28/10/2024
The (very belated) Rabbit Ride Report: Red Dragon 100k
Probably my favourite picture of the 2024 season: Rabbit coming off the hard climb of ‘The Hill’ at Red Dragon and straight into her power trot. She is just glowing with it all. From the minute she comes off the trailer and realises where she is, it’s game on.
She has always loved Wales, and Wales has pretty much always loved her right back. She’s successfully completed multiple 2-day 78ks, last year a 3-day 104k…but this year, what? Then, Crew Becky: how about the Dragon’s Flame, 2-day 100? Ride chum Sam was thinking along those lines too. Seems everyone was thinking big. The big season finale.
Ok, big it is. As a team we decide to take it easy (the horrendous wet in the run-up means those hills will be slippy, so steady, steady, steady, is the mantra) and take it one loop, one day at a time. Day 1 is going to be a very big day with 66k to ride, taking us way beyond our normal ride zone, through a vet gate and into The Begwyns, a whole new area of Wales to explore. Rabs, as always, is keen as mustard setting out but stays sane for once, no broncing. Hooooooray!
It’s so great to be back out with Sam and Manny enjoying this fresh challenge. The pair go so well together, the kilometres just fly by in good company. There are some very speedy folk out on course but we are dialling everything back and sticking to the plan, a steady pace, walking the slidey, tricky downhills, working trot for the rest. There is also a lot of deep standing water to wade through. This is not a ride for the puddle-shy pony! Rabbit does not always agree with our restricted speed parameters but puts up minimal resistance. I just love how she is feeling and enjoying her enjoyment of it all.
We are very soon at our half way point. Down the hill, grab our time in ticket and head into a very busy vet gate. Quickly whip the tack off, a slosh on, first heart rate reading…57! Wow! We do an immediate about turn and head straight to vet. This is sensational! We are all so excited to be able to present within four minutes. A new PB for Rabs!
But then… disaster! We have our time ticket…but don’t have the orange card we were given to take to all our vettings. It is in the crew car, two fields away! We are not allowed to present without it! Nooooooo! I am gutted! Crew Sarah sets off at a run to retrieve it!
Mind you, Rabbit wasn’t looking too keen to enter the dark cow barn where the vettings were taking place and when we finally entered (heart rate 48) she took some persuading to trot up to the gloomy far end 😂. But she’s all tip-top and through to start loop 2 after a rest. Back to the vet gates and she’s head down in her munch bucket in a flash and I fuel up too. Sam and Manny vet at the same time as us, so we are all on track to start together again.
The second loop was lovely! Big up the Begwyns! Beautiful tracks to ride and so nice to discover somewhere new. Only those doing 60s and 80s get to do this bit, so it was a real treat that made the longer day worthwhile. I could tell Rabbit was wondering where the hell we were! She’s very familiar with all the Dragon route variants by now so this new terrain really perked her up. We wound back round to bypass the vet gate but once again meet the crew before heading out on the long winding route that would lead us back to home.
Back on familiar turf and the last portion of the ride seemed to go on forever. We were heading into a stiff wind that was very wearing. I laid into my emergency liquorice allsorts and, when we stopped to let Manny and Rabs drink from a dew pond, I popped a miniature liquorice Bertie Bassett into Rabbit’s fuzzy snout and she seemed most appreciative of this little pick-me-up.
As always, Rabs tried to jog down ‘The Hill’…NO! And race along the road…NO! And canter on the tarmac footpath…NOOOO! From the minute she spots the venue from the final turn of the final hill, she always gets this incredible second wind that has me stood in the stirrups balancing the downhills on a jogging pony. Ye gods! Once across the finish line it’s a scramble to cool a boiling Rabs and vet as fast as we can, always a gamble but tired muscles can quickly seize which is my big worry as there is a lot of tough leg work in a hilly 66K.
We all head down to vet together and it’s busy and Rabbit is very fidgety. I struggle to get her to stand still to have her heart rate taken and she starts chucking herself around. Not helpful! She squeaks through on a 64 heart rate but that’s not my worry. I feel total relief when she trots up sweet and sound. She’s through to day 2. I am wobbling about whether to do day 2 and vocalise this. 100k is a ruddy long way. Vet tells me to see how she is after a night’s rest and a good feed. One day at a time.
Manny passes his vetting too but Sam decides to call it a day at the 66k mark. It’s a good call and I’m once again thinking maybe we should do that too. Do I really want to head out alone and do another 34k? Quit while we are ahead?
Rabs gets the full pamper treatment, hand grazing walks, massages, hydrating mashes and, after a late-night check and a kiss of the floofy ears, I leave her to settle and turn in for some rest myself. We will regroup in the morning. I’m up early and delighted to find she has eaten everything in her path and comes charging out of the stable, dragging me off towards the vetting barn. She is walking so fast I am running behind her. What the hell Rabbit! She is totally wired and raring to go!
By the time the crew are up, the decision is made. We are game on for Day 2. Rabbit has taken control of this situation. But wait, let’s see what the vets say. Well… they say…yes! She starts day 2 on the same heart rate as day 1, a 44, and trots up like she has been on a week’s box rest! Her muscle tone is beautifully supple, she’s fully hydrated and its go for launch.
And launch she does. Rabbit sets off at a cracking trot and as we reach the road crossing a fellow endurance rider who is stewarding remarks on how good she is looking. This fills me with confidence as we set off once again into the hills.
We’re alone as Rabbit arrives at the top of ‘The Hill’ for a second time. It’s overcast and grey and feels a bit bleak today as we head out into the wilderness. But from my vantage point I can see horses coming up behind me so maybe, just maybe we will end up with company.
And we do, Libby Keating comes riding alongside and tells me she’s a Rabbit fan and has always wanted to ride with us - well, welcome aboard! We’ll soon cure her of that 🤣🤣🤣. I’ve met Libby before out on the trails but for about four minutes and our only interaction was pretty much just me shrieking after her to turn back when she steered off the route at the wrong point!
Endurance riders often dip in and out of each others rides no matter what speed or distance as loops intertwine or you catch folks on their second loop. A few occasions I have found the floofer accidentally riding alongside some of our top UK horses. don’t bring anything to that party (apart from occasionally getting in the way when the huge floof bot is blocking a single track) but I do enjoy a little bit of role play pretending we are doing a 160 at the Worlds 😂. Yeah, well, let’s just focus on finishing the 100 and get back in the moment shall we, Rowe?
Libby and I find our steeds are well matched and our ride ethos is synced: safe and sound and round. The going is more challenging in parts after several days of riders churning some of the downhill sections so we take it easy. We find ourselves playing tag with some other riders out on the moors and at one point pick up another companion. In fact, it’s quite a companionable ride all round and I am pleased for me and Rabs to have struck it lucky with some decent chums. We all take turns in front and behind and the ponies pretty much tell us when they are ready to roll round in the pecking order. A chug at the back, a jolly side-by-side followed by a bright-eyed and pricked eared stint at the front is refreshing for all and the perfect way to keep everyone motivated and rolling along.
Despite the best efforts of the crew, Rabbit would not stop long enough for any sort of decent crewing. A slosh, maybe two, was about all we managed as she was keen to stay in the game. To counter this, we made sure to aim all our mounts at water - puddles, dew ponds, streams, at every opportunity and Rabbit drank really well, including standing in a deep (knee-high) puddle without attempting to lie down. Top work!
As we reach the viewpoint down to the venue in the distance I feel Rabbit once again get excited about heading for home. Libby’s horse is barefoot and she and our companion need to walk the stony route down. I just know this isn’t something Rabbit will find acceptable and I have fought her too many times to know we will have to part at this point and ride our own way back.
So we head on, walking to the foot of the steepest part of the hill (just! She’s a menace) and then picking up a working trot. Rabbit is continually trying to throw herself into power trot but I need a slower speed to leg yield her round the trickier parts of this descent. Finding the safest tracks when she is going hell for leather is too hard and hooves and legs must be preserved. Once we reach the main road I manage to get her into a lovely pace but as we turn for the final footpath along the river to home she starts fighting me again. The gallant crew have squished in an extra stop to try and get some fluid into her but she’s having none of it and we fly past as Sarah is attempting to hold out the bucket! On a mission!
They will now have to race me back to the finish line and at this point, my money is on Rabbit! She is absolutely flying. My hands are aching and I have abandoned a proper rising trot in attempts to slow her. We have to stop to cross the road and as she attempts to regain her speed on the other side I somehow manage to get her to walk the final stretch (although she still managed a sneaky jog as we hit the final couple of hundred yards). We’ve done it! I leap off in triumph and accidentally land on my broken toe. Owwwwwwww!
I’m hobbling behind the crew as they take over. Let’s get this pony to vet asap. As we are sloshing, arms spinning like windmills, someone pulls up and asks if I will be at the awards later. Awards!?!!!! I am just trying to get a pony through the vetting. Who has time (or the nerve) to think about that. Once again we want to vet as fast as we can, but when we turn up at the vetting barn it is busy and we’re told there are race riders coming in and they are priority 1 as they are vetting against the clock.
Sarah walks Rabs around and I keep anxiously checking she is tracking up and moving Ok. Rug on, rug off. The vet steward finds us a quick slot and we are in. I rest my head against Rabbit’s moist, warm neck and hope for the best as the stethoscope goes on.
But afterwards, the vet says nothing! I ask what her heart rate is and the vet says she’ll tell me after the other checks. I look across to vet writer and mouth my confusion and concern. She shrugs, she doesn’t know what it is either! Does this mean there is something wrong with Rabbit? This has never, ever happened before at a ride and I am worried sick.
Back, muscles, hydration, gut sounds all good. Just the trot. She chugs up, a shake of the head as we round the end to head back down and the echoey, comforting rhythmic clip-clop of those great floofer feet. The vet nods. She’s sound. But have we passed? I have to ask twice but it turns out we have! Heart rate was 59 but this particular vet apparently doesn’t reveal heart rates until all other checks are done. As a result, I’m the one with the racing heart rate!
But it’s all good. I am so, so happy that my pony has finished 100k all As and 1s for her vetting, even if it was a rather traumatic way to do it. In true style I burst into tears and hug everyone, including the very startled vet 😂. But hey, vets do things their way, I do things mine! I am crying all the way out of the barn and as usual everyone is asking if we are OK - we are, we truly are. Tears of JOY! Oh Rabbit, you are so amazing.
Later that night, at the prize-giving, we discover we are third. Surviving both days means a podium finish. From 3-day 100 to 2-day 100. We lifted the Welsh bar once again and Rabbit jumped it. She has done so incredibly well - from a superb presentation time to a racing finish 😂. Oh Rabbit, you absolute legend.
