| Riders are shown in the order they came along
the trail.
Please let me know if you can identify any of these anonymous riders (so much for my cunning plan of being able to read the butt numbers off the horses in the photos) |
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Grey on right: Matt Madeiros on the Bezetal stallion Best Splash
(Update: finished at 4:04) Is the mule ahead of him Tamara Madeiros on Miss Scarlett O'Hara? |
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Frank Smith and Lulu.
Frank was intending to ride another mule - Elvis - but unfortunately, Elvis didn't vet through on Friday. Frank scurried home and pulled Lulu out of the paddock. He stated that she probably wasn't prepared, but he'd give her a go. She tried valiantly, but ran out of go. Frank is giving his usual Tevis mount, Little Buckaroo, a good long vacation in preparation for Pony Express 2001 (2000 mile ride from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA following the old Pony Express trail) (Update: late to cut-off at Michigan Bluff) |
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Wendy Swanson and Shearwater clambering out of the tall
grass.
(Update: finished at 3:38) |
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Melodi Sherman (#63) on Willy (RR Entero)
(Update: pulled for lameness at Francisco's) |
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Easterners Roberta Harms (#37) (from Wauconda, IL)
on Sha-win and Bettina Koehn (#38) (german lady now residing in Piynouth,
WI) on Gero
(Update: Both finished at 4:21) |
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I tried, but failed, to identify this rider - a guy with a big white beard. Please let me know if you know who this might be. |
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Carrie Oury with (?stallion?) Zyere |
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Carrie Oury with Zyere
(Update: late to cut-off at Michigan Bluff) |
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Same bearded guy... |
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Jim Mitchell and Fire Mountain Smoke |
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Junior Alicia Mitchell and JD
(Update: Both finished at 4:38) |
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And here he is again, same bearded guy...preparing
electrolytes once the horse has drank well.
Just prior to this picture, while the horse was drinking, its back foot got slightly tangled in the hose. A credit to the horse and its training that it only jumped slightly when it felt the hose on its leg - which came loose after a couple of steps. This is the sort of "minor event" can conspire to cause a major uproar and even cause riders and horses to be injured when you have lots of horses and people milling in a small area. An excellent lesson in "why endurance horses need good ground training". |
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Alicia Mitchell (background) and Paschal Karl (#130) on Miss Kota |
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"Butt shot" (hey, at least I know who this
is!) of Paschal Karl (#130) (from Rapid City, SD)
on Miss Kota
(Update: pulled for lameness at Michigan Bluff) |
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JD, Jim Mitchell and Smoke with volunteer Dave Geske filling the trough |
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Alicia Mitchell with check volunteers Dave and Lucky
Johnson.
To be sure of accuracy, two number takers were used so that final rider count could be crossed checked - it can be hard to keep track when 10 riders leave at the same time. |
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Volunteer Tony Spallaine and number taker Shirley. Alicia
Mitchell in background, leaving the check,
Shirley and Dave (above) did the very fine barbecue in Auburn on Wednesday evening and they are usually found cooking in the stadium area during ride-day evening. This year they fancied a change and joined the rest of us in getting up at 4 am to ready the check at Squaw High Camp. Most, if not all, the Squaw High Camp volunteers were members of the California Native Sons (and Daughters?) of the Golden West who strive to help preserve California's history. |
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Bettina Koehn and Gero (with volunteer Tony Spallaine watching on) |
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Kathleen Myers (#324) on My Witaka
(Update: Both finished at 3:44) |
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