Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. One eye on the news. One eye on the calendar.
~~~

Will there be a Virtual Tevis in 2021? “That may happen.” Jeff Herten, President, WSTF Tevis Cup: Happy Holidays from Tevis > Holiday greetings, Nov 26 2020.

Right now they are in the thick of planning for this year’s IRL ride, scheduled for July 24, which they hope to hold under either normal or limited conditions. “My infectious disease colleagues feel we may see a dramatic improvement in the Covid situation in the second quarter of the year.” ibid. Let’s hope they are correct, not just for the Tevis.

The holiday newsletter ends with the story of the virtual Tevis from the organizer’s point of view. “One of our BOG members suggested that we host a virtual Tevis … We watched tentatively as the registration started. There was even a side bet among the BOGs for tacos as to whether we would reach 1500 entries.” Tevis Cup: Happy Holidays from Tevis > A Bright Spot – the 2020 Virtual Tevis Cup. I have reposted the entire thing below my signature in the event they take it down from their website. It’s a nice story. Wouldn’t want to lose it.

Virtual Tevis [Archives]

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Tevis Cup: Happy Holidays from Tevis > A Bright Spot – the 2020 Virtual Tevis Cup, Nov 26 2020, no author given

We have so much to be thankful for.

Of course, looking back on the events of 2020, many folks may not feel this way, and rightfully so. The year has been fraught with emotional triggers. Pandemic, politics, economics, environment, personal health and well-being. But there really is a bright spot to each stressor. We just have to look for it.

At WSTF, I think we all had a bit of a desperate feeling of dread when we made the decision in April to cancel the 65th annual Tevis Cup ride slated for August 1, 2020.

While the ride itself does not bring in a lot of money, as it’s a huge financial outlay to put it on, it does illicit revenue via donations and associated activities. None of those were going to happen and like so many other organizations effected by Covid-19 we asked, “How will we pay our bills?”

Then our by bright spot made its appearance. One of our BOG members suggested that we host a virtual Tevis. Instead of 100 miles in one day, we would do 100 miles in 100 days. Your trails, your equine, your speed.

The event was slated to start on August 1 (the date the actual ride was to occur on) and end on November 9th . We set up a riding, and a non-riding division. Just like the Tevis Cup you had to complete the 100 miles on one horse. The non-riding division allowed walking, running, hiking, cycling, swimming, etc. Pretty much any type of physical activity, but for 100 miles.

We watched tentatively as the registration started. There was even a side bet among the BOGs for tacos as to whether we would reach 1500 entries.

Tevis fans insured that the taco lover in the group would not go wanting. As of this writing, we have 1637 total participants. 1388 in the riding division and 285 in the non-riding division. Participants are from 12 different countries, with an age range from four years old to the mid 80s.

We had to change the event midway through and extend the completion deadline beyond 100 days. This was due to the poor air quality from the multiple wildland fires that plagued the western states in August and September. Tevis fans continued to endure. You hunkered down, took care of your ponies and once the air cleared and their lungs recovered, you hit the trail again.

As a remembrance of the virtual ride, each participant completing the trail will receive a long sleeve T-shirt designed specifically for the event, and a virtual Tevis buckle sticker, also created just for the event. International participants will receive a bandanna with a similar design to the T-shirt and the sticker.

The event has its own Facebook page where folks have shared their ride stories along the hundred mile journey. As they record their miles and log into the race organization site, they can read about the various landmarks and points of interest as they virtually complete the Tevis Trail.

If you do the math with our $65 registration fee and 1600+ participants, you’ll come up with a number fatter than a Thanksgiving turkey. Out of that number we still have to buy shirts and stickers, pay postage and the race organizing site, etc., but we still had a nice piece of the pie. And the whip cream on that pie? More than $15,000 in just good old-fashioned cash donations for WSTF. The Virtual Tevis Cup ride has been a hit, and has really helped WSTF with some large expenses and trail improvement projects. We are looking at the possibility of making it an annual event and welcome the input and suggestions of all.

As I round this out, your BOG elves are busy stuffing T-shirts and bandannas into envelopes so that the first group of completion awards can be mailed next week, and continue throughout the end of the event on 12-31-2020.

Thank you Tevis fans. You are our bright spot.
=========

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have a horse

 
Awareness of the outside world. Southern Poverty Law Center.
~~~

Rodney is still off. No change from last week. [On To The Next Thing]

I know, I know. Small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Not even a french fry.

It’s a typical Rodney lameness. Enough to get out of work; not enough to cause discomfort or inconvenience.

It’s very mild. A few steps taken gingerly, from time to time. Taking the occasional odd step on a tight circle, mostly to the left. Red patches on the frog of the right hoof. Maybe 0.5 on the lameness scale. AAEP: LAMENESS EXAMS: Evaluating the Lame Horse

In the field? With booties over his shoes? Cantering. Rearing. Playing biting games with Milton.

So that’s me sitting over here waiting for my horse’s feet to grow out. If you don’t feel sorry for me, at least feel sorry for my husband. He has to live with me.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have horses

 
Awareness of the outside world. Follow-up to yesterday. I am not a fan of Fox News. Often just reading the headlines on the News Mix channel will cause me to rant and gibber. However, in a detached, intellectual, evil-empire fashion, I have to admire their way with words. No matter the situation, they are always able to find one small corner that they can turn to their advantage. Their spinmasters may be soulless cretins, but they are good at their job.
~~~

 
During the most recent cold snap, Rodney decided to give a turn-out blanket another try. I believe his exact words were, ‘If you let me wear a blanket, I think I can hold my shit together this time.’

It worked. He’s been wearing the larger, blue, lightweight, 3-season turnout rug that we bought for him years ago. Milton has the smaller, green, heavyweight winter rug that used to belong to Mathilda.

In an ideal world, the blankets would be reversed. Rodney is a lizard. He never overheats. He could wear a heavyweight Rambo in 50o weather. If the trend continues, we will undoubtedly be updating their wardrobes.

Years ago, we had to stop blanketing because Rodney would shock himself. Milton has always wondered why *he* didn’t get a blanket just because the other horse had a problem. Rodney could wear a day rug, but the slick, rain-proof, turnout would cause him distress. [Zap!]

What changed? Different food? Change in body chemistry? More eventempered? Better tolerance of small inconveniences? No idea. Before he couldn’t; now he can.

I can feel the eyerolls from my Northern neighbors. No, it’s not that cold down here. No, they don’t need blankets. Why not? They seem to enjoy them.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Fit To Ride

 
Awareness of the outside world. When I’m deep in news overconsumption, I leave the TV muted on the News Mix channel, which shows quarter-frame views of CNN, MSNBC, Fox, & BBC America. It’s a fascinating exercise in story selection. The four stations cover a majority of the same issues. When they diverge, CNN & MSNBC track together. Fox goes right. BBCAm goes global. You know we are in a crisis when all four channels are showing the same image.
~~~

Bling from the Virtual Savannah Bridge Run 5k last month. [Strolling In Another Park Another Day, Walk Report, Savannah Bridge Run, Virtual 5K, December 2020]

Requisite race shirt, bib, and medal, plus …

… drumroll …

An award! 5k Age Group Winner! My first running walking award! My only award from 2020!

Reality Check. Given my time of almost 1:20, I suspect the contestant pool was small to non-existent. I may have been alone. No 2020 results posted, so I can’t tell, SBR: Results.

That’s okay. I’ve done single classes, particularly in driving. I have no qualms about them. I came. I met the requirements. I accept the results. Gimme my loot.

Also, I made sure this was not one of the walks where the GPS went wonky and gave me a false, fast time. The result was real. I also checked that my age was correct. Otherwise, I would have said something.

It is, Sir, as I have said, a small award. And yet there are those who love it!

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Riding Journal

 
Awareness of the outside world. Blue dot in a red state. I have not inquired into what my deeply red neighbors think of current events. I’m pretty sure I already know the answer. Do you live among like-minded souls or are you a vox clamantis?
~~~

Back in March, I said that Rodney has to reinvent the wheel at every property.

We go through the same process at each new place. [Peeling The Emotional Onion]

Remember that?

I forgot it.

Good work at Stepping Stone Farm. [Update]

Nice outings at Falcon Hill Farm. [Check-in]

Headed back to Full Circle Horse Park.

I made the mistake of thinking that Rodney would act in a similar fashion at FCHP as he had been at FHF. I was thinking that he was doing well at new places.

Nope.

Not new places, plural. Each new place, singular.

He was fine at FCHP. Just three steps further back along the adjustment process that I had been expecting. He was still at the walk and look and stare stage. No trotting. No tiny cross rails.

He does not generalize. He has to wind down at each new place. I have no idea why.

On a side note, he kept staring at the cross-country course.

‘What’s that? Over there? Cross-country? I’d be great at that. Dunno what it is, but I’d be great at it.’

He walked around the tiny little logs like a kid in a candy store. One has to pay extra for XC schooling, so we didn’t walk over any jumps. Trotting was out. Way too much pressure in the tea kettle. Still, he seemed to be having a grand time.

Maybe he knows something. That would be nice.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott