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WEG 2014

 Heathers Blog 
Wednesday, May 10 2017

So once again I have been extremely lacking in the writing department (But not the riding department)! Wow!!  Any how, the first ride after Broxton was the Gator Run Youth Benefit ride.  We had a fun time.  We took 4 horses and trailered over in the morning as the ride is less than 10 mins away from us.  I rode Ambush, Elaine rode Benz, Jeremy took Liger and Charlie Koester rode Bailey (Barbara Hershberger's horse).

The next ride was a huge undertaking for us as it is a 3 day FEI ride...and I had THAT cold!!  I was so cooked for the whole weekend.  Day one I rode Grand and we did his first 2* 75 mile ride.  Unfortunately Jeremy and Nicki were both pulled and I got poured on for a long stretch of my ride...did I mention I was sick???  

Left to right: Jeremy on Liger, myself on Grand and Nicki on Geraldine. Photo:Becky Pearman

Day 2 Nicki rode Gus, Jeremy rode Treasure and I rode Barbara's horse (who used to be our horse) Bailey.  Bailey was supposed to do the FEI 2* with Charlie Koester but she decided she was not up for it so at the last minute I rode the horse as Barbara really wanted him to do the ride. (Bailey has since been sold to Robin Owens and the pair got Robin's first 1* at the Biltmore.)  All three of us finished and had a good time (it was really cold and I was still sicker than a dog).

Nicki and Gus on the 2*- 75/120. Photo: Becky Pearman

Day 3 I rode Barbara's other horse "P" and Joe Faulkner rode with me on Ambush (it was Ambush's first 50).  We did the 50, I did the 1* and Joe did the open ride.  The horses did well. Jeremy did the 1* on Sinister and tied for 1st and also won Best Condition.

Jeremy and Sinister on their way to a first place and Best Condition. Photo: Becky Pearman

On Sunday I didn't get out of bed.  Monday was slightly better.  LOL

The next adventure was McCulley Farm 2 day.  We really like this ride.  Camp is awesome, showers and all.  Dinners are made nightly, lunch was available.  Coffee with creamer and pastries for breakfast and the horses each have a stall.  Very nice.  

The first day I rode my favorite little dude, Sudden and came in 4th.  Jeremy rode Tex on Jeremy's first turtle award placing.  Robert Ribley and he talked the day away.

Day 2 was going great.  Jeremy was on Gus and I was on Benz.  At the lunch hold there were a lot of small biting flys.  I fly sprayed both horses.  That was about 15 mins before our out time. I was starting to electrolyte just before heading out when I saw that Benz was having some sort of allergic reaction and her face was blowing up!! (After reviewing it, I think it was the fly spray) I freaked out and hustled her over to the vet.  I was able to rider option so that we could give her some dex.  I was so worried that her airways were going to close up.  I had literally watched her face expand right in front of my eyes!  C-R-A-Z-Y!!!

Benz having her allergic reaction at the lunch hold at McCulley

Gus won the ride and also won Best Condition.  Pretty cool that Jeremy won the Turtle award the day before.

Florida has been warming up and we are having a major dry spell.  Our pasture is crunchy.  I hope it starts raining soon.  We also have a lot of wildfires...I feel like I am back in CA.  They have stolen our mojo...

Our next ride was a heck of a drive.  We also have a new to us trailer that we had only owned for a couple of months.  We had it serviced, bearings packed and brakes checked.  We thought we were all good.  To Texas we headed.  We made it to LA.  We lost a tire and the rim felt super hot.  We put the spare on and got out our trusty Google search engine and found a tire place 3 miles away.  We thought the spare looked kind of poor so we decided that since we will be driving a lot this summer that we should get all new tires for the trailer.  It was also discovered that one of the brakes were hanging up really bad (however it was not the one that we had lost the tire on).  Off to another shop to get that fixed, only 2 miles away.  After about 3+ hours we were back on the road.

We stopped over at a fairground with excellent stalls for the night.  The next days drive was about 8.5 hours.

The Lone Star 3 day FEI ride was the destination with our 6 horses and two dogs.  The weather was calling for rain.  The ride site had already gotten 5 inches of rain two days earlier.  Camp was really soft too so you had to be careful parking.  We arrived late in the evening, after 10 pm.  Jason Stasiuk was up and waiting to help us park, super nice of him.

We found out that our hay that we had packed was less appealing than the same hay that we had bought for our last trip, or so we thought.  The horses said it wasn't the same.  We took a trip to town to the NRS feed and EVERYTHING store!! WOW!!!

When Lynn arrived we went for a pre ride.  Gus was not right.  We caught a mild tie up before it was severe.  We had not vetted him in yet so we simply took him to the vet and had fluids run.  That was all the running Gus did in Texas.

The Lemmon's did a great job putting on this ride.  The first night they had catered BB-Q style.  Brisket, pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw etc.  We had dinner and listened to the ride meeting.  Our friend Lynn Kenelly had driven from Montana to come visit and crew.  It was her birthday that day too!!  She's awesome.

Day 1 I rode Sudden on the 1*.  Jeremy rode Tex.  We were the show at the start!  Tex was hoping around and Sudden did a full on rodeo show!  Turkeys liked the cool weather.  On the first loop Sudden was doing so great.  The footing was pretty poor.  The problem was that it all looked similar, mud, clay, sand, slippery, deep, whatever it was it didn't look much different, if at all.  We left out on the second loop and he felt great.  He did do a BIG slip beind around a turn about half way around the loop.  At the last vet check we were pulled for hind end.  Darn.  Jeremy rode Tex on his 1*.  He was solid all day.  He did show his opinion on several occasions though:)

That night we went to dinner in town with Lynn.  We were searchig for sushi but failed and ended up at Chili's.  It was good.  The ride had Mexican food that night catered.

Day 2 Jeremy rode Sinister but got pulled at the first vet check.  It ended up being a foot problem so that was good news.  I rode Grand on the 2* 75.  Grand was great.  The trail took its toll.  On the last loop I was feeling something off and on.   I was pulled for hind end at the finish... Dang. 

It was calling for rain that evening so I had told Jeremy that if it was going to rain to not vet in Benz for the 75 for day 3.  I needed to have at least 1 sound horse after this weekend!

A cool thing that the Lemmon's did was how they marked their ride for the night riding.  Instead of glow sticks that had these tiny LED lights attached to clothes pins.  These lights were bright, very easy to see and lasted a week.  This was super as there were multi days of night riding that only had to be marked 1 time.  Pretty awesome.

We headed home the next day.  We had been talking for a while with a lady named Sarah about a horse named Ringo that we had our eye on.  She wasn't grooving with him.  We thought she might really get along with Gus so we decided to trade.  We stayed over at her house on the way home.  Sarah and her daughter Sydney made us a great dinner and our horses had a really nice turn out.  

In the morning we had breakfast and spotted a rabid opposum (yes, literally). Jeremy trapped it in a large bin.  Then we met Ringo in person and Jeremy saddled him up. Ringo proceeded to buck for a long while.  Then Jeremy rode him around, they parted ways once.  Jeremy got back on.  He had a few issues to work through but Jeremy decided to give him a try and take him home.

Ok, last ride to catch up on!! Biltmore.

We loaded up another 6 horses and headed up to the Biltmore (a long 9 hour drive)...another cold wet ride!!! We arrived on Wednesday.  After getting the horses set up we decided to go in to downtown Ashville and find a place to eat.  We walked around and saw many restaurants.  We could not decide on a place and saw an Indian bar/restaurant that had A LOT of lights, like Christmas lights, inside.  We were drawn to the light.  There were salsa lessons happening.  It was fun to watch and the food was super.  After this we found a local handmade ice cream parlor.  SO GOOD.

As you can see there were a lot of lights!

Thursday we got things ready for the 50 that Jeremy would ride on Ambush and Barbara on P.  Day 1 the two of them headed off and us crew waited.  The crew was awesome.  It was Lynn Kenelly, Lynn Hershberger, his brother Greg, and yours truly.  

Jeremy on Ambush and Barbara on P

That night it POURED!!  It was SOOOO loud!! Right when I thought "WOW, it's really raining", it would double!!

Ambush at his last hold

Jeremy and Ambush finished. Unfortunately Barbara's boots did her in and KILLED her shins.  She hadn't been riding in them lately and they ate her leg up.  She rider optioned at the last vet check.  Next race she will get it done.

Ambush at the final vet check

That afternoon while Jeremy was out riding Lynn and our two new friends from Israel, Matan and his dad Dan went for a pre ride.  Sarah Hunt went with us as well.  Matan and Dan were going to ride with me on the 2*.  Dan on Lou, Matan on Treasure and myself on Benz.  Lynn was pre riding Tex for Jeremy as well.  The ride went well and we were able to make all of our tack adjustments.

Our crew for the second day was super!  Barbara and Lynn Hershberger, Lynn and Trent Kenelly, Misty McAdams and Holly Bateman.  I then also joined of course.

That night it rained some more!!!  We headed out on loop one and the horses looked good.  Matan, Dan, Sarah and I all rode together.  I started to feel something not right with Benz.  REALLY?? I was pulled at the first check.  Sarah and the guys continued.  They were doing great.  It was really cold that day.  I was cold all day.  Sarah was pulled at the last check.  It was 40 when Matan and Dan headed out on their last loop.  It was now down to Dan and Matan to bring it home.  They got it done.  I am so happy that they both finished.  Dan and Matan took great care of the mares.

Lou the day after the 75

Jeremy rode the 55 on Tex on day 2 but they were pulled at the last vet check.  It was a hind end.  I think all of the driving miles and riding on footing that had a lot of rain over it took its toll (to Texas and then a challenging course in Texas, then two weeks later driving to Biltmore with more challenging footing).  He was fine the next morning.

The face mask that Lynn got for Jeremy was worn all day in the cold!

Now we are back.  Unpacked, well mostly.  Our next ride will be to FT Howes and beyond...onward to CA for the Tevis.  Hope to see you out there.

Heather

Posted by: Heather Reynolds AT 06:53 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email

Reynolds Racing
Dunnellon, FL 34431
 Heather: 408-687-7082
Jeremy: 408-687-7083
Email: Info@ReynoldsRacing.us

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