Note to self: don’t wait too long to do a recap of a ride as now there were other rides in between and I will probably mix them up!
The first day of the ride at BHP was rather wet however it was not freezing so other than being wet it wasn’t too hot and the bugs weren’t an issue. Always look for the silver lining!
Despite the weather we had an excellent turnout for the ride. We had a vast array of horses come out. There were Gypsies (I so want to say Tramps and Thieves), Morgans, Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Icelandic, Rocky Mountains, Tennessee Walkers, Arabians etc. So fun to see other breeds giving the sport a whirl.
There were 5 of us in the 50 but I’m not sure how many in the other distances. I think the majority of riders finished what they started so that’s always a plus. I’ve forgotten who won but I know I didn’t.
The rain quit in time for us to have a pot luck supper where silliness and laughter ensued but there were some good chats and exchanges of ideas on how to improve the ride experience.
Sunday’s weather was absolutely perfect for riding . As I didn’t have a back up horse I decided to skulk along the trail and take pictures. If I can’t ride then taking pictures of happy people on horseback enjoying themselves is my next best option. Again I haven’t a clue who won but the results will be somewhere on the web site.
This year there was much less excitement on the trails. It seemed riding skills may have improved as I didn’t hear of unexpected dismounts however the loose cow didn’t make a guest appearance this year. Or people just aren’t saying they had an up close and personal view of the earth. We prefer all riders to stay above the horse than below. Unless you have Wendy’s talent of coming off and landing on your feet. Sadly I’m sure many of us do not possess that skill.
We hope that many of the new riders will come out to ride with us again. It really is a fun sport and you sure do learn a lot about you and your horse in the process.
Our next stop will be Souris Bend. I will be sure to do the recap before my memory bank hits maximum capacity and starts to shut down on me.