Friday night I swapped parts over to build Johnny "Black Death" Cash (aka Yersinia Pestis) up into my TransIowa setup. 42x18 with 1.95 semi-slicks. New chain, new ring, new Sweeney Todd Blood bolts. While I was getting my steed ready for the next mornings ride, H. was down in the barn preparing her steed. Clipping, pulling mane, gathering tack, etc... Saturday was going to be Ian's first foray into Eventing: Dressage, Stadium Jumping, and Cross Country (my favorite by far). H. loaded up and drove over while I mounted up and rode to the park. The shake down ride was going well and the bike felt good. Then up a short steep hill on Old Natchez I heard a pop and a clink and a snap. Huh... I thought maybe it was the chain popping off then back onto a tooth or a loose chain ring bolt. The noise never reappeared so I kept on motoring although the bike really felt slow, like the gearing was harder to push on it vs my Litespeed (same 42x18 setup). Once at the park I pulled out my allen wrenches and checked the bolts, everything seemed spot on. Chain tension about perfect, no drag in the hub. I left it as an oddity and set about helping H. prepare for her events, since she unconditionally supports me out in my endurance races.
First up was Dressage which is more a sampling of horse and rider working together, kinda like dancing. The higher the level of dressage, the harder and more complex the moves, however to most non-horsemen it just looks like people riding around a small ring. Bikers should think Trials.
Then Stadium Jumping, which is what most people see on TV. This is where the riders have to navigate their steeds around a ring filled with jumps of varying complexity. The jumps have poles that will fall out of the way if a horse snags a hoof or leg, or throws a rider into them by stopping and refusing a jump.
Last up was Cross Country, which is akin to riding in Pisgah. Large, solid, not falling out of the way jumps of varying complexity designed to challenge horse and rider, over a timed course, so speeds are generally higher. This is the Farlow Gap or the Heartbreak Ridge; Sketchy, fun, but could really get you and your horse/bike hurt. I love watching this section, to me it's thrilling, nerve wrecking, and intense; And I'm not even the one riding!!
Ian did extremely well for his first eventing attempt. It was a schooling show, which means that while it was a competition, it was designed more to allow horse and rider to experience and practice the disciplines in a formal setting. To help prepare them for competitions where if you mess up, you're out. Considering the several hundred dollar costs to enter, haul to, and perform at such shows, kinda makes you want to get as much practice in before you blow through a chunk of change because your horse refuses to jump. Ian jumped each jump bravely and without hesitation, that is AFTER he looked at all of them. Pretty funny this one, as he'll do anything you ask him as long as he's seen it first.
Oh, and the extra drag and effort riding the Surly was due to a busted bottom bracket. The non-drive side bearing race popped off and under the plastic tube of the Truvativ GXP. It cracked, pretty much seized up one side, so only the drive side spun. It was a long, laborious ride home with a curse word inspiring wrenching session to free it from the BB shell. Hopefully I'll have replacement parts by Friday. Better here than Iowa though....
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