I wanted so badly to attend the Land of the Sun Endurance Ride this year, but it was 550 miles away from my home. The darn work schedule always gets in my way, lol. I beg my husband to make more money and be my sugar daddy, so I can just quit and have fun. It never works out. 😪😩
I was afraid I wasn't going to pull it off. I know I have said it a million times but the Wind Riders have the most amazing mentor on the planet, Cressy. She volunteered to take my horse a day early so that he was rested when I arrived on Friday. The plan was to do the intro ride on Saturday and complete a 50 mile ride for Sunday.
Why would I do an intro ride when he can do 50s....duh. I was thinking points for the team :) It will be a leg stretcher for the Merman, I get a free dinner, and 12 bonus points for the green bean team! Sweet!
Sigh.... if only things went as planned.
I vetted in and Merlin did great as always. He makes me so proud at the vet in. He always stands and behaves so well. His HR was 40.... not worry in the world. All As on everything else. We were ready for the intro ride in the morning. This actually worked out perfectly because Cressy's horse Saga would be doing the 50. I would be able to help them get off in the morning because they were starting at 7am and intro ride starts at 8.
Ride Meeting:
This was my first time going to the Land of the Sun Ride. I had hear through stories that the previous rides had been quite difficult because it was a new ride. It seemed everyone was very excited to see how the trails and the ride would go this year. There was lots of chatter around me, regarding previous times for riders on these trails.
I didn't have much pressure on me for this meeting since I was just doing the intro. I really got the opportunity to soak everything all in. This was the most professional ride meetings I have ever been to. The ride packages provided to the riders had visual examples of the ribbon colors that would be used on trail, trail maps, a typed memo on all the camp processes, vet cards already completed, and food tickets. The ride managers went over all of the maps via power point. (As an HR girl, I was in love... power point makes my heart sing 💕) They had made the maps with a Garmin tracker and went over the trail in great detail. I loved how during the review of the map they provided photos of the water troughs and items that needed to be pointed out on trail. I also really liked how the managers used a microphone for those that may not be able to hear well because there was a lot of people!
*Side Note: managers said there were so many people that next year they may limit the amount to reduce the stress.... so if your interested register early. Oh they are also considering doing a 2 day 100 mile ride, this is not for sure yet, but may be coming.
The dinner was catered by "Hauling Ash Bar B Q", AMAZING was an understatement. They served so much food people got desert and seconds. I love to eat so this was one of my favorite parts of the ride :)!
Intro Ride Day:
When traveling with Cressy ( a retired Chemical Engineer, and particular is an understatement) we follow the checklist, and the checklist for checklist. It actually is so good for me because I can become quite the chaos queen. Cressy measures the amounts of food given (weight is measured on a fish scale with a bucket), counts the poops, and pees. She knows her horse and by doing this she knows when something is wrong. She tracks it all, and since we were with her I did the same. I love getting to do this with her because its like a refresher on the importance of it all. We woke up very early, at 430 to start the boys breakfast. this gives them plenty of time to eat before we electrolyte them. Its before anyone else is up so they would not be worried about their neighbors next door and will eat quietly. This also allows for us not to be rushed. During that time, we bring the pads in so they are nice and warm when its time to put them on the boys. This is the time we get to eat our breakfast and get dressed. One thing I have learned from Cressy that I love, is she is saddled and warming up a half hour before the start. This gives her lots of time to walk the horse around and get all the pre-ride jitters of of her and the horse. That way when you start.. the crazy is over. Well of course they still want to get down the trail but its not like jumping on a horse right before the start and trotting to catch up and take off. Been there and done that, NOT FUN! Always be in saddle 30 min prior to ride.
We see Cressy and Saga off, then Merlin and I get ready to go. Although it is an intro we did it just like any other ride. 30 min prior to start I was in the saddle just walking around.
Im not sure how many people were in the ride but when I got to the start it was just me. I actually was so excited about this. I planned to pretty much walk the entire thing. It was just for a warm up and I love the quality time with just Merlin.
We get on trail and of course, Merlin want's to race but I made him walk. We only argued a few minutes and it wasn't bad at all.
This trail was absolutely the prettiest thing ever!!! The creek/river was so clear. We walked through the water and started down a trail that had tall rock walls on each side that seemed to go on forever.
WARNING EMBARRASSING STORY BEGINS HERE:
As we are riding down this trail I just get overwhelmed with its beauty. Sometimes, I feel this is my "church". I just cant help but use it as my opportunity to talk to God and sing (I am not good by the way)...of course if no one is around. Well.... I thought I was alone. I started screaming.... "Merlin, look at this!!! This is So Amazing!!! God thank you for this, thank you for this moment, thank you for this horse, thank you for this day, thank you for each breath... " It went on and on. I was just so thankful and had to proclaim it. I was so engulfed in the moment I did not realize there was a man and woman right behind me. I heard the water splash and turned around... Yep. People. I turned back around so fast and just walked in silence with my eyes the size of plates. 👀😳😳 I tried to break the awkward silence and said "Ummm, no one is up here. I was just talking to my horse and....um God." They didnt say anything. Then the lady said, "can we just ride in front of you or can you speed up? Im on a new mare and she is not comfortable with other horses."
Yep, she thinks I'm a freak and I possibly am a freak... ok Im definatly a weirdo, is that the same as a freak? I could have hid under a rock.
On a positive note Merlin was so glad to get going down trail and leave them behind. And guess what, I did it again when I got by myself! However, just typing this I feel that horrid cringe in my belly i felt then..... yikes....
So now that the embarrassing confession/story is over....the intro ride was challenging to me. I had to do some things I had not trained for. This trail had some slick large rocks. I have stepped over rocks, gone through rocks, but never climbed a giant slab. It was about 3ft high on a steep dirt trail but the side was a drop. I was actually scared because Merlin wears shoes. In my mind I didnt see how he would ever have grip to get over that rock to the dirt, but I had to. I took a minute to think and knew about 50 riders did it that morning so of course he could. I just leaned forward and asked and he went up it just fine.
There were some very big drops on the trail and I am so scared of heights. I have come a long way in this fear but I still feel panic in my heart when I look over the edge. I literally would just close that eye closest to the drop and let my horse just do the trail. Thankfully, we didn't have a time frame to stick to so I knew I could sit there forever if I needed to muster up the guts. Also, Merlin was so calm and careful it was not bad. I was even able to video some of it. (Video below)
The 12 miles were absolutely awesome. The flags on the trail were so often it would be almost impossible to get lost. The volunteers on the trail were so friendly. The intro was a treat. We had so much fun, Merlin and I.
As we were finishing the trail we had to go up a hill and it was steep. The end of the ride was at the top. No problem right?..... wrong. As Im going up the hill a dirt bike zooms behind us and Merlin got off trail and decided to go straight up verses taking the switch back. It wasn't that big of a squabble but big enough that I had to put him back on trail, he sassed by swinging his head and bopped me in the face...and then guess what?..he started limping. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are at the top, the end, ready to do the trot out and he is lame!!!!! The vet checks everything and cant find what it is, but he was consistent with his head bobbing. The vet said, not to worry and come back in a bit to vet him in for the 50 if he was no longer doing it. Decisions, decisions....
Thankfully, a super knowledgeable guy was there at the ride that has been an endurance rider forever and also a ferrier. I asked him to come look at Merlin. He located it right off... It was a bruise on the heel bulb. Merlin wasnt trotting out bad, but if you put a lot of pressure on that area he made a little noise. I could tell it bothered him and what good would 50 miles the next day do? NOTHING GOOD. So Merlin had a spa weekend, eating everything he could and resting.
I got to crew for my mentor instead of her always taking care of me. Oh and when you crew, you get to nap... so Bonus for me.
It was a great camping trip. The 12 miles I got to do were just so beautiful!
Will I be back? Heck yeah! I wouldnt miss it. Heck if all goes well and they do it, I may be able to do the two day 100 by then. Only time will tell :)
Here is a little video of the adventure we had :)
I was afraid I wasn't going to pull it off. I know I have said it a million times but the Wind Riders have the most amazing mentor on the planet, Cressy. She volunteered to take my horse a day early so that he was rested when I arrived on Friday. The plan was to do the intro ride on Saturday and complete a 50 mile ride for Sunday.
Why would I do an intro ride when he can do 50s....duh. I was thinking points for the team :) It will be a leg stretcher for the Merman, I get a free dinner, and 12 bonus points for the green bean team! Sweet!
Sigh.... if only things went as planned.
I vetted in and Merlin did great as always. He makes me so proud at the vet in. He always stands and behaves so well. His HR was 40.... not worry in the world. All As on everything else. We were ready for the intro ride in the morning. This actually worked out perfectly because Cressy's horse Saga would be doing the 50. I would be able to help them get off in the morning because they were starting at 7am and intro ride starts at 8.
Ride Meeting:
This was my first time going to the Land of the Sun Ride. I had hear through stories that the previous rides had been quite difficult because it was a new ride. It seemed everyone was very excited to see how the trails and the ride would go this year. There was lots of chatter around me, regarding previous times for riders on these trails.
I didn't have much pressure on me for this meeting since I was just doing the intro. I really got the opportunity to soak everything all in. This was the most professional ride meetings I have ever been to. The ride packages provided to the riders had visual examples of the ribbon colors that would be used on trail, trail maps, a typed memo on all the camp processes, vet cards already completed, and food tickets. The ride managers went over all of the maps via power point. (As an HR girl, I was in love... power point makes my heart sing 💕) They had made the maps with a Garmin tracker and went over the trail in great detail. I loved how during the review of the map they provided photos of the water troughs and items that needed to be pointed out on trail. I also really liked how the managers used a microphone for those that may not be able to hear well because there was a lot of people!
*Side Note: managers said there were so many people that next year they may limit the amount to reduce the stress.... so if your interested register early. Oh they are also considering doing a 2 day 100 mile ride, this is not for sure yet, but may be coming.
The dinner was catered by "Hauling Ash Bar B Q", AMAZING was an understatement. They served so much food people got desert and seconds. I love to eat so this was one of my favorite parts of the ride :)!
Intro Ride Day:
When traveling with Cressy ( a retired Chemical Engineer, and particular is an understatement) we follow the checklist, and the checklist for checklist. It actually is so good for me because I can become quite the chaos queen. Cressy measures the amounts of food given (weight is measured on a fish scale with a bucket), counts the poops, and pees. She knows her horse and by doing this she knows when something is wrong. She tracks it all, and since we were with her I did the same. I love getting to do this with her because its like a refresher on the importance of it all. We woke up very early, at 430 to start the boys breakfast. this gives them plenty of time to eat before we electrolyte them. Its before anyone else is up so they would not be worried about their neighbors next door and will eat quietly. This also allows for us not to be rushed. During that time, we bring the pads in so they are nice and warm when its time to put them on the boys. This is the time we get to eat our breakfast and get dressed. One thing I have learned from Cressy that I love, is she is saddled and warming up a half hour before the start. This gives her lots of time to walk the horse around and get all the pre-ride jitters of of her and the horse. That way when you start.. the crazy is over. Well of course they still want to get down the trail but its not like jumping on a horse right before the start and trotting to catch up and take off. Been there and done that, NOT FUN! Always be in saddle 30 min prior to ride.
We see Cressy and Saga off, then Merlin and I get ready to go. Although it is an intro we did it just like any other ride. 30 min prior to start I was in the saddle just walking around.
Im not sure how many people were in the ride but when I got to the start it was just me. I actually was so excited about this. I planned to pretty much walk the entire thing. It was just for a warm up and I love the quality time with just Merlin.
We get on trail and of course, Merlin want's to race but I made him walk. We only argued a few minutes and it wasn't bad at all.
This trail was absolutely the prettiest thing ever!!! The creek/river was so clear. We walked through the water and started down a trail that had tall rock walls on each side that seemed to go on forever.
WARNING EMBARRASSING STORY BEGINS HERE:
As we are riding down this trail I just get overwhelmed with its beauty. Sometimes, I feel this is my "church". I just cant help but use it as my opportunity to talk to God and sing (I am not good by the way)...of course if no one is around. Well.... I thought I was alone. I started screaming.... "Merlin, look at this!!! This is So Amazing!!! God thank you for this, thank you for this moment, thank you for this horse, thank you for this day, thank you for each breath... " It went on and on. I was just so thankful and had to proclaim it. I was so engulfed in the moment I did not realize there was a man and woman right behind me. I heard the water splash and turned around... Yep. People. I turned back around so fast and just walked in silence with my eyes the size of plates. 👀😳😳 I tried to break the awkward silence and said "Ummm, no one is up here. I was just talking to my horse and....um God." They didnt say anything. Then the lady said, "can we just ride in front of you or can you speed up? Im on a new mare and she is not comfortable with other horses."
Yep, she thinks I'm a freak and I possibly am a freak... ok Im definatly a weirdo, is that the same as a freak? I could have hid under a rock.
On a positive note Merlin was so glad to get going down trail and leave them behind. And guess what, I did it again when I got by myself! However, just typing this I feel that horrid cringe in my belly i felt then..... yikes....
So now that the embarrassing confession/story is over....the intro ride was challenging to me. I had to do some things I had not trained for. This trail had some slick large rocks. I have stepped over rocks, gone through rocks, but never climbed a giant slab. It was about 3ft high on a steep dirt trail but the side was a drop. I was actually scared because Merlin wears shoes. In my mind I didnt see how he would ever have grip to get over that rock to the dirt, but I had to. I took a minute to think and knew about 50 riders did it that morning so of course he could. I just leaned forward and asked and he went up it just fine.
There were some very big drops on the trail and I am so scared of heights. I have come a long way in this fear but I still feel panic in my heart when I look over the edge. I literally would just close that eye closest to the drop and let my horse just do the trail. Thankfully, we didn't have a time frame to stick to so I knew I could sit there forever if I needed to muster up the guts. Also, Merlin was so calm and careful it was not bad. I was even able to video some of it. (Video below)
The 12 miles were absolutely awesome. The flags on the trail were so often it would be almost impossible to get lost. The volunteers on the trail were so friendly. The intro was a treat. We had so much fun, Merlin and I.
As we were finishing the trail we had to go up a hill and it was steep. The end of the ride was at the top. No problem right?..... wrong. As Im going up the hill a dirt bike zooms behind us and Merlin got off trail and decided to go straight up verses taking the switch back. It wasn't that big of a squabble but big enough that I had to put him back on trail, he sassed by swinging his head and bopped me in the face...and then guess what?..he started limping. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are at the top, the end, ready to do the trot out and he is lame!!!!! The vet checks everything and cant find what it is, but he was consistent with his head bobbing. The vet said, not to worry and come back in a bit to vet him in for the 50 if he was no longer doing it. Decisions, decisions....
Thankfully, a super knowledgeable guy was there at the ride that has been an endurance rider forever and also a ferrier. I asked him to come look at Merlin. He located it right off... It was a bruise on the heel bulb. Merlin wasnt trotting out bad, but if you put a lot of pressure on that area he made a little noise. I could tell it bothered him and what good would 50 miles the next day do? NOTHING GOOD. So Merlin had a spa weekend, eating everything he could and resting.
I got to crew for my mentor instead of her always taking care of me. Oh and when you crew, you get to nap... so Bonus for me.
It was a great camping trip. The 12 miles I got to do were just so beautiful!
Will I be back? Heck yeah! I wouldnt miss it. Heck if all goes well and they do it, I may be able to do the two day 100 by then. Only time will tell :)
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