Carrotfest 2002

The Carrotfest is an annual event put on by the Santa Cruz Horsemen's Association and the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz. Members from both clubs meet at the Horsesmen's camping site on Hwy 1, bringing along their respective steeds, and the bikers work with the horses and horseman to accustom the horses to meeting bikes on the trail. The two main co-conspirators are in the picture above - the organizers from the two participating clubs, and Teddy Bear, the horse.



The idea is to condition the horses to think of bikes and bikers as non-frightening purveyors of good things, and to educate the bikers about why they scare the horses and how they can minimize conflict. The Horsemen's Association provided 150 pounds of carrots for horses, and each biker filled their jersey pockets with carrots, then milled around the horses, bringing them carrots. After the horses were comfortable with that, the riders were organized into lines and the horses practiced getting passed, watching the bikes do skidding stops, and hearing bike bells. It looked like everyone had a good time and the carrot cake was great.

I concentrated on taking pictures of the crowd from the ranch mostly: Cathy and Bow, Trisha and Nabi, Bonnie and Vannie, Judy and Nadia. I also threw in a few pictures of Nancy Twight riding and ponying a little bay mare that is the full sister of her gelding, Tonto, who has completed Tevis several times. My husband was there, too, as a mountain bikers, so there are a couple of pictures of Ali and I, as well. Brave Al and I rode from The Ranch, so the first pictures is our first sighting of our goal. Judy and Nadia rode back to The Ranch with us, and the last picture is proof positive that the plan worked: it's of Nadia holding up a biker on the entrance to Enchanted Loop until he gave her a carrot!