Ride Between The Rivers 2013
Ellamore, WV
A long and winding road opened up into a splendid valley surrounded by mountains. Nestled in the West Virginia mountains, ride camp for the Ride Between the Rivers created an ethereal feel. As soon as I spotted this valley, I knew it would be difficult to leave this mountain stronghold. A carpet of green grass extended to the mountain borders and provided the ideal location to create memories and share time with horses.
The Randolph County Regional Riding Club immediately welcomed us to their little piece of heaven and I instantly felt at home. I had ridden to WV with my friends Lara and Tim who graciously asked if I would ride their arabian gelding Taz in the 50 mile ride. Tim drove us down into the valley and we set up camp quickly and got the horses settled. Tim would be riding his big 5 year old, Izzo, in his his third 50 and Lara would be riding her great gelding, Slick.
We went ahead and set up our crew area near the vet check. Tim had purchased a new 10' by 20' canopy and once we finally figured out how to set it up, we realized how comfortable we would be at the holds.
The ride management was fantastic. Jennifer Poling and RCRRC did a fantastic job. Registration and vetting were open early in the day and we never had to stand in line. The mood in camp was relaxed and I could not stop surveying the mountain vistas.
Ride morning dawned cool and overcast. The temperatures were to be in the 70s that day and I was reveling in this because it was 90 back home in NC. Taz as usual was a bit wound up before the start and he "told" me that he was thinking about bucking, however he never carried through. We waited for the main pack to leave and then we headed out together at a nice trot on the Red loop. We found this loop to have lots of logging roads, gravel and just a few big climbs. We made good time on this loop with Izzo, Slick and Taz traveling well together. They all vetted through well although Izzo proved to be the champion eater of the group.
Izzo eating!
The second loop was the Blue/White loop and here is where the challenge began. We train in the mountains of NC all the time, so the climbs weren't as big a deal as the copious amounts of rock and mud. Parts of the trail had ATV ruts that were filled with water, so lots of time was spent dodging mud and weaving through the obstacles. The riding club had done a great job of clearing the trail of damage from superstorm Sandy, but you would see the tree damage throughout the forest. Lara and I split off from Tim on this loop because our horses were traveling a bit faster than his youngster. We traversed the muddy sections and also miles and miles of downhill dirt road covered in pad destroying gravel. Taz was riding strong and pulled us through this loop that at moments seemed interminable. Once again, we vetted through well and Taz started eating. The boys were a bit upset to be separated from Izzo and Slick made quite a scene when Izzo arrived in camp. Lara and I were out at 1:52 for our last loop.
Taz and Slick napping...
We headed back out to do the Red loop one more time. We knew the trail a bit better this time and made good time for the late afternoon. It sprinkled rain but never opened up on us. Overall, I felt excellent and Taz was motivated to get home. We kept a steady pace and passed a lot of horses on this loop. The course proved to be challenging but fair. It is definitely a ride where you need excellent hoof protection and some backups as well. We were all carrying multiple renegade boots just in case. Slick and Taz lost all their pour in pads by the middle of the second loop so we just rode smart and careful on the third loop. We finished 21st and 22nd and had a solid mid-pack finish. All As for the boys and they looked good afterwards. Tim and Izzo also finished the ride, so it was a very successful trip for all involved.
The Worden's Big Tent!
Taz! Photo by Becky Pearman
Taz: Photo by Becky Pearman
Ride camp
