Future CMO at Versailles State Park

What an absolutely beautiful November day!  Temperatures in the 70's, clear skies, a nice breeze, and the crunch, crunch, crunch of the leaves under foot.  Water in the creeks, and day parking as full as I've ever seen it at the Versailles State Park.  Just a great day for a ride.

Marti Caldwell drove south to join us for a ride at the park.   She was looking it over with a future CMO in mind.  I'm pretty sure that the way the park is laid out it would be possible to have a day one ride on the A/B trail, and a day two ride on the XYZ.  All dependent though on horseman's camping area being complete in 2013.   Once we are sure of the opening date on that, we can start talking with park management about all the do's and don'ts of putting on a ride.   We also want to see about having a free clinic to build interest in the sport down here in the southeastern part of the state.  I've already created a nice flier that lacks only a date that I can put in various feed stores, veterinary offices, tack stores, rider forums, and post up on Facebook,

We rode the A&B loops today, looking at potential landmarks.  Landmarks are the toughest thing in my mind of putting a ride on.  You not only have to find something unique, you have to be able to describe it in such a way that the competitors know they are in the right location.  Generally landmarks are not flagged in any way.  So 156 degrees from a tree would be a VERY BAD CLUE in the woods!  Where 156 degrees from a sawed off tree with three trunks on the south side of the trail would perhaps make a better clue.  I've put stations on our own property at home, and quickly realized you can spend some time locating landmarks that make sense, and putting in the stations.  Then you hope your landmark and the plate is still there when the rider's get there!  Wind and rain can put a monkey on things.

I'm hoping with all of me that this comes off for 2013.  It will be my one and only shot at a CMO next year due to the distance of the rides.  I'm just not comfortable traveling long distance with my horse in our high mileage truck.  So if Marti puts on a CMO at Versailles it will be like hitting the lottery ☺  I'll be able to try my first solo CMO on my own stomping grounds.  That would be just AWESOME.   ~ E.G.