I was looking forward to this outing given we had a good track
record at this venue and I knew we could do the distance. As at Dukeries I
was looking for a completion, but at about 12-13kph as I felt this was a
realistic target given the terain. As per last year our class was to take
place on the Saturday so I packed the truck Thursday PM and clipped Dougal
Friday AM and we set off about midday for Builth Wells.
Arriving at 3.00ish meant we had plenty of time in which to present
and pass the pre ride vetting and settle Dougal in for the night. After dinner
and checking into our accomodation we returned to the venue for the pre ride
briefing unlike last year we did this by car and did not get wet or blisters on
my feet, a lesson well learnt from last year.
Early the next morning, we were up and getting ready, feeding Dougal
his pre ride feed checking how much he had drunk over night platting his mane
and tacking him up all in the dark pre dwan light, well not quite there are
lights in the barn where the FEI horses are stabbled. Not so out in the outside
stables. I was starting to get a little worried as we were the last ones to mount
up and leave the barn even though my watch was telling me I had 8 minutes in hand.
In the dark I almost went the wrong way to the start! Must remember head torch next
year. Despite this we arrived at the start with 5 minutes in hand and started to
warm up. Not too much of a problem as the first section at Red Dragon is on the
road behind a pace car so is always quite steady and sufficient to warm your horse
up before the big climb.
Dougal as last year seemed to be in super cool chill mode and surprised
me by simply trotting of sedately without pulling towards the back of the pack till
the base of the long climb up to the top at walk. Once at the top we headed of
out across the hill with Fiona Luke for company. Again I was very glad we were the
first ones out on the course as the overnight rain had made the course somewhat
slippery in places and the going was noticably deeper on the second loop. However
Dougal tackled this with his usual mountain goat like sure-footedness. We carried
on along our way with Dougal travelling easlily enough we unintentionally caught up
with the leading packat about the half way point and a group of about 6 of us then
stayed together till the end of the first loop. Despite having dismounted to cross
the line and the 200 plis walk to the crewing area Dougal did not pulse down very
quickly so we lost a lot of the advantage we had gained on course. When we did
present however he passed with a lovely trot but not the best of hydration scores.
During the hold Dougal ebthusiastically ate grass, hard feed and drank
about as much as he normally does. Ten minutes before our out time I started tacking
up having spent the hold ltime resting eating drinking and tack cleaning. I then
electrolyted him, mounted up and started to warm him up. we walked over to the start
where David Yeaman kindly pointed out we still had a rug on and then took charge of it!!
Then we were off with Dougal cantering off far more eargerly then I was expecting catching
me off gaurd so our steering whent a bit aray. By the time we left the start area things
had calmed down a bit and we had sorted our selves out, back to normal. Again we walked
up the long hill this time with several graded ride entrants. Then set out accross the
moors once we had our wind back. We maintaned a steady 13kph allowing us to join up with
several other ER entrants from our class, Alice Beet and Burfield Red Dragon and Tokan Ibn Telar.
We all worked together well swappiong lead stopping at puddles to let the horses drink and
by the 2nd crew point had caught up with Georing Hirst ridig Valaq Attabarik and and could
see a group of young riders ahead of us. Dougal drank really well at this crew point and
was giving me the strongest ride he has ever given me.
We continued on in this vain with Dougal going well and drinking from puddles
till we came off the moor and on to the short road section to the vet gate. As we turned
into the field a marshal stopped myself amd Micheal to let a car in we both hopped off and
losened our girths then walked in. Dougal was ready to vet in four and a half minutes we
passed the vet with heart rates of 60 /64. However the vet was not happy withour hydration
scores, capillary refill 5, jugular refill 3 and dehydration 2. so asked us to represent
in 30 minutes. We rugged Dougal fed him and he drank a little. At the represent his heart
rate was 68/68 so our ride was over. I was somewhat auprised given he had felt so well and
we have done the same distance at this ride before amuch faster. As a precautionary measure
5 liters of fluids were administered and we were asked to return to see the vet in an hours
time. Steve whent and fetched the trailer while Dougal and I waited, drank and ate. He had
a pee during this time ahich was normal in colour,urine coulur is a good inidcator of hydration
status. When Steve returned we loaded up and took Dougal back to the venue. I popped a second
run on him and left him in hisbox with plenty of food and water. It took a further two hours
for his heart rte to return to normal.
Not the best of ways to end the seaons, but ride wise Dougal did nothing wrong and if anything
felt the strongest physicaly that he has ever felt at 80km in an ER.
Now to survive the long wait till it all starts again.
Below are my heart rate monitor GPS readings from this ride.
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