Sandhills 2014

Sandhills Spring Fling Ride Story 2014

After such a great 50 mile completion at Red Barn Run, Eli and I opted to do a fun 25 mile ride two weeks later at Sandhills Spring Fling. This ride takes place at the gorgeous H. Cooper Black Recreation Area in Patrick, SC. This was the site of the AERC National Championship ride a few years ago. The forecast was calling for a high temperature of 81 degrees with a "real feel" of 86. On ride day, I was very glad that we had opted for the shorter distance. I was already overheating by noon.

Waiting to head out....

 Looks like I'm adjusting stirrups!

Eli vetted through the pre-ride vet check with a pulse of 42 and all As on his vet card. We chatted with old friends and new. We happened to be camped next to Penny Markle who had contacted us on Facebook about Standardbreds and I spent some time talking to her about our horses, New Vocations and what to expect when she competes with her standie for the first time in the fall. Eli stood patiently and graciously allowed us to continue our conversation and admire his demeanor. I hope to stay in touch with Penny and see her boy on the endurance trail.

On ride morning, Eli knew just what was happening. We were competing in a field of 53 horses. Sandhills is known for two things, deep sand and big hills. Many come to this ride thinking it will be easy because it is not in the mountains but looks can be deceiving. This is actually one of the toughest rides in our region. There is a great deal of sand that can cause lameness problems if you do not ride smart. We started off in mid-pack. I had my hands full on the first loop and we struggled to get into a comfortable zone away from other horses. He is always well mannered but he relaxes better when he can't spot horses up ahead of him. We came in to the first vet check in just under 2 hours for a 15 mile loop. He vetted through like a champ and we settled into our crew area in some shady pine trees.

Photo by Becky Pearman: First loop

The second loop was only 10 miles and we went out alone and rode alone for most of the loop. The trail was lovely with a mix of sandy dirt roads and some fun single track. We just took it easy and I let him cruise at his nice trot for most of the loop. We met a very nice lady on a paint horse. Her name was Heather Wilkerson and she had some questions for me about Eli and New Vocations. She commented on how steady and forward Eli was and she was very interested in standardbreds. I'm also staying in touch with her on Facebook. 

 

Walking out of camp nicely on the second loop!

Heading out on the second loop....much more relaxed! Photo by Becky Pearman

We came into camp alone. I always jump off and walk him in, loosen his girth and let him know that we are finished. In AERC LD competitions you have to pulse down to 60 before your time stops. It was quite warm and he pulsed down very well for a big horse. We placed 19th out of 53 horses with a ride time of 3 hours and 23 minutes.

I'm very proud of his performance this spring and we have talked to so many people about New Vocations and the great attributes of Standardbreds.

Until next time!
PS. Eli is getting ready to try out the new Easyshoe by Easycare. Stay tuned for the results!