First, a quick apology for the delay in posting the July standings and commentary. I didn’t realize that Sophia had an exceptionally busy August. Going forward, I will continue to send both the standings file and the corresponding commentary to Sophia, but I will also post the file and commentary onto the EDRA Facebook page.
July featured a wide variety of water-based activities in the EDRA in Motion Challenge. Katherine Poe, Marlene Poe, and Teresa Dixon enjoyed kayaking, while others reported time spent fishing. A particularly memorable update came from Kendal Ingraham, whose GPS had difficulty tracking her walking distance aboard a cruise ship to Alaska. She ultimately determined that eight laps around the upper deck equaled one mile – loved it!
And in July, we welcomed a new participant, Victoria Marsh and we celebrated Hannah Armstrong meeting the Completion Award criteria this month by accumulating 100 or more miles. Hannah began participating in May, doubled her mileage in June, and then doubled them again in July, and then increased her July miles by almost 10% in August — an impressive record of continued progress!
Congratulations also go to AJ and Holly Haddenham, who were selected to host a Shagya breed inspection at their ranch in July. Their thorough preparation of both six of their horses and all the necessary logistical arrangements contributed to a successful event: their horses were approved for breeding and the preparations helped them log a few extra miles!
Many of you attended the Big Sky Memorial Ride. Although some could not report their miles, since they’re competitive miles, you still shared your success stories in the comments. This is a wonderful community, and I thank all of you for supporting the sport, supporting one another, and bringing joy to those around you.
I giggled at Bonnie Girod’s entry for the day – “How many steps does a ride manager do on ride day? Well, according to a Garmin Fit Bit, 22,597.” Hey Bonnie, your trusty ride steward only put in 17,355 steps that day – I had it easy!
August mileage was lower than usual, and the widespread fires and smoke likely affected activity levels. It made me cringe to read Teresa Dixon’s report of preparing for fire defense and evacuation in Spokane… And many of us were saddened by the subsequent cancellations of Selkirk and Ride the Loup. Kendal Ingraham’s late-August entry captured the relief of better conditions, “Glorious clear skies! Two work walks and a bareback jaunt around the property!”
There were reports of fun times and travels – Sandy Cheek riding with friends in Texas, Kendal Ingraham exploring the Swamp Rabbit Trail in South Carolina, horse camping at Longbeach. The travel entry highlight was from Bonnie – practicing packing with Comanche and MacGyver for an upcoming Bob Marshall Wilderness trek! Can’t wait to hear more.
Competition remains close across nearly every Weight Class and Distance Division, so make sure to review the latest standings.