The DG and I are addicted to Competitive Mounted Orienteering.  We try to put a weekend CMO meet on each year.  They are easiest when held at parks that allow horse camping.  Last Labor Day weekend, we were at Big River State Forest near Keithsburg and Oquaka, IL.  Here's a shot.            




This is the Millwood Marauders team prior to one of their winning runs.

Here is another pic of the antics



This is the Cathcart Cat Ranchers riding for the Bird Brains team AFTER
4 hours of searching a map of the park to find landmarks within circled areas
on the map.



Pam Talsky incinerates a particularly difficult objective plate.  Yummy pork loins
are roasting as the object of her ire burns.  Recipe follows.

If you are not familiar with orienteering, here is a brief explanation -

Competitive Mounted Orienteering (CMO) is one of the most challenging and exciting equestrian sports - for the competitive as well as family horse rider! CMO is like a mounted treasure hunt, which tests your horsemanship, your map reading ability, and your compass skills - all while having great fun with your horse!

A CMO rider taking a compass bearing from a clue - A LARGE ROCK ON A STUMP. CMO stresses sound horsemanship, and we like to call it "The Thinking Horse Sport"!

The object of the sport is to ride out as an individual or a team on a prescribed course and find as many of the hidden Objective Stations as you can and get back in the least amount of time, on either a ten station long or 5 station short course.

The long course can be anywhere from around 8 to as long as 25 miles. The terrain depends on the ride manager's choice of area - but CMO rides are held all over the country from the high forests of Washington State to the rolling hills of Indiana!

The short course is much smaller, and is oriented towards families, riders wishing a less competitive event, training of new horses, and new riders looking to check out the CMO fun.





Our own horses didn't get much of a workout this weekend.


This is my new baby Jade - sound asleep leaning against the round pen.
She did have tough duty that weekend.

While we were camping, my obsession with food was given free rein. 
I'd gotten a great deal on a couple of pork loins and here is what I did
with 'em.

Lisa's Campout Pork -

1 can crushed pineapple                      1 cup water
6 oz. can tomato paste                          1/2 cup brown sugar
1 onion - diced                                        1 diced pepper
2 TBSP cider vinegar                            1 TBSP grated or minced ginger
1/2 tsp salt.

1 or 2 boneless or boney pork loin roasts
salt and pepper

Put first nine ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil and lower heat
to simmer.   Simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring
occasionally.  Cool sauce to managable temperature.

Make an aluminum foil boat for your pork loin/s.  Rub each loin with
salt and pepper.  Set at least 1 cup of sauce aside and dump the
rest over your pork loins.  Wrap 'em up tight.  I use tons of foil in the 
futile hope that they will not leak.  Let 'em rest in the fridge anywhere
from a couple hours to overnight.   A couple hours before you want to
eat - lay the loins alongside or above on the side of a nice medium
fire.  Every now and again, check the internal temperature with a
cordless meat thermometer.  Pull it off the fire at 150 - 155 degrees
and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.  Heat the cup of sauce you set
aside to serve with the sliced loin.  Enjoy this - it is one of the really
good ways to eat meat that has to be cooked all the way through
without smoking. 

So - we had 3 days with great friends and good riding...and the food
was great.  What more can you ask.  Hope this post makes everybody
think of warm days and summer fun.