I normally would have given Major a week off after Cache Creek. But the last SOS qualifying ride was this week, (the first qualifying ride was when I had a wedding to attend, of course, plans happen like that).
My friend C picked me up and we went over to Cool. Which is not a cool drive. It is down down down the canyon, up up up the other side, all with small lanes and tight turns and impatient motorists. I was glad not to drive!
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| where are we? what are we doing? let's go, let's go! |
Once there, Major was a tiny bit impatient, thinking maybe this was another endurance ride! He quickly settled down when he realized we weren't really going anywhere.
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| oh, not going anywhere yet? wake me when something happens. |
The ride consisted of a large group of people who needed to qualify for the first time, or to requalify their horses (you have to requalify if you do not participate for a year). There were spotters among the riders who would be watching and evaluating the horse and rider teams. We did specific things on the trial, like ponying, tailing, passing and being passed at speed, backing up hills, behaving in crowds, etc. Things that lots of endurance horses are already good at!
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| learning about the next obstacle |
Every year this group helps out many runners, riders and horse who are injured or exhausted, who have had an accident or who just can't go on any more. They ride different sections of he Western State trail, day and night, all the sections get covered as the runners and riders go through. Each section is different in length, and you're assigned a section based on the capabilities of you and your horse. I said I'd ride anywhere, hope that works out!
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| just follow the butt, I can do that… |
We passed the qualifying! I was pretty proud of Major who was a fire-breathing 50-mile dragon three days before, and a placid obedient trail horse for this. He could tell the situation did not warrant any extra energy. Soon we will know our team and section, so we can pre-ride and figure out logistics, moving so many trailers, people and horses is quite a feat in and of itself.
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| put me in this thing, I'm ready to go home now… |
NOW Major will get some well deserved time off. Though he was already dragging me around walking down the road, snatching grass. He gets to rest. I get to clean some really dirty tack. And work. Oh, the hard life of a pampered horse…
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| do not EVEN think about taking this tasty weed from me! |
How awesome is this!!! Congrats on qualifying, and I think it is SO cool you're going to be sweep riding the WS Trail. Are you going to be sweep riding for Tevis this year?
ReplyDeleteYes, hopefully sweeping Tevis this year. No idea where, they'll assign me a section, should be fun!
DeleteThat's super cool! I know a couple of SOS riders and it sounds like a super fun job. They were at Gold Country last year, too.
ReplyDeleteThey're sweeping Gold Country again this year, I'm not sure if my schedule allows for it. Should be fun though!
DeleteAh, that sounds like so much fun! I wanna do that too! And I love Major's face with those weeds in his face, he's like "my weeds, mine! don't take them you evil weed snatcher." Rose gives me that look when I pull giant sticks out her mouth that she was trying to eat...
ReplyDeleteNo other horse eats these weeds, big pokey leaves. Major is just special...
DeleteThis sounds like a dreamjob to me. So so cool. I didnt even know these kind of things existed until now. So awesome.
ReplyDeleteI bet they have this type of thing in most areas. I know we also have an extensive search and rescue organization. That is even more training!
DeleteVery cool! It's so great to have a multi functional horse, especially one who can get er done at endurance and then cool it down for other things.
ReplyDelete