Thursday, March 13, 2014

"Cause You're Crazy Daddy. That's Why! You're Just Crazy!"



That's what my daughter, Amanda, would say when she was "assisting" me in training some of the rougher BLM mustangs. Her job was to sit outside the round pen, cell phone in hand, waiting to call 911 in case things went bad. She was always ready to get both of us out of there as soon as I achieved any success with the horse. She hated for me to move on to another step and always wanted me to come home before any of my bones were broken.

She is grown now and does not object to my latest endeavor, though others will think Terry and me to be crazy.

In December Terry turned 55 and I turned 54. To celebrate our longevity she proposed that we complete a 109 mile ride in a day (54 plus 55 equals 109). We could not do it in December because hunting season was in. We set a date for late March. We have been getting a string of horses in shape and getting our bodies as ready for the challenge as they can be.

So in a few days, if the woods are dry enough, we will set out at 3:00 am for the first 22 mile leg of the ride. I hope to knock those off before the sun comes up. At 22 mile intervals we will take on a fresh horse and head off again. We are riding the horses the relatively short distance of 22 miles because we will be doing some form of running the entire way (trotting, gaiting,loping)

Barring an injury, I expect that we will finish around midnight,leaving four hours to spare.

Our string includes a Choctaw,Corollas, Shacklefords,a Karma Farms line Spanish Mustang, three stallions, a Chincoteague/blm cross and one modern horse, Comet

Were this the 19th century a 109 mile ride in 24 hours would not be even worth mentioning. But this is not the 19th century. I have done 98 miles in 48 hours, but that seems passe now.

No, this is not the 19th Century and 109 in less than 24 hours is worth mentioning, especially when completed by people who have reached the age Terry and I have.

(Here is a shot of Ta Sunka when he was about three or four years old.

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