Endurance rider has new steed

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Libby Llop, a local endurance rider, trains with her horse May Fly for a recent competition.

August 24, 2013 by Sally Fox

Local endurance rider Libby Llop had a great time at a 50-mile ride in Rhode Island on Aug. 11. It was only the second American Endurance Ride Conference sanctioned ride for her young mount May Fly who is 5 years old this year, the youngest that horses are allowed to compete at that distance.

May Fly is half sister to Llop’s mare Fly So Free, with which Llop has seen much success in recent years, logging more than 3,000 miles in competition. Both are out of an Arabian mare, I Juana Fly, that Llop acquired a few years back. This younger mare is an Hispano Arabe by Llop’s Andalusian stallion Dakota Galano. The 14-year-old stallion is owned by Beth Snyder who is showing in dressage with Lucretia Galbraith as her trainer/coach.

In the process of talking with Llop about her trip and this latest competition partner, I also learned a new word, as the 15.3 hand horse is a “rabicano,” although it turns out I have had a horse of this color. I just thought of it as a having a bit of roan-white ticking around its flanks and top of its tail, not knowing there was an actual name for it. (It’s always a good day when you learn something new. I’m curious how many of you knew about that color? Let me know!)

This was May Fly’s second sanctioned ride, the first being in southeastern Wyoming in July. Llop figures the horse has already logged more than 6,000 miles in a trailer, regularly making a 200-mile round trip to the farrier, among other travels...

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