The Quarry Vetcheck is held in an open area along the railbed
of the old Mountain Quarries narrow gauge railroad. The rail bed follows
along the river on the lower edge of a limestone quarry that has been in
operation since the late 1800's. Upon departing the vetcheck, riders continue
along the course of the old rail line, crossing Highway 49 and then
No Hands Bridge, historically known as the
Mountain Quarries Bridge.
This vetcheck location is often refered
to as the "Lower Quarry," since in many Ride years, and as recently as
1996, the ride course has taken a somewhat different course. In those cases,
the vetcheck was held in a truck weighstation yard in the "Upper Quarry" area,
immediately beside Highway 49, about two miles from the town of Cool. After
crossing the road, the trail winds along well uphill of the highway, rejoining
the lower route just before No Hands Bridge.
The Quarry Vetcheck is
NOT open to crews. The Ride provides water and feed for the horses and
refreshments for the riders. In the event that a horse is pulled, the
railroad bed provides trailer access to Highway 49. |
