They were happy to see me. There were a few times on both day’s rides when we had come across horse boogers or ATV that had spooked Piper and Stetson and Marie had been the one to lead them safely by. We finished in good time. I actually had to wait at the end of the ride before I crossed the finish line as I’d had time added for the time I’d lost at the hold. P&R’s today were all done up by the vetting area. There were not enough P&R people to go to everyone’s trailers. Marie pulsed down fine. The vet was still unhappy with Marie’s trot out so told me I’d have to come back in the morning for a recheck. Sigh……..

After getting Marie settled in her pen, I took a nap for a few hours. When I got up, I headed down to Melby’s to get a sandwich. I got back to camp and walked Zephyr then walked Marie. Supper and awards for the 60 mile riders was at 6:00. Tonight we had spaghetti and meatballs, salad and bread as well as more delicious cake. Char Jewell won the 60 mile ride. I headed to be quite early. I was finally able to get an internet connection so checked my email then went to sleep.

Amy Beem's horses Washburn and Weezie



I was up at 5:00 AM, fed Marie, walked Zephyr then headed for breakfast. Today we had breakfast sandwiches. After the riders meeting, I took Marie up for her recheck. She failed the recheck so we were done. Marie definitely was a bit off and she had dsome mild swelling in her left front leg that was not normal. I quickly packed up camp and headed home wishing Cathy and Marsha the best of lunch.

Several days after the ride, I took Marie to the vet as the swelling just did not go down in her leg. She had a strained suspersory and will on rest for several months most likely.

Crooked River 80 CTR 5/29/2010 14/S-12/F
Judges:
1. Shyrocco Lyric / Kimberly, Jenny
2. Leland / Savino, Ann Marie
3. Sammy / Rojek, Steve
4. Langwoods Lorelei / Stratemeyer, Joan H
5. Winn Star / Gibbon, Kyle
6. Texas Sonset SSH / Demick, Catherine
7. Bedrocks Handsome Fello / Alexander Lee R.
8. Patenaude Vulcain Gazelle / Gardener, Jeffrey
9. Charlestown Raphael / Daniels, Steven (Rich)
10. Lazaarr (Luke), Nielsen, Kyle
MCO Highcountry Piper / Delaware, Marcia E
MCO Theatric / Brunjes, Kathy
DNF Hawks Nest Expedition / Welles, Allen
DNF Marie / Ross, Cindy

GMHA 3 day 100 mile CTR, Woodstock, VT September 2009

I was up early on Thursday morning, loaded up Ruby and headed to Susie’s house. We were going together to the ride. The haul to the ride was uneventful. It took about 4 hrs. Both Ruby and Susie’s horse, Spark, were relaxed and ate plenty of hay in the trailer. Though Ruby did manage to poke out the screen in Susie’s trailer. She loves to ride with her nose stuck out the windows as far as she can get it.

The weather for the ride was going to be fabulous. No rain in the forecast at all. It was going to be in the 70’s during the day and 40’s at night. Low humidity. When we arrived and checked in, I had been $1 short on my entry when I sent it in. I only had 90 cents and had to borrow 10 cents from Susie. How pitiful is that. The ride was held at the GMHA ground (Green Mountain Horse Association) in South Woodstock, VT. It is a beautiful place. Many types of Horse venues are held here and they are high level events from carriage driving, eventing, dressage, endurance and CTR’s. As well as many pleasure trail riding events. There are 4 shed row barns as well as another huge barn for stabling. A covered arena, numerous outdoor arena, a complete high level cross country jumper course. There are also buildings for indoor gatherings and meetings. The grounds are beautifully kept and maintained. Woodstock Vermont is a beautiful area of hills and farms. It is a very wealthy area. The cows in Woodstock live in better accommodations then my house. Many of the homes border on being palatial and many of them are just second or summer homes of the wealthy. There are miles and miles of dirt roads there and that is the way the town wants to keep it. As well as the roads are miles and miles of wonderful trails. There are no public lands in Woodstock so all the trails are by the grace of private landowners. But the town is very equine oriented. There is also an ordinance against camping on Woodstock. You can’t set up a tent in the town. How strange is that. So, for most events at GMHA, you have to find a hotel, B&B or such to stay at. At this ride, GMHA members were allowed to camp on grounds but ONLY in self contained rigs and there could be no awning, campfires or such. There is also NO cell phone use in Woodstock as there is also a town ordinance against cell towers on private land. And there is no public land.

Anyway, the area is absolutely gorgeous. When we arrived, we first went to the GMHA office, got our ride packets and our stall assignments. We were in Barn “C” brook side. We quickly unloaded our stuff into our assigned tack stall. I had meant to bring my own shavings but forgot. So, had to pay their $10 fee for a bad of shavings. ECK!!!! In the next stalls down from us were Basi and Chris who Susie had met at a previous ride. They are a married couple and both compete in distance riding. As well as distance biking and swimming. Marsha Deleware was on the other side of us and we were very happy about that. She is a wonderfully sweet woman. Esther Fiddes was also on our side and she is just a riot. Once Ruby and Spark were settled into their stalls, Susie and I sat by the stream and had PB&J sandwiches. Then I walked Ruby and Spark while Susie set up “house” in her trailer. One woman we passed us made the comment about Ruby that “that certainly isn’t an Arabian”. I told her that wasn’t true as Ruby’s mother was a registered Arabian. The woman walked off with a puzzled look on her face. I passed the same woman a while later and she stopped me and asked me, “Ok, really, just what is she?” She had to be mule educated.

It was finally time for vetting and we headed up to the covered arena. The vet judge for the ride, Art King, had seen and vetted Ruby at a number of rides. He is a Ruby fan. The hands on went well with Ruby being a real lady. So, then the trot out…..We headed straight down to the end of the arena. At the end was a platform that is actually part of a deck connected to the meeting hall. There were a bunch of people sitting on the deck watching. Just as Ruby got half way around her first circle, she really noticed all the mule eating humans sitting up on that platform. At the same time she also noticed the open arena gate nearby. She immediately decided to exit the arena. THANKFULLY, she is not a bolter and when she got to the end of her lead line, she spun around to face me. She then got her head together and decided to trot her circles. She looked good and passed to start the ride. YIPPPEEEEEE!

After vetting, we had to go weigh in. EEEKK! We had to be weighed with all our tack. I had to keep telling everyone that my saddle weight 100 lbs. I don’t think anyone believed me. Susie and I visited with Marsha and Tracy for a while enjoying a glass of wine. For dinner that night there was a dress up banquet at a country club down the road. So, Susie and I dressed up off we went. Chris and Basi rode with us. Open cash bar was at 6:00PM. But with the wine being $10 a glass, I decided I would skip drinks. 6:30PM was dinner and the food was absolutely fabulous. After the meal there were several speakers that talked of their experiences of riding 3 day 100 mile events. There was a man there that was being honored for his years of riding this particular event. The man was 85 years old. The last time he rode the 100 was only 5 years ago when he was 80 years. Old. And he still rides every day.

When we got back to GMHA, Nancy and her friend were there. The were doing the pleasure ride that was being held at the same time as the CTR. Susie and I walked Ruby and Spark and let them graze before heading to bed. It was a beautiful night. Clear with a full moon. As every night following it was while we were there.

Friday morning Susie and I were up at 4:30AM. The weather was perfect as predicted. We fed then went up to the office for breakfast. Breakfast was simple being muffins, pastries and breads but all made by a professional bakery and absolutely delicious. There was a bit of a mix up in the starting order and they had Susie going out 2 minutes ahead of me. We managed to get that straightened out. The riders meeting was at 6:15AM. Then we tacked and got ready to go. Ruby was VERY keyed up. Susie and I mounted and were walking around warming up, we notice on young woman trying to mount her horse with little success. Her mother was trying to help her but was on crutches and was limited in how much she could help. When we come around the next time, we were just in time to see that the woman had mounted with the assistance with a few men holding the horse and the horse immediately started bucking. And that horse meant business. The horse ran bucking towards on of the barns, she turned when she got to the barn and headed back the way she came and she was still bucking hard. At this point the woman was still on but had lost one stirrup and was laying over the horses neck. The horse came up right behind a parked car and swerved around it throwing the woman hard into the car. She landed very hard. She did get up but you could see she was hurting. It took a number of people to catch the horse. And if the grounds were not mostly fenced, the horses would have been long gone. The woman did remount the horse but was very dizzy and confused and was sent to the hospital. We later found out she was ok. We also found out that her mother was on crutches due to being thrown from the same horse a few weeks earlier.



Susie and I were finally released to start at 7:00AM. Ruby and Spark headed out like gangbusters. We started out riding through the cross country jump course. Geesh but those jumps are scary looking but lovely to ride through. The trails were very tough as you were either always going up or going down. Very hilly and the hill were long. The footing was beautiful though. About 10 miles out, Ruby started shaking her head, then started stretching it down. This is not normal for her and I knew something was wrong. Though she was still very eager to go and I was actually holding her back. Her stride did shorten and she wanted to canter more then trot. So, I slowed her down much to her disgust. At the first water stop, Ruby was panting more then usual. It was not that hot so I was really getting worried about her. She still was very eager to go but I just knew things were not right. We got into the hold in good time. Ruby did pulse down ok but at the trot out was definitely lame. It was her left front. The same one we had the trouble with last year. I was heart broken. And so was Ruby. We were pulled from the ride at 20 miles. It was definitely the right thing to do to pull her. But I’ll admit I cried as I watched Susie ride out. And Ruby seemed to feel the same. She bawled for Spark as he left. I was very proud of her though. Once Spark was out of sight, she was so well behaved and entertained the volunteers with her mule antics and enthusiastic rolling. Another woman had also been pulled from the ride and both equines were trailer back to GMHA. I settled Ruby into her stall. She was not happy about being alone in the barn but behaved well. Since I had nothing better to do while waiting for the other to finish the ride, I cleaned all the stalls on our side of the shed row we were in. Then I sat and relaxed in my chair and snoozed. I was peaceful sitting there by the stream. Around 2PM it was announced over the loudspeakers that the first riders were due to come in anytime so I went up by the arena to watch. Each rider was announced as they arrived. And each rider had to ride once around the arena. Marcia and Esther came in together. Susie came in just a few minutes behind them. Spark looked real good, he pulsed down great and had a wonderful trot out. After we got him settled into his stall with plenty of food and water, we had our lunch. Ruby sure was glad to have Spark back. After we ate, I got Ruby out and her left front pastern was slightly swollen and she was showing even more lameness. That evening there was a BBQ. It was great as all the food had been so far. After the BBQ, I asked Art, the vet, if he would look at Ruby again. He did. He asked me not to give her anything because he wanted the treatment vet to look at her in the morning. And since the swelling was minor and her pain did not seem bad, he didn’t think this would be a problem.

Out friends that have come for the pleasure ride were staying at a local Inn. We went over there so Susie could take a shower. When we got back, we went walked Ruby and Spark on last time. Ruby was happy to get out of her stall. She is not used to being in one for so long. Ruby was getting tons of attention. Everyone loved her and she was accepting all the attention with her usual grace. Everyone was so sad she had been pulled. Everyone had really been rooting for her. It was so wonderful to have such open acceptance of her. Whenever I was walking around the grounds without her, people kept coming up to me and asking where “the mules” stall was so they could go see her. Quite time was at 9:00PM so we headed to bed then.

Saturday morning the alarm went off at 4:30AM. I fell back to sleep as I wasn’t riding. Susie said she would feed Ruby. I woke an hour late to the sound of Ruby braying because Susie had taken Spark out to walk. I got up and went up to the office for breakfast. The treatment vet came to look at Ruby. He was a very nice man. He had spent 20 years on a racetrack and had a lot of experience with lameness issues. Ruby’s left font pastern was still slightly swollen and she was still consistently lame when trotted. He asked her history and looked her over and really feels I am going to continue to have problems with Ruby. I must admit I only understood half of what he told me but it had to do with her ringbone and how it was affecting the ligaments in her pastern …. And so on. He said he would place bets that I will get two good rides, and one bad ride, and one good ride and two bad rides until she just broke down. He said he would guarantee she will develop arthritis in both pasterns as she has ringbone in both. He felt that riding would be good for her; endurance riding would not be so good. Just too hard on her joints with the speed and distance involved. Certainly not what I wanted to hear, but something I had suspected for a while.

After all the riders had gone out, I cleaned all the stalls on our side of C barn except for Joanie’s stall as her horse was still in it. I drove out to the hold to help out as a volunteer. I was soon very busy with my duties as professional horse holder and fetcher of food for hungry riders. The time went quickly and I had a good time helping. When Susie came in, she said the ride so far had been extremely hard with very steep climbing. It had taken them 2-½ hrs. to do the first 13 miles. That left them with time to make up on the 2nd half of the ride. And everyone else was on about the same pace. After all the horses had left the hold, I drove up to the top of Heartbreak Hill to watch some of the horses go by. I headed back to GMHA and got lost. But, not bad and soon found my way back. Once back I cleaned all the stalls on the opposite side of our barn. A man came over to tell me that he had been watching Ruby all day and wished the horses were half as well behaved as my mule. He just loved her and said he kept talking to her from his trailer while I was gone and she would nicker/grunt at him in reply. He was just so impressed with how well behaved she was with being all alone in the barn. I knew it wouldn’t be long until the first horses started to come in so I got Ruby out and walked her up toward the finish line. The swelling was out of her pastern and she was walking much better with only occasional signs of lameness at the trot. There was one arena up by the finish line with perfect mule rolling sand so I took her there so I could watch the riders come in. Ruby was in mule heaven there and rolled to her hearts content. By this time I realize that people are starting to follow me around with cameras when I had Ruby out. It was like hanging out with a movie star and being followed by the paparazzi!!! It was getting kind of bizarre. Ruby spotted some cows on a hillside across the road and was staring at them, ears pinned forward totally fascinated. The paparazzi went wild with all the beautiful posing. She would stare, head up, eyes bright, then prance a circle around me and pose again. Her antics spooked the first horse that came across the finish line so I quickly returned her to her stall. But, whenever I walked around without her, even more people were looking for her. I was thinking I would just make up some maps to her stall to hand out and start charging admission to see her. Overall I have received very positive reactions to Ruby in this sport. But this was over the top and really wonderful, if bizarre, to see. Susie, Marsha and Esther came in together on time. They were thrilled and exhausted. All three had great trot outs and were cleared to ride the last day. Susie, in her desperation to get clean quickly, took a bucket of water into her Sparks stall, stripped naked and bathed there with me guarding the door to keep people away.

Dinner that night was at a tack shop right next door to GMHA. Nice shop and the food was great. After the dinner, we came back to the barn and the party continued right in front of Ruby’s stall. Well, she just loved all the activity and really hammed it up begging for pretzels, of which she got quite a few. She was the hit of the party. Quiet time was once again at 9:00PM so we had to break the party up early and head for bed.

Sunday morning, Susie was up once again before me and fed Ruby. I came out soon after and walked Ruby when she walked Spark. Ruby continued to look better. I went up for breakfast while Susie got ready for the ride. Susie was once again riding with Marsha and Esther and I cheered them as they left. They only had 20 miles to ride and no hold. So, they would be done before 10:00AM. Once all the riders left, I went over to visit with my friends that were doing the pleasure ride. Nancy’s horse had gotten a swollen spot on his back that hadn’t gone down. And her friend’s horse had gotten horrible girth galls the previous day. So, neither were sure if they were going to ride. Joanie did ride but was worried as her horse was recovering from Lyme disease and still on antibiotics. And she’d had a long day the previous day because she’d gotten lost and done a few more miles then planned. As the pleasure riders were gathering to get ready for their ride, I went back to C barn and I cleaned all the stalls on both sides of our barn. Then I brought Susie’s truck over to the barn and packed everything up that I could. By then, it was time for the first horses to come in so I grabbed my camera and headed up to the arena so I could take pictures of everyone as they made their ride around the arena. Right on time, Susie, Marsha and Esther came in. I was so excited for them!!! All three horses looked good and all three riders looked exhausted but happy. Ruby was very happy to have her buddies back. All three pulsed down fine. Hands on were done first. When Susie was done with that, I got Ruby out and walked with her and Spark. She needed to keep him moving so he would not stiffen up before the trot out. Ruby was thrilled to be out and with her buddy. We let them graze a bit also. When it was time for Susie to go up for her trot out, I put Ruby back in her stall much to her disgust and went up to watch. Spark and Esther’s horse, Pokey, trotted out very well. Marsha’s horse Piper was a little bit lame but would get a completion. Everyone was thrilled. All the horses were settled in their stalls with lots of hay and water to rest and eat. And then we all went up to have our brunch. It was, yet again, absolutely wonderful.

This CTR is unlike any other I’ve been to in that the award ceremony is done mounted and in the arena with much pomp and ceremony. Very cool though a pain in the butt to saddle up again after having just finished riding 100 miles in the past 3 days. I went up and sat on a hill above the arena with Joanie and Nancy to watch and take pictures.

Halfway through the ceremony, my name was announced over the loud speaker for winning an award! I was a bit shocked when I was brought down the arena and given the “on ground sportsmanship” award!!! Apparently my barn cleaning, horse holding and food fetching and been much appreciated. It was embarrassing but very nice. (blush) Steve Rojeck came up to me later and said he thought it was his wife that had been cleaning his stall every day and he was wondering why she was being so nice to him. He thanked me and many others also came up to say how much they appreciated coming back from the ride to clean stalls. Well, it’s not like I had anything better to do and I find stall cleaning quite relaxing.

The past 2 days that Ruby had been alone in her stall, she had been quite. But, during the ceremony, she knew all the horses were nearby and she brayed during the whole thing. THANKFULLY, she was just far enough away so it was no disruption and everyone actually got quite a kick out of it saying she was just cheering for all the winners.

Once the ceremony was done, Susie wanted to get going as soon as possible. We didn’t have much more to pack up and one of our friends on the pleasure ride that was staying to the next day said she would strip out stall for us!! So, we loaded up and headed home. Susie was tired so I drove and we got home safe and sound.

Maine 3 day 80 CTR Waterford ME May 2001

At last I've made it to the Maine 80. After two long years of conditioning and training. There were no pre-trip adventures this time.. thankfully! Actually, that is not quite true. Marie didn't want to get in the trailer and I had to have a little talk with her about that. After about five minutes of negotiations, I convinced her it would be better if she went in and we were on our way. I don't know why she has been doing this lately. She has always been good about loading on the trailer. I'll have to work on this when I get back home. The truck is fixed and running fine and the trailer is ready. Bonnie is coming to help us and work the ride. She ended up having to work half a day Friday. Susie had to work a full day. I headed up first thing in the morning. I managed to leave home about 7:30 AM. The drive up was uneventful. I got to the Waterford Fairgrounds at 9:00 AM. I was surprised to see quite a few people already there. We had stalls assigned to us. I've never seen that done before but it worked out fine. Susie and I did end up in the same barn with the smallest stalls due to our late entry but it was fine. Stall gates were provided this time which was great. I got Marie settled into her stall first thing. She was already making a fuss and calling like crazy. She was wondering where all her buddies were. Aside from the calling, she was behaving fine. I set up our portable fence and divided it into two areas for Cody and Marie. That way we could turn them out in it when we had the chance so they would have more room to move around and roll if they wanted. I also brought my screen house since we were going to be here for three days. It has been so long since I've set it up, I kind of forgot how. I knew that you had to stake down the four corners first. I did that but it just didn't look right. Then I realized that I had staked down the roof! What a goof! After I got that straightened out, I got up set up quickly. After that, I had lots of time to lounge around and get a little rest. I napped for a short spell in my trailer, then again for a while in the screen house. I took Marie to be vetted in as soon as the vet arrived. Marie vetted in fine. I then went down to Tut's restaurant for some coffee and to pick up a few cold drinks. Bonnie Showed up right after I got back. Susie wasn't far behind her. Marie was sure glad to see Cody. We put Marie and Cody out in the paddocks so they could stretch their legs. When Susie went to put Cody in, she asked me if the fence was off, I told her it was....HEY, I really thought it was! .... oops.....Poor Susie got a big zap off it and was then paranoid of the fence the rest of the weekend.

There were 31 entries in the Maine 80 and 8 in the Waterford 30, so a good turn out for the ride. We went down to Tut's for supper. A couple from Cumberland, ME sat with us. They were very nice. We all forgot that Tut's serves HUGE portions and we all ordered more then we could eat. We nearly had to be rolled out the door! After supper we came back to camp and Susie and I played guitars in the screen house for a while. Later we walked the horses around a couple of times during the evening. They aren't used to standing in stalls. Actually, we walk them so we get to socialize with everyone as everyone walks their horses in the evening. We headed to bed just a little after 9:00 PM. The people next to us told me Marie provided them with entertainment when she was turned out in her paddock. I guess she had laid down to roll and stuck her head in her feed Pan and was rubbing around in it. Silly mare! We went out to check on the horses before going to bed. Cody and Marie were hanging over the stall Walls rubbing each other's necks. Cody was obviously a bit 'excited' about this activity with a pretty mare. We got such a laugh over it because Cody is 14 years old and has never given any mare a second look. He is totally dedicated to his athletic career. Marie has been in love with him since she first laid eyes on him. She had finally, after three years, gotten his attention! I teased Susie that Cody's athletic career was ruined now that he had thoughts about mares!

I slept like a log Friday night never waking up at all. That's unusual, I usually wake up at any little noise assuming it is Marie getting loose. She's known for doing that. I woke up just a little before 5:00 AM. Bonnie was awake also. I heated up water for coffee and oatmeal. It was a little chilly but not too bad. Everything was right on time this morning. A light breakfast was served at 6:00 AM. Riders meeting was at 6:30 AM. First riders were out at 7:30 AM. I was #23 and Susie was #24. We were out at 7:50 AM. The day turned out to be quite warm. Marie had been drinking a ton of water from the time we'd arrived. Cody wasn't drinking a lot but then he often doesn't. The trails were fairly dry overall. We had a couple areas where we had to muck through some mud. And there is one spot that is short but really deep. I managed to find just the right place there and sunk Marie in it up to the base of her tail! Same spot I sunk her in last year. Poor horse. She remembered the spot and didn't really want to go through. I felt guilty for making her but there was no other way around. We had to climb the mountain again this year. It is so beautiful at the top but what a climb! Cody had trouble with going uphill that steeply and kept stopping. Marie just puts her head down, digs in and goes without stopping. Marie may not be fast but she sure is steady. Susie was calling her "The Little Engine that Could." We went almost a little too fast the first day. We had to wait a few minutes before we could cross the finish line. Both horses did a great job and vetted out fine and cleared to ride the second day. Marie did get a tiny sore on her withers. I don't know what caused it. Maybe something under the saddle pad. I knew I'd have to be careful with saddling the next day. Norma House, who was the P&R person for our barn, went home and got me a gel pad to use so the sore wouldn't get more irritated over the next few days. That was so nice of her to do. that afternoon was the 'banquet' that we paid and extra $8.50 to attend. Well, to use the word banquet was a big stretch of the imagination. The meal was very good. We had ham, corn. potato, bread and salad. There was only lemonade to drink and no desert. It was the same sort of meal we usually get that is included in the price of the entry fee. We decided we'd have been better off going to Tut's for supper. Bonnie and I did sneak down there in the evening for coffee and desert. We hung out in the screen house house for a while. Norma and Irving joined us and we had a nice time chatting. They are both such characters and fun to talk to. Irving is amazing. He's in his 70's and and is at all the rides and still does one day 50's and 100's. He rides an old horse and travels around with his ancient dog. He is amazing and such a wealth of knowledge on this sport. The mosquito's were fierce so I was glad I'd brought the screen house. Susie and I played guitar for a while. Then we did the usual walking of the horses and socializing.

Sometime during the night it started to rain. we got up Sunday morning in the rain. It was just a light rain. The ride goes on no matter what the weather is so we just set about our business as usual. Everything was right on time this morning again. We were doing the same trails today as we did yesterday. Susie and I went out at 7:45 AM. There were fewer horses this morning. The 30 mile riders were gone and a few horses had been pulled from the 80 mile ride. It rained all day, sometimes quite hard. Once we got going though, we didn't mind it. It wasn't really cold and the rain kept the horses cooled down. Marie had to lead Cody up the mountain again. Two miles from the finish, Cody suddenly bolted without warning. Marie leaped into the air and gave and good buck, then also bolted. Both Susie and I were caught off guard. Both horses got running pretty good before we got ourselves together and got them under control. We decided they couldn't be very tired if they had the energy for that kind of behavior! It is very unusual for Marie to do something like that at all. We did the ride in great time today. I got though the vetting fine but Susie was told she would have to bring Cody for a re-check in the morning. I was so proud of my little Marie getting through 60 miles so far without problem. We went down to Tut's for an early supper. Heather went with us. Her horse got pulled the first day but she stayed to work the ride. Susie left to go and take a shower at a friends camp. She invited Bonnie and I to go but we decided we had been out in a 'shower' all day, we'd seen all the water we wanted to see. Now that I have a sink in my trailer, it's easy to take a sponge bath anyway. Bonnie and I hung out in the screen house to keep out of the rain. Later we went back down to Tut's for some desert and coffee. We just love that place. After we got back, Bonnie and I took down the paddock . We would be leaving the next day and with all the rain, knew we would not be putting the horses out again. We also took down the screen house. Heather helped me with that which I appreciated. Then, we went out to the barn and hung out in one of the empty stalls to play guitar and sing. Susie was so worried about possibly not being able to ride the last day. So was I, Marie would be so upset if Cody couldn't go.

Monday morning was overcast and misting when we got up. The riders meeting was a little late this morning due to the horses that had to be re-checked. Susie was nervous but Cody was cleared to start the ride! We were both very relieved. Monday's trail was easier but we had to ride faster to make the time. There was no hold either. The ride went great and we finished in great time. We rode the last five miles or so with Liz Szeliga from MA. She was very nice and fun to talk with. She had done the ride three times before but this was the first time for the horse she was riding. Marie was a bit sluggish at the trot out. And she was slightly sore in her shoulders when they did the hands on. Not surprising considering the mountain we had climbed two days in a row. Overall, she was in great condition for having just finished 80 miles. Susie was in a tizzy wanting to leave. She didn't want to wait for awards. Bonnie and I gave her such a hard time about it. We were served hamburgers, hotdog and potato salad for supper. The scoring was done quite quickly and awards were ready to be presented before Susie left so she stayed. It was such a great ride!

Maine 80 5/26/01 ME 31/S-23/F
Judges: Davis/Lorimer
1 Lord Darshan / L Szeliga
2 LWF Paljoe Promise / M Farnum
3 Alora Danin / K Brunjes
4 Jericho . C Sadowski
5 Willowbrook Precious / L Crowley
6 Hawks Neopolitan / M Coleman
7 Scatri / D Schrader
8 Rushcreek Equal / G Pawlowicz
9 High Country Piper / M Deleware
11 Kineo / P Snow
13 ? / J Stratemeyer
14 Brios Kavalier / K Duggan
15 Marie / C Ross (score 86.75)
16 Czar Nickolas / L Lester
17 Baskin Serafix / S Akerstrom
18 Xavier Sunny Acres / S Reinheimer
Comp PS Sir Sedgewick / S Corr
Comp sillows Rahmaan / I McNaughton
Comp Silvea / J Brunjes
Comp EJ Sheik / D Meldrum
Comp RKL Echo's Image / B Vanderminden