Last Hoorah!!!....or "Sometimes it's just nice to go ride with no pressure"

Really no excuses to not have this done sooner.  Well, I've been busy....and it just keeps getting busier!!!

Anyway...

I woke up Friday morning, trailer and truck were already packed.  I'd looked at the map, and I was only about 2.5 hours from the ride site.

Not going to lie, I lounged around.  Slept in.  Took a leisurely shower.  Basically I fiddle-farted around at home until it was about 11, and I realized that I needed to get moving. 

Grabbed my horse, put him in the trailer, and away we went.

This is my 3rd time doing "Last Hoorah!", but I got to take a new route this time since the move, so I got to see an entirely new part of Texas as I drove through Lampasas, Hamilton, etc. until I got to Cleburne.

When I see the sign for the Six O Ranch, I just start smiling like an idiot.  This is a place where I feel so at peace and just so damn happy.

Sign to the Six O Ranch.
Credit to Jim Edmondson with Optical Harmonics, 12/2010.

I followed a larger rig in, waited while they manuvered around in the big field...and I almost parked close to where I was last year...but realized I was kind of in the road there, so I just "Eff this", pulled over behind some other larger rigs near the fence, and called it good.

Quickly got Strider set up, and then I just went back in to lazy mode.

Home sweet temporary home!!!

"MAAAAA!!!  Whuzzat?!!!"

Time to take a nap.  It's hard being so sexy.

What's happening over there?

Nothing THAT important.  MORE ALFALA MA!!!

A few days prior to Last Hoorah, Zurkh inadvertently stepped on my foot (I wasn't exactly wearing appropriate shoes), and it realllly screwed my foot up.  Swollen, hurt to walk...

So, I knew trotting my horse out was going to be...well..impossible.  But I was NOT missing this ride!!!  Hurt foot or no, I'm getting on and RIDING!!!!

I begged one of the hardcore riders (K.L.; Takoda's owner) to please trot him out...and, as she's just such a sweet and cheerful kind lady, she did.  Of course.

More food stuffing for Strider after...and waiting for my friend C.B. and her TWH, Decker, to show up.

I really just enjoyed relaxing, reading, listening to some music and enjoying being in ride camp.  

View from my trailer into one of the many pastures at the Six O Ranch.

This is ultimately where C.B. would park, but this is behind my trailer at ride camp.

Look at all that space!

Have I mentioned how lovely I find this view?

I waited for her until about 10ish, and finally gave up after relaxing outside with Strider and listening to some music.

As usual, I couldn't sleep in, so when I got up around 7, there was C.B!  She had come in very late, tried to find us by looking for my flashing lights, but she couldn't see them on the off side of my trailer, so she bunked where she landed for the night, and once the sun came up, moved right near where I was.

The advantage of doing the Intro, again, is ALLLLLLLLLLLL that time in the morning to slowly get ready.  Which we did.

We got her vetted in, and then we got tacked up, and then headed over and went on out for our 12 mile loop.

We had no goals except to survive.  I opted to keep Strider completely barefoot as this loop is pretty forgiving (except towards the end, and then I let him pick his path).  We stopped a few times while C adjusted her saddle.  We got lapped by the front running 50s, so we stopped for a bit to set up a pocket again, and briefly hooked up with a lady on a green Arab until finally she felt confident enough to chug on ahead.

Really, we just wanted to have fun and get a completion for the Intro.

We ended up hooking up with a lady coming back to endurance who's done Tevis (!!!), but she's on a green horse as well, so we all finished off the last 6 or 7 miles together.  We had so much fun together.  We didn't see the ride photographer, so there's no pictures of us on the ride (we all jokingly teased him about that...he apologized and said he really thought he'd stayed out long enough to get all the Intros).

Strider, of course, did FABULOUS in his new purple rope halter!!!  I'm a complete convert to the rope halter for riding for him.

After we finished, we headed back to our trailers and lounged around some.  We helped crew here and there for friends as we saw them coming in off whatever distance they were riding.  We had one friend who ended up pulling around mile 30 with his MFT, Dan.  The rider needed electrolytes, and the horse had had booting issues, so they RO'd to do their 50 mile attempt at another ride.

So, we kind of "babysat" him until his wife came in off her loop of the 50 and we knew that both he and his horse were going to be okay. 

Then back to the trailers to talk, play with our ponies, relax and just enjoy being there.

Heaven.  A good horse.  A weekend of riding.  I love these experiences.

Okay Ma, let's get back out and do it again!

Really, it was just a very laid back ride this time for Strider and I. 

C.B. and I went to bed late Saturday night.  We slept in on Sunday morning, and this was the first thing I saw looking out of my door.

I'll never EVER get tired of this horse.

Get up Ma.  BREAKFAST!!!  I STARVED!!!

We tossed some of the saddles my friend H.D. lent to me on Strider.  Nothing was a great fit.  C.B. gave me one of her English saddles that she felt was a pretty good fit, it just needs to be reflocked.

We puttered around as ride camp quickly thinned out, and we finally got on the road around 1ish.

I was home in time for dinner.

May was just a good month...and there was more excitement waiting on the horizon for me....