2009 Kentucky Cup & North American Team Challenge

Wednesday October 14 1009

Great weather for an endurance race, if you're a duck. On second thought, I didn't see any ducks anywhere around. The rain began just around the start of the 120 km ride at 7:30 AM - and didn't stop all day. Mid-40's and dumping rain most of the morning, then rain and wind, then light rain and wind, then mist and wind, more rain, more wind, and colder, dropping into the upper 30's. The condition of the course - 70% of it over mowed grass - got worse proportionally with the amount of rain: slick, with mud, that only got slicker and deeper as the day wore on.

In the vetting area, under the media and volunteer tents, it was wet - not from falling rain, but from rainwater that seeped up from the ground. Within an hour, footsteps left everything muddy, so that by noon mud was ankle deep everywhere, in the vetting and crewing areas, in the tents. By afternoon I had to walk funny because my shoes threatened to get sucked off at every step. The tracks for the horses were even worse, up to 8 inches of deep mud in some places. A little river formed at the out-timer where horses went out onto loops 3 through 6.

It was truly a test of endurance, for horses and riders, and the crews who got to stand around and freeze while they waited for their riders to come off the course.

Loop 1 - 28.7 km
Loop 2 - 39.8 km
Loop 3 & 5 - 20.4 km
Loop 4 - 31.1 km
Loop 6 - 19 km

The UAE boys, including 21-year-old Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, were the first to canter off at the start at 7:30 AM, when it was just light enough (with the heavy cloud cover and rain) to see without headlamps.

The 160 km riders were warming up in a big circle around the starting line for the 7:46 AM start. Becky Hart commented that some of them looked cold and should warm up better, even as some of the horses stopped and stood with their butts turned to the wind and rain (they'd be going straight into it). Tony Benedetti, coach for the Pac South team, joked, "It's just like California out here!" One of the riders said "My hands are frozen already!" Some of the horses wore butt blankets all day.

Off they went, an orderly start, while I tried to find a dry place for the next 1 1/2 hours that it would probably take the leaders to finish the first 28.7 km loop. The small media tent, while it had a nice heater blasting out hot air, was nowhere near the course (or near anything), nor did it have any food or water, or coffee which would have been quite welcome, so I hunkered down most of the time in the volunteers' tent, which was bigger, had coffee, another blasting heater, and I found I was able to take pictures of a bit of the finish line chute - where all the loops came in - through a divide in the tent walls. By the time riders started coming the wind was knocking the tent flaps, and therefore my camera, around so much I didn't know which was worse for my camera, the banging from the tent or the rain outside.

The heavy rain let up a bit, but by the time the first riders came in off Loop 1 at 9 AM it was back to raining hard. The first ones in were the UAE boys and Spain's Jaume Punti on Kopal de Cabirat on the 120 km, with the leader Shaikh Majid's horse Kangoo d'Aurabel averaging 18.7 km/h (11.6 mph).

Valerie Kanavy, riding the 8-year-old mare LM Parys, and her daughter Danielle McGunigal, on 8-year-old Gold Raven (an auspicious name to be sure), were the first riders from the 160 km to arrive at the vet gate, averaging 19.4 km/h (12 mph). Farzad Faryadi on 9-year-old Hot Desert Night was in hot pursuit, 3 minutes behind them, followed by Jeremy Reynolds on Sir Smith, Canadians Tara and daughter Ariel MacLeod on Cairos Summer Rmance and Driftwoods Bellanca, Gabrielle Mann on CM Big Easy, and Cheryl Dell on TR Reason to Believe.

Tara and her 7-year-old Anglo Arab mare last rode in the Ft Howes 100 in June - in similar (worse, really) weather conditions and over similar (in the morning, anyway) terrain. Ariel and her 8-year-old Arabian mare completed the 75 at Ft Howes. Maybe their horses would have an advantage today.

Conspicuously at the back of the pack on the 120 km, with only one horse beaten, was Maria Alvarez Ponton on Sahara, nearly an hour behind Shaikh Majid's lead. It seemed rather slow for the World Champion... but maybe she's a World Champion because she knows what she's doing.

Just 6 horses in both distances were eliminated after loop 1, including Penny and Alexandra Toft who retired their horses. "I've never been so scared in my life!" Penny said. They decided to stop: "These are good horses, and it's not worth the risk." It was a very expensive endeavor, flying two horses in from Australia for this ride to finish only one loop, but since I've known the Tofts, they've always put the best interest of their horses first.

Besides, 14-year-old Alexandra was near hypothermia, standing under the Australian crewing tent (open on both sides) shivering, with her teeth chattering. Madonna Harris, the High Performance Coach of the New Zealand team, here to scout out the trail with an eye to bringing a team next year, grabbed Alexandra and dragged her to the other side of the property, into the media tent, setting her down right in front of the heater. She got wrapped in a blanket, and I peeled her helmet off and stuck my wool hat on her head, and fifteen minutes later she was still shivering in front of the blasting hot air. A couple of medics were there monitoring her temperature. "That's nothing," Madonna said, "You should have seen Matthew Sample!" He was the Australian who just won the Quilty with his brother Brook in September. Madonna had brought Matthew to the heater also because he was even more frozen. Matthew warmed up enough to go out on the second loop, but his horse - DJB Boomer owned by Darolyn Butler, ended up lame.

Russian entrant Nikolay Melbard, riding Christoph Shork's DWA Express was one eliminated for lameness at the first vet check. Nikolai had been looking forward to his ride on the stallion: "He's very strong, I like that!" He said he'd be back next year to try again.

Now, what to do while waiting for the riders to complete the 2nd 39.8 km loop? There was a Hospitality Tent which had food, but was not so hospitable - it was by invitation only. Still no food or drink for the media anywhere, and the volunteer tent was under water and the heater crowded. The UAE had their own temporary building put up, and their own catering service where, if you walked on the backside road (we weren't allowed in the crewing areas either, so the only way from one side to the other was on this back road behind the UAE building) your mouth watered when you saw the hot steaming food being cooked and carried into the building. (sigh)

However, I'd had the great fortune and pleasure of meeting equine photographer and journalist Genie Stewart-Spears, and she had the luck or foresight to have a camper in the campground which just happened to be a short distance from the vetting area. She took me in and gave me hot coffee and hot homemade soup, giving us both a little respite from the cold and rain. (She'd also given me a pair of rain pants, which saved my legs, and I'd run to Walmart the night before to pick up a $1 emergency rain poncho which was a brilliant move.)

Back into the elements to wait for the riders arriving off Loop 2. Ian Williams had been announcer during the day - it was a great way to keep up with what was going on in the ride. He kept presenting a cheery forecast, insisting "The rain is going to clear up around noon," but I was a bit skeptical, as I sloshed through the mud toward the course.

It was still - guess what! - raining at 11:33 when the riders came splashing in off Loop 2. The first 4 in were the UAE boys led by Shaikh Majid; next two were the Spanish Jaume Punti and Jordi Arboix. Second place, Yahya Sughayer Danoon's horse Medjerda, a nice eye-catching 9-year-old dark gray Arabian, was asked for a 2nd trot out, but he passed. Third place Lillig Armor, ridden by Mubarak Khalifa had a CRI of 60/40 - and that after pulsing down in 3 minutes. The first 8 riders all did this loop faster than the first one.

On the 160 km, clipping along at 20 km/h put Farzad Faryadi and Hot Desert Night in first place, a couple of minutes ahead of Valerie and Danielle.

Valerie's horse LM Parys was asked for a 2nd trot out in the vet gate, and was out for lameness - her horse had slipped and fallen on one of the paved roads on loop 2 and they both went down. LM Parys had scraped up her hind leg, although she was lame in front at the trot out. (Next morning, she was okay).

That left Farzad in first, Danielle in 2nd 6 minutes later, Jeremy Reynolds and Sir Smith moving up into 3rd 7 minutes later, followed by Mark Ibanez of Chile, riding Cheryl Van Deusen's Precious Beaunita. Next was Bob Gielen of Canada on FC Galaxy, Ellyn Rapp of Illinois on Berjo Smokey, and Jan Worthington of Illinois on Golden Lightning. Leon looked good - but then he always looks good to me.

Maria Alvarez had kicked up the pace on Sahara on this loop of the 120 km; 18 km/h (and a 2:12 to pulse down) put her in 11th place. French riders Virginie Atger and Caroline Denayer were riding together in 14th & 15th place, averaging 15 km/h.

Now the tough condition of the course was starting to take its toll - the eliminations were proportional to the rain and the deepening mud. 15 horses were pulled at Vet Gate 2 for lameness, and 1 for metabolics. Two were retired by their riders, including Carolyn Hock and her gelding GT Sando. "He passed his vet check, but I could tell he was just not moving quite right in the hind end. I conferred with my coach and the team vet and asked them for advice; we decided not to go on."

Cheryl Dell and Reason were pulled for lameness behind - and it wasn't till after the trot out that they discovered, in all that mud, they'd overlooked the fact he was missing a hind shoe. Argh! Cheryl later said that the person assigned to look after the shoes had been pulled to help elsewhere, and it was just overlooked. "Well, you live and learn." A disappointment, but, with the going so bad, maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

Just about this time, Ian Williams announced that the officials had gotten together and decided to shorten the 160 km race to 120 km, since the rain was not going to stop (maybe they'd previously been looking at the weather forecast for, say, Tahiti.) "Due to the weather and the conditions of the course" it was "in the best interest of the horses" to eliminate the last two loops.

There were mixed feelings about it - some riders were happy about the decision, because the conditions of the course really were deteriorating - mud up to 8 inches deep in some places, and the river crossings were getting deep - and only going to worsen; but some riders were disappointed, because they'd come to get their COCs. However, Jan Worthington pointed out the next day that the conditions were so bad, she didn't know if anybody would have finished the entire 160 km.

Meanwhile, the ride continued, and so did the wind and rain and cold. As veterinarian Dr Jim Baldwin said, "It's just another day in an endurance rider's life - there's a limited number, so make the best of 'em." And you didn't see too many unhappy faces, even while riders were shivering and huddled over their cups of hot tea or coffee. Some riders whooped it up as they headed out on their next loops. Mustafa Tehrani from India, riding Linda Crandell's mare LR Jasur Melika, was having a good time despite the weather, and despite the shortening of the distance of the 160 km, since he'd come aiming to get his COC. He agreed with Ian's earlier weather forecast... to some extent. "Yes there will be sunshine. In my home country of India!"

The 20.4 km Loop 3 took just over an hour for the front runners. The UAE and Spanish boys were still leading, with Shaikh Majid staying in front by a couple of minutes, averaging 19.2 km/h on that loop. Jaume Punti retired his horse at the vet check, which moved Leo Steinbruch of Brazil, riding Stars A Flame - owned by Dian Woodward & Christoph Shork - up to 6th place.

Danielle McGunigal, in the 160 km, was actually only 2 minutes behind Shaikh Majid - she'd made up 14 minutes on the trail. Ellen Rapp and Smokey arrived just 3 minutes behind her. Farzad Faryadi was in 8th, but he turned up on the eliminations sheet at the timer. If you didn't see him go out, you wouldn't know he was still going. I didn't find that out till after the top 10 or so had finished the ride, and it wasn't corrected till later on the printouts. It was a surprise when everyone saw his name on the pull list, and it was another surprise to find out he ultimately finished 8th!

By now the rain was lighter, but the wind was stronger and colder. Crewing was either Hit or Miss, Luck, or an Art. Used to dumping water on a horse to cool it down in warm weather, what does the crew do when it's 40* and raining outside, with a wind chill below 30*? The horses would come in steaming from their hard efforts in the mud, with heart rates above the (I believe it was) 64 criteria. Some crews would toss blankets on the horse's butt and not pour water on them at all and just let the rain and cold wind do the cooling. Some crews poured water (it was all cold water) on the neck and shoulders, keeping the butt blanketed. Some crews poured water over the entire horse, and some horses kept their tails clamped to their butts. There was a fine line between cooling a horse down and cooling it down too much to where they then had to be warmed up. Some horses spent their hold times shivering while they ate and rested. Some riders spent their breaks shivering under coats and horse blankets.

Twenty-one eliminations at Vet Gate 3, 10 for lameness, 1 for metabolics, one for "Lack of Time", one "Horse very tired". 8 of them were "retired by the rider", including Gabrielle Mann and Big Easy. Gabrielle echoed a common sentiment, "It just wasn't worth risking hurting my horse." Canadian Ariel MacLeod was another who stopped here; her mom Tara's horse had been pulled for lameness at Gate 2.

And the track did keep getting worse, especially any common trail. Kim Fuess, who ended up with two of her horses finishing the 160 km - Ben whom she rode, and Rushcreek Laramie, whom Charisse Glen rode - recounted later, "I thought the first loop was bad, but when I was out on Loop 2, I thought, 'Wow, Loop 1 was nothing!', but when I was on Loop 3, I thought 'Wow, Loop 2 was nothing, this is bad!', and when I was on Loop 4, I thought, 'Loop 3 was nothing, THIS is bad!'. It just kept getting worse all day!"

Taking it all in stride, and I daresay, enjoying himself, was Bill Stevens from Montana. Bill and Jan (the Chief Steward for the ride) put on the Fort Howes ride in Montana in June, where, this year, it rained, sleeted, snowed, and hailed - and was about 10 degrees colder than in Lexington today. Bill was jolly, zooming around in his golf cart checking the course (he was the hands-on, mud-on, 'loop 2 manager' but I saw him everywhere), spreading changes of clothes all over the volunteer tent to 'dry' - he really was having a good time. "This is nothing like Montana - it's not even snowing yet!"

As the front runners went out on their fourth and last loop of 31.1 km, the rain let up a bit (although it never stopped), but the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. As we waited for the first finishers to come in between 3:30 and 4 PM, even I, a cold lover, was getting pretty frozen (cold, wet, muddy feet and ankles all day, and a wet head to boot now), and was trying to shelter from the wind a bit beside the volunteer tent. I felt for those UAE crew boys, who looked frozen in their Tshirts and sweatshirts, (not one of them wearing a coat) covered only with a thin plastic raincoat that looked suspiciously like the $1 raincoat I'd just gotten at Walmart. Kentucky in October was a loooong way from the Dubai desert!

Just in case there was a galloping finish (i.e. if anybody was silly enough to have to do that), the officials moved the last 50 yards of track over a few lanes, since the original lane was now deep in mud and very slippery from previous horse tracks.

The first two finishers to come cantering in were on the 120 km, Shaikh Majid and Ahmed Salem Ali Sutal Al Sabousi, waving big UAE flag poles, their horses looking fresh. Ahmed's horse presented first after 6 minutes and got a completion, followed by Shaikh Majid's horse after 9 minutes, giving him the win.

Next across the line was Danielle McGunigal in the 160 km. Gold Raven took 13 minutes before she was taken in to be vetted through. After the first two finishers in the 120 km passed their vet check, all the announcing by Ian Williams stopped; so unless you were at the exit of the vet ring, you didn't know who passed or failed.

Without the announcing it was a bit hard to keep up with things - who was coming in to the finish, who was in the crewing area (especially hard to tell riders and crews apart in their layers of rain gear), who was entering the vet gate, who passed and completed the race.

I was at the finish line and never even heard whether Danielle's horse had passed the vet check or not (and was therefore the winner), so I had to ask someone, who'd watched the horse trot out, if Danielle had completed.

Next year there's supposed to be a Jumbotron, to show riders on course, and to project statistics in the vet gates, so everybody will know what's going on during the ride. It was quite nice having Ian announcing what was going on, but when he stopped, it was like turning a light off and having to feel your way around in the dark.

The next finishers in the 120 km were UAE's Kanoon in 3rd, Spain's Jordi Arboix in 4th, UAE's Khalifa in 5th, UAE's Sultan Ahmad Sultan bin Sulayem in 6th, and Maria Alvarez in 7th. Leo Steinbruch of Brazil was next followed by the two French girls Caroline Denayer and Virginie, still riding together on their leased American horses.

In the 160 km Ellen Rapp cantered across the finish line in second, (she had backed way off the pace on this last loop), and Jan Worthington and Leon were 3rd. After Leon passed the final vet check, Jan did a happy dance in the mud, and Grace Ramsey, the Central Team coach and co-owner/trainer of Leon, did a Yahoo too - "We got third!"

Jeremy Reynolds came under the finish line after having gotten off Smitty and leading him much of the last part of that last loop - but Smitty was so tired at the final vet check, he wouldn't trot out. Four times they tried trotting him, and not for anything would Smitty move out of a walk. He was listed as "lame" though "Horse Very Tired" (as was listed for another horse) should have been for Smitty also. Jeremy had done as much as he could, getting off him to walk part of the last loop, but Smitty was just done - the mud got him too today.

Just 14 of 34 starters finished the 120 km, and 31 of 61 finished the 160-shortened-to-120 km. (Chikako Nishiyama is listed as a starter in the 120 km, but she didn't start; and Cici Butler is listed as a starter in the 160 km, but she didn't start. There could possibly be more, but I don't think so.)

A pretty gloomy rate, but then it was a pretty dismal day with dismal footing. Shaikh Majid didn't think so, but then he's a youthful 21. I'll share a quote handed to the media the next day, for a diplomatic point of view: "There wasn't any hard part, other than the ground being a bit slippery. Other than that, it was excellent. There wasn't anything wrong or bad." Mubarak Khalifa (5th in the 120 km) said of the weather, "Endurance riders are used to riding in all kinds of weather, so this is normal."

A couple of horses were treated as a precaution, either by vet's choice or rider's choice, and all were reported to be doing fine the next day.

The 2009 Kentucky Cup really was a true test event - a test of the course (Emmett Ross will have some more planning to do next year, and, as he said, "Praying"), of communications (a bit erratic at times - places and times and scheduling of things changed and much of it was luck if you heard those changes or not), and most of all an extreme test of the riders and horses competing (and their tenacious crews).

Just about everybody came away with something learned for next year, including me: bring Muck Boots, another $1 raincoat, and maybe a couple of Ducks.

2009 Kentucky Cup Pre-Ride Preparations

Tuesday October 13 2009

If your pulse doesn't quicken when you drive into the Lexington, Kentucky, area, along all those immaculate white-fenced farms with gorgeous creatures grazing in those green green bluegrass fields, you probably don't truly have horses in your blood.

Harmonizing with the appropriate state motto, "Kentucky - Unbridled Spirit", Lexington lays claim to the indisputable title "Thoroughbred City" and "Horse Capital of the World". Kentucky's first racetrack was built in 1789, and generations of the world's best Thoroughbred racehorses have graced the bluegrass here. Ever heard of Man O' War? Secretariat?

But even if you're not a Thoroughbred racing fan, it's the home of inexhaustible Horseness: the Rolex Kentucky 3-day Event, endless horse shows, and the Kentucky Horse Park, with its museums and hands-on look at over 40 horse breeds.

And then there's the 2010 World Equestrian Games to be held here, in the Kentucky Horse Park, next year from September 25 to October 10. The test event for the World Endurance Championship would be held on Wednesday October 14th this year, to test the facilities, course, protocols and flow of things for next year's ride. It was also the North American Team Challenge, with riders from the 5 US regions and 2 Canadian regions competing. The Team Challenge was a 100-mile FEI 3* event (160 km, in FEI lingo) and was also open to foreign riders; many riders were here to obtain their COC (Certificate of Completion) as a rider/horse combination to qualify for next year's World Championship (100 miles in under 12 1/2 hours). There was also a 75 mile ride (120 km, in FEI lingo) for those who didn't want or need to ride a hundred miles and just wanted to see most of the course, in the Kentucky Horse Park and over private farms outside the park.

On paper the course looked confusing and complicated, many times crossing over itself and a lot of common trail going both directions, but course designer and event director Emmett Ross almost guaranteed riders wouldn't get lost, as the course was marked "so well," with "thousands of ribbons and signs and markers," and 2000 glow sticks for the night loops.

The biggest challenge was probably going to be the weather - the forecast was dismal, with the chance of rain steadily increasing to 90% chance on race day, and the high temperature reaching only 44*.

Vetting in was to be held on Tuesday at 11 AM in the nearby outdoor arena. The UAE and Spanish horses hadn't arrived yet, and when the vans pulled up, everybody and everything was put on hold for 45 minutes while those horses were dealt with. Riders wanting to go out and ride before the vetting in were stuck in their stables unless they'd slipped out earlier, and those wanting to return to their stalls were stuck outside till the veterinarians inspected the foreign horses and their passports. The horses were then led past the US and Canadian stalls to their roped off stalls in back.

The UAE and Spanish horses were the first to go to the arena and vet in. They all looked racing fit and professional - clipped manes and business attitudes. All were full Arabians, except for one Anglo-Arab and one "part Arab." One was taken for a second trot-out in front of a panel of vets. (Later, after all the other countries' horses had vetted in, two more horses from the UAE went to the arena and were vetted through.) Once the UAE and Spain returned to the stables, the rest of the countries got ready to head to the arena.

As Argentina was waiting to go in the vetting area first with their horses, it was announced that the dress code in the vetting in ring was to be strictly followed. No blue jeans and tennis shoes! Poor Christian Peterson, riding Cheryl Van Deusen's mare CA Amal Hafizolivia, was not allowed to take his mare in and present her because he had tennies on. The riders and crews from the different countries, and from the different US and Canadian teams looked spiffy in their particular colors. All of Canada was a bright bold red statement!

The vetting in itself seemed to go smoothly. A few horses were asked for second trot-outs, but later at the ride meeting, Grand Jury President Brian Dunn announced that all the horses had passed their vet inspections.

Many riders took their horses out for rides as the clouds gathered and got heavy, a portent of things to come. While the mood of many riders seemed to be light, maybe some were just hiding their nerves well. Jeremy Olson noted a "tension in the air"... that maybe some of the horses picked up on. Young Japanese rider Chikako Nishiyama took her horse for a spin, literally - he was a bit rambunctious on the grass track, and must have bolted coming down the hill to the stables. He turned and dumped Chikako, who was hauled off to the hospital. That evening we heard she was still thinking about riding, but she ended up not starting.

Jeremy's 11-year-old Shagya gelding SA Belshazzar, who's "never bucked in his life," did it on Tuesday. "My groom was holding him for me to get on, and she said 'Good luck!' I got on, and he ran backwards, bucked forwards, then planted it!" He gently squeezed his legs, and finally got him moving forward, and then he was okay. Jeremy and his wife Ellen Rapp - riding 14-year-old Berjo Smokey - were hoping for a good ride - and expecting it to be a fast one. Ellen's 11-year-old mount Smokey isn't a pet: "He hates people!" Jeremy trains him, and he "tolerates" Ellen in endurance rides. Jeremy found him as an unbroken, untouched 7-year-old, who "was wild, and still is!" Their horses had been resting since a good ride season over the winter in Florida, and they were ready to roll here.

Endurance 'superstar' (though I doubt she'd want to be called that) Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain - the reigning World and European Champion - was here to ride Sahara, a horse who was second in the Spanish Championships this year (under Miguel Vila Ubach). Last year's Spanish Champion, Jordi Arboix was here riding his Shagya Arabian Gazal XVIII-3, as was Maria's husband Jaume Punti Dachs, riding Kopal de Cabirat. UAE riders included Shaikh Mohammed's son Shaikh Majid, riding Kangoo d'Aurabelle, an 11-year-old gelding previously owned by French rider Virginie Atger. Shaikh Mohammed himself had been pre-entered but he ended up not starting. All the UAE and Spanish riders would ride in the 120 km.

A couple of other previous World Endurance Champions were at the ride: 3-time winner Becky Hart, US Chef d'Equipe, was present to observe, while 2-time World Champion Valerie Kanavy was riding LM Parys, and her daughter, Danielle McGunigal, 1-time World Champion, was riding Gold Raven.

French Chef d'Equipe Jean Louis LeClerc arrived to check out the course and to watch two French riders, Virginie Atger (riding Cia Reis' horse Trysam Tiki) and Caroline Denayer (riding Jennifer Poling's horse Indigios JC Midnight) in the 120 km, and Sarah Chakil (riding Doug Swingley's Iamsamm) in the 160 km.

Oldest rider in the Kentucky Cup was 69-year-old Jan Worthington from Illinois, riding Golden Lightning. If you think you're a tough endurance rider and you have a tough horse, try getting knocked over by a strike from a lightning bolt 10 feet away, and getting back up and on and going on to finish the hundred miles, like Jan and Leon did in the World Championships in Malaysia in November. (They ended up getting pulled at the finish because Leon trotted out lame.) If you think you're too young to ride in a World Championship, try riding with 14-year-old Alexandra Toft from Australia, fresh from the Junior World Championships in Hungary in September, where she finished 17th on Bremervale Justice, her mount for this ride.

And while there were some nerves fluttering with some people, there was still plenty of amiable ribbing going on between the Canadian and US teams. At a meeting where each of the teams and riders were introduced, good natured challenges flew through the air: "We're going for the gold!" "We don't care about winning, we're just here to beat Pac West!"

Jolly moods carried over to the big dinner the night before the ride, rumored to be provided by Shaikh Mohammed, or perhaps the Emirates Equestrian Federation who was one of the key contributing sponsors of the ride. Tables overflowed with barbecued lamb, beef and chicken, a traditional Kentucky Corn Pudding dish, various salads, fabulous dessert, and free-flowing beer and wine. A guitarist and violinist walked around playing lovely music, though it was mostly drowned out by happy endurance people having a good time and looking forward to tomorrow. Almost impossible to believe the party was "thrown together at the last minute," like I heard.

The start times in the morning were quite reasonable - 7:30 AM for the 120 km, 7:45 for the 160 km - but the party dispersed at a reasonably early hour. Horses were checked on one more time for the night, then it was off to bed for the competitors... after laying out an assortment of rain gear in preparation for a wet day.

Tony Benedetti - Pacific North Chef d'Equipe

Saturday October 10 2009

He's a bit like an art sculptor, who gathers the different material, works and molds the pieces into one form, shapes it into a piece, and finely details it for the Big Show. But instead of clay or metal, Tony Benedetti, Chef d'Equipe for the Pacific North riders, takes 6 endurance horses and riders from different backgrounds and with different goals, and molds them into a team, shaping them into a finely tuned machine for the Big Show - the Kentucky Cup Endurance ride.

Tony's a bit like a chess player too, trying to figure out the best moves with the best riders and horses to get the best performances out of all of them. Of his 6 horses and riders now in Kentucky, he'll have to choose 4 to be on the Pac North team, and 2 to ride as individuals - and with the talent he has behind and between the reins, that's going to be a difficult and strategic move.

in 1993 Tony was a rider on the North American team, and that was where he realized 'chefing' was very important. He thought it could be done a different way, and that's what got him started doing it. He's been a chef d'equipe "about very other year since 1995." And he thoroughly enjoys chefing and coaching riders. "It's satisfying - helping riders and squads turn in the best ride possible, with the ultimate goal of winning a medal."

He likes the task of taking 6-12 individual people and creating a team culture - and ultimately being successful while having fun getting there. "That is very important, because if you don't have fun, why bother with it?"

Shaping and coaching a group of riders for such a big event is a great challenge. "Despite saying 'this ride is like any other ride', international competition is not like any other ride. It's more difficult, more intense, they've travelled further, and trained more stringently. Most riders don't ride as a team, ever, so that's a different challenge in itself."

Tony is going to have a very difficult time choosing his squad of 4 and the individuals - "it's a great group of very equal and very experienced riders and good horses to work with." The Pacific North riders are Dennis Summers and SHA Ebony Rose, his wife Sue Summers and Mags Motivator, Joyce Sousa and LV Integrity, her daughter Jennifer Niehaus and NH Copperblaze, Gabriel Mann and CM Big Easy, and Carol Giles and SAR Tiki Galaxy. These riders have previously been on 5 World Championship and Pan American teams.

With such talent, several of them capable, on a good day, of finishing in the front, will his riders try to win, or will they just try for a team and individual medals, or will they be riding just to finish well, with the ultimate goal being riding in next year's World Championship?

"Everyone recognizes that next year is The Big Race. But everyone wants to come here and do well, too. They don't want to leave their best race here, but they do want to be competitive. There are some riders in Kentucky not going for the WEC team next year; this one is their big race. Every rider is a bit different." He'll talk to all of his Pac North riders to assess their goals; he'll also look at how the horses have done over the season, and how they are faring in Kentucky - how well they've held up to travel, how they're eating, how sound they are, how they look and feel.

With the strong group he's got, he can't go wrong no matter what he decides.

Kentucky Cup Endurance: Cheryl Dell and TR Reason to Believe

Friday October 9 2009

He lost his mother when he was 6 hours old, and he was raised with a goat. Maybe that's one explanation why 11-year-old Reason "has got personality!"

Cheryl Dell, a veterinarian from Springville, California, first saw Reason when she was looking for a backup endurance horse. She couldn't, however, afford him at the time, and tried not to think about him. It was her husband who secretly went and looked at Reason and rode him, and arranged with Carl Fudge of Sturgeon Creek Arabians in Manitoba, Canada to make payments. Since then (2005) it's been a great ride: 21 finishes in 23 starts (in the US), 19 of those in the top five, including 8 wins and 4 BCs, and 5 hundred-mile finishes.

On the endurance trails, Reason is "point and go" - though he wasn't always that way. "What a difference a couple of years makes in personality, vet checks, and on the trail. He's now all business, no nonsense. He grew up, got seasoned. He conserves his energy at the start... but he didn't do this at first! It used to take him a long time to pulse down at first because of the excitement. Now he gets excited, but he's calm about it, not amped or wacky. Now he's usually always down in 1-2 minutes in the vet gates."

This is one main reason why Cheryl and Reason are a pair to be reckoned with in the Kentucky Cup. The Spaniards seem to have this down with many of their top international horses, cantering into a vet gate and the horse pulsing right down in under a minute.

The pair participated in the World Endurance Championship in Malaysia last November, where Cheryl thought they might do well, but in the middle of the ride Cheryl was struck with a terrible stomach virus that put her into the hospital where she slept for 24 hours on IV fluids. "You know endurance riders can ride with anything - the flu, broken bones, but this came on fast and it knocked me out!"

Reason travels well - "he's like 'whatever'" - and he flew into Kentucky a few days ago, with Cheryl as groom for him and 2 other horses. Reason is settled into a farm near the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and Cheryl and her Pacific South teammates are in a house just down the road.

"This is SO much easier than we've ever had it, being so close to the horses. In Malaysia we were 45 minutes from the horses, and we were always exhausted, running back and forth all day, several times a day, to take care of the horses, go to meetings, etc. Here we can relax, and take care of ourselves, which is just as important as taking care of the horse, as it benefits your horse if you are rested and healthy and ready to ride."

Cheryl will be waiting for instructions from the Pac South coach Skip Lightfoot as to how to ride the 100-miler (4 riders will be chosen to ride on a team, 2 will ride as individuals); and while she always rides according to Reason's ability on a given day, and she's focused on the ultimate goal of the 2010 WEG ride next September, she's hoping she can let Reason go a bit to see what he can do. "I had a hard time holding him back in his last ride." Cheryl and Reason finished 7th in the AERC National Championship in Greenville, California, on September 13th.

Cheryl knows her horse so well after riding him for 5 years. "He's super affectionate, he runs up to you in the pasture (as opposed to running away from you). He'll shove me with his head when he's ready to go."

With just 3 carefully chosen rides this year - 1st place in the American River Classic 50 miler in April, 2nd place in the Owyhee Fandango 100 in May, and 7th in the AERC National Championship 50 in September, Reason will be shoving her on the 14th. Watch for this pair to finish near the front.

Kentucky Cup: Sue Hedgecock and Julioslastchance - Park City, Utah

Thursday October 8 2009

Wednesday found Sue Hedgecock of Park City, Utah, and a load of horses, "driving across Kansas at the speed of light." That was a good thing, since she'd left home in a snowstorm the previous day, driving considerably slower. They are headed for Lexington, Kentucky for the October 14th Kentucky Cup Endurance pre-ride.

Since starting his endurance career in 2007, 8-year-old Julioslastchance, her mount in Kentucky in the 100-mile race, has 11 finishes in 14 starts, having finished in the Top 10 in all but one of those completions. "He's a big trotter. He likes to compete," Sue says.

Sue likes to compete also, and It's easy to see where she gets her competitiveness from: she used to be on the US Olympic Ski Team with her twin sister. She still teaches snow skiing in the Park City mountains in the winters.

Sue is excited about riding in Kentucky, but also a little worried. Julio has tied up twice, the last time in his most recent ride in the Owyhee Fandango 100 in Idaho in May. "I wracked my brain trying to figure out what it was that those 2 rides had in common, what ingredient it was that caused him to tie up. I think it was standing around too much before the rides; he needs to be ridden daily." Sue since changed Julio's training and nutrition program, and has been conditioning him all summer.

The area where Sue lives outside of Park City is great for endurance training. She has a long gradual uphill climb that goes from 4500 to 7000 feet, and she has a good 30-mile trail she can do. "I've put on my heaviest gear, plus 40 lbs, to get him working and build muscle."

Julio is clipped since he already got a jump on his winter coat, and temperatures in Lexington should be in the 40's at night, and 60's during the day. "That should be about perfect."

Sue's looking forward to arriving in Lexington and getting settled, getting on her horse, and seeing what he can do. Additionally, two more of her horses, Fast Eddie and Steadys Temmpo, will be ridden by Brazilians on the 120 km ride.

Ultimately, Sue has her eye on the WEG in Kentucky next year. "I'm not aiming to get nit-picky at this ride, I'm aiming to make it work."

Another Top Ten finish, this one in Kentucky, would work just fine.

Kentucky Cup: Becky Hart, USA Chef d'Equipe

Thursday October 8 2009

Becky Hart is an AERC Hall of Famer with 20,000 AERC miles under her belt, and a former multiple World Endurance Champion; but what she won't be doing at the Kentucky Cup and North American Endurance Team Challenge in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 14th, is riding. Becky is also the US Endurance Chef d'Equipe, but what she also won't be doing at the Kentucky Cup is coaching. "I'm going just to watch, though if someone asks for advice, I can give it."

Since this competition is the pre-ride for the World Equestrian Games Endurance in September of 2010, Becky is hopeful all of the US riders will be focused on that bigger picture. Some riders are going to Kentucky this year to qualify their horses and get their COC (Certificate of Completion - a 100-mile ride time in under 12 hours and 20 minutes) for next year; some are already qualified; but "some of the horses are so good that even if they aren't going for a win in the Kentucky Cup, they'll be right up there."

Becky expects Spain to do well in the 100-mile ride - which is to be expected, since Maria Alvarez Ponton will be heading the Spanish contingent. Maria was recently crowned the European Champion in Italy last month, in addition to her World Endurance Champion title from Malaysia in November of 2008 - on the same horse. She will be riding a different horse, Sahara, in the Kentucky Cup; and her husband Jaume Punti Dachs will also be riding. "Spain is the one we've patterened our crewing efforts after," Becky says, "though since only 2 people are allowed in the crewing box in Kentucky, we can't do our bucket brigade.

"It'll be a good competition, a fast course."

Becky really won't, however, be just kicking back and watching the Kentucky Cup, either. You can bet she'll be wholly occupied, appraising and absorbing every detail of the ride - the horses, riders, times, course - with a critical eye regarding the World Equestrian Games endurance competition next year - the ultimate goal of the US riders and coach.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Monday October 5 2009

It's the out-of-place noise in the middle of the night that rips you instantly awake, makes your pounding heart race in your ears and adrenaline shoot through your body. It's not knowing what's out there in the dark that triggers the sweaty palms, the trembles, the fear.

Thumps. Footsteps. Things knocked over. Something in the brush. Something out there in the dark you can't see. The sound that does not belong.

The Dark is big, overpowering, a heavy presence full of questions, that hides... things.

Out here in the Boonies there are coyotes, and maybe a rare cougar silently skulking through, or other...things, but the noises usually come from horses getting into trouble.

And that inspires a fear all its own.

Once in the middle of the night: a big crashing at the neighbor's. Sounded like a horse got into something and was struggling. I was instantly awake, heart pounding - bad noise, something terrible was going on in the dark. Got up and ran to the phone, called the neighbors. No answer. I didn't want to traipse over there in the dark with my flashlight - didn't know where to look, and didn't really want to see what I might find. Didn't want to scare the neighbors snooping around their place with a flashlight. The sounds finally stopped. (A horse had gotten hung up in a feeder, but had extracted himself miraculously without injury.)

Another night, from the neighbor's: sounds of many running hooves clattering over rocks. Sometimes the herd runs around and plays... but in the dark? Not usual. Then, one horse whinnying. More running around by the herd. The same single horse whinnying over and over. I recognize our horses' voices, but I didn't know this one. Something was wrong. Do I get up, go out with a flashlight and try to find the horses and find what's wrong? If I find what's wrong, can I do anything about it in the dark? Or do I burrow further under the covers, pillow over my head to drown out the noise and hope everything is fine in the morning? (The herd had broken through one of the neighbor's paddocks, and the one horse didn't follow, but nobody was hurt.)

Another night, here, around the house: footsteps on the gravel driveway in the dark. Jolt awake, get up, go out with the flashlight to confront the intruder: it's Dudley,

escaped from his hot-wired pen, eating alfalfa (very bad for him!), getting into a pile of his diet pills (will an overdose help?), grazing on green grass. (His pen was PROPERLY hot-wired next morning.)

Another middle of the night, here: some kind of... bumping, metal crash... and footsteps. Another startling wake-up. This time it's Jose! He got out under a jimmy-rigged pipe rail. (His fence got electrified the next day.)

Another night: a gate being pushed. And pushed, and pushed... This time I know exactly what's going on out there. I can hear the baling twine that double ties it to the posts stretching, I hear the big heavy posts straining - I get up, go out with the flashlight, find the 4 panels of the gate almost laying flat on the ground, and one big black bruiser of a horse pushing them further down - Dudley!

I have to move the durn horse to a smaller pen for the night. Far enough away from me that I won't hear him as he works on busting out of there, too.

Some of the sounds I can easily identify in the dark: the horses out in one field hitting the irrigation pipe as they walk or trot over it; a metal feed tub being shoved around or turned over (by Dudley); the chain on a gate being worked (Dudley); a gate being lifted (Dudley, with his teeth!).

Dudley is tenacious, like a Jack Russell terrier after a rat in a hole - he'll go for hours and hours. He'll study me as I close and latch a gate, or hook a chain, or tie a knot in a rope,

so he can work on undoing it at night, all night - and he's not quiet about it.

I guess here's it's mostly Dudley That Goes Bump In The Night. Better to get out the earplugs and sleep through the spooky nights and face the aftermath in the mornings.