counting down to Tevis 2013

It's 9 days and counting until Tevis 2013. I'm on pins and needles and particularly excited about this year, as I will be crewing for one of my best friends on her and her horse's first go at Tevis.

Kaity and Kody at the San Tans, Sept 2010.
They came over from southern CA for a fun-
filled weekend in my playground.

Kaity and Kody, Day 2 of the Fire Mountain Ride, Jan 2013

Some history, for the curious: Kaity and I have known each other since...errr...'97 or '98? We used to both show our POAs, her in southern CA, me in AZ, and would see each other at larger regional shows. (Incidentally, her Sonny [now sadly deceased] and my Mimi are actually cousins.) She got into distance riding, first NATRC, then AERC, about a year or so before I did, and the same trend continued of usually getting to see each other once or twice a year at different rides.

Kaity is also the one to blame for my Tevis fever, after she oh-so-innocently asked me in 2004 if I might be interested in helping crew for a mutual friend at Tevis (I'd been doing NATRC for about three years by then, so I was well aware of what Tevis was as a ride). 

Fast-forward to 2013, and I am super-excited that this year, it'll be Kaity that I'm crewing for! She's had her horse Kody (an Arab x Appaloosa cross) since he was a fuzzy not-quite-yearling, and it's been so much fun watching him grow up and see the endurance team they've turned into. I crewed for them at 20 Mule Team earlier this year as a "dry run" to establish the crewing routine. Our crew team is set, instructions have been written, details discussed ad nauseum, rider and horse have both received threats of being wrapped in bubble wrap...and now we wait.

I fly out on Tuesday. I have nothing packed. (Of course.) That will be my weekend project.

Same as last year, I will also be up there to represent Renegade and provide support for our riders. Looking forward to another great year, and as always, seeing old friends and making new ones!

More Tevis-related blogs to follow over the next few days, I'm sure!