Prescott's Weary, Cricket ride to Man vs. Horse Race title

Prescottdailycourier.com - Full Article

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

DEWEY-HUMBOLDT - Prescott resident Dayna Weary made a rather careful crossing of the finish line to win the 50-mile Man Against Horse race Saturday in Dewey.

She wanted to avoid a repeat of her 2007 win, when her little Arabian horse Cricket sidestepped the finish post in the excitement and dumped his rider on the other side.

Weary was no less excited for her horse's performance this year.

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Wednesday, October 07, 2009

DEWEY-HUMBOLDT - Prescott resident Dayna Weary made a rather careful crossing of the finish line to win the 50-mile Man Against Horse race Saturday in Dewey.

She wanted to avoid a repeat of her 2007 win, when her little Arabian horse Cricket sidestepped the finish post in the excitement and dumped his rider on the other side.

Weary was no less excited for her horse's performance this year.





Not only did Cricket carry her to a win, but the duo won the coveted Best Condition Award, for the horse that finishes competitively and that veterinarians judge to be in the best physical condition to continue.

Cricket handily completed the grueling 100-mile Tevis Cup endurance race last summer with another rider aboard, as Weary took the year off to crew for her husband Bruce, who finished the race on his Tennessee Walker.

Bruce returned the favor on Saturday, providing support for Dana throughout the race.

Weary and Cricket completed the race over Mingus Mountain and back in a time of 6 hours, 30 minutes, after adjustment for vet checks and mandatory rest stops for her horse. Runners get no such consideration - they're on their own on the mountainous, rocky course.

Jamil Coury of Tempe was the first runner across the line with a time of 7:08:43. He has raced the course before, most notably taking second in the 50-mile in 2006.

The top results could have been much different, said race director Ron Barrett. Two top runners, Don Kuch and Ryan Tinder, were both way ahead of the pack when they lost their way on the trail.

"Had they not gotten lost," Barrett said, "they would have come across ahead of the horse. Don has won the Whiskey Row Marathon for the past two years. But part of the game is following the flags and hitting all the checkpoints. I've had horses, on the other hand, who were in the lead and got off track."

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