Oh My Gosh, what a week

They call it the ride of your life… (I don’t know about riding, because I know I did a fair bit of walking). I have been doing endurance riding for the last 27 years, I did my first ride at the age of 7, and I must say it is the hardest thing I have ever done.

I had planned to do the 2x80km rides the year EI hit, to get a look at what I was in for. But thought I would just have to muscle up this year and attempt the 400km. So the planning started in February for Oscar to be ready to go the distance. Oscar being a ¾ stockhorse, ¼ Arab is not the most stunning or talented endurance horse around, but one thing I did know that if I could get him fit enough, he was certainly tough enough. He completed Bendemeer ride then 2 weeks later Mudgee. Then all our efforts went into hill work, to be ready for everything that they would throw at us down at St Albans. He also has what Uncle Kym calls a Turbo Trot, so for the 6 weeks before Shahzada we had to ditch the Turbo Trot and work on a slower version, now known as The Pony Club Trot. I think this is one of the most important things that helped us get around, as using the Turbo Trot on those hard roads would have brought us undone with concussed legs. This being my first Shahzada I was lucky to have so many experienced Shahzada heads around me, making it all so much easier for me to deal with the little management issues that arise during the week. Things like cu-rash on cracked heels, and making sure that your horse is as clean as possible all week (which is really hard with Oscar because he always looks dirty), to getting on and off both sides. Also if your horse wants to eat let him. I think Oscar was the only horse to actually put on weight over the week.

For anyone planning to do this ride for the first time next year, find someone who has done it before and listen to what they have to say.

In my camp I had Shahzada veterans, Kim, April and Stewart. As well as riding partner Suzanne. So although they didn’t always think the same way, if you put all their ideas together, you usually come out with something that worked.

Wednesday being hump day was the hardest for me, by this stage the front of my thighs were killing me and my back in between my shoulder blades felt like someone had a knife in it. As we rode out that morning I groaned and said “oh that hurts”, Kimmy and Suzanne turned around and ask what was hurting, my answer at that stage was “everything”. All I could think was that if Oscar had it in him to trot out there like a little Trojan, well the least I could do was to grin and bear it. It was him that kept me going for 380km he really only got tired in the last 20km, but on hitting that common road and the last 11km home, his ears pricked as if saying “I know where we are now mum”, and off he went. I think he though it was never going to end, and I was going the ride the legs off him. On Saturday morning after we had finished the ride, at 3am I could hear a banging on the side of the float, I pulled myself out of bed, to find Oscar leaning over his fence trying to get the last of the hay around the buckets at the side of the float. He must have been thinking “I’m gunna be ready for her this morning…”

Some of the Highlights of the week for me… Getting to the top of Prestons, that is one wicked hill. Getting in off course and have my children there to fight at me, Kimmy having to vet then go and get Harry off the toilet, (where he’d fallen asleep). The look on the Princesses face when Oscar tried to bite her, (didn’t he know who she was…) Dinner each night, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten better. Getting in on Thursday with 3mins to spare, and Boonie yelling at us about giving her a heart attack. Crossing that line at the end, with two of my winning team members, Kimmy and I both in tears (the only thing that could have made that better, was if April and the Princess had been with us).

But to hear the crowd cheer as you take that final trot out, nothing compares. Then to turn around and see Kym and Anthony with thumbs up, it’s a high like no drug could ever give you, and it lasts for days. The nice policeman that booked for talking on my mobile phone on the way home couldn’t even take the smile off my face…

But I’d also like to say Thank you, to all the people in our camp. Boonie for your baby sitting duties, and strapping, Poppy as CS, (you pair are the backbone of our family and we love you for introducing us to such a wonderful sport). To Uncool Kym, not only are you head vet extraordinaire, but there maybe a career as a Farrier in your future (if the vet thing doesn’t work out) and in Jassie’s words, “Kym’s shoes don’t come off”. Renee Saxby thankyou for your help in keeping Oscar happy (the little tart he is :-). To Neil, Brad, Sue, Peter-Darling and the rest of the Shahzada crew thank you... To have a normal 80km ride run to that standard is fantastic, but to run 5 over consecutive days is just an amazing feat. The water, the marking, the vetting/tpring was second to none.

Also a big thanks to Ros Ryan and Phil Coleman, I think you saw more of my 3 boys over the week than I did...

Thanks also to my sisters and winning team members of 3.5, Kimmy, April and Suzanne. Suzanne and I had the best week riding together the whole way, occasionally letting one of our other team members ride with us...If they behaved themselves.. . Finally thanks to my tough little pony, Diamond R Oscar, who didn't look any different on Friday than he did on Monday. It takes a special kind of horse to do that distance, but in those conditions you need an extraordinary one... Not only were Kimmy and I riding horses that we have bred ourselves, but both these horse's mothers have Shahzada buckles.

I’m still running on a high after such a wonderful week... It certainly is the “Ultimate Challenge”, but well worth the effort. But having done it I will be back next year, and look forward to trying to catch up with Granny's record... Congrats Granny you are an inspiration to us all.