# Maplewood west ride



## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

Hi there all of you endurance folks! I figured that I would liven up this section of the forum by sharing the latest ride. Who doesn't love ride photos? hehe

I ended up taking my mare, Marchesa to a ride in MN yesterday as the ride in WY I had planned to take both of my horses to last weekend fell through.
We did a 30 mile LD at Maplewood West. 

The campgrounds were great (albeit it was so big that the vet check was a bit far away, though they did give us extra time at holds to make up for it).
The trails were super nice even despite the fact that the area had gotten two inches of rain two days before. The trees were all filled in, the grass was high, the lakes were full. SO nice. 

Since moving to ND, I have been having serious tree/woods withdrawls. Haha. So I was in heaven! My horses are on dry lot right now and haven't had much grass, so it was easy to get my mare to eat on trail. 

The only thing that I don't care for on the MN ride was that they do exit CRI's and I'm not a huge fan, but no biggie. 

We ended up teaming up with a lady who was bringing her gelding back into endurance after some time off. Just happened that we were aiming for the same pace and our horses went well together. 

We finished with all A's and barely broke a sweat. So proud of my mare!


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

Ride photos have been posted! Probably my second favorite part of this sport is the ride photos!


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

grayshell38 said:


> The only thing that I don't care for on the MN ride was that they do exit CRI's and I'm not a huge fan, but no biggie.


By 'exit CRI' do you mean one as part of the finish exam? If so, when are they done at the rides you normally attend? Always interesting to hear how other regions do things. At rides in the NE, you have a CRI done at every check.

Congrats on what looks like a lovely ride!

Would certainly be nice to get this section more active. I gave up posting my rides as the threads got little to no response. Hopefully yours is more popular!

What ride is next for you?


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

phantomhorse13 said:


> By 'exit CRI' do you mean one as part of the finish exam? If so, when are they done at the rides you normally attend? Always interesting to hear how other regions do things. At rides in the NE, you have a CRI done at every check.
> 
> Congrats on what looks like a lovely ride!
> 
> ...


Hi there. Basically you would come in for your hold, pulse down at the vet, go do your hold and come back 10 minutes before your hold is up to do your CRI.

So you would do this for each hold and then at the end your vetting out/finish exam.
I think they do it this way because alot of the MN rides are double or even triple sanctioned by AERC, UMECRA, and MnDra.

Out west we do CRI's as well, but usually right after you pulse down but before you go for your hold. 

Funny how different areas have different criteria! 

Yeah, this section had been hopping along there for a bit, but I think everyone has fallen off the map. 

My next ride will be a 50 with my gelding and a 30 with my friend's mare at Zone Team Challenge (aka Fort Howes) in Montana.

What is next on your ride calendar?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

grayshell38 said:


> Hi there. Basically you would come in for your hold, pulse down at the vet, go do your hold and come back 10 minutes before your hold is up to do your CRI.
> 
> What is next on your ride calendar?



Wow, doing a CRI that way seems totally disruptive.. I would hate to drag my horse away from eating and drinking for that. No wonder you didn't like it! We do ours the way you do, after the initial pulse but before the hold.

We just got back from a 50 in Rhode Island this weekend. Next up for me is the Old Dominion 50 (in Virginia), but riding someone else's horse. Next ride for our horses will be the Maine pioneer 5-day. Never done more than back-to-back 50s, so super excited to try a true multiday!


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

Love the pictures! Your mare is beautiful

And Phantomhorse I always love your ride posts.


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

phantomhorse13 said:


> Wow, doing a CRI that way seems totally disruptive.. I would hate to drag my horse away from eating and drinking for that. No wonder you didn't like it! We do ours the way you do, after the initial pulse but before the hold.
> 
> We just got back from a 50 in Rhode Island this weekend. Next up for me is the Old Dominion 50 (in Virginia), but riding someone else's horse. Next ride for our horses will be the Maine pioneer 5-day. Never done more than back-to-back 50s, so super excited to try a true multiday!



Yes. It is a big pain. At the very least they let you do them tacked up (not the final vet out, just the ones for each loop). 

I reaaaaally want to get to some rides out east! It looks so pretty! I am such a tree lover. I have a residual smile still stuck to my face even now from the weekend. 

OOOO! A pioneer ride! If I had an older horse I would try to do the one that follows the pony express route. Definitely on my wish list of rides!
When my horses start doing 75's or 100's I'll be able to justify hauling their butts out East and all over. 

OD is on the list too. I am doing Big Horn this year, but just a 50. My friend completed the 100 there in a little over 15 hrs. I hear there are some crazy climbs. 

How is the trail at OD? Along with Tevis and Big Horn, everyone always talks about OD.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

grayshell38 said:


> How is the trail at OD? Along with Tevis and Big Horn, everyone always talks about OD.


There is a thread on fb about the BH100 right now, and the photos are spectacular. If only I would win the darned lottery (or even that 1000/week deal), I would be able to go see it for myself! PLEASE take lots of pics!!

The OD is well named as The Beast of the East. It's known for heat, humidity, rocks, and climbs. One year I rode the 100, it was 88F by the second hold and 103F in the shade by the third hold, with high humidity. :shock: I stopped looking after that!! But the trail is amazing, and very doable assuming you have a horse that is good about technical trail (it was actually my first 100). There are certainly some very rocky sections, but there are some really nice sections too.

I haven't ridden Tevis or any other big 100 out west, but i was pretty shocked to hear some comparisons. I shared trail with Heather and Jeremy Reynolds when they did their first OD (I think it was 2012) and was _floored_ when Jeremy said he thought the OD was much harder than Tevis and he would never come back for another.. in fact he called me crazy for intentionally coming back to ride it again. I have heard similar things from other riders who have done them both. 

I suspect the perception of 'hardest' has to do with what is a personal challenge. I am happy to climb up a trail that is nothing but rocks, but the drop offs at Tevis might be my undoing (I don't like heights). Hearing there are only 3 holds during the BH100 seems crazy to me and would mean what I wanted to have with me on trail (vs knowing was waiting in a hold) would be totally different, esp as people said it can be snowing in one place and 90F+ in others all in the same day!! Least at the OD, I know the next hold isn't but so far, even if there are some rocks in the way. :wink:

OD100 last year:


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