A Collection of Madcap Escapades: Redux: New Connections

August 6, 2026

Perryville
5.69 miles
2h7m

When Sandy and I rode at Round Valley over Easter, we came upon two people walking corgis. We got to chatting and found out that the woman, Stephanie, was also a trail rider and local to Sandy. We connected on Facebook and said we should meet up one day.

It turns out Sandy later ran into her again, and that same refrain resurfaced.

Stephanie and her friend Alesha board together on the PTA trails. While they've figured out how to get to Finn Park, they were looking for help navigating the main loop. Sandy offered to show them around and invited me to join.

I was still doing my 100 miles of walking, but everyone was happy to go for a mosey in good company.

Sandy and I met up at the Perryville parking spot and the girls rode over to meet us.

We ended up having a lovely ride while we played the get-to-know-you game. Alesha was on her RMH mare, Dixie. Stephanie was on her mare, an Appendix named Mira.

They got the abridged version of this summer's events and then were introduced to Max. When it came out that I had only had Max for almost a month, Alesha exclaimed, "Really? He's amazing!"

"Best dollar my husband ever spent," I grinned.

There wasn't much to report. The weather was lovely. The company was excellent. The conversation flowed seamlessly. The horses were on their best behavior. Plus it's always fun to add new friends to the group. I would definitely ride with these ladies again! It helps that they're local to the barn.

The only remotely interesting thing that happened was when we rode through the Finn Park fields. There was some sort of tournament or event going on and we literally got swarmed by children and their overwhelmed chaperones. Luckily, all four horses were on their best behavior and we took turns answering an influx of questions while the ponies got lots of attention.

The end of this ride marked 50 miles down. The walking challenge was halfway done in just a couple of weeks. While I was eager to do more, I was actually quite enjoying getting to know my trusty new steed.