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Canter Over the Mountain - we WON!!

2K views 10 replies 11 participants last post by  Skipsfirstspike 
#1 ·
This weekend, I went to Canter Over the Mountain, which took place in Mannington, WV. The weather around here had been lovely since the hurricane.. upper 70s, breezy, no humidity. However, this weekend, mother nature decided to remind us that summer was not actually over. On friday, it was 97 with high humidity when we arrived at base camp.
I hadn't been feeling quite right for a while (stomach big going around work as well as some drama in my personal life), and I went down with a migraine before dinner friday. Woke up Saturday morning feeling like hell, but at least I had stopped throwing up. The weather was already disgusting: 77 and 100% humidity. It was actually so foggy, they had to delay the start of the ride!





This photo was taken about 3 miles from the start.. notice how sweaty we both already are:





I started out riding with my friends Jen and Daryl and spent all day with them. I was feeling totally dazed, and was having trouble even keeping water down (not good in that kind of heat). It was like riding though a swamp, only one with insane hills. It was so hot, we were walking up and down the big climbs right from the start.





We got lucky for a while, as the heavy fog kept the worst of the sun at bay.







The first loop, which was 25 miles, seemed to go on forever. Thank goodness I had such good company on trail. We whined and complained and joked and the miles slowly crept by.





At least there was plenty of water on trail (thank you hurricane irene!). The locals were very nice about leaving tanks and even hoses out for us. We stopped at every opportunity to get wet.





The pulse criteria at the vet checks was 60 bpm, which is lower than the normal 64. We used gallons of water and countless bags of ice to help cool the horses (and ourselves). We got SO lucky that the people beside us had a huge fan, which was being run by a generator. I could have kissed those people, as they let our horses use the fan too.






Leaving to go back out onto the second loop was a killer. I felt like crap, it was 100 degrees and we had 15 hard miles to go. While we all took turns leading on all the loops, I spent a lot in the lead this one because Jen was afraid I was going to fall off Dreams and she wanted to be able to see me.





We walked 90% of that loop. It was agonizing. Even though we had ridden the same trail the year before, every hill seemed much steeper and longer.





By the middle of that loop, the sun had finally burned off most of the fog, especially on the tops of the mountains. Being out in the sun felt like you were frying, but the views were nice!








At the last hold, jen's horse didn't pulse down quite as fast, so Daryl and I left on the final 10 mile loop late in the afternoon (normally we would have been done the whole ride by then!). Most of the terrain on the last loop was very nice, but it was just too hot to take advantage of it.







As we approached the finish, we had our plan all ready. There was a creek crossing just yards before the finish. We were going to stop there and take time to cool the horses, to make the final vetting easier. People waiting at the finish line could see us coming, and we heard the first cheers a distance away. We could also hear the following commentary:

"Here they come, down the final hill!"

long pause

"Umm, they stopped!! I can see Dawn with her sponge. Now I see Daryl with his sponge. They stopped to sponge in the creek!!"

much laughing

we finish sponging and walk up the small rise to the final yards of grassy field before the line.

"Look out, here they come!"

people scatter, expecting horses to come galloping across the line

Daryl and I get off our horses and lead them across the finish, holding hands, to much laughing and cheering

"Guess there won't be any race-off this year. I assume you two want to tie for first?"



We both got our completions during our 10 min CRI check. Then we stood in the shade and rested until the best condition exam. I think the huge puddle (in a spot that had been totally dry at the start of the day) shows just how much water we used to cool off all day!





The BC exam was hot and having to run again was just horrible. I had weighed in 10 lbs less than I normally do, and I have no doubt most of that was my dehydration. Dreams was her normal rockstar self and quietly did her job.





In the end, the weight difference gave the horse Daryl was riding the edge in BC, but I couldn't be more pleased with how Dreams did. Since Daryl got a rump rug for BC, he graciously let me have the first to finish prize (a nice embroidered cooler), without having to arm wrestle him for it.

Afterwards, Dreams was tired but looked great. As some perspective, we did this ride last year in a time of 5:16 and we placed 5th. The winner (Daryl on a different horse) finished in 5:07. This year, our ride time was about 8 hours and we tied for the win--three hours difference! It was thirty degrees warmer at the start (and infinitely more humid) this year than last year. Pretty amazing.




I couldn't be more proud of Dreams. That ride was the truest endurance test we have ever faced.. and we did it! :D
 
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#2 ·
first and foremost CONGRATS!!! and omg that first picture is just stunning - it came out absolutely beautiful. shame that the weather was so much worse. i'm still determined one of these days to get to a ride with you with ridge. we did a lot more pushing and cantering and galloping this last camping trip and i have to say he was in such great shape i was amazed. we did a normally 5h ride at an easy trail pace (w/t and some canter/gallop) in 4h with some very long stretches of gallop. poor topper was pooped but ridge just wanted to keep on going! now that i have my own small trailer maybe this fall!
 
#3 ·
Congrats!!!!! Absolutely gorgeous photos! Thanks for sharing!!
 
#6 ·
Congrats on your win!

I don't know how you do it. I can't STAND humidity and heat. I probably would have been a no show for the competition. I have no problem riding in the winter, but summer with heat and humidity....no thanks. I don't know how all the southeners do it.

Good for you on the win, and your pics are awesome. Thanks for sharing.
 
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