Horsin' around

Aug. 1, 2006

By LEILA KHEIRY

Frontiersman

WASILLA - The horses couldn't have neighed for better weather.

A cool breeze to keep the bugs at bay, sunshine with enough clouds to temper the heat, and the backdrop of Wasilla's Bald Mountain helped make the first Bald Mountain Butt Buster competitive trail ride a stunning success, despite a few minor setbacks - like three lost riders.

The July 21-23 event was in the planning stages for months. Organizers, including Katie Carney, Nancy Williams and Julia Schirack, busted their own butts - and those of family members and volunteers - to brush new trails, gather supplies, solicit donations, and find a camp site for 32 riders and their horses. The only thing they couldn't organize was Mother Nature, who decided to cooperate that weekend to give everyone a glorious two-day ride.

The last morning of the competition, trailers, riders and horses filled the long front yard of Jim and Annette Cassidy's home on Carney Road. Whinnies, neighs and snorts from the equus filled the air, along with the not-unpleasant horsey smell. Some riders wore helmets and tight riding pants, others were in cowboy hats and jeans. All the humans were smiling, despite the early hour, and the horses seemed eager to hit the trail.

Donna Forrester of Talkeetna couldn't keep her energetic gray mount still, so the pair danced around while she answered a few questions. Forrester has been riding most of her life, she said, and she particularly enjoys trail riding competitions because of the strategy it requires.

While the trail ride was competitive, it wasn't a race. Participants were timed, and had to complete the ride within a certain time frame. They were penalized for finishing too early or too late, and were judged on how well they and their horses worked together, including overcoming obstacles such as stream crossings, logs and backing up hills.

Forrester said she had worked with her horse for just a few weeks, and it has a long way to go before it could be considered a seasoned trail horse. But the two were enjoying their time together, she said.

&#8220The trails were awesome. It's beautiful up there,” she said. &#8220They did an excellent job.”

In addition to the competitors, who traveled from Valdez, North Pole, Fairbanks, Chicken and throughout the Valley, two judges were flown in for the competition, said Williams as she bounced along a narrow trail in her four-wheel-drive truck. An obstacle judge kept track of how well the riders and mounts work together, she said, and the vet judge checked the condition of the horses throughout the day.

Shannon Leska of Colorado was the vet judge for the Bald Mountain Butt Buster, and performed the same duty during a recent Fairbanks competitive trail ride. Williams drove her and a handful of volunteers to the first vet checkpoint about an hour into the July 23 ride. After spraying down with DEET and hiking a short trail that led through a pasture of cow parsnip, the group set up chairs and chatted amiably while waiting for the horses to show up.

Soon, the sound of bells heralded the arrival of the first riders. Leska checked the horses' mouths and listened to their digestive systems. She also gave a quick pinch to the horses' skin to check hydration levels. If the skin bounces back, the horse is well-hydrated, she explained to a young rider. If it remains puckered, that could indicate dehydration.

Leska did that about 30 times, and then everyone piled back into Williams' truck for the next checkpoint: a fork in a private gravel road. There, Leska repeated the exercise, as she would four more times before the end of the day.

In addition to Leska's checks, a &#8220pulse and respiration” crew checked each horse regularly throughout the ride to make sure the animals weren't working too hard, said Williams.

The day before, a P&R crew had a little adventure. One of the ladies, wearing a T-shirt that jokingly read &#8220Don't follow me, I'm lost,” got lost on her four-wheeler. Organizers suggested the woman not wear that particular shirt again, said Leska.

The P&R crew was in the right place on July 23, however, and Susan Dent of Wasilla was one of the first riders through.

Dent said the ride had been great, and had been the day before, as well. She hadn't had any adventures yet that day, she said, but there were a couple of wildlife encounters during the July 22 ride.

Dent and her horse were crossing the Little Su, she said, and the obstacle judge wanted them to go over a log in the river. They were about to, said Dent, but &#8220there was a giant king salmon in the way.”

The judge couldn't see the fish, and was too far away for Dent to explain the problem. The fish finally left, though, she said, and she and her horse made it over the log.

At another point on the trail, a porcupine spooked a group of horses a little, said Dent. She said it probably was the rustling sound that made the horses nervous more than the animal's presence.

Speaking of nervous horses, Catherine Halley of Valdez had a few issues with her pretty black mount, Star. The horse was fine on bridges, over water and through trees, she said, but as soon as it saw the P&R crew, it started breathing hard and acting up.

&#8220Checks are the main challenge,” she said, as she held Star's head and waiting for the horse to calm down.

Later she said, &#8220I reckon we'll have a lot to practice this winter. A whole list of things.”

The lost riders probably should practice reading trail maps. They took a wrong turn somewhere between the first vet check and the first P&R check, and were nowhere to be found for several hours. They also didn't have cell phones, and competition organizers were sending four-wheelers and riders wherever they thought the misplaced trio could have ended up.

The three riders and their mounts found themselves, though, and wandered into lunch camp on their own, much to the delight of the organizers.

&#8220You don't know how happy we are to see you!” yelled Schirack as she bounded toward them to get the details of their misadventure.

Lunch was a 45-minute break for everyone. Riders slid off horses' backs, rubbing their backsides and shaking out their legs before leading their mounts to Pat Carney's pretty pasture to rest.

After a quick meal in the grass while the horses grazed, the saddles went back on, followed by riders, and they were back on the trail, headed toward the alpine meadows of Bald Mountain.

Katie Carney said a couple days after the competition that, while there were a few &#8220issues,” she and the other organizers consider the event a success.

&#8220All the riders went out, all came back,” nobody got hurt, and everyone had fun, she said.

While it's a little too soon to make a commitment, Katie Carney said there is a good chance there will be another opportunity next year for riders to bust their butts on Bald Mountain.

Contact Leila Kheiry at

352-2270 or at leila.kheiry@

frontiersman.com