My experience at the Cuyama Oaks xpride 2026 was both a success and a failure. A success because both mares completed their 50s easily and I had a great time. A failure because River was very sore the next day. On the other hand, I enjoyed seeing my endurance community, and I took many pictures of other riders!
Changes to my ride week routine
Every week during the semester, I leave for Bakersfield Monday morning and go home Thursday afternoon. When I have an endurance ride, I generally have to leave Friday morning. If days are long and the ride is close enough, I can get home Thursday, toss horses in the trailer, and head out. That’s what I did for the Laurel Mountain ride in February.
The week before the Cuyama Oaks xpride 2026 was different because the mares needed to be shod. I meet my farrier in McFarland, at my friend Anne’s place. Generally, we make Friday work, but this time I couldn’t do that. Fortunately Anne didn’t mind me leaving Fantazia and River at her place. On Sunday I packed the trailer and gave everyone a bath.
Three days in a (semi) strange place
When I dropped off the mares Monday morning, River put her face in her hay. Fantazia started running back and forth like a nutcase. They were in separate pens about 20 feet apart. Fantazia did not do this because she was in a (not so very) strange place. She does the same thing at home. But it was worse because at home I can make the distance between them greater. I made sure she had water and hay and told Anne that Fantazia is an expert at not drinking or eating for hours or days without colicking.
The worst thing about this new scenario was having to drive an F350 in Bakersfield, especially with current diesel prices.
Above: Riding River and ponying Fantazia on a quick trot around the farmlands.
Tuesday and Wednesday: Farrier and rides
After finishing teaching Tuesday at 12:35, I headed out to McFarland. My farrier had already finished River and was working on Fantazia, who was very happy to see me. After he was done, I rode River and ponied Fantazia on a quick 4.6 mile trot through the orchards. There are bees everywhere. If you just ignore them and trot right by the hives, the bees ignore you. River decided to spook at some stacked pallets near a bunch of hives. Bees were everywhere. For a moment I thought a very unfortunate event was going to occur but we all survived.
On Wednesday, I do not have to be on campus till ten, so I went out to take care of the mares early. Fantazia had drunk a decent amount of water and eaten, but she was still at least 50 pounds down. I rode River in the arena, leaving Fantazia “ground tied” in the center. She wandered around annoyingly. We’re going to have to work on that.
Thursday: Off to Cuyama!
After teaching and stopping for supplies (carrots, ice) at Winco, I headed to McFarland. After cleaning the pens and hitching the trailer, I loaded up and headed to Cuyama. The good thing is that I was at least 45 closer than I would have been at home.
A sad discovery
I got to Ride Camp before five, and pulled into the field, planning to park up under a tree I particularly like. When the truck’s wheels started spinning, I put it into 4-wheel drive and hopped out to lock my front wheels. They didn’t lock. Yep, I had to park in the middle of everything, no tree, and my truck is currently in the shop.
Above: Top/left: my rig and mares alone in the middle of the field when we arrived. Bottom/right: Arrow pointing to truck on Sunday. By that time many people had gone but we were still surrounded.
Still, it was great to be back in Cuyama. I unloaded the mares, signed consent forms, entered Fantazia and vetted in for the next day, and said hi to everyone. It was a beautiful evening.
The amazing Cuyama Oaks xpride
This was my fourth time riding the Cuyama Oaks xpride in Cuyama Valley. It was my fifth time completing the Cuyama Oaks ride, because in rainy 2023 it was held in the desert. (That was a challenging ride for me as both my horses were fresh and full of it!) It was also my fifth time riding in Cuyama Valley: the first Treasure of the Sierra Madre ride was held there in 2024. (Read about that beautiful ride.)
Cuyama Valley is tough technical terrain, and the xpride is not easy. Fantazia and I first tackled the ride in 2021. We completed our fourth 50-mile ride together there, but on the next day Fantazia pulled a muscle while cantering sideways up one of the steepest hills. (Read about our 2021 ride.) We walked up that very same hill this year (watch the narrated video).
Two years ago River and I rode through a very snowy Cuyama Valley (on April 5th!) to complete her third 50 on Day 1 (see a video of the snow). The next day we completed a second 50, walking much of the second loop. Last year, a very fresh and eager River tied up around 3.5 miles into the first loop. That incident remains a mystery to this day.
Above: Some pictures of the gorgeous ranches we ride through at the Cuyama Oaks ride.
Despite having only one completely successful experience with the Cuyama Oaks ride, I love it. The valley is gorgeous in snow, rain, and sun. The steep canyons and streams are technical and challenging, the ridges provide gorgeous views, and the vegetation is a wonderful mix (see the slide show below).
Above: The beginning of the 50 on Day 1, riding Fantazia.
Day 1: Fantazia completes her first 50 since 2024
I rode Fantazia first for two reasons. First, she had been on a self-imposed restricted diet since leaving home Monday. Second, the Day 1 50 was slightly easier. This would be her first 50 since we rode to the Trona Pinnacles in January 2024, She was ready for fifty miles, even in steep terrain, but I am trying to take care of her as much as she lets me.
Fantazia takes her job very seriously, and keeping her to a reasonable pace is a matter of manipulation and negotiation. Trying to force her to go slow just causes hysteria and more energy expenditure. Fortunately, we’ve done many miles together and I knew to let her start at the head of the pack. I enjoy that, because I get some social interaction with other riders.
Above: A few miles after the start, Fantazia and I were leading when we encountered the Steep Hill (River and I zoomed UP it the next day). I didn’t even notice all the talking going on behind me at the moment! But you can sure hear it in the video.
Loop 1
Other riders very kindly allowed Fantazia and me to lead for the first four miles or so, even though we kept it under 7 mph most of the time. Then they passed, but Fantazia doesn’t mind this. She gets much more worked up if we start from behind and she can see riders ahead. If for some reason we have to pass one, the game is on. She very calmly let everyone go by and disappear into the distance. I enjoyed it, as I got to chat a bit with riders as they passed. I was quite happy to stay behind… until I missed the turn to the upper loop that 50s do and not LDs.
I went off course…
The sad thing is, I know the course. I’ve ridden the same one, backwards and forwards, before. And yet… Fantazia ended up doing an extra 2.5 miles. So much for making it easier for her. And she went a bit berserk in the final mile of the loop. Probably fed up with me.
Above: Left or first image: The trail. We had to go south out of Ride Camp (red waypoint) and clockwise, then north along the right of the middle loop, then up to do the little loop. (I missed that.) Then complete the middle loop bearing right, then complete the original loop back to camp. Right or bottom image: What I really did, which ended up being 2.5 miles longer, but I did ride every bit of the trail, sometimes twice. In order, I rode the yellow, orange, and blue highlighted trail in the image. Because I went the wrong way out of the loop, I cut across to where I had doubled back (I knew the trail; it’s where we go when we don’t cross the Adams Ranch.)
Loop 2
The second loop was great. I didn’t get lost, Fantazia was calm, and we finished well, just before 5PM. We were midpack, somewhere around 18/38 (I’ll check when the results are up on the AERC page.)
Above: Nearing the top of the ridge, and taking a nice drink from the creek. Fantazia never drinks much in the morning, but she will guzzle at every opportunity once she feels warm.
Stats?
I used my new Garmin Fenix 7s watch on Loop 1, and it was part of the reason I went off course. Unlike my old Fenix 5s, it gives verbal instructions via my phone. It’s interpretation of hard right vs. slight right and similar were very confusing to me. I ended up turning it off in a fit of rage.
However, on the portions of Loop 1 that I did record, our average speed was 5.2 mph. On loop 2 we went much more slowly-4.3 mph on average much of the way.
Take home from Fantazia’s first 50 since pregnancy
I loved riding her. Yes, she’s a lot of horse. Yes, she can be very annoying when worked up. But… Fantazia is a powerhouse,, and so much fun to ride. I had wanted to go slower (should have known better). Despite exerting extra effort into giant bouncy strides and arguing with me about speed, she finished easily, with no noticeable muscle soreness or lameness.
After finishing, I cleaned up and nominally helped Juan cook hamburgers. Mostly I just hung around and relaxed!
Day 2: River has a little too much fun completing a tough 50 miles
I had not ridden River since Wednesday, so I knew I’d need to move her a lot before the start. That meant I needed to move Fantazia too, otherwise she’d just go nuts at the trailer prematurely. First I hand-walked both mares for 15 minutes. Then I saddled up and rode River while ponying Fantazia for 20 minutes. At that point it was close to the start (7:30), so I tied Fantazia to the trailer and headed to the start.
When riding River, I like to start in the gap that always opens up right behind the front-runners. River behaves about the same no matter where you ride her, as long as she can see horses in front of her. It’s not that I can’t make her go out alone, but she’s much naughtier that way. I prefer to avoid unnecessary conflict! I also try to avoid being in a pack of horses because River does kick. On the whole, it’s easier to ride her alone, once we’re about a mile from ride camp.
Above: An agave farm! It wasn’t there last year.
Loop 1
First, let me note that I forgot to start my watch track until mile 1.25. This will become relevant.
Once she settled down, River was very good. I insisted she trot no faster than 6.5 mph until we had passed where she had tied up last year. By that time she had settled down and was happy to continue at that pace. No lameness, no tying up… I had just started to stop worrying when River started to cough. This was around seven miles in, when we had headed up to the far loop.
The coughing mystery
She coughed and coughed and coughed. It wasn’t relate to exertion, so at first I thought she’s stuffed too much grass in her mouth. Then I started worrying that I’d have to rider option. Luckily, the coughing fits slowed. It was only when I got back to trail we shared with the LDs and ran into Donna and Kerrie that I got a clue to what was going on. We talked about coughing, and I mentioned how River had sensitive lungs. I thought maybe she’s been sensitized after spending a week in McFarland. She had coughed when I rode there, and it’s full of pollen at this time of year.
Then Donna (or maybe Kerrie) pointed out that some horses are sensitive to ash. Bingo! The entire upper loop was a burn zone. Funnily enough, River never coughed after that.
Above: Looking over the burn zone on the loop the 50s (but not LDs) did in the morning. The second picture was actually from Friday, with Fantazia. River coughed pretty much non-stop while we were near and on the little loop, but Fantazia was unaffected.
Somehow I got “lost’ again
I know we went off-trail a few times. I followed some other LD riders when they went the wrong way at a misplaced pie plate. (I would have gone the wrong way alone, but alone I would have noticed my watch’s off-course alert.) Then some time later I wandered back and forth trying to figure out why my watch was indicating one way and my brain another. At that point Donna and Kerrie caught up and I followed them.
Apparently, I also went the wrong and long way around a meadow that had a 50s short cut. Donna and Kerrie saw me go the wrong way but I didn’t hear them shouting!
I really don’t know how I did it, but somehow River and I rode over half a mile extra. My Garmin track was 22.2 miles, but then you have to add 1.25 from the beginning. So 23.45 miles. The gpx course Dave gave us was 22.84 miles. Not as bad as the day before but still!
Above: Views from the ridge. Unfortunately my GoPro was tilted on my helmet. When I straightened the view, it cut our River’s head!
Loop 2
River rested well during the hold and was cheerful about heading back down the trail. We were alone most of the time, until I waited at the top of the ridge for nearly ten minutes. I had gone through a wire gate, but then my watch kept telling me I was off trail. I wasn’t. I should have just gone on up the trail. Luckily I was saved by more experienced riders who knew how to read instructions.
River really enjoyed the second loop. It was steep and warm, but she likes windy trails, swooping happily through brush and trees. I allowed her (we weren’t going that fast). This turned out to be a bad idea, as River was lame the next day, with very sore right pectoral muscles.
At the time, however, River trotted sound and enthusiastically. We finished the loop easily. I let her trot up to 3/4 mile before the finish, and ridden up to 1/4 mile. Usually I walk the last mile and dismount no closer than half a mile. This time, since River hadn’t shown any hint of lameness, I wanted to test her metabolism a bit. She has not finished with a heart rate above 60 in over a year. This time her pulse was just above 60 when we came into camp, and down in a few minutes.
Her metabolism was not really tested.
We completed tenth out of 17 horses (or maybe 14, I’ll check).
Above: Trotting along curvy trails. River loves these. I think she gets bored on straighter paths. Unfortunately, constant switching directions is hard on her pectoral muscles, and she has scar tissue in the right one.
Some stats
Average speed for Loop 1 (excluding the first 1.25 miles): 5.5 mph (average moving speed: 5.6 mph). Total ascent: 3,455′. Average speed for Loop 2: 4.1 mph (average moving speed: 4.5 mph). Total ascent: 2,802′.
Aftermath
I had planned to ride the LD on Sunday, but as I was currying River after the ride, I noticed she was cocking her right rear leg constantly. Upon inspection, I found some superficial wounds on that leg. I thought maybe from when a rock turned under us at a creek crossing, or from riding through the debris of fallen trees. Either way, I decided it best not to ride the next day. I washed and iced the wounds, and gave River a scoop of bute in yogurt.
In hindsight, that was the best thing I could have done. The little wounds turned out to be nothing, but River was sore and limping the next day. I could see clearly that it came from her right fore. Upon palpating her pectoral muscle, I located the soreness in the scar tissue from the injury she sustained at Cache Creek Ridge in 2024.
River’s soreness is my own fault
This is my own fault. I have kept River sound by stretching her religiously since I brought her back into training after a six-month break. The pectoral muscle injury had resulted in scar tissue that was easily felt. As long as stretched her every time I rode, she was never sore. (I even tested this last spring by not stretching before her annual wellness exam–she was noticeably sore!)
Since January, however, I haven’t been stretching as often. This is because the scar tissue has almost disappeared. (Or it had!) You can still find it if you know where to look, but most of it has dissolved. River hasn’t reacted to palpation in the area for months, even after her two 50s earlier this year. I’ve still been stretching her, because she loves it, but to be honest, only when I “had time.”
Guess what? I always have time. If I don’t have time for stretching, I shouldn’t be riding her. I did not stretch at Laurel Mountain, and she was fine–but that’s a flat, straight ride compared to Cuyama. Cuyama is not only steep, it also has lots of curves. River loves zooming along curvy trails, which puts stress on those pectoral muscles.
The fix
I gave River banamine for 5 days. She’s on “stall rest” in a 24 x 24 pen. I’ll keep her there for a few weeks, then turn her out where there are no hills. I’ll start riding again in a month or so, starting on the flat. She’s sound now, but I don’t want to risk setting any healing back. We’ll aim for a slow 50 in fall. And this time I mean slow! No “zooming” –even slow zooming–along fun windy trails!
What about Fantazia?
Fantazia is feeling great! She was sound and feeling good the next day and when we got home. I’m still going to give her a good long break, because she’s got arthritis. Adequan (I use the off-brand Ichon) keeps her sound, but I know that too much pounding would make her hurt. I figure we’ll do a few more 50s once it cools down in fall.
Pictures of the Cuyama Oaks xpride 2026
Below are some of the many pictures I took during the ride. I never tire of riding through the Cuyama Valley, or taking pictures!
Above: Scroll through a slide show of the beautiful vegetation (and a snake) in Cuyama Valley.
Above: Riders during my rides! Look closely and you can find at least one rider in every picture. Let me know if you find yourself and want a copy! Last week I shared on Facebook pictures from Sunday morning’s start. Hopefully you saw them if you rode that day.