The trip to the 2012 Vernon Evaluations started off poorly and got worse. Maria and I had truck troubles just hours into our drive, leaving our horse trailer stranded on the side of a mountain road. It took over 4 hours to arrange a tow due to inefficient roadside assistance and lack of replacement vehicle. We eventually secured transport to a boarding stable for the night. The next day we had to make two trips home with the horses to rest and regroup, as my truck was being repaired and no replacement was found. The troubles of this ill-fated trip cast doubt on whether we could make it to the evaluations at all.