Update on Fantazia’s progress: Road to the Tevis Cup # 42

Life has been so hectic lately, I haven’t found time to post. I’m still busy, but I want to provide a quick update on Fantazia’s progress. In summary, she’s doing great, especially in light of the contretemps at the Cuyama Oaks xp ride that resulted in a mysterious lameness. A month ago I posted an update on Fantazia’s soundness. The good news is that she continues to be sound, and has gotten fat and even fitter than before.

• 

• 

• 

Current training regime

Hill work

About once a week, we ride out on the trail. (See my description of the surrounding countryside in my post on riding in the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada.) I call these rides “hill work.” (See my blog describing our conditioning routine. It’s changed since then but that post gives you an idea!) Yesterday I rode 13 miles in 3.5 hours, with 3,648′ total elevation gain, for example. I alternate between longer, more strenuous rides (12-20 miles with 3,500-4,500′ total elevation gain) and shorter, close-to-home rides (5-6 miles with around 1,400′ total elevation gain).

Arena work

In between hill work, I’ve been riding in our outdoor arena, which has deep footing. I start with at least a mile of walking (see my favorite warm-up exercise). Then we’ll do about two miles of trotting (in figure 8’s and along the rail) and 1.5 miles of cantering. Well, loping would be a better description, interspersed with spooking. Fantazia goes about 10 mph at her arena-three-beat-gait. (Plus spooking at the monster du jour. There is a new one every time we ride in an arena.) On the trail, she canters at about 14 mph. I also reinforce basic training (leg yielding, halting and standing, backing). We finish with a mile or two of walking out in the pasture or up and down the driveway.

• 

• 

Fantazia doesn’t mind the arena work (I get bored, so I audiobook). But she gets quite naughty, seeing monsters in every shadow and oddly shaped board. She is fit and fresh and gets wound up at the slightest excuse. Her favorite pattern is my Clover-leaf exercise for a round arena. I have also added spirals (see Five Spiral exercises to do at a walk) and serpentines and various other patterns.

No more ponying…

I was ponying Fantazia from my Morgan gelding Beroni (or vice versa: see my post about ponying) on a regular basis, right up until he decided to try to rip his hoof off about three weeks ago. He’s still in solitary confinement (stall rest). He’s getting better, but he won’t be ridable for some time.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

But yes leading

I haven’t been running much lately, but when I do, I try to take Fantazia with me. She can be a bit annoying when she gets excited, but it’s good for her. I also get off and lead her downhill on the trail, because she walks very slowly downhill. When I lead, we jog whenever it’s not too steep. I also tail her uphill.

Next steps

Next week we are going to Skillman Campground, near Nevada City, for the Wild West Pioneer ride. I plan to ride 50 miles on Thursday and 25 miles on Friday. If she finished well Thursday, and they let me, I might change to the 50 for Friday as well. I had planned on doing an LD the second day to allow me to vacate the campsite and drive home, but now I’m going to stay and volunteer all day Saturday and Sunday morning. So there is no real reason not to ride the 50.

Supposing we complete the 50 (I can see no reason why we cannot, but I have learned not to take anything for granted), I will try to enter Tevis. (See my blog post on How to enter the Tevis Cup.) As of this writing, there are 193 riders. As long as seven more people do not enter between now and when I can get the entry in, I will enter. If not, I’ll be on the wait list. Either way, entering does not guarantee riding. We’ll see how Fantazia recovers from the Wild West ride and go from there.

At the moment though, she looks great and she feels better. So I am not giving up hope, despite this having been the most chaotic and unpredictable year of my life. Attempting Tevis in the midst of the chaos seems insane, and yet this goal has been the most constant feature of the last twelve months.

And if we cannot do Tevis this year…

I’m not sure whether Tevis next year will be a possibility for me, due to various factors. But I am certain that Fantazia and I could do it. Another year to prep–mainly just to keep her where she is physically, and work on the nerves–would not be a bad thing. So, my schedule permitting, we’d try to make it to 5-6 rides over the next 12 months.