Ride managers who subscribe to the ride managers of AERC on the Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RideManagers_of_AERC) have really enjoyed Sharon's daily updates on her ride managing progress and woes. She had so many obstacles to overcome but handled them all like a professional. It seemed more as if she had been a ride manager for years. All her fellow RMs rallied around Sharon, assuring her that this was just normal in the life of a ride manager and sharing our own experiences with her. It was a lot of fun following her throughout the entire process of managing her first ride. If you are considering managing a ride, or are a current ride manager, we invite you to join the Yahoo group -- it's easy and a great way to learn from and share with others. -Connie Caudill
I've had some time to reflect on the first-ever running of the Hot Toddy Hustle 30/50 in Orland, Maine. Nine riders entered the 30, and 14 riders entered the 50. All were pre-entered. There were no surprise entries, which was unfortunate because the ride did not break even with only 23 entries. I really needed at least 30.
One thing I did to keep costs down was to skip award T-shirts. Instead I designed refrigerator magnets that were much less expensive and very, very cute. Their oval shape and layout make them look sort of like belt buckles, except they're red and yellow with a cartoon horse and rider. I got lots of compliments on them. Another thing I did was borrow all my water troughs, a great big canopy for the registration table and awards, and clocks for the timers.
The trail photos on my website contributed heavily to the numbers of riders I did have; many of them told me they had only come because the trails looked so beautiful. They also commented that the high level of detail and organization on my website -- www.zegifts.com/HTH/hot-toddy-hustle.htm -- gave them faith that I was organized and detail-minded enough to run a quality ride despite my inexperience.
Finally, the website also came in useful for soliciting volunteers, as did the article the local paper ran several weeks prior to the ride. I was unsuccessful in my efforts to get coverage in any of the larger papers (Bangor or Ellsworth) or on any local TV stations.
I'm not sure whether the radio stations ran the public service announcements I gave them regarding traffic safety and the laws concerning horses on the roadways, but I doubt it, since many drivers stopped to ask my traffic volunteers what was going on.
By all accounts, the ride itself went very well, especially considering that it was a brand-new ride and I've never managed a ride before. All the riders I spoke to said they'd had a wonderful time and would come again next year if I had the ride again.
Having three vets worked out perfectly. The vets were right where they needed to be at all times so I don't think anyone had to wait long to be vetted. My volunteers came through wonderfully and most have said they're eager to help again next year.
My brother-in-law, Peter Levasseur, and his friend Joel drove out from Vermont and spent the day frantically driving (and quite literally running!) from spot to spot to catch all the riders at one scenic location or another. (The photos can be found at www.graphicspike.lifepics.com.) Despite the running, they said they too enjoyed themselves and are already thinking about what they'd like to do differently next year.
Speaking of doing things differently, I did get some well-worded constructive criticism from both riders and volunteers, and I would like them to know that every bit of it was appreciated and will be taken into account for future years. It is important to note that perhaps for the first time in ride history, there were no gratuitous complaints -- thank you all for that! I truly think I had the best bunch of riders a first-time manager could wish for.
I do hope to make this an annual event but I sure hope I can re-route the trail closer to the originally-intended route. The original route I put together was heavy on beautiful trails and scenery, and light on pavement. But due to mud and landowner permission withdrawals, three weeks prior to the ride I had to change it to an out-and-back that some of the riders commented had too much pavement.
Almost all the paved roads had wide, level, sandy shoulders to ride on, but some riders don't like to ride single-file along the roadside. Plus, most riders feel less relaxed when riding alongside a paved road. The good news is, none of the riders complained about the out-and-back being repetitive. They said the trail had enough scenery and variety that they were not bored on the way back -- it was like it was a different trail going the other direction.
In fact, the most important thing I learned was that on an out-and-back trail you can't assume that the riders will remember the route! I'd assumed that if they didn't remember on their own, they could just look at the hoof prints. So I marked the trail really well on the way out, but on the way back I only marked the difficult-to-see turns and a few turns that were different from on the way out. I heard several riders got lost for several minutes, including the group who had been running in the front on the 50. In future I will mark all turns in both directions!
Some of the riders felt the natural water was too limited. I have to guess they didn't see some of the water I know was out there. Maybe in future I will mark any natural water that they don't actually have to walk through.
What really surprised me was that some riders complained that there wasn't enough water on the 8.5-mile Loop 3, even though there is a stream crossing about a half-mile in, and a lake 10 feet off the trail at about the halfway point. My husband told me he heard from one rider who actually saw the lake but did not stop to water her horse because it was off the trail.
In the future I may do a controlled start for the first half-mile or so, since it's on a paved road and crosses Route 1. Speaking of Route 1, traffic control there needs to be better next year. I didn't expect that my volunteers would actually have to stop traffic, just help riders know when it was safe to cross. I was wrong; even at the 6:00 a.m. start the traffic was horrendous. In the future there will be much better preparations for this.
Before closing I would like to repeat my sincere thanks to everyone on the Yahoo group for AERC ride managers. In the month prior to my ride, I swear it felt like they were all there for the sole purpose of keeping me sane, organized, and . . . well, sane! Thanks, buds, you will never know how much you helped.
All in all, the 2006 Hot Toddy Hustle was a positive experience for management, riders, and volunteers alike. I'm not sure what I need to do in order to come closer to breaking even in the future. I do know that increased attendance will be essential, probably the most important thing, so I will consider adding a second day of rides and/or a short introductory ride for casual trail riders.
