I am so sad from this trip.  This was the worst trip that Jeremy and I have ever been on and I hope we never top it as far as the "worst" category.  We left for the race with Strut, Tiran, Kutt and Makazin.  On the way there we stopped at a pasture that we always use.  It is in Paradise Valley Montana.  In the morning we came out to catch the horses to load up to drive the last 4 hours to the race and Makazin was missing.  Three hours later we found him.  He had run through 5 fences and then ran off the edge of a cliff and had broken his neck.  We are still completely devastated from this.  The other 3 horses were totally fine.  We really don't know why he did that, he just must have been scared and running.

We continued to the race.  It was raining our entire trip.  Jeremy rode the 75 on Tiran.  The footing and conditions were really poor from all of the weather and probably worse as it was a really wet winter.  Tiran won the ride but then was pulled at the finish with a tight hind end.  He was off and that was that.

We decided that we had had enough fun for the year so we left and didn't attempt the 100 that would happen the next day.

On Sunday morning as we packed up I thought that maybe we should have done the 100 as it looked like it was clearing up.  I then spoke to some friends that were coming off of the first 25 mile loop.  One said that her horse had fallen 3 times already, another had her horse fall and roll over the top of her and might have broken her rib.  Later in the day another friend got her horse stuck on its side in a bog for a while.  I am glad that we left.

It is a huge drag as we had really been looking forward to FT Howes as it can be really fun. 

Makazin is sorely missed.

Heather