Endurance: Kildale

Kildale
11th July 2010
32km Novice cr
Grade 1

Report:

As ready as we’d every be we set off on our 2 hour journey to Kildale, feeling hopeful for the weather to be nice, but didn’t realise just how windy it would be when we arrived. The venue was in kildale show field next to the village hall and what a lovely spot to have it in. With the vetting passed and all tacked up, we headed off to the time keepers and set off on our mission to finish Kildale in one piece.

The views were breathtaking and which made up for the stony ground. Just as we expected the moors were very windy and feeling lucky that I had a chin strap on my hat soldiered on through.

A good few kilometres in and we came across views of the ocean, which we just had to stop for to take a picture. The highlight of the ride came around half way in when Roseberry topping came into sight and what a sight it was, a rough path up but worth it, you could even see the people at the very top, how interesting that would have been to ride up there.

Heading towards the finish and here is where it got tricky, fun, challenging and a bit scary. First came the hill with the big tree routes and when I say big I do mean big, more like steps, it certainly got my heart beating more as koonic is not the most sure footed horse in the world. It was defiantly a challenge and as if that wasn’t hard enough right at the side of us was a low helicopter I was shocked to see it hovering just over the field from us, we then went past a bike rally which was pretty noisy and got koonic a new lease of life which pushed him on towards the end so I wont complain.

Then at last came the road towards the venue, now needing to refuel and unstick myself from the horse I was glad to see the horse boxes at the other side of the hedge and to have completed it all in one piece. We then did our end of ride prep and walked him to the vet, getting the all clear and finish heart rate of 38, making me the happiest girl there (in my opinion).

With a grade one and a bacon and egg sandwich we said our good bye’s and headed off home, all in a day’s hard work.

By Kelly Crowther