The Crucible

Just after I finished this blog post, the Devil Dogs video was put up which included McCain’s platoon.  We found him quickly and I captured this screen shot above.

My oldest son, McCain, has been away from home for going on 12 weeks.  This Thursday will be our first Thanksgiving without him in 20 years – all of his life.  We have never been apart this long since he was born.



McCain is a recruit for the United States Marines.  When he went into the deferred enlistment program, I thought I had months to get prepared.  His original ship date was February 2014.  When his recruiter gave him an opportunity to leave early, he jumped on it.  He was ready.  I certainly wasn’t.    

Tomorrow morning at 3:00 AM Pacific time, he begins The Crucible.  The best I can describe it is fifty-four hours of simulated combat using the skills they have learned over the past eleven weeks. 

Basic Facts About the Crucible*

1. Recruits will travel 48 miles on foot.
2. There are 29 problem-solving exercises.
3. The Crucible consists of 36 stations.
4. Recruits get 3 MREs during the 54 hours.
5. Recruits carry 45 pounds during the Crucible, in addition to 782 gear, uniform and M16 service rifle weight.

(more info by clicking on picture) 

When he decided he wanted to train to become a Marine, he never did mention the Crucible.  I don’t know if he didn’t know about it or just spared me.  But as soon as he left, I scoured the internet for every bit of information I could find.   In one of my letters to him, I mentioned concern about the Crucible.  He said he “couldn’t wait” and that this is what they have been training for these past months.   

The parents, family and friends of 2nd Battalion Hotel Company has a Facebook page whose moderators have had sons go through the San Diego Depot.  They keep us informed on what the recruits are doing each week, help us make good travel decisions and answer our endless questions.  It also is a way for parents of the recruits to get to know other parents, albeit just virtually at first, but perhaps in person at graduation.  I’ve learned of so many traditions through these resources.  



It is tradition that family and friends leave their porch lights on while their son is participating in the Crucible.  It is symbolic for guiding them home.  I’ve turned mine on now and will think of him when my alarm goes off a little after 5:00 AM this morning – 3:00 AM his time and the start of what will most likely be the toughest test he will ever take. 




At 7:30 AM on Wednesday, at the completion of the Crucible, he and the members of his company and platoon will receive their Eagle, Globe and Anchor and most importantly, be given the title “Marine”.  They’ve had their eye on that prize.  That is their golden ticket, their reward for the 12 weeks of hell they have endured. 

If you are so inclined, say a little prayer for McCain and flip your porch light on.

Oorah! 

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*If you are interested, here is the schedule we were given for the Crucible.

Day 1 – Monday

Reveille (2 am)
Night movement (3 am)
Recruits conduct a 6-mile hike to the Crucible site.
Events 1-3 (5: 30 am - 6:30 pm)
Event 1 – Battle of Hue City
A one-hour event in which the teams resupply water, ammunition and MREs through a course which consists of trenches, wire fences and walls.
After the resupply course, teams negotiate the warrior stations below:
Pfc Jenkins Pinnacle: Teams cross two horizontal cable-supported logs.
Pfc Garcia's Engagement: Individuals demonstrate their knowledge of hand-to-hand combat skills, and then participate in a warrior case study of Pfc. Garcia.
Lehew's Challenge: Teams of two climb over an eight-foot high horizontal log.
Corbin's Convoy: Teams react to a simulated IED while on patrol.
Event 2 – Battle of Belleau Wood: Pugil Sticks/Body Sparring
Leadership Reaction Course: A three-hour event in which the teams perform six reaction course problems which test their ability to work as a team to solve problems. Some of the problems include:

• Using three wooden boards to cross a number of stumps without touching the ground.
• Negotiating a water hole using the same wooden board concept to get from point A to point B.
• Transporting a large container over a wall using the limited resources available.

Once completing the events, the teams of two face off in a pugil stick bout.
Event 3 – Core Event and Warrior Stations
A one-hour event which can hold a maximum of six teams working concurrently.
Noonan's Casualty Evacuation: The team will recover a downed pilot and another recruit “shot” by a sniper and transport them over a mile of wooded terrain.
Enhanced Obstacle Course:  Recruits carry a dummy casualty on a stretcher and ammunition cans from one end of a standard Marine Corps obstacle course to the other, going over all obstacles.
Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) Strikes Station: Recruits are required to demonstrate and conduct five-minute MCMAP strikes.
Core Values Station:  Recruits sit inside a hut and receive information on a particular core value from their drill instructor.

Night Event (8 pm - 11 pm)
Five-mile night hike with a time limit of three hours.
Sleep (midnight - 4 am)
Day 2 – Tuesday

Reveille (4 am)
Events 4-6 (5:30 am - 6:30 pm)
Event 4 – Battle of Fallujah
A one-hour event in which teams resupply water, ammunition and MREs through the Combat Assault Course.
Following the completion of the Battle of Fallujah, recruits negotiate a bayonet assault course and the warrior stations below:
Perez's Passage: Teams cross a “contaminated area” by swinging on ropes from “safe spot” to “safe spot.”
Kraft's Struggle: Teams climb a 10-foot wall and climb down the opposite side by a knotted rope.
John Quick Trail (Navigation Station): Basic map reading and grid coordinate plotting will be reviewed and evaluated.
Core Values Station: Recruits sit inside a hut and receive information on a particular core value from their drill instructor.

Event 5 – Battle of Mariana Islands

Combat Endurance Course: Teams have two hours to complete five events of a modified Confidence Course.
The Sky Scraper: The team retrieves a “wounded” dummy from the top of an 18-foot tower.
Stairway to Heaven: Team members move two ammunition cans over the top of a 36-foot ladder obstacle.
Two-Line Bridge: Team members cross two 52-foot long ropes with their hands and feet suspended two feet and 10 feet off the ground as they carry ammunition cans and water re-supply cans.
The Weaver: Team members climb over and under 24 logs, 42 feet in length ascending to 14 feet as they carry ammunition and water re-supply cans.
In addition to the Enhanced Confidence Course, teams go through a Combat Endurance Course.
Combat Endurance Course:  Teams conduct a simulated patrol, negotiate the obstacles and report the number and types of obstacles to intelligence sources.
Event 6 – Battle of Khe Sanh (Unknown Distance Firing)
Teams of four fire two magazines of five rounds each from simulated building structures at unknown distance targets in a time limit of 70 seconds. The number of targets hit and number of unused ammunition is then recorded.
Following Day's Defense, team members participate in a 250-meter casualty evacuation where members remove simulated casualties from a simulated danger area consisting of artillery simulators.
Night Event (8 pm - 11 pm)- Night Infiltration Course
Teams re-supply water, ammunition and MREs at night in a simulated combat environment. The teams take their ammunition cans, water cans and simulated MREs through the Combat Assault Course with the added obstacle of darkness.
Sleep (midnight - 4 am)
Day 3 – Wednesday
Reveille (3 am)
Nine-mile hike (4 am - 7 am)
Recruits conduct a nine-mile hike from the Crucible site back to the battalion.
Eagle Globe and Anchor Ceremony (7:30-8:00)
New Marines will receive an Eagle Globe and Anchor from their Drill Instructor marking their transition from a recruit to a Marine.
Warrior's Breakfast
The new MARINES are treated to a breakfast fit for only true warriors. It consists of all-you-can-eat steak, eggs and potatoes.

A Way of Life

 

 

I was meeting with some business associates in Denver a few weeks ago and at a break, finished up the banking for my new horse trailer.  When I returned from the phone call, I showed them the picture of my new toy.  Not being horse people, they had no idea that a livestock trailer could be a “camper”, as well.  And I had to explain that we do not share space with the horse.  A comment was made that this horse thing must be more than a hobby, but a “way of life”.   Such true words.

 

 

It’s cliché to say that the horse was the cheapest part of the equation.  This isn’t my first trailer purchase and probably won’t be my last.  And then there is all the tack we have bought and sold and bought again until we ended up with what we think is “just right” – at least for now.   I haven’t bought a different horse in two years and we only bought Fancy because we lost Ginger.  Before that, we hadn’t horse shopped since 2005. 

 

I drive a thirteen year old Ford Focus back and forth to work and I hope it will last another 13 years.  Its fuel economy and the lack of full coverage insurance makes it priceless and our horse toys more affordable. 

 

 

When my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her to wait until I got the new trailer home as I am sure there is something that I will want for it.  These stars will look pretty in there.   

 

 

The miles we have traveled and the backroads we have seen has certainly been the reward for this way of life. 

 

 

And now that its our down time – winter, that is – I start looking at the calendar and counting down the days.  Do these dates look familiar?  December 22.  The sun sets about one minute later than the day before.  And the next day we get another minute and then another minute and before long it is …..  March 9.  Not only the day before my birthday but the day I thank the government for Daylight Saving Time and get another big chunk of daylight!   Sixty minutes worth! 

 

The first Wednesday in April is usually the opening season of the Platte River Riders and in May, is the Friday Before Mother’s Day.  And by then, we usually have a June riding trip planned.  And since we have started to do competitive trail rides, I am looking forward to the release of their 2014 ride schedule. 

 

You get the idea. 

 

 

Yesterday we had our first snow and as I look out the window at 5:26 PM, it is almost dark.  Gray November.  When I asked Siri what the temperature was, even “she” said “Brr!”   She’s got that right!

 

It’s not that this way of life comes to a screaming halt with the first snow fall.  There was Expo last weekend and if it isn’t too cold, we will have our Black Friday ride the day after Thanksgiving. 

 

 

Non-horse related, we will be heading to San Diego soon as our oldest son will be graduating from Marine boot camp.  He will be home for the holidays so when we want time to slow down, it will probably speed up.  Our youngest son is playing basketball this year and that will help speed along the really cold months.  And before long we can get back to the horse way of life. 

 

 

 

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Christmas Came Early

 

 

Seriously, I didn’t plan to buy a new trailer this year.  I didn’t really think I would be buying one for several years.  Oh, the thought crossed my mind occasionally or every time I fell over John’s boots in our Sundowner.  I kept telling him to put them in the back of the trailer and he said they would be too cold in the morning.  Since my Luggable Loo was back there, I knew all about the chilly mornings in the back of the trailer!  Then add the dogs to the mix – yes, it seems Nahla is now a camping dog, too – and the walls of my little Sundowner started to close in on me. 

 

I was scrolling through the online horse trailer ads and found what I thought would be the perfect trailer for us.  Never mind that it was in Tennessee!  I had the bug really bad!  So bad that I listed mine for sale and sold it in a matter of days.  It seemed to be a hot little item!  Then I talked John into driving to the AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City.  What a great opportunity to see all the choices side by side at that event’s huge trade show!  The night before we were to leave for Oklahoma, we went and looked at a trailer locally that some friends, Jody and Rich, were selling.  Seriously, it was everything we wanted and almost brand spanking new.  John said perhaps we didn’t need to go to Oklahoma after all.  But I wanted to shop around.  

 

 

I could drag this post out about every trailer we saw at the World Show last weekend.  (Example is the one in the picture above).  It came down to going outside our budget to get a top of the line model, buying one a bit more affordable but without all the bells and whistles we wanted or going home and buying the one we looked at before we left for Oklahoma.  I called my friends and it was still available so we headed back to Nebraska.

 

 

Our new-to-us trailer is a 2012 Maverick.  It is a 3 horse trailer with a 13’ short wall living quarters, 8’ wide and 25’ on the floor.  I wanted a 3 horse, I wanted 8 foot wide.  I originally had my heart set on a slide-out, but John was not keen on that idea, so by going with a longer short wall, I got the space that I wanted.  It’s only a foot longer than our old 4 horse Titan.   It has the living quarter door on the curb side which was what I wanted.  It has a huge awning, too.  Having had one on my Titan that we rarely used, an awning was not on my list of “must have” items.  But it is certainly nice to get one by default. 

 

 

It has a rear removable tack room and mangers on the side.  Both of these items were on my wish list.  There are lights on both sides of the trailer and a loading light on the back.  After having to saddle in the dark at the last CTR, having lights on both sides was on my must have list.

 

 

The Maverick is made by Hoosier Trailers and manufactured in Indiana.  It is steel framed and aluminum skinned.  Although I was hoping for all aluminum, we were okay with this combination.  Our trailer is shedded and we don’t usually drive it in the winter, so the steel frame does not scare us; just adds some weight to the overall rig. 

 

 

We let the mares step into it today.  Windy snorted a few times before proceeding.  It has been awhile since she has been in a slant load trailer as both my Sundowners – the one I sold and my bumper pull – are straight loads. 

 

 

 

I was a bit worried if Fancy would back out.  She is used to stepping out on a ramp and since she has been with us, not loaded in a slant.  But she had no problems loading or unloading.  By the way, the floor is a Rumber floor. 

 

When I unloaded my Sundowner last week, I stored all the items in my living quarters in the SUV.  So today, I moved into our new Maverick.  Now for the good stuff!  Let me take you on a little tour.

 

 

This first shot is looking in the door.  I had the Navajo blanket on the bed in my old trailer and thought it would add a splash of color to this new trailer.  I hope to incorporate some of its color into the sconces behind it as well.

 

 

 

The couch is very comfortable – might be some memory foam in it – and folds down into a bed.  I hope to get some different pillows to add a little more color to the room. 

 

 

The trailer came with the mattress which Jody had purchased for it.  I added the memory foam mattress I had in my Sundowner and it makes for a very comfortable bed.  I used the bedding I had in that trailer but will be on the lookout for something new in those Navajo colors. 

 

 

There are tons of cupboards.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I could bring the kitchen sink if it didn’t already have one!  That cupboard on the left is John’s.  It even has a bar for him to hang his clothes.  He won’t have to put his bag in the back.  And look on the right.  A TV!  I bought this TV for my Sundowner several years ago and John would never install it.  Long story.  But here is my TV!!  And check out all the lights and the light switches.  I won’t need my little LED flashlights any more! 

 

 

John’s cupboard opened.  Look how much space he has!  He has enough room in his cupboard to also store the big owners manual for this trailer! 

 

 

Here would be the view from the bed to the back of the trailer.  What is beyond that first door?  Just wait and see! 

 

 

Having a flat top stove was also on my list and viola, I got one of those, too!  And if case you didn’t notice the big mammoth refrigerator to the right of the above picture, it is there.  And I love it.  Complete with a freezer!  It runs on electricity or propane so I can use it when we have full power or are boon docking. 

 

 

On a popular horse trail riding Facebook page, I asked members what they liked about their living quarters.  Many said their double sink.  Admittedly, this wasn’t something I thought about as dishes are never at the top of my list.  But since it was important to some, perhaps it will be something I appreciate. 

 

 

Check out this wardrobe!  That is MY clothes closet!  It even has drawers for underwear and socks!   I can store winter clothes and summer clothes and jeans and hats….  And look how pretty it is!

 

 

And see that bottom cupboard on the right?  That is where John can store his big boots!  I will never have to fall over them again.  My 4 pair of boots will fit in the left side of that cupboard quite nicely. 

 

 

There is more storage above and under the couch.  It comes with a nice stereo with a CD player and inside and outside speakers.  In the ceiling you will notice a vent.  The heat and air conditioning are vented throughout the trailer.  There is a thermostat on the wall.  Best of all, the furnace runs without electricity!  I will never be cold again! 

 

 

This trailer is equipped with a full bathroom and a walk-thru door to the horse area.  Actually having a porcelain toilet inside makes me wonder if I will ever need to go to the horse area from the inside again!  There is a pocket door (not shown) that closes the bathroom off from the living quarters. 

 

 

It’s hard to photograph a bathroom.  Here is the toilet.  The fuse box is behind it and then there are two cupboards above it. 

 

 

Across from the toilet are the shower and vanity.  The shower has a skylight above it and features a curved glass door.  It is very roomy.  With a gas hot water heater, it will be great to be able to clean up after a long day.  Gasp – I know – so unlike me! 

 

 

Finally, the dogs fit.  Although they both found a spot on the bed while I took these pictures, most likely when camping, Pip will be on the couch – those long poodle legs all sprawled out.  Most likely you’ll find Nahla just where she is in the picture. 

 

I am really excited for next year’s camping season.  I know we’ll be more comfortable, the horses will be more comfortable and obviously the dogs will be happy.  It took me all of ten days to decide to sell, sell and then buy new.  Sometimes I can be a wee it impulsive.

 

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Kanopolis CTR

 

Since the Kanopolis CTR, the time has changed and we lost our precious Daylight Saving Time.  And I sold my beautiful Sundowner trailer.  Time keeps on spinning, spinning, spinning…  Let me back up a bit….

 

 

I was super excited to enter the Kanopolis CTR.  It is one of my favorite places to ride.  In the heart of Kansas, the terrain is like none other.  When you see shows about Jessie James on the History Channel and supposedly where he buried his treasures, it looks a lot like Kanopolis.  Very cool rock, a real Horsethief Canyon, fun water crossings and autumn colors to die for!  I signed John up to ride Windy again and I would be riding Fancy.  John told me no matter who I rode, I needed to “get my game on”.  Hmm.  A challenge?  A quick trip to the vet to get our traveling papers and we were ready to haul early that Friday morning. 

 

I had hounded my friends, Mary and Dwight, to come ride with us again.  They entered the Turkey Trot and had good rides, but Mary said they had just been away too long and had to catch up on “housework”.  In my opinion, that is what winter is for.  But Mary was adamant.  I was surprised to get a call from her on Friday morning asking where we were and to find we were coming upon the gas station that they had pulled into.  They surprised me by signing up and keeping it a secret.  Mary reminded me that she feels the same way I do about housework!  So it would be Mary, Dwight, Sharron, Shari, John and me  – our Nebraska contingent – heading to Kansas for this last Region 6 ride. 

 

 

We arrived not long afternoon, set up camp and did a quick ride to warm up the horses.  We were rather surprised when we showed for the judge and both Windy and Fancy were quite animated on the lunge line!  We had our ride meeting and looked forward to a 20 mile ride the next day with a 4.3 mph pace; quite a bit faster than the last 2 rides.

 

We were saddled at sunrise for an 8:30 ride time.  Fancy felt good and was anxious to move out.  We found the judges on the trail pretty early.  We didn’t have to stop; just ride over some timber on the trail.  I mentally pumped my fist when we easily sailed over the logs without so much as a tap.  I hear the judge say “excellent”.  It was a great start to the day!

 

 

As mentioned, the ride was faster than Indian Cave or Turkey Creek; most likely
because there are not the hills that those places offer but it is not without challenging terrain.  While not as steep or high of climb, those ups and downs into the canyon can be rocky and sometimes on sheer rock, so it is tricky in places.  It was important we move out on the prairie so we could take our
time when we were at the rock.  Shari would put Mika in a foxtrot and we would trot behind.  The vet had asked me if Fancy was smooth.  I had told him that she wasn't too bad but that she wasn't my normal ride.  He said the way she moved and is put together, she should be.  Well, I found that gear with her.  At
times I think she may have been single footing.  I had no problem "riding the balloon" that Shari talks about with her.  It was a pleasure. 

 

The next obstacle was opening a gate.  Due to the wind, they wanted us to pull it toward the horse and pivot around it.  I was glad because this is how I practice gates, albeit it I haven't practiced on Fancy.  I had a little problem lining her up but once I got ahold of the gate, we got it open, moved around it and closed it.  Score!  John and Windy struggled.  Windy was in her "no-no-no" mood.  Game on!

At the P & R's, you want you pulse to be 12 or less and your respirations to be 9 or less at check out.  They will usually give you an incoming reading so you know where you are, but they were short of volunteers so we just got the outgoing read.  Luckily, we pulsed down well.  At one P & R, we had a judged mount.  Fancy stood nicely and I managed to get on without plopping into the
saddle or without Fancy stepping off.  John did the same. 

 

 

My only complaint of the day as far as Fancy was concerned is that she wasn't drinking.  There was plenty of water on the trail but she wasn't interested.  We rode 20 miles in 5:36 hours with an average pace of 4.21 mph.  My only ding at vet check was her capillary refill went to a 1.  This was most likely due to her lack of drinking.   Overall, I felt good about the 1st day's ride. 

 

At the ride meeting on Saturday night, they told us to be ready for a trot by at 7:45 AM and ride out at 8:15 AM. At Indian Cave, I was dinged on my trot by for being "loose in the saddle" and "balancing on reins". It's interesting what a judge sees because I thought I did pretty good. I even posted! Shari said she
usually two points or is up in the saddle so she doesn't risk being off on the post. She said a lot more can go wrong when you post so I remember that. Also remembered how spooky Fancy was at the trot-by at IC, so I took her out early and lunged her for awhile to scare away the demons. It seemed to work. We had a nice trot by and got a "good" on our score card.

 

 

Sunday's ride was a reverse of the day before with a few cut-offs to reduce the miles to 17.1. We started out to the back of the pack. A group of two passed us shortly after the ride started and we were on our own after that. Once again, the judges were in the first mile or so and just observed us going down a rockier area of trail. Eyes ahead, don't look down.... we did that just fine.

 

 

This morning we hit the water crossing early. It was pretty deep - up to Fancy's shoulders and she is 15.2hh. I managed to keep from getting wet and got a video that I posted on FB. Love the water crossings. We did a lot of trotting early because we knew we would be hitting the canyons on the way back and wanted to get our time padded before then. It was a little tougher on Sharron's Boomer today. He is a heavier horse and she could feel that he was tired. So we would bring it down until she felt he was ready to go again. She wasn't discouraged - said what she needs to do to condition for this is long trotting - something she hadn't done a lot of.

 

The first challenge was not planned. Shari and Mary come to a narrow part of the trail and just as Mary was turning around to tell us to watch our step, Dwight's horse, Tate,  fell in it. We saw the horse go down on his side with Dwight under him in the ravine. I thought Tate was going to continue rolling over Dwight but he stopped and got up. Both were dusted off, check for injury and chop, chop - we were back on the trail again. We called Tate "Timex".  He takes a licking and keeps on ticking.  Apparently Dwight does, too.

 

 

The next obstacle, I think I mentioned, was bushwhacking thru a marked trail, keeping the markings to our left. I recall doing something similar years ago when I did my first CTR on Ginger. And I totally screwed it up. Again, deep breath. Shari went first and she had to sidepass along the way (CP obstacle) so I had some time to study where I was going and think about it. Again. look ahead not down. I did make sure I was up out of the saddle going up the slight incline. I felt like we did it okay. Too little too late, I remembered the last judge mentioning how I should use more leg when directing my horse and wondered if I did or if it would get mentioned.

 

The last P & R was at the top of a long climb. I think she came in at 16 or 17 heart rate. She quieted quickly and rested. Her outgoing was at a 13 which would cost me a point. I could ask for a retake, but if it came in higher, I would have to take the higher score. Knowing that Fancy usually pulses down good, I went for the retake. She was still a 13 so I lost a point there. Windy lost on respirations. John should have asked for a retake but didn't. Just something he needs to know about the game.

 

 

When we crossed the finish line, Shari had coached us to dismount right away as this judge liked to see that since the game was over and to give the horse a break. Us women dismounted, the men did not. Guess who lost some points?

 

At checkout, Fancy was 0-0-0 and 3. We only lost a 1/2 point for not being a 3.5 or better, if you recall the initial post. She lunged beautifully and I was happy with our ride. There were 7 in our class and I think I told the girls I had hoped for a 4th place or better. I really felt I worked at this one and did a lot better than the previous rides. All the horses did pretty good, so wasn't sure how they would come in.

 

In the end, I was pleased with my 3rd place finish and Fancy's 4th place. If Fancy wouldn't have lost that last point at the P & R and the 1/2 at the end, she would have had 3rd also. I couldn't help those and the ding at the gate for not lining up was rider error, not horse. The judge said I needed to be more patient and he was right. Stop, settle, slow...

 

 

Our group of riders did pretty darn well. In the class that Sharron, Mary, Dwight, John and I were in, here were the standings. The horse's placing is first and the rider's placing is second. I did not get the last place ribbon! Shari is not in
the Novice class so she is not shown here. I am sure she will report her own ride.

Novice Hvywt
1/2 KS Bluestem Lady Liberty/Mary Hanson
2/1 Lethal Status/Sharron Ankerson
3/6 Silver Valley Tate/Dwight Hanson
4/3 Bartending For Money/Tammy Vasa
5/- R.M. Savanna's Hope/Karen Everhart
6/4 Windy/John Vasa
-/5 Tempra/Bobbie Barton

 

What I really liked about this ride was picking up the speed a bit. I liked the diversity of the trail - prairie, trees, canyon. I prefer it over the hills of Indian Cave or Turkey Creek and I think the horses did, too. I felt like Fancy could have kept going and had a lot of horse left at the end of the day. John commented on trotting being Windy's preferred gait and it is. I think she could do the whole ride at a trot.

 

 

I have to admit, I am hooked. I have had so much fun at these last three rides and contribute a lot of that to not only having John ride with me and having two good horses that can do the sport and learn from the sport but doing it with friends. I appreciate the encouragement that Shari has provided all these years and so glad to have her ride with us. Cherie, one of the horsemanship judges and winner of the CTR Presidential Award her last year of competing told me that we could not have a better mentor than Shari Parys. That she knows the sport and is a beautiful rider.  She also told me that I made great improvements over the Indian Cave ride.  Yes!

 

John enjoys it but he did complain about getting some jean rubs.  When I mentioned riding tights, he said that will never happen.  That’s what I used to say, too.