| When the MTRA began most of the rigs were pick up campers followed
by a 2 horse and the camps were designed with that kind of rig in mind.
Some of the folks didn’t even have the pick up campers, they simply slept
in the back of the bumper pull and camped rustic style. In those
early days there was no bus so riders would “pull ahead” and pool together
back to the horses for that day’s ride. This was the beginning of
the Rig Jumper phenomenon as someone had to drive the riders back to the
camp where the horses were and then return that truck to where all the
other rigs were. Without this person much more time would have been spent
driving back to get the car or whatever vehicle had been used to return
to the horses for the days ride.
There was a graduation to Motor Homes with bumper pull rigs but I don’t think there were many of these till after we had incorporated the bus. Still the problem of being at the next camp and having to get back to the horse to start the day’s ride added time to your ride day. Many of the members were lucky enough to have a spouse who was not suffering from the Horse condition and would move the rig for them, as long as time was allowed for them to “fish” once the chores were done. There was some attention being paid to the larger rigs and the camp roads were made a little more large rig friendly. This large rig attention factor had to do with the Jack Pine crunching of these large expensive rigs. These early spousal units were “loaned out” to others to make secondary rig jumps so another rider could be spared moving the rig, returning to the horse time factor for the day. Many friendships were formed by these situations. I listened one night at the campfire as negotiations went on for the exchange of the use of a Rig Jumper. There was mention of Steak Dinners, Very Old bottles of Beverage, One of the rig jumpers was holding out for satin sheets and I remember one who was negotiating for a back rub. Rig Jumpers have evolved over the years and I have seen the addition of Gourmet cooking over the camp fire by the more elite of these most favored persons. I have been blessed with a wife who accompanies me and doesn’t enjoy the ride but does enjoy the fellowship of the campfire and the challenge of preparing wholesome food in the woods. She also is in to pampering the horse with rubdowns and electrolytes and all of those essentials for horse health that are needed for the intense workout they do on one of these rides. I believe that she is also a closet truck driver as she does Jump the rig to the next camp usually without incident. On the years that she is too busy to PAMPER me in the woods I have grown to appreciate her more and more, my Horse also misses her TLC and wisdom about injuries and soreness. I remember taking along a hired Groom for my horse. Not a rig jumper so I still had to drive to the next camp, ride back to the horse factor but my horse was well cared for, the groom was well fed and a good time was had by all. Still the full fledged Rig Jumper is KING in my book, an irreplaceable luxury for all to wish for and search out. We have many of us, transitioned to the goose neck trailer with all variations of living quarters aboard. I know one rig that should have a saloon bar along the one wall as it is so long that it would accommodate such an addition. In today’s market if you have a Rig jumper you are among the best equipped of the MTRA riders, there is no price too high for the services of one of these extraordinary individuals, I remember one year it cost me a new saddle for the company of My Mrs. I still admire those who do it yourself independent and are proud of it. But I bet there is not one of them who wouldn’t prefer to have a Modern Rig Jumper. There is nothing quite as easy as getting up, saddling up, and riding to the next camp where your tie line is already up and the hay bag is waiting for your trusty steed, there is a smiling face and a cold beverage next to your comfortable camp chair. Rig Jumpers I salute you, you are an indispensable addition to the MTRA. Richard "Doc" Bend |