Elk Valley Endurance Ride - First 50 miler

Jul 2001

Well, we did it!

My husband and I were entered in the Elk Valley Endurance Ride (PA) this weekend -- he in the 2-day 100, Ned and me in the 50 on Sunday (first for both of us!). I know that endurance riders say you're not REALLY an endurance rider until you've done a one day fifty, so I was hoping to be indoctrinated into that category. Mostly I crew for hubby and ride when I can, but we had enough friends at this ride that I knew Rich and I could both ride and have enough help to get by at the vet checks. He's been doing this for a few years on his Arab, and this is the first year that my big 7 y.o. Arab/Trakehner's brain seems fully engaged enough to be risking such a thing, although I've been doing some LD and ECTRA CTR on he and my older mare for 5 years or so.

Hubby was running 2nd or so (2, 3 and 4 were all really close) in the 100 when they finished the first half on Saturday, so I knew I couldn't expect him to mollycoddle Ned and me on Sunday (we'd originally planned to ride together on Sunday). After all, I don't want to live the rest of my marriage hearing "wonder where we would have placed if you hadn't slowed me down . . ." So I bucked up and planned on riding Ned 50 miles mostly solo. A slightly daunting thought on some tough trail with a horse who occasionally has mind melt and does such silly things as jumping OFF a trail (down an embankment). And who after last weekend's successful dressage show, dumped me unceremoniously on our gravel road when spooked by a bush significantly older than he. I have a plan, you see . . . I tell all the local dressage queen types at the dressage shows that he's "really my endurance horse" then at the endurance rides tell everyone that he's "really my dressage horse." This way I keep expectations low . . .

At the last minute we were asked to "sponsor" a junior rider -- a local 12 y.o. girl with a QH type grade horse. They weren't interested in racing either, and I couldn't say no. Immediately I wondered if I would dread it -- 50 miles is a long enough day in great company, but with a less than pleasant or competent kid, it could be forever. As it turned out, riding with this young lady (watch out for her -- she's going to be kicking all of our behinds some day soon!) was far more pleasant than with many adults!

Taylor is a great girl! Smart, concerned about her horse, and tough as nails. We made a few rules as we trotted down the trail together -- no whining, let the other know if we were going too fast, needed to stop and pee, or wanted to swap positions. Fast when we could, slow when we had to. And "to finish is to win!"

The trail at Elk Valley is four loops ranging from 11-14 miles in length, with each ending in camp where the vet checks were set up. Debbie and Gene Zanot run this ride, and the vets were the "usual suspects" at EV -- Dave Swaney, Stan Alkemade and Art King. As per usual, the volunteers and drag riders were wonderful, and Buck Shrader (announcer/time extraordinaire), refreshed and relaxed from a nearly 4 week trip to Wyoming, had found some "unique" wake up call tapes to broadcast over the P.A. for the 4:30 wake up call. (At every ride, there is that little 10 second period of time in the wee hours when we'd rather be sleeping when we really hate Buck --he actually says "Rise and Shine!"-- although in reality we think he's a peach.) Elk Valley (which is surrounded by mountains) isn't even close to easy, but it is simple -- out of camp, UP a mountain, across the top of the mountain, DOWN the mountain, back into camp. Beautiful, gorgeous, breathtaking scenery, lots of crossings in a huge creek, and lots of opportunities to meet elk and other critters very up close and personal. And lots of challenges -- some LONG climbs and descents, some STEEP climbs and descents, and rocks, and washouts, and some monsters (one trail in and out of camp was bordered on both sides by "scary" things -- Rich and I called riding through there "running the gauntlet" as the horses couldn't quite decide which direction to spook.)

The first loop contained a 2 mile climb up the largest mountain in the ride ("Big Charlie"). Ned and Red (Taylor's horse's name -- the perfect pair, eh?) climbed dutifully and then we boogied along and descended carefully. A creek crossing (where we had our photo taken as the fog rose off the water) and a little walk into camp.

Did I mention that there is also an "ultra run" held at this ride? Yep, people (of the human variety) RUNNING the same trail we rode. Yep, up the mountains, yep, through the creeks. Yep, FIFTY miles. Unbelievable. The runners didn't have mandatory vet checks, so they tended to pass on trail as we vetted thru and we'd pass them again on each loop. We'd say hello, exchange pleasantries ("How are you hanging in there?" "Miserable." "Oh, us too." "Beautiful day!") I hopped off Ned and climbed a couple of the hills (or parts of them I should say) and I can't even begin to tell you how much I was humbled at what these runners (and the horses too) do. Amazing . . .

Anyhoo, Ned and Red came back into the first vet check after having drunk and hoovered as much grass as they could on trail. Ned was pulsed down when we came in, and he got all "A"s on his vet card (as he did ALL day) and dragged me through the trot out. The vet was so impressed by his strong steady heart that he made his recorder listen to it.

The second loop had a wicked steep climb, but much shorter than the first, and quite a few rocks on the steep descent. We picked our way through that at a pace that was a bit slower than I would have liked. Red is the slow and steady variety of horse (a saint!), so I chalked it up to it being a longer day than I'd hoped for. (On Saturday, some of the 50s were coming in at nearly 5 p.m. after starting at 6 a.m. and I confessed to several people that I wanted to be showered and drinking a Mike's by that time on Sunday.) Ned and Red re-arrived at camp strong and steady again. Found out hubby's horse had been pulled for a funky cramp in his right hind, possibly related to a laceration that was a little sore on his left hind. Bummed for him, particularly since he got no mileage credit for the 64 miles he'd ridden, although we're quite certain that Shantih is going to be just fine. (He is running around sound in the pasture right now.) One of those flukey sorts of things.

On the third loop, I vowed to keep humming right along (remembering my vision of the lounge chair and Mike). As we started out, we passed some friends (front runners who were finishing that loop) -- one yelled to me "this loop sucks!" Another said "So glad to be off that mountain!" Yikes. And yepper, it was a long steady climb to the top, and just when we thought we were at the top, we found more climbing. Jumped off and walked Ned up a bit of it, and climbed back on and thanked him for hauling my behind up the rest. Ned continued his practice of drinking from the slimiest, warmest puddles, while Red hoovered down water from the cooler, clearer streams. It started to get hot -- about 80 and humid, so we boogied along the top of the mountain (where it was sunny) and were relieved to get back into the shade of the woods to descend the mountain. Ned did his Arab head flip/shake on the way back into camp. Couldn't believe it -- while the climbs were tough, he was just getting stronger and stronger as the day progressed.

Vetted through cleanly once again, watched Ned slurp up beet pulp and wet grain and wet hay all thru the check (even our neighbors'), and prepared to head out again. Did I mention Ned hates getting syringed? And we were doing lots of it. By this time, I was climbing up on a step stool and just waiting him out, trying to squirt the electrolytes down his throat rather than up his nostril or in my eye. His favorite evasion is lifting his head straight up and since at 16.1+ he's basically a giraffe, this step stool trick got us through the last few lytings before he caught on to us. He's a real goober about this, and since he eats, drinks, climbs, leads, follows and gallops or pokes, I hate to see this be his biggest barrier to being an endurance horse. Yes, I'm open to suggestions.

As we headed out on the last loop, I got the news from my young partner that her Red was just a tiny bit stiff behind and needed to be walked carefully up any hills. That dream of 5 p.m. and my friend Mike were fading quickly. We had our only real scary moments on this loop -- up until this point Ned (Mr. Spook Wildly At Ancient Bush Dump Mom On Gravel Road Bloodying and Bruising Her) was Mr. Bold and Brave. We had a very steep little climb (6' or so) off the trail ONTO the paved road (not a great set up) -- Ned got about halfway up, saw a road sign on the other side of the road (*vewwwy scawy*), and changed his mind. Not good. Taylor (following) thought we were going to come over on top of her, but Ned (no doubt encouraged by my bloodcurdling scream, LOL) made a second effort and boink, there we were on the road. We climbed the hill (with Taylor hopping off and walking Red up the whole thing -- tough kid, that one, and not a single whine!) headed across the mountain, down, and onto some gravel road. There we had a paved road crossing (on a bridge no less). With Ned leading, here comes a car FLYING. I did the universal slow down signal (no, not the middle finger one) and the car sped up (really). I was braced for a bolt (Ned HATES traffic) and . . . nothing. Sighed, and then here comes a five horse trailer from the ride, canoe attached on the top of the truck (scary looking even to me). They slowed a bit, I held on with every fiber of my being, and Ned just walked on as tho it were nothing. Guess 46 miles will do that to a horse. Several more creek crossings, one more Taylor potty stop, and we came in, victorious (well sort of!).

Ned wowed me by trotting out relatively exuberantly (I'd told him he was done a million times by then, and I think he believed me) and with Stan and Art congratulating me on what they anticipated was going to be a very competitive and tough horse for a very long time (must have seen me on the step stool trying to break Ned's will). Our finish time was 4:37, so while I missed my plan for Mike's by a little bit, I was pretty thrilled with my Ned. And very proud and delighted for Taylor and Red, quite the pair.

Ice booted Ned, fed him, lyted him again (snuck in this time before he could see I had a syringe), and sat around with a bunch of friends drinking water (bit too dehydrated for that Mike's right away) and relating ride/camp stories.

Ponies are now home safe and sound, and we're planning our next ride. Am worried for hubby. I'm really an endurance rider now, and I think I'm hooked. And riding is WAY easier than crewing! ;-)

Boy, painfully long report! You folks still awake?

Congratulations to Nancy McAninch and Czar Fire who won the 100 for the second year, and Wendy Benns who got BC. I know Loretta Wazelle won the 50 on Saturday, with Sallie Sullivan (on Ann Zedaker's Storm Shadow) close on their heels. As for Sunday, while we were really close and pushing them along, Nancy Oates' daughter (oh, her name escapes me at the moment!) and Nancy came in 1st and 2nd and Nancy got BC.

Thanks to Deb and Gene and Buck and Donna and Sandy and Linda, and the whole crew of friends who made this ride so much fun!

--Patti (WNY)

Copyright 2001, Patti Stedman