Eagle pictured above

This weekend we went to the Boggy Creek CTR.  This event is so cool.  It is a benefit for the Camp Boggy Creek program.  This is a camp for seriously ill children.  The goal of Boggy Creek is "for you to forget what you have".  It is a camp set up for kids to reallly DO things, sometimes for the first time, like a kid who has been hooked to oxygen for their whole lives can actually go swimming at this camp.  There is a place for them to plug in their oxygen so they can remain on oxygen while they swim.  There is also ziplining for kids in wheel chairs.  The kids who have been stared at when they go out can relax and have a fun time with other similar kids, no one is staring or asking what's wrong with them.  It is also a great relief for families who get to have their kids go to this camp as the camp is fully staffed with expert doctors who look after the campers.  This camp is a non profit if any of you want to check it out, I'm sure any donations would be happily accepted.

I was reading the directions to the ride on Thursday night and realized that we didn't have to be there until Saturday, the ride would be Sunday.  I'm so glad I read that!  Jeremy would have killed me:)

That was a relief as we had only been in Florida since Tuesday evening and we had been super busy for the couple of days we had been home and this would give us another day to do things before going to the ride.

On Saturday we loaded up Eagle.  Poor Eagle, we have only ridden him 3 times since we bought him.  He was ridden one time and then did the Harvey Bear LD with our young rider, Emma.  Then I rode him 1 time and drove coast to coast and now he would do this 27 mile CTR.  I'm sure he thinks we just like to ride way too much. 

We arrived at the camp just before 1 pm.  We unloaded Eagle and then I had to head over to the judges meeting.  I would be judging for my second year in a row and Jeremy would be riding for his second year in a row.

The meeting was brief and we went over details of the ride.  A short while later the ride vet, Courtney and I started vetting in all of the competitors.  CTR forms are a bit foreign to me but after I looked it over it started coming back to me.  It rained off and on during the vet in.  We vetted in the 48 horses and then got ready for the ride dinner and meeting. 

Dinner was a potluck with the ride providing the meat and mac 'n cheese.  The ride also has a HUGE raffle and auction that goes on throughout the weekend.  The raffle started during dinner.  SO many cool prizes.

Jeremy and I went to bed shortly after the meeting, not skipping the ice cream however!  There is a cooler of ice cream at this ride that is self serve. 

Sunday morning I headed up to the starting line to watch the competitors start.  Eagle looked cool and calm.  Very good considering he had been in Florida all of 4 days and then had to camp alone and warm up alone for the start.

The ride started at 6:30.  The first one to start was Maris who was driving her horse, as in driving a cart.  Then after a 10 min gap the rest of the field, in numeric order, started in 30 second increments.  Very different from endurance.  There is also a set time for when you should finish.  The ride times for this 27 mile ride were between 4:15-5 hours. 

The ride volunteers headed out to the out check after all the horses started.  My job was to watch the horses trot out from the check after their hold was over.  CTR's are different.  The horses arrive at the check and exactly 10 mins later they get their pulse.  It needed to be 60 or lower, otherwise you would get a point deduction.  The goal is to keep all of your points without any deductions.  You start with 100 points.  After the pulse you get your metabolics checked.  When 20 mins are up you leave the check and trot away for a soundness check. 

All good, no one was pulled here.  After the last horse left we went back to camp to see the finishers and do the judging.  At the finish the horses must trot the last 1/4 mile.  Then exactly 10 mins after they finish they get their pulse.  While getting the pulse there is a CRI.  Then they head over to the vet to get their metabolics looked at.  Then an hour after they finish they get looked at very hard by us again.  This is where we really score them on the score cards.

There's a lot of calculating in this sport as far as the paperwork on who will win the event.  Kind of crazy:)  I was not incharge of that part however, I was just judging the horses in the flesh, a much more fun job.  I was trying to be as consistant as possible but it seemed so subjective even while trying really hard to be consistant.

After we judged all the horses we were done.  Jeremy and Eagle finished and looked great.  Jeremy was just riding for mileage only as I was a judge it wouldn't really be fair to be riding for a score. 

After the ride we hung out and waited for the awards and the rest of the raffle.  We won a few raffle items and had a great time.  If any of you get the chance to support this event please do.  I hope to be at this ride next year.

Jeremy is headed up to New Jersey this weekend.  He is not too excited about getting back in the truck for another LONG drive but he is going.  He will ride the 2* on Shai and Nicki Gilbert will ride her new horse Btash on the 1*.