Running with the Horses

Cara Thompson

It's hard to say which is more amazing - men and women completing a
100-mile ultra run or people on horseback finishing a 100-mile
endurance ride. You can find both at the Vermont 100, held every July
in the Windsor area.
It's hard to say which is more amazing - men and women completing a 100-mile ultra run or people on horseback finishing a 100-mile endurance ride. You can find both at the Vermont 100, held every July in the Windsor area. It's the last remaining runner and rider 100-mile event in the United States that takes place over the exact same course at the same time. It's hosted by Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports and annually raises $30,000 to fund sports and recreation programs for people of all ages with
special needs.

There are a lot more runners than horseback riders in the Vermont 100. In 2006, 300 runners competed alongside 15 riders and horses. The runners start first, at 4 a.m. An hour later, the horses and riders amble out onto the trail. Once the horses pick up the pace, they easily catch up and pass the runners. The atmosphere is festive, with cheers and good wishes shared all around.

The combined events are kind of like a game of leapfrog, without the leap. There are five required "holds" where horses must be checked over by a vet and rest for specific periods of time. While they're in a hold, getting rubbed, cooled and fed, the leading runners often catch up and pass them by. When the horses get back on the trail, they overtake the runners again, and so it goes.

The pattern is good for morale for both groups. Runners report feeling a surge of energy as the sheer physical power of a horse passes by. Horses and riders benefit by being part of a much larger community than in a typical endurance ride, so there's less isolation along the way.

Jamshid Khajavi, of Seattle, WA, has run marathons far and wide. His eyes dance with pleasure as he describes the Vermont 100 experience, "The horses are magic! And listening to the frogs in the middle of the night…you can't see the pond, but you know it's there! This is the last great race on earth."

The course follows old logging roads, travels across private land, and includes the edges of state highways. Riders like the diversity, but elevation changes are an important factor. "This ride takes strategy," explains Doug Shearer, head veterinarian for the 2006 event. Shearer, who is from Florida, does ten rides a year and reports that there are more volunteers in Vermont than other places. He says that people are more welcoming, too, "The little towns really support the ride. Kids set up lemonade stands at the end of their driveways!"

During last year's event, after five-and-a-half hours, the five lead horses walked off the trail together into the second hold at the 42-mile mark. (Endurance rides don't become a "race" until they reach 80 miles.) Riders dismounted and support crews rushed up to pour water over the horses to cool them down. Vets had clipboards ready to record vital signs.

The energy in a hold is all about the horses. Vets check pulse rates (optimal 64 beats per minute) and the cardiac recovery index. The index is determined by taking the pulse, then having a crew member trot the horse 100 feet and back, and checking the pulse again to make sure it isn't elevated. During the process, vets look for any unevenness in gait that would indicate a strained muscle or hoof bruise. Horses are also checked for signs of dehydration and given grain, carrots and apples to keep their weight stable and give them energy.

There are interesting similarities in all the athletes' physical needs. Riders are constantly using their leg muscles to stay evenly balanced in the saddle, or up off the saddle, to reduce strain on their mount's back. Lack of sodium can cause leg cramps in both riders and runners, so it's important not to flush away sodium by drinking too much water. Horses, riders and runners all need good shoes (a farrier is available at every hold to replace lost horseshoes). Electrolytes are also important. Riders carry big syringes (without the needles) full and ready to squirt into their partners' mouths, if needed, between holds. (Riders may end up wearing some of it, depending on their partners' tolerance for having hard things stuck into their mouths.)

By late afternoon, the ultra in ultra marathon and the endurance in endurance ride are showing. It's been 12 hours since start time. There are fewer smiles and waves as runners pass holds. Holds are quieter, almost hushed.

Roxanne Winslow and her horse Nikazem arrive at hold number three at 4:40 p.m. This is their first 100 and they'd ridden alone most of the first 60 miles. Winslow's been pondering her horse's mood. "He seems tired. I think it's mental," she explains. Nikazem is used to riding with buddies so Winslow decides to wait for the next rider to come in, no matter how long it takes, so they'll have company on the next section.

The overall drop-out rate of horses and riders reflects the extraordinary challenge of a 100 miler. For a 25-, 50- or 75-mile endurance ride, 80 percent typically finish. When the distance is 100 miles, it's usually just 50 percent or less who reach the end.

The 2006 Vermont 100 was an exception to the rule. Eleven of the fifteen teams that started, finished, almost 75 percent. Sandra Connor on Elegant Pride won, with an actual ride time of 12:43:00, total elapsed time (including holds), 21:13:00. They arrived at the finish line at 2:13 a.m. guided by those funky green light sticks that volunteers place along the route. Roxanne Winslow's strategy for completion worked. Nikazem and his new best friend, Fury (and rider Nicki Meuten), stayed the course and tied, with actual ride times of 18:29:00. Dean Karnazes of California was the fastest runner, finishing in 16:26:12.

According to Kathryn Downs, who has ridden over 9,000 endurance ride miles since 1981, "This is probably the second most prestigious ride to win, but it's the one I won't miss."

More info:
This year's Vermont 100 is July 20-22. Base camp is in West Windsor. For more info go to www.Vermont100.com or www.VermontEnduranceRide.com.

Call for volunteers
These events couldn't take place without lots and lots of terrific volunteers. You don't have to be an experienced horse person. Opportunities include timekeeper, veterinarian's scribe, setting up and staffing holds, and helping with food.
Contact Sue Greenall, 802-436-2266 or greenall@vermontel.net.