First NACMO of 2026

 The NACMO season is off to a slow start this year. 

I was planning to host a ride in the pines in February, but my permit was delayed. It turned out for the best because we got a massive ice storm on that date. 

Sandy was also planning to host her Spring Shenanigans ride, but it never happened.

Unfortunately, it's not likely that things will improve. Dodie is retiring and moving south. While I am toying with the idea of taking over as the regional director in her stead, I'm not sure I actually have room on my plate for anything else right now. I worry that without Dodie, the sport will die in our region.

With that said, we did have the first ride of the year at Dodie's annual Awards Ride at Leaser Lake. 

Fording the spillway because I learned nothing from Oregon Trail.

Fingers Crossed 2025

 Another month, another NACMO ride. We wrapped up September with the Fingers Crossed ride at Horseshoe Bend. Short version: it was awesome.

Melissa/Kayso, Me/Lucy, Michele/Mira

Melt Your Popsicle CMO 2025

 I am about to run out the door to set up the course for the second annual Horse Days of Summer NACMO ride. I am also admittedly procrastinating because it's going to be almost a hundred degrees and the long course is twelve miles and I am going to be getting on and off the horse a million times. 

Which reminds me... the last NACMO ride was almost a month ago and I still haven't gotten around to blogging about it. What can I say? Life has been a whirlwind lately (not that I'm complaining). 

I missed Melt Your Popsicle last year because it's the same weekend as Moonlight in Vermont. My original plan for this year was to enter Booger in the 100 in Vermont. The wheels fell off the bus when she popped her splint in January. Then I sort of fell out of love with endurance and just haven't been thinking about it. Still, it was bittersweet to be available for the NACMO ride. It turned out to be a kickass day for team What the Foxtrot, and I'm glad I went.

Michele on Mira, me on Lucy, Sarah on Chance, Sierra on Promise.

NACMO: Not the Awards Ride

 Dodie's Awards Ride was originally scheduled back in February, but the winter weather got in the way. She ended up rescheduling for April, but awards got presented at Sandy's spring ride, so this became the Not the Awards Ride.

The only member of our usual group that was available was Michele. She asked if her friend, Sierra, could join us. My only stipulation was that she had to be willing to move out. Well, it turns out Sierra rides Patti Pizzo's mare, Promise, whose middle name is Fast. 

The short version of this story is that the ride itself went brilliantly, but there was a bit of a shitshow along the way.

Spring Shenanigans 2025

 The NACMO season is off to a good start. I hosted my ride in January. Then the weather did not cooperate and the February Awards Ride got reschedule until spring. That made Sandy's March ride my first competition of the year. I went from not knowing if I'd have a team to suddenly riding with Terra, Sarah, and Michele. Last year, Terra, Julie, Tor, and I found all ten objectives and won this ride, so the bar was pretty high. 

Spoiler alert: we did it again!

Deer Path

 Another day, another ride. Sandy's spring NACMO ride is coming up, which means doing a general survey of the trail conditions at Deer Path Park. I brought Eryca and Sandy invited Michelle. I met Michelle at New York Adventure in 2023, and we have crossed paths several times since, but this was our first time riding together. (Michelle is getting added to my list of people to invite for shenanigans. She and Mira were lovely.) 

The four of us wound up doing nine and a quarter miles. There wasn't much to report, which is always a good thing. We didn't even have a single booting mishap between four horses despite muddy, rocky conditions. We had Scoot Boots, Easy Boots, Cavallo Boots, and Flex Boots. I'm honestly impressed. 

We wound up doing my usual loop backwards. Up and over the mountain first, past the general store (sadly closed on Sundays so no tacos for us), up the road, down the museum driveway (quick stop to use the porta-potty), looping around the farm fields, up Woodschurch Road, through the historic farm site, around the pond, up the powerlines, and back to the trailers. 

It was a great way to celebrate the time change and extra daylight hours to ride in.

The rest is a photo dump.

52 degrees and sunny. I'll take it.