goethe challenge endurance ride

[cowboy ed]

we made it home safe and sound from the goethe challenge endurance ride. it was a yucky, nasty rainy day yesterday as many of you know. this was probably the worst conditions i have ridden in to date.
in spite of that, there was a good turnout for the ride. i dont know how many riders actually completed the ride, but we did. kathilee, my ever dependable ground crew chief said people were leaving in droves.
allison torrington and i rode in the 50 mile ride, on mayday and big al, completing the 50 miler in about 9 hours. this was the first 50 miler for these two paso finos. mayday is a 12 year old mare, and big al is the 5 year old gelding. lindsay and joe ed were there doing the 25 miler. i didnt get to talk to them very much, so i dont know about their completion times. joe ed completed the 25 miler on his filly. i cant remember her name, but i think she is a full sister to obi. our friend cathy barnes also completed the 25 miler on PJ, her new gelding, which was PJ's first ride.
it was really exciting to have two of my horses competing and finishing in great condition. it was also great to have the other paso finos out there representing the breed! congratulations to all.

cowboy ed

[Pasogirlz]

Great job as always Ed....Thanks for getting out there and "representing" for us. ;-)

[sporthorse]

Congratulations to Cowboy Ed and his gelding, Alto Voltaje de LA on what I believe was Alto's first 50 and to the Paso mare, May Day, for her first 50 (I'm not sure whether this was Allison's first 50 or not). Cathy Barnes' new gelding can sure move out in a nice smooth gait. Nancy Kloos and her mare were there, too. My Ed did great on Obi's full sister, Pocita de Cosa Dulce, finishing 25th out of 60 or so riders on the 25. Unfortunately, Dad Leo's hamstring strain from Gator Run almost a year ago, when he sank in a hole unseen under black water, is starting to act up again. He was grade one in the right rear at the pit so we were out. Guess he will join Obi for a 2 month or so lay off (Obi is dealing with a minor arthritis issue). So it will be Pocita and myself and Ed will bring out the Jedi Knight :shock: Cowboy Ed was right about the weather:Awful. I was almost glad I didn't have to go out again after the first loop. I had a cold anyway and did not feel well. Plus, in one of those weird accidents that one never knows quite how it happens, but it does, I somehow managed to snap myself in the left eye with one of the elastic straps on Leo's rain blanket as I was taking it off for the ride. I had my contacts in and the left one broke in my eye. I managed to get half of it out, but couldn't "find" the second piece. So not only was I only able to see out of one eye, I was in some discomfort from the remaining part of the broken lens (I finally got it out this AM-whew!). It was definitely not my day. We, along with many others, pulled out as soon as Ed and Pocita completed. We got home and had all the horses put up before the heavy rain finally made it up our way. It poured all night. We got at least 4 inches. I'm glad we came home, that's for sure :D .

[Boyd R]

Congrats guys I know what it was like we also rode yesterday but Near Augusta Ga. We got lucky and not much rain but is was cold and windy.

[CarolU]

Wow...sounds like quite the ride! Glad I wasn't there!!! ;-)

Congratulations to all. Great job riding and representing the breed. I imagine it was raining too hard for a photographer...too bad.

Lindsay, I hope your eye is okay.

[cowboy ed]

carol, the photographer was able to get some pictures early that morning. i didnt get to see them yet, but hopefully she will send them to me soon. if so, i will be glad to share!

[baileyholc]

Congradulations! :D