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Ingenio Magdalena, S.A.
2008 Mayan Adventure: Part 1
Images by Mike Thomlinson
2008 Mayan Adventure
The Ingenio Magdalena Challenge - 1st Edition
Home || Photo Gallery || Final Schedule(PDF) || Results
Stories: A Pre-Ride || The Journey Begins || FEI Arrivals || Costa Rica Arrives!
The Day Befor the Ride || Saturday Morning || Sunday Morning
Ignacio deWit's View
Image by Ignacio deWit
The birds were announcing a new morning and everybody in base camp is "still awake"... After a night of high activity we have the winners of the different FEI categories and the 1* National Category of the Ride and many tired but happy faces...
The 100 milers finished shortly after dawn and we have on First Place the rider from Costa Rica, Diego Zamora, with his horse Samurai, who was awarded also the BC for this category! Second place is Laura Paiz, from Guatemala, who is Pan-American Junior Champion 2007, finishing successfully with her horse Ganador. Both riders achieved their qualification for participation at the World Endurance Championship this year in Malaysia, completing both a team of riders who have already qualified in two previous rides in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Third to finish was Roberto Hernandez, also from Guatemala, riding Mr. Ha, and fourth is Guillermo Sandoval from Honduras, riding Halisha. The other participants were not able to finish their ride due to different reasons, observed in the several vet checks during the night-ride.
Results
Sunday, 6th of July 2008
Kind of a pre ride ...Kind of a pre ride was executed by Silvia, Ignacio, Clarissa and Janio, with 4 horses and a bike! To double check out the conditions of the area were The Mayan Adventure Ride 2008 - The Ingenio Magdalena Challenge 1st Edition, will take place, in La Gomera, Escuintla, they took off early in the morning, bringing the horses in their trailers to the wonderful luscious green Sugarcane plantation.
The sugarcane plantation surrounds one of the biggest sugarcane processing plants in Guatemala, Ingenio Magdalena.
Thursday, 10th of July, 2008.
They have started their journey. Although there were still some pending issues regarding the paperwork for the transport and temporal importation of the horses into Guatemala, the Costa Rican counterpart felt they were ready to leave ... and left! Frenzy took over as the last part of the formalities was still to be finished, and so on this end of the journey, in Guatemala, everybody involved was very busy to bring the formal bureaucratic part to a happy end...Special Thanks to Nacho for his help!
Preparing for the ride
June 12th of 2008Janio, Uber and Fernando of Jinetes de Aventura Endurance , organizer of the next FEI Ride in Guatemala, where on their way early the morning of June 12, to check out the definitive routes and base camp location at the Ingenio Magdalena, in La Gomera, Escuintla, Guatemala.
After discussing several options, we came to the decision that the best place would be at the Ingenio Magdalena, AND, that we would do the ride at night. Hopefully, with an almost full moon... Depending on the climatically conditions!
They arrived!
Saturday, 12th of July 2008 Finally the first 3 Costa Rican Horses reached Guatemala after several days of travelling and lots of obstacles to overcome!That is Saladino, ridden by Julio C. Alfaro and Samuray, ridden by Diego Zamora, both owned by Marcial Zamora. And LFM Black Lady, ridden by Clarissa de Wit from Guatemala, owned by Lourdes de Miranda.
We are happy they made it! So we will have all the expected horses for the classifying ride next Saturday night! when the big event will be held for Guatemala and Costa Rica to classify their teams for the participation in the World Endurance Championship in Malaysia coming November.
Compared to the travels and distances lots of riders do in the US for example, it may seam a short ride from Costa Rica to Guatemala, BUT, in between we have 3 border crossings, that need a lot of paperwork, coordination, cooperation and patience!! to be passed.
The day before the Ride!
Friday, 18 of JulyWe are in Escuintla... In the heat of the Tropical weather and the humidity... and at the Ride Site, the Ingenio Magdalena, were we found a great place... wonderful prepared with the basecamp at one side of the air strip, with the horses stabled in the hangar, giving them a very nice shade in this heat.
And, we had no rain today!! Just 38 degrees Celcius and 85% of humidit...
We are finishing the details. Preparing the final part of the loops, the base camp and all the hundred little things that have to be done in order to have a safe and nice night ride!
The horses started coming in...Tents are being set up, it s a very life place now!
Tomorrow we will have a recognition of the route. Lets start at 9 AM.
Saturday Morning
Saturday, 19 of JulyToday is the day !... or should we say, tonight is the night!
The recognition of the route brought us close to all the different terrains and plantations we will be passing through during the ride... Teak Tree Plantations, sugarcane, forage, and more sugercane.
The footing is great, and we are preparing to bring out a few hundred glow sticks. It is the first ride at night that is prepared in Guatemala, and we want it to be great for everybody. The first loop of the 160 km is going to still with daylight, and the riders will come to an alternative basecamp, for the first vet check. After that they will be coming back to the main basecamp at every loops end, until all the 6 loops are done and the finishing will be at the first daylight of Sunday!
In the afternoon the horses are received and checked in, they have very nice temporary boxes in the hangar... Plenty of space, nice shade and protection of the rain. A great stable! The airplanes can stay out in the rain...
We bring the helpers to the checkpoints they will be attending, and containers to the water spots.
Everything is ready, and at 4 pm sharp, the big race begins...
The riders of the 160 km and 120 km , from Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica, will start together at this hour, and will be doing the two first loops together and then after that each category will have different parts of the plantation to ride, until they finish their distances at the basecamp, finish line is on the landing strip.
The category of 82 km will start at 10.30 PM, to have their finish also at daylight - if our calculation is correct! And we have the 40 km for starters, they will leave at 4 AM on Sunday.
I have to go to the vet gate now.
Tomorrow we will have the results, after a long nights work!
Images of the Event
 PreRide of the Trail Photo by Ignacio deWit |
 Costa Rica Arrives Photo by Ignacio deWit |
 The Ride! Photo by Ignacio deWit |
|
 Mayan Adventure Part 1 Photo by Mike Thomlinson |
 Mayan Adventure Part 2 Photo by Mike Thomlinson |