The OD Ride Heads West - 1981 to 2007

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    The new OD leadership, having taken over the ride and organization, but finding themselves effectively locked out of using the original trail through Loudoun County, were faced with having to develop a new trail in less than 6 months if they were to have a ride that year. Wayne Botts, the current OD president at that time, turned to Jim Warner for assistance in the endeavor, both men being competitors of the original OD ride, as well as residents of a historic place in Shenandoah County called Fort Valley - a narrow 20-mile long valley ringed by mountain lands inside the Thomas Jefferson and George Washington National Forests where an established system of horse trails already traversed the mountainsides and the valley floor. With the vast majority of trails being on the National Forest lands under the control of a central Park Ranger office, the new OD leadership would have only one main landowner (the U.S. government) to request usage for the vast majority of the trail, and only a handful of private landowners to gain permission to cross the few pieces of private land leading to the national forest. Botts and Warner, together with OD board members Mitch Karp and Lee Wittle, went to work immediately planning and laying out the new OD trail in the Shenandoah Valley and Fort Valley.

 

    A home base big enough to accommodate at least 100 horse trailers was found at the 4-H Center near Front Royal, VA on the grounds originally used as a U.S. Cavalry Remount Station. The new home base offered many similarities to the old locale -- ample space for parking, and nearby trail up and over the Blue Ridge, and connecting trails leading to the Massanutten Mountains and the George Washington National Forest lands. The new trail, however, used more mountain trails and relatively fewer miles of gravel roads than the original OD Loudoun County trails. Also, only the 100 mile trail returned to base camp; the 55 mile trail finished at a campground called "Twin Lakes". One unique feature of the new trail was that it crossed the Shenandoah River, rather than like the old trail which paused at the river bank for a vet check before returning back over the Blue Ridge. One notable drawback - the notoriously rocky and steep trails of the Massanuttens - eventually was to give the "new" Old Dominion trail the unique reputation as being a tough challenge not for the faint of heart.

 

    The first OD ride in Fort Valley was still held under cavalry rules, including an 11-hour limit for the 50 mile division. It wasn't until a year or so later, that the ride received AERC sanctioning. The "Cavalry Division" of course was still offered and the judging for the winner continued to be held the following day as it had been since the conception of the award in 1974. However, the award and division were only offered for the 100 mile, and as the number of 100 mile riders began to decline in the 1990's, so did the riders willing to suffer the hardships of riding "independently". Yet, the award and division still hold a special charm, and each year a number of new faces come forth to try their hand at being able to ride...and finish...as a cavalry team.

 

    The runners division was still included, and for the next several years, the runners were the first to leave in the darkness to hit the trail before the horses, sharing the trail throughout the next 24 hours. Years later, they splintered off to form their own exclusive 100 mile ultra-marathon which is still held annually in the Massanutten Mountains.

 

    As Endurance riding developed throughout the world and continued to draw in more riders from all walks of life, the Old Dominion ride also began to draw both national and international riders who wished to pit themselves against the challenge of the trail. In 1992, 63 riders completed the OD 100, the largest group ever in the history of the ride. By then, the OD had achieved international fame as one of the top Endurance rides in the United States.

 

    The logistics of the trail, and the crossing of the Shenandoah River, took a great deal of work, demanding the solid and unwavering support of the many who volunteered their time to clear trails, create new ones, work on public relations with private landowners, and partner with the National Forest Service as well as other groups who used and maintained the Forest Service trail system. Their dedication proved invaluable towards maintaining the high status and popularity of the ride. Only once in the years when the ride was held in Fort Valley was the OD ever canceled -- and that due totally to the unexpected flooding of the Shenandoah River.

 

    The first ride at the new venue was billed "The Old Dominion Ride/Run 'Move to the Mountains'". It was held June 20, 1981, and in an ironic flashback to the original first OD ride, there was a tremendous thunderstorm early that morning. In the wee hours of the morning, runners and riders moved.  38 riders started in the 100; 18 finished with Connie Thompson on "Buckshot" finishing first in 16 hours and 46 minutes. 11 rode Cavalry; 4 completed. 42 riders began the 50 mile ride with 29 completing. Of those pulled were 4 riders who were overtime. Only 12 of the 38 runners in the 100 mile run completed.

 

     The new trail was already gaining a reputation as a tough challenge indeed!

 

    However, Botts, who served as Ride Manager, was elated and declared the ride a "smashing success". This, in turn, led to a series of meetings with the GWNF for permanently maintaining the trails.

 

    What was interesting, was the proposal presented at the October board meeting to not allow voting by new members until a full three months had passed - a move that would narrow the loophole that had resulted in the January takeover. Membership dues in 1981 were $5.

 

    In 1982, two new rides joined the OD roster. The first was a 35 mile training ride up Sherman Gap in early October. In much of the old correspondence, the Sherman Gap ride was also referred to as a "competitive ride". The other was a 50 mile/2-day 100 endurance ride, called the "Fort Valley", held at the end of October. These two new rides offered a wonderful opportunity for new riders to try their hand at some of the OD trail, and also to enjoy the serenity of the trail in the cool beauty of the mountain fall colors.

 

    The popularity of the fall Fort Valley ride soon encouraged the OD Board to consider making it a multi-day (3 days of rides) in 1993. In 2002, it was changed back to a 2-day 100/50-50 (two days of separate 50 mile rides) which are still held annually today.

 

    In 1996, a third ride joined the roster - the No Frills 50. Started as an early spring fundraiser for the June ride, the No Frills offered riders a chance to travel portions of the trail that would be used for the June 100 mile ride. The No Frills remained in Fort Valley until the mid 2000's when it was moved to Capon Springs on new trails in a section of the George Washington National Forest lands bordering on West Virginia.

 

    As a benefit to the organization, the two new rides gave more opportunity for riders to compete, better publicity to encourage riders to join the organization, and also helped bring in new volunteers as well as train new ride management.

 

    Throughout the 1990's, the OD rides continued to draw in growing numbers of riders. In 1994, the Fort Valley ride hosted the AERC National 50 & 100 Mile Championships with its base camp at Skyline Ranch Resort, just outside Fort Valley.

 

    However, all was not rosy for the OD trail. By 2005, the westward advance of private development was starting to put negative pressure on portions of trail traversing private lands. A massive new development along a critical part of the trail leading from the 4-H Center to the Shenandoah River would soon be forcing complete closure of that trail within a year or so. That, coupled with the 4-H Center Management's changes regarding usage of the Center's grounds, which the OD rented each summer for the June ride base camp, was also cause for concern. Rumblings as far back as 1994 suggested the possibility of moving the base camp to another site - specifically somewhere less congested and less apt to be overrun by houses and housing developments.

 

    The loss of the 4-H Center in 2006 was the catalyst needed to finally force the move. A decision by the board was subsequently made to host the entire OD ride within Fort Valley. A new base camp was found in the southern end of Fort Valley at Fort Valley Stables. That same year, the AERC National Championships were hosted by the OD at their new ride camp. It was perhaps the crowning jewel of the OD organization's endeavors since the day they moved out of Loudoun County and relocated in the Valley. Sadly, however, the move was a little too late. The swan song was already being sung for the OD 100 mile ride in Front Royal. The heavy use of the trails by the annual competition rides, as well as pressure from other groups of users, had seriously eroded the once excellent public relations the OD organization originally enjoyed with the old landowners. New landowners were less invested in the organization, and paving of once key gravel roads made it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to keep the old trail intact. The 2007 OD was held from the Fort Valley Stables with three divisions - 100, 50, and Limited Distance (30) - but the handwriting was on the wall. It would be the final OD ride in Fort Valley after a long, wonderful 26 years as the OD home.

 

    It was time to leave for a new trail outside the Valley.