01/20/2025
From featured rider, Frank Crum. Enjoy!!
My Endurance Journey
For me it’s about the horses, people, and scenic places.
In 2015, I convinced Christine to meet for a first date by claiming I knew enough about horses to avoid getting kicked or bit. I learned that from my an onery Shetland pony from my childhood, named Sim Sim. Then in my early teens our neighbor Doug Else loaned me Bud, a big sorrel, for cattle drives from our home place to the swamp, our summer pasture. Doug’s and Bud’s patience and training taught me lessons that I still rely on.
Christine and her horses brought me to endurance. Chelsey, a gorgeous and tolerant tri-color paint mare helped remove the cobwebs left by my absence from riding. Things like making sure the girth is tight so you won’t roll with your saddle onto the hard pan or into a creek. Christine’s Ro took us to Crater Hill for training with Samatha Ellis and Shawn Bowling. We didn’t know them, and they didn’t know us. They were our window into the endurance universe. After our loss of Ro from an unexpected and unexplained illness just as Christine was returning to her love of the sport, we didn’t give up and we followed the trail where it led us.
Samatha put Cornell in our path which gave Christine a very rideable horse that knew endurance, even if he pulled at the bit all day. Sam and Shawn matched me with Stubot, a grey Rush Creek to complete my first limited distance in 2018. Upon finishing this LD, my plans to only do a few LDs here and there and serve as Christine’s crew fell apart. Sam said it was time to do 50s and Christine entered me at Lake Sonoma. At the finish of this first 50, Stubot’s pulse would not drop which led to meeting Joyce Sousa who shared the secrets of salt lite and Dr. Jamie Kerr who convinced me that tapping the forehead while cooing gently into Stubot’s ear would help. All ended well with finishing my first 50.
Then I moved to riding Shawn’s Iceman (“Donk”) a bay mule. Donk and I put on lots of miles with lots of folks. On our first ride, we jumped a creek, sunk deep in mud on the other side and rolled head over heels. Covered in mud, we made it back to Camp for the lunch hold. As I enjoyed her warm, delicious beef and vegetable soup, I shared with Lisa Bolling how much fun I was having. During my year of the Donk, we met Mark Montgomery and his mustang Re*****on. We did a bunch of riding with Mark on his training hills which led to several finishes on Reminton.
In 2019, Sam matched me with Comet and I’m so grateful that his owner Lynne Ruvalcaba has entrusted him to me. In the beginning, I was off Comet nearly as much as I was on. Off in the water, off from the side spook, and off from bees in his main. Christine is still convinced I chose diving off over hanging on. With lots of training rides with the Craterhill crew and time in the arena at home with Amanda Finn, Comet and I came to like and understand each other. So, it was fitting that Tahoe Rim was our first ride together. We’ve had 5 terrific seasons together and I look forward to many more years of him and I riding together.
In 2023, Christine’s birthday give to me was RTR Thunders Trinity (“Thundy”) to lighten Comet’s ride schedule (he’s 19) and as part of a conspiracy with Samatha and probably Mollie Quiroz to find me a 100-mile horse. With the help of Samatha, Mollie, and Kelly Williams-Stehman, Thundy is Frankable. Thundy loves people and I think I might be his favorite person. Our 2025 goal is the NASTR Triple Crown with my first 100-mile finish at Virginia City.
I am grateful for the scores people I have met and ridden with along the trail of endurance. All have welcomed me, taken the time to teach, showed me the spirit of sport by their example, and brought much happiness. I look forward to many years of good times in this community.
I so appreciate all the ride managers, volunteers, and veterinarians that make each ride happen. Without them none of this would be possible. Also, my thanks to the photographers that find that just right spot to make us all look like we know what we are doing.
While there are others that know more about the best scenic rides, these are my favorites so far:
1. Tahoe Rim – the first leg meandering through the pines, the amazing views of the lakes, and riding through the forest of giant granite boulders.
2. Cuneo Creek – Cantering with Christine on a winding path through a grove of giant redwoods and picking our way down switchbacks flanked by ferns to a valley of giants.
3. Cuyama XP Pioneer in the spring and Sesenta Anos Pioneer in the fall. Both give magnificent access to the beauty and diversity of the Pacific Coast Range.
My special thanks go to the ride managers and groups that arrange for the amazing access to these special places: Tahoe Rim (Kim Mileo, and NASTR), Cueno Creek (Lynne Marks and Tom Noll, and REER), and Cuyama & Sesenta Anos (Dave and Ann Nicholson, John Parke).
I’d appreciate your suggestions about your recommended scenic rides, so Christine and I can put them on our endurance bucket list.
While it may seem a bit corny to wrap up the story of my journey so far this way, I’m going to borrow the words Dale Evans wrote and sang with her husband Roy:
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.
Happy trails to you,
Until we meet again.
Happy trails to you,
Keep smiling until then.
