One of my favorite mementos from a ride, beyond t-shirts and buckets and other logo’d items, are ride photos.
If a photo is available, I buy it.There have only been a small number of rides I’ve been to where there has not been a photographer, and as a result, I have an entire album that is filled with photos. It’s one of my prized possessions, kept in an easy-to-grab location, and is worth hundred, if not thousands, of hours of memories.
Just for fun, I thought I would go through and post a photo from each ride that I have…the good, bad, and hilarious, from the beginning (March 2001) up through the most recent ride (Feb 2016).
Taxman. Estrella Mtn Park NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Goodyear, AZ. March 2001
Skip Me Gold (“Mimi”). First of Spring NATRC. Novice 1 Day. El Cajon, CA. April 2002
Skip Me Gold. Helen Logan River Romp NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Santa Ynez, CA. June 2002
Skip Me Gold. Descanso Desperados NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Descanso, CA. October 2002
[MISSING PHOTO: Skip Me Gold @ Sage Hill NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Santa Ynez, CA. November 2002.
Skip Me Gold. Estrella Mtn NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Goodyear, AZ. March 2003
Skip Me Gold. First of Spring NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Warner Springs, CA. April 2003
Skip Me Gold. Chino Hills NATRC. Novice 2 Day. Chino Hills, CA. April 2003
Skip Me Gold. Helen Logan River Romp NATRC. Novice 2 Day. Santa Ynez, CA. June 2003
[MISSING PHOTO: Skip Me Gold @ Descanso Desperados NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Descanso, CA. October 2003.]
Skip Me Gold. RAHA Rally NATRC. Novice 1 Day. Ramona, CA. October 2003
Skip Me Gold. Estrella Mtn NATRC. Competitive Pleasure 2 Day. Goodyear, AZ. March 2004
Skip Me Gold. First of Spring NATRC. Competitive Pleasure 1 Day. Warner Springs, CA. April 2004
Skip Me Gold. Man Against Horse 25. Prescott, AZ. October 2005
Skip Me Gold. Land of the Sun 25. Wickenburg, AZ. January 2006
[MISSING PHOTO: Zander Syene @ Old Pueblo 50. Sonoita, AZ. March 2006.]
Skip Me Gold. Desert Forest Spring NATRC. Competitive Pleasure 2 Day. Wickenburg, AZ. March 2006
[MISSING PHOTO: Skip Me Gold @ First of Spring NATRC. Competitive Pleasure 1 Day. Warner Springs, CA. April 2006.]
[MISSING PHOTO: Skip Me Gold @ Man Against Horse 25. Prescott, AZ. October 2006.]
Skip Me Gold. Las Cienegas 25/25. Sonoita, AZ. December 2006
Skip Me Gold. Desert Forest Spring NATRC. Competitive Pleasure 2 Day. Wickenburg, AZ. March 2007
Skip Me Gold. First of Spring NATRC. Competitive Pleasure 1 Day. Warner Springs, CA. April 2007
Skip Me Gold. Descanso Desperados NATRC. Competitive Pleasure 2 Day. Descanso, CA. May 2007
[MISSING PHOTO: Skip Me Gold @ Man Against Horse 25. Prescott, AZ. October 2007.]
Skip Me Gold. Land of the Sun 50. Wickenburg, AZ. January 2008
[MISSING PHOTO: Skip Me Gold @ Devil Dog 60. Williams, AZ. June 2008.]
[MISSING PHOTO: Skip Me Gold @ Man Against Horse 50. Prescott, AZ. October 2008.]
JM Scatez Harley. Land of the Sun 25. Wickenburg, AZ. January 2009
Skip Me Gold. Valley of the Sun 50. Fountain Hills, AZ. February 2009
Skip Me Gold. Man Against Horse 50. Prescott, AZ. October 2009
Skip Me Gold. Valley of the Sun Turkey Trot 50. Fountain Hills, AZ. November 2009
Skip Me Gold. Land of the Sun 50. Wickenburg, AZ. January 2010
Brahma PFF. AHAA Halloween Ride 30. Fountain Hills, AZ. October 2010
[MISSING PHOTO: Rushcreek Thor @ Resolution Ride 30. Rio Verde, AZ. December 2010.]
Kodaakhrom. Fire Mountain 30. Ridgecrest, CA. January 2013
Rocco. Old Pueblo 55. Sonoita, AZ. March 2013
French Splendor. Old Pueblo 50. Sonoita, AZ. March 2013
Rocco. Prescott Chaparral 55. Skull Valley, AZ. April 2013
Liberterra (“Liberty”). Prescott Chaparral 30. Skull Valley, AZ. April 2013
[MISSING PHOTO: Rocco @ Ride the Divide 55. Socorro, NM. May 2013.]
Kodaakhrom. Bill Thornburgh Friends & Family 30/25. Inyokern, CA. October 2013
Liberterra. Lead, Follow or Get Out of My Way @ Bumble Bee 25. Bumble Bee, AZ. January 2014
Liberterra. Lead, Follow or Get Out of My Way @ Bumble Bee 25. Bumble Bee, AZ. January 2016
Liberterra. Wickenburg’s Land of the Sun 25. Wickenburg, AZ. February 2016
Special thanks to photographers: Cristy Cumberworth, Jane Grey, Cheryl Erpelding, Ray Brezina, Vern Wingert, Laura Bovee, Dean Stanton, Robyn Burgess, Steve Bradley, Tony Wilkie, and Susan Kordish.
Go Pony • Go the Distance 
This is so cool! So many rides. I hope I can amass as many one day. =)
15 years worth. ;) Which just seems crazy, because it doesn’t feel that long.
And you are well on your way for ride attendance/photo amassing!
Love, love, love this writeup and photos, Ashley!!!!!!!! :)
wow, what a fun chronicle of events. and so many rides! The “nice” ride photos are good, but I gotta love the photos with your sassy mare and her head-tossing, pulling attitude!
I used to be so frustrated/horrified with some of those photos and had initially vowed to never let them see the light of day, lest anyone have proof of my badly-behaving pony, but over time, I’ve learned to look back at them, laugh, and realize “Look how far we’ve come.” (And also appreciate that sassy mare was just expressing herself in the only way she knew how in terms of “I don’t like this bit and would like to move out.”)