Unusually for an Easter Bank Holiday weekend the weather was exceptionally pleasant and late spring
like with temperatures in the teens and sunshine abounding. Considering three weeks ago the weather in the same
area had given us Blizzard like conditions. The EGB Haywood Oaks Ride organising committee of Sue Broughton,
Carol Burnell, Yvonne Clark, Deb Bennett and S Smith must have been very pleased with there timing..
Set over forestry tracks and within Thorseby Park, the good going offered by this course allows for
fast ride times, so it was no surprise to see the first riders returning from the first 30km loop after
an hour and thirty six minutes. Dougal and I were there for a completion as I was using this as a 3/4 distance
fittner before our first crack at a 160km ER next month so was riding at about 16kph. Unfortunately about 2/3 of
the way round the first loop of 30km Dougal did not feel to be moving in a strainght line but did feel sound.
As we approached the finish I unclipped his breast plate and hopped of as we crossed the line. Steve handed me
a slosh and collected our timing card. I walked Dougal over to where we had set up our equipment in the hold area
and proceeded to untack and slosh Dougal. His heart rate appeared to come down in about 3 minutes of finishing but
as we walked towards the vet gate to vet it shot up to over 70 so we stopped and sloshed again. I was a little
concerned as he felt cool to the touch. This happened twice so we took about seven and a half minutes to present
with a heart rate in the 50's. However while trotting up he stumbled and we were asked to trot up again fir three
vets. This was to be the end of our ride as he was lame behind moving on three tracks. I asked Derek Grantham
the treating vet if he could tell me which leg he felt it was. He mentioned that at the initial vetting Dougal
had trotted up on three tracks, not something I have ever known him do before.
I would like to add a thank you to all of those involved in organising this event and the land owners without
whose permission this event could not take place.
Below are my heart rate monitor GPS readings from this ride.
