Well while we're waiting, I'll give a few more details about rides. But if this gets old, just tell me.
They like to get the rides started in the mornings as early as possible, 1) to miss the heat of the day and 2) especially on Sun. so that it's not late getting over. Some people come from long distances and have to get home to work the next day:(.
Some one in ride management usually drives thru camp at 5:00 in the morning (I'd like to shoot them as they go by) blowing the car horn. That gives everyone time to get up get their horses fed so they have time to digest awhile before leaving. Riders usually are timed out no later then 8 on Sat. and they try hard to get out by 7 on Sun.
On Sunday after all the horses are vetted out, it usually takes a couple of hours for them to tally the score cards. You can leave then, or hang around for the awards. If you leave you'll still get any award, you just have to make arrangements for someone to get it to you. But the award ceremony is worth waiting for. It's alot of fun.
On Fri. and Sat. nights after supper they have a ride meeting. The judges talk to you about what they have seen and what they will be looking for. Ride manager passes out the maps, and give the speed for each division, they go over anything specific that you may need to know, good watering hole, water you need to stay away from. Sometimes they tell you where the PR stops will be, sometimes they don't. Stuff like that.
Riders are timed out in the morning by divisions. They send you out one at a time at 15 second intervals.
A good way to make it easy to keep track of your ride time on trail is to have your watch set for 12:00 straight up. Your map tells you how much distance is between the check points so you can figure how much time will pass for each one. So from our example from last night, If the speed is 4 mph, and the first check point is 2 miles away, and your watch is set at 12:00 when the timer tells you to go, you should be at your first check point at 12:30. Make sense?
It's easier to keep track then if your watch was set on real time and it was 7:47 when you are timed out.
I usually take my map the night before and figure the time I should be at each point and write it on the map, remembering to add the 15 minutes after the PR's, if they tell you where they are at. If not you have to do it in your head out on trail and that's throws me:). That way you have an exact guide to go by, and when you get to the 2 mile marker you know how to adjust.
Alot of people go really fast thru the whole ride that wait around at the 2 mile marker. That doesn't make sense to me. Puts more stress on the horse, then if you just go the pace they set. Alot will tell you they do that to get as much ride behind them as they can before it starts getting hot. Humidity does play a factor around here. But IMO, those that go that fast just like to go fast, or don't have control:)
Trails are marked with differnt colored ribbions for the differnt divisons. Sometimes all divisions will ride the same trail, but the open division, they do more miles the the novice, will have loops that take them differently. The trails are easy to follow even with out a map. The map is mainly for know the check points.
Becky
Sounds cool! I've done organized rides and poker rides for prizes and those are furn, but I think the horsemanship part of it is valuable, and valuable safe experience for ecurbh too. I don't mind organized rides for the crowds so much, it's fun to see lots of different types.
My region only appears to have one ride last year in the state, which happens to be about 6 miles from my house... much of the activity is in CA.
So if we did it, it might not be something we could get really into all season, just one ride a year, unless that changes or there are other rides not listed here:
http://www.natrc.org/reg1rid.html
5am? 5AM? lol