"When Camels Fly" by Maggie Mieske

The Pyramid Challenge, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY--June 7, 2003

Kentucky is horse country. No doubt about that. The first week of June it becomes EGYPTIAN ARABIAN horse country. The Pyramid Society hosts the Egyptian Event at Kentucky Horse Park and for the third year has also hosted the Pyramid Challenge endurance ride managed by Tommy Ticktin. "Event" hardly begins to describe the privilege of riding in Kentucky Horse Park let alone the thrill of being able to ride your Egyptian bred Arabian stallion in the main arena during the awards presentation!

We drove through the night on Wednesday to arrive first thing Thursday morning at the Park. Thick dew still hovered on the grass and we definitely got our feet wet! (Addition to "must have" list: muck boots!). We were exhausted and the horses were glad for the reprieve from travelling. But we had all day now to tank them up on beet pulp and water and carrots and apples. Max looked a little tucked up as I had not prepared him for the journey. Originally it was to have been Mykal who turned into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a few days before our departure and was left at home to his unstable metamorphoses. We had 4 mares in heat and only Malik was allowed the privilege of breeding one. Put poor Mykal right into a head spin. I do believe the vet appointment will take place soon to attend to the removal of the jewels. Anyway, it didn't take long to get lots of water into both of them and by the time Malik and Max vetted in on Friday, they had all As in that department!!

Maggie Ticktin is the hostess of hostesses...we were greeted almost immediately with her smile and hearty welcome on Thursday. Being early gave us the advantage of being able to choose from many great spots in the middle of the steeplechase field. We chose one on the inside hedge of the track very near the porta johns (an important consideration!). Maggie also had delivered to every porta john spot a very large garbage dumpster for which we were also very thankful!!!

Not long after our arrival, we received a new neighbor. And guess what? She was a Ridecamp friend!!! Barbara Marcius! AND she is friends with several of our Michigan cohorts and some of our other Ridecamp cohorts and basically, it was like renewing an old friendship and picking up where we had left off. What a blessing and a joy this innocent and seemingly coincidental meeting turned out to be!!! Throughout the weekend I met people everywhere who knew who I was or at least recognized my name. How scary!!! I met Patsy Gowen who is a lurker on Ridecamp. And Susan Kasemeyer and Roger Rittenhouse. Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear showed up and I got a new helmet and a beautiful silver biothane halter/bridle for Malik. I hadn't seen her since my first ride at Wolverine in 1998 though we have had contact through Ridecamp. Finally also got to meet Connie Caudill (we had stuff to discuss about National Championship rides and she is a doll and an inspiration to me!). I know I met MANY others whose names escape me...it was a highly charged and emotional weekend for me and I am still reeling and exhausted so I hope if I forget someone they will remind me about meeting them and then forgive me for forgetting it!!! :)

Malik's breeders, Barb and Larry Ward of Mashallah Arabians had travelled down with us in their car and showed up again on Friday morning, rested and ready to find out what endurance was all about. They had ridden competitive rides many years ago in Michigan. Endurance is a new game for them. Fellow Egyptian Arabian breeders, Adam and Maria Malinowski also made an appearance with a show of support for us and learned a thing or two as well. It was great to see friends from home! The horses got a nice bath at the wash rack (discovered Malik DOES have a silver tail after we bleached it) and the humans also were able to have a nice shower before turning in for the night before the ride.

This may be difficult to tell and do it justice but I will give it a shot. I thought completing my first 100 was the thrill of my life. It was. This ride is up there right along side that thrill!!!

As Alicia has already mentioned in her story, it rained and rained on Friday night. Tommy told us all about being careful on the wet grass and mud. I am sure every single one of us thought of the girl who was killed when her horse went down and fell on her a couple of years ago when we rode out the next morning in the slop and the sludge. Yes, the grass was wet but under the grass it was clay and muck. Yuck!!! Rhyme intended!

I started out in what I thought was the middle of the pack. The start was on the steeplechase track and we all started the loop around. We didn't get far before someone was off their horse. We slowed down and milled around a bit while things were brought under control and then started off again at a slow trot. The first loop was 15 miles (actually 13 as 2 of it was on the track....when we came in we had to pass the finish line then go around one more time). It was mostly fields, in and out and around. A little bit of trail on the outside of the steeplechase course, down a road past the soccer fields...I just followed markers and tried not to think too hard about it!! :) Malik was full of fire and desire (and I do NOT mean this in a stallion sense). He wanted to GO. He saw horses ahead of him and it didn't matter what the gender, they should be caught up to if not passed by. He does tend to snort and blow and sound quite a bit like a freight train coming down the track...in our early days, that scared me because I thought he was breathing too hard. I soon learned he ENJOYS this "rhythm" and it pumps him up. He feels good when he's doing that and it probably does help him breathe better.

The mud and clay were horrible and I was VERY afraid of slipping. He wanted to pass the horses in front of us but I held him back. I did not want to risk an accident or injury to either of us. When we reached the flooded stream which definitely was a good 4 feet deep at this point, he forged through without a second glance...concentrating on that marker on the other side was probably a good strategy for me!! :) The other horses were out of sight at this point and it was the only proof I had that this truly WAS the trail. As we finally came back onto the steeplechase track and passed by the finish on our way to do the required second lap, we passed Max and Jenny who were just getting ready to leave on the 25 miler! Oh, boy!!! The horses both saw each other, too. We completed this first loop in 1:35 but took 22 minutes to come down. Definitely NOT part of my plans! Seeing Max did not help the situation, I am sure. Our new crew was still a little overwhelmed and the routine was somewhat different....Barb had graciously offered to share her "crew" area which was a nice little pop up canopy (gotta get me one of those babies!) and which she set up with EVERYTHING. We didn't need a thing except our food and our own e-lytes, etc. It was awesome. The vetting area/routine was also different. We would get Malik down to almost 64, walk him up to the PR person and POOF, up it went again. :) It did come down and his CRI was good (53/52) so it was only adrenaline and excitement and new people. After he pulsed down, young Dr. Matt Reynolds vetted him through with all As except a B on gut sounds.

We headed out on the 10 mile loop part of which was on the 15 mile loop and it went by pretty fast. I heard some riders did it in the neighborhood of 30 some minutes. Unbelievable. Not certain about this but it took us a careful 1:03. We pulsed down quickly this time and again vetted out with Dr. Reynolds with all As except a B+ on guts this time. Still good. The last half of the ride gets fuzzy for me now...I remember riding by/with several different people on the 15 mile loop again...had the opportunity to visit a bit with Connie. Another gal named Nancy. Lucie Hancock rode up along with me for awhile and sang Malik's praises...Malik slowed down special for her. I am sure he knew we were talking about him and the possibility of a mare to add to his harem even if it was only a one night stand! :) I also ended up riding quite a bit with Chris Frame this last half. I was impressed with ALL of the riders I had opportunity to ride with....they were all very courteous, waiting for all horses to drink or even grab a bite of grass before continuing on. Earlier in the ride, a few riders left us at the cistern as Malik took the opportunity to pee before drinking and he never did drink and I didn't get a chance to sponge him either since he insisted on galloping to catch up. So, this behavior renewed my faith in the fairness and good sportsmanship of endurance riders who care about all the horses and not just their own. Malik pulled a shoe out in a field not far from camp and Nancy (I hope that is her name!) offered me an easy boot but Malik has tough feet and we train on gravel so it didn't affect him one bit. We were all pretty close together at the last check, pulsing down within minutes of each other. Nelson slapped another shoe on in a jiffy as he always has one ready to go just in case though this is the FIRST time on a ride that Malik has thrown a shoe!!

Before leaving for that last loop, Nancy Gooch's sister, Jackie informed me that I was running 7th at that point....I thought she was telling a mean joke! I thought I was somewhere in the middle, maybe 15th or so. Nope. Top ten could happen!!! We whooped and hollered out of that check. Yee ha!!! Not far out on this last loop, Connie rode up alongside me and tapped me on the shoulder and said something to the effect of "Come on, Maggie, you've got lots of horse. Let's go!".... at least after I got over the shock of her doing that, that's what it translated to in my brain. :) So, we took off after her. It didn't take long before we had a small group of 5 or 6 of us (Chris, Nancy, Robin, Connie and I and I think there was another gal but am not sure...). We realized that all of us were in top ten positions if we could hold it. There was another group not too far behind wanting to challenge us so we picked up the pace to keep ahead. Again, even though the situation was a bit competitive at this point, everyone waited for everyone else for water or sponging and was gracious and said thank you and I am so glad to see that!!

About a mile or so from the finish, Chris asked me if I wanted to race in for first heavyweight. I was so caught up in being top ten that heavyweight hadn't really entered my mind. I thought about it but knew I couldn't just NOT try. Nelson would make me WALK back to Michigan if I didn't!!! We mulled it over and Connie sort of encouraged it and when we got to the steeplechase track, we agreed on a spot where we would begin...around the one time and past the finish and then one more loop around....as we passed the barn where the Saluki show was going on and got to the "spot", we trotted together and then hit a gallop. I was scared to death. I knew there was a small decline which was quite wet yet and I had gone wide around it the last time to see if it was drier higher up. We chose the high side again and as we galloped off, I heard Chris say something like "Oh, shit...." but I just kept on going. Malik was ecstatic to have this opportunity to be a real horse and RUN, really RUN. I know he was not all out. I know he was aware of the footing and I know he knows it was a RACE. When we came around the bend and saw the white poles at the finish, he turned it on one more time and I think I either hollered Yee Ha or whooped or some such thing...such freedom of movement I have never known!!! People were cheering from the "stand" by the finish line. It was incredible. When we stopped, I got off and hid my face in Malik's neck, sobbing and slightly embarrassed by the joy and pride I felt.

We were 4th. We were 1st heavyweight. At Kentucky Horse Park!!! At the Pyramid Challenge. At the Egyptian Event!! WOW!!

We vetted out (different ballgame again...not the same way we do things at home and I was scared to death I was going to screw it up) and then stood for BC at one hour. Dr. Schmitt is awesome....I was sort of scared of him. I just didn't know him. He was impressed with Malik and very thorough in his inspection. He liked what he saw. But I never did think in a million years that I might really win Best Condition. It was an emotional and spell binding moment as Tommy counted backwards naming the BC scores. With friends and family, old and new, I hope I was able to convey to them all how much their congratulations and support and appreciation mean to me. I simply have no words.

I wish to also mention that Jenny and Max finished FOURTH. Very few minutes separated those first few horses. Max stood for BC and placed 4th...we are very proud of both of them. I know she was disappointed not to win BC...what a coup that would have been...mother and daughter BCs!!! :) But we have a lifetime of rides to complete and awards and goals to achieve. Not all of them will be BC. Her time will come.

As an Egyptian Arabian, Malik and I also had the privilege and opportunity to be presented to the crowd after the halter championships. Nelson is still talking about it and playing the video over and over. My wild Arab stallion stood outside while these classes were finishing and as the mares came out, sleek and groomed to perfection, he gazed adoringly at the endurance mares near him with paint stick on their butts and mud on their feet. When the stallions came out and screamed a challenge at him, he looked at them as if to say ....well, use your imagination. Try something about where to go and where to put it and eating wussies for lunch and spitting them out and you've got it! Never even answered them back!!!

When we made our victory lap in the arena, he was calm and collected. Most of the other Egyptian horses presented had other antics in mind. I was the only rider who did not have to dismount to accept my award and have our photo taken. :) Some may think he was tired. Those of you who know us understand that he is just that kind of a stallion. I was so proud of him!!! I only wish the crowd could have known that he was a stallion.

All in all, the Pyramid Challenge is not an event I will soon forget. Nor do I wish to.

I am afraid I will leave someone out if I try to thank everyone but some need mentioning...

thanks to the Ticktins and the Pyramid Society for putting on this great ride. I know they aren't really distance people and we maybe try their patience but they did a first class job and made us feel very welcome. I WILL return to this ride. Next year I hope to win that saddle donated by the King of Morroco to the first Egyptian to cross the line.

Thanks to the Ward's for the loan of their truck to get there AND for breeding Malik in the first place, giving us a reason to need to get there!! They are friends of the highest caliber.

Thanks to ALL of the vets and the timers and the PR folks....it was a well run ride with competent help. Probably of average size for a SE ride (about 90 riders total) but I was totally impressed with how smoothly the whole thing went!

Thank you to Connie Caudill for her wonderful inspiration and encouragement and that tap on the shoulder. What a positive person!!!

Thanks to the Malinowskis and all of our other Egyptian breeder friends who supported and encouraged us in this endeavor. Thank you, Adam, for helping me prepare Malik for BC with a little beauty shop treatment. He looked GREAT and Dr. Otis liked it!!! Obviously!! And Maria for taking time to take photos and video shots of the whole affair.

OH, and thank you Becky Siler for the MOST beautiful photos of myself with my horse that I have ever seen....of course, that short, fat person looks nothing like the person I see on the inside but Malik could make a toad look good! :) Thanks for a wonderful job.

Thank you, Barb Marcius, for sharing your insight and routine and supplies and most of all, your laughter and friendship. I am awed when I think of all of the wonderful memories we made as ridecamp buddies in 3 short days and of the times and memories yet to come. We miss you already!!!!!

Thank you to my dear daughter, Carrie who, when I told her about my ride simply said "Oh, Mom, you are sooo awesome!". When did I become awesome???? To a teenager??? :) What a feeling! And thank you, Carrie AND Joe for holding down the fort and for the wonderful pleasure of coming home to a CLEAN house!!! You are soooo awesome!

Thank you, Nelson for working so hard to help me achieve my goals and dreams. I am not ashamed to say I love you and it is nice that it works out that you love me back. :)

And Jenny, thank you for being a part of my dream. It's every horsey mom's dream to have a little girl who loves horses the way she did as a child (and as an adult) and to be able to share that is another one of the "prizes" in endurance. I hope you someday have a little girl who will have her own "Max" and will make you as proud of her as I am of you. We are going to miss the hell out of you when you leave for Illinois! :(

If you come to the Pyramid Challenge in 2004, folks, come EARLY or stay LATE. I wish we had at least one more extra day to spend exploring Kentucky Horse Park and Lexington. There just wasn't enough time!! I'll make it up next year. And that's a promise!!

And that's all I got to say about that....(Forrest Gump).

Miles of Smiles!

Maggie and Malik

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