I did find the time to get El through his 1st 55 mile event in 2011. We completed the DRAWARAMA 55 mile ride on Thursday, September 1, 2011. This will begin El's journey toward becoming a member of the Decade Team, which I think is one of the most prestigious recognitions that an endurance horse can achieve. For more information on Decade Teams, please check out Karen Chaton's blog on endurance riding.
A little recap of our 55 mile ride. The weather started out quite pleasantly. It was about 55 degrees, overcast - a typical fall day in Wisconsin.
The ride was held in Palmyra, WI, which I felt would be perfect for El's first attempt at an endurance event distance. These trails are our 'home turf'. We condition on these trails on a weekly basis. Nothing like trying to stack the deck in your favor! :)
The ride consisted of 4 loops, 16/9/16/9. Good friend Ann and her mare, Kassie, rode the 1st 3 loops with El and I. Ann wisely noticed that Kassie wasn't feeling entirely sound after the 3 loop and decided to rider option. About this same time, the wind and rain began to let loose. What to do, what to do? I never start a ride without the intention of finishing, but I have to admit that I was tempted that day! The temps had dropped to the high 30's, along with howling wind and driving rain at times. Not pleasant.
As I headed out of camp for my last 9 miles alone, I knew there weren't any other horses on the trail. Not a cheerful thought! I consoled myself with the knowledge, that if things got really ugly, I knew how to get quickly backed to camp.
I was so proud of El as he trotted out of camp all alone. He let out a couple of anxious neighs and trotted away from his riding buddy. The miles were going by quite quickly and we reached the turnaround to head for home. Yippee!
Not so fast with the yippee, the rain began to fall with a real purpose, just as the sun began to set. We headed back to camp in ankle deep mud in the dusk. Not quite what I had envisioned for El's first endurance adventure. He was quite the trooper and finished up with mostly A's on his vet card. He was a tired pony, but I think a 'proud horse.' I know I was a very proud mom!
