This is a “vault” post. These are races that I made videos for but didn’t really make write ups for. So these write ups will not be as detailed as my recent races.
Learning to put your equine first
Attempting Dunn’s Creek on the back of the Florida Cattle Drive was a really big ask of Roach and I knew it would be a gamble. It was a two week turn around. Ultimately, I lost on my gamble but learned a lot.
This ride in particular was a “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” We started with not being nearly as organized as we normally are followed by the generator deciding to catch fire that night. It really started feeling like not a good vibe.
The morning, I remember, was foggy, eerie and beautiful. The terrain was difficult. Dunn’s Creek is known for its deep sand and steep hills. Florida hills, but hills nonetheless.
I could feel Roach tiring. I was having to push him and continue to ask him to stay at a good pace. That isn’t normal for him so I was concerned when we came into camp. Both Jessie and Roach were cleared as fit to continue but Roach’s heart rate was really high when we came in and fluctuated quite a bit and Jessie’s muscles were really tight.
As a team, we decided to rider-option pull both horses. This means both were cleared to continue by the vets but for some reason, the rider decides not to go on. This sport is about finishing with a healthy partner. I could guarantee Roach’s health in this moment, I couldn’t guarantee it in another 15 miles. They were clearly tired and did not want to continue. So we felt good about calling it quits early.
