Jersey Devil 2024

After Hector, my ride season came to an abrupt halt. We missed Chautauqua. After that, I set my sights on Mustang. Originally, I was planning to take Lucy and do her first LD. I was going to ride with Sam on Puma. Then Mustang got cancelled. We regrouped and planned for Jersey Devil. The plan was to ride Lucy in the 25 with Sam. Then Sam mentioned that she wanted to do the two day 50. It would be her first multi day. I decided to enter Lucy in back to back 25's. This way, if she completed one day and not the second, the miles from day one would still count. It would be more expensive, but since I ride pass fail, I was all for it. 

After the Essex hunter pace, I had my doubts about Lucy being able to do both days. Booger, meanwhile, was still rip roaring fit. I had no doubt she could do 50 miles in two days. It would be our first multi-day as well. In the end, I decided to enter Booger in both 25's. My train of thought was to ride the first day and see how it went. If I wasn't having a good time, I didn't have to start the second day. I was interested to see if she'd be quieter on the second day. I keep telling myself "no more sand rides for Booger" because she treats them like really long race track. But I had such a good time riding with Sam last year. I figured it was worth a try.

It turns out, Booger wasn't the problem that weekend. 

I seriously love this mare so much.

New York Adventure 2023

 The reason I was in such a hurry to get the horse trailer picked up and situated was that I wanted to take Booger to the LD at New York Adventure. I had already missed the early entry deadline and was worried the ride would fill before I sent my entry. I messaged Dodie the day before the deadline and told her that I needed to have the trailer by the end of the week to be able to commit to the ride. It was down to the wire, but the trailer came home on Friday and I sent my entry on Saturday. One week later, we were on our way to New York. 

Booger's first official ride photos, by Carien Schippers of ImagEquine. Used with purchase, of course. I love how happy she looks!

Farewell To Friends

 Geneva and I first met in 2018 at Mustang Memorial. She had been riding with Sandy all year long and I was a bit jealous of their adventures. I had found myself without a riding horse after Ozzy's passing. At the time, Tango's then-owner had actually reached out and offered the mare to me as a lease. At the time, I wasn't in a position to take a mare. Plus Tango had a bit of a reputation. 

Well, things often seem to happen for a reason. In the end, Tango ended up with Geneva, first on loan and then for keeps. The two of them had a hell of an endurance career together! 

The next time I saw Geneva, we rode the first few miles of Broxton together in 2019. I was on Dart. She was on a horse named Ghost and he was A Lot. I had no desire to go as fast as they were going so I pulled off of them, but I remember being impressed by Geneva's riding. 

We saw each other later that spring at Rabbit Run and Geneva shared her wine with me in the gun club. I should have known then that she was my kind of people. 

Our next major interaction was at OD 100; me on Lunar, Geneva on Tango. We were on the same team. It just so happened we were the winning team that year! That was a good year for both of us and we saw each other in passing at a few rides, including Moonlight in Vermont and Fort Valley. We were friendly and chatted happily about this and that, but we didn't know each other super well. 

That didn't stop us from getting a little tipsy in the hotel after the OD Christmas Party, in our matching Triple Crown jacket. That year, Tango won OD High Mileage Horse. Geneva also brought me my ECTRA awards after she went to their banquet a few weeks later.

After that, a pandemic hit and the wheels fell off the bus. 

The next time I saw Geneva was at my return to distance riding in 2021. We were at Muckleratz and Geneva was doing her first ride with Hopper, a young mare she'd gotten from Dodie. I was instantly smitten with the little gray powerhouse, and I told Geneva as much. 

By then, we were pretty friendly online, chatting here and there about this and that. We hadn't really hung out in any official capacity, but we ran in all the same circles and the same sport. 

When Geneva posted that she was looking for someone to do a long, fast ride in the sand with, I volunteered. To my surprise and delight, she took me up on my offer. The rest, as they say, is history. We rode together at Colliers Mills in November and I think I can safely say all four of us had an absolute blast. Hopper and Booger went really well together.

Looking back, I only wish we had met sooner. 

We packed a lot of adventures into the last six months. We even started Booger's first endurance ride side by side. We rode in the pine barrens, at Horseshoe Bend, and at Baldpate Mountain. We laughed, we gossiped, we cruised down the canal path on our two confident Arabian mares who have way too much in common. We bounced ideas off of each other and shared wild events as they were unfolding in our lives. It has been a fast, easy friendship, and one that has brought me much joy.

And of course, whenever I make a friend, the universe has other plans.

Almost two weeks ago, Geneva moved to Vermont. 

It's a wonderful opportunity and I am over the moon excited for her and her boyfriend. I am also 100% planning to crash in on them once they're situated. It's not goodbye forever, but it still stings. 

The last weekend she was home, Geneva sent me a message and asked, "Any chance I could convince you to come up for one last ride at the park on Monday or Tuesday after work?"

It would make for a long night. We both work until 5pm. Then I'd have to hook up the trailer, drive to the barn, groom and load the horse, haul up to Frenchtown, tack up, ride, and then do it all in reverse before feeding and driving back home.

I said, "Absolutely."

In Which We Need a Tune Up

 A week after the LD, Geneva messaged me to let me know that Hopper had signed herself up for the fifty at Foxcatcher. It would be her first one. (Spoiler alert, they completed and came in third!!)

"I guess I should probably ride her tomorrow, huh?" she wrote. 
"If you want, I'll come join you!" I replied.

Turns out this wild animal needs new brakes.

Booger's First Endurance Ride

 I filled out the entry form and hit send, then closed the computer and made a list of things to pack. Getting ready for an endurance ride always consists of a flurry of activity. Go, go, go. It wasn't until the initial frenzy died down that the date struck me. Rabbit Run was being held on March 18th. It was the five year anniversary of Ozzy's death. The realization hit like a ton of bricks. 

The following weeks flew by and the knot in my stomach grew. The date felt like a sign. Would it be a good sign like the eagle I spotted on the last loop of the cold and snowy fifty at Foxcatcher, or a bad sign like the tree blocking the road on our way to the airport for Tevis? Only time would tell.

Thursday night I packed the trailer. I climbed in the truck and the engine roared to life. I pulled out of the driveway, heading for home. Sirius XM played on the Mosaic station, a leftover perk of the truck's last owner. From the moment of silence between songs, the familiar chords of The Goo Goo Dolls rose and filled the cab. Name. The song that always makes me think of my heart horse and his larger than life personality.

"I think about you all the time
But I don't need the same
It's lonely where you are, come back down
And I won't tell 'em your name"

I pulled into the driveway at home with tears streaming down my cheeks. 

"I hear you, buddy," I whispered into the gray of the evening.

Good sign. 

More Miles

 As of me starting to type this post, Booger has 112 miles under her belt for the year. Two years ago, that was my goal for the entire year! She has come a long way and has turned into a horse who really seems to enjoy her job. She is still hot and forward and, at times, spooky, but she has blossomed in the last year and I feel more and more like she is my partner and not just humoring me because she has no choice. Over the last two weekends, we have added two more trips to her log. 

She certainly looks the part.

Cruisin' Down the Tow Path

 So far this year has been chilly and wet. I'm not complaining about the mostly mild temperatures, but I sure am tired of mud. Still, when I think back to last year and remember that I didn't even get Booger out on trail until the spring, I feel very grateful. 

Geneva texted me on Thursday and asked, "Could I convince you to come up here to ride with me on Saturday?"

As it happened, the plans Mike and I had for the morning got rescheduled (no spoilers) so I ended up being free. 

Geneva keeps her horses at a well known endurance rider's farm right by Horseshoe Bend. Booger hasn't done any of those trails before, and I was overdue for a visit to the park. Plus, Geneva suggested trying to get in about 15 miles, which would involve riding the canal tow path along the Delaware River. I was excited to learn how to get from HSB to the canal path, so this was a great opportunity. Hopper had a chiropractic appointment at 3pm so we agreed to meet up at 11am. 

We ended up having a spectacular 14 mile jaunt.

Booger Goes to Baldpate

 Last weekend was a good horse weekend. Eryca and I spent the entire afternoon at the barn on Saturday. We played musical horses and we both rode everyone but Gunner. I rode Maddie once in the spring, but other than that I haven't ridden anyone but the horses at home. In fact, I rode Lilly twice and Felix once this year. That is the smallest number of horses I've ridden in a year in as long as I can remember. I'm weirdly not complaining. 

On Sunday, Eryca and I planned a trip to Baldpate Mountain.

Colliers Mills Conditioning Ride

 Right after Booger's first hunter pace, Geneva made a post on FB asking, "Does anyone want to do a conditioning ride down in the Pine Barrens this weekend? I'd like to do about fifteen miles. Mostly trot. Some canter."

I was like, "Wait. Me. I want to do this." I left a waving emoji in the comments.

Geneva reached out right away, and I warned her that I would want to bring Booger and that I wasn't sure if we'd be able to keep up with her and Hopper. Her response was, "That's ok. If we have to walk the whole thing, that's fine."

That Saturday, Booger loaded up for her first solo trip off the property with me. It was AMAZING.

Never thought I would see this view through these ears.