Remembering Greenbriar Al Jabal (Atlas) 2003-2021

On October 19 Suzanne Hayes shared:

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I am posting this. My very much loved Atlas (Greenbriar Al Jabal) fractured his pastern, actually shattered it, playing on a frosty morning last week.

He has been with me since before he was born, my best friend, plus was an exceptional endurance horse, always wondering what adventure the next mile would bring us.

He had 13 consecutive years of competition resulting in 3465 miles, 18 Best Conditions, 16-100 mile completions including 5 Tevis finishes - 4 in the top 10, and an 11th place, 4 Big Horn 100s (all top 5), AHA National Champion 100 mile, plus many other AERC and FEI accomplishments.

I will miss my big white horse very much and hope that you all could experience a horse with our connection at least once in your life, it is a treasure.

New Decade Team: Lindsay Fisher and Monk

December 28 2021

Awarded to the horse and rider team who have accomplished 10 years of completions in AERC rides of 50 miles or longer, Lindsay Fisher and Monk achieved this award in the October Camp Far West 50.

"Our final accomplishment," Lindsay said. "Together, we were the AERC National 100 miler champion, team USA for the World Equestrian Games, USA team for the Presidents Cup in Abu Dhabi, fastest 100 miles in North America, 5 time Top Ten Tevis finisher and Haggin Cup Winner, multiple wins and Best Conditions.

"Monk and I have crossed the finish line of every single AERC ride we’ve tackled (pulled at the finish of one 100 miler). This horse also won many other rides with other riders year after year.

"He carried my 5 year old daughter on her very first trail ride.

"MONK....he will forever be greatness and have his own special place in my heart!"

1966 Flashback: The Cup at the End of the Mountain Trail

Sports Illustrated Vault - Full Story

The horses and their improbable riders gathered at Tahoe City, Calif. for the yearly Tevis Cup race across the winding paths and hazardous streams of the Sierra to Auburn, 100 miles away

Alice Higgins
September 26, 1966

What the Boston Marathon is to the distance runner, the Western States 100-mile, one-day ride for the Tevis Cup is to the endurance horseman. And, like the marathon, the California race over the rugged Sierra from Tahoe City to Auburn attracts some improbable but wonderful people. Among the 92 riders who started this year, there were a couple on their honeymoon, a 12-year-old girl, a 72-year-old man who had put off a hernia operation in order to compete, an Indian ranch hand, some polo players, a woman believed to be a Cherokee princess, an assortment of mothers, secretaries, factory workers and businessmen and a man with a gray vandyke beard who was described as a retired capitalist.

The stallions, mares and geldings entered were just as surprisingly diverse, and included just about everything found in a horse encyclopedia: Arabians, Anglo-Arabians, a Peruvian Paso, quarter horses, Appaloosas, Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, Morgans pure and crossed with all the others, Pintos, buckskins, palominos and even a plain old western mustang...

Read more here:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1966/09/26/the-cup-at-the-end-of-the-mountain-trail?fbclid=IwAR3vrI-p2Gyi4GpBQyhxoHWFo8eqWFfYaavkNHbALxFb9Dafu3zIidpeHyw

2021 December's Horses in the Morning Podcast

Horsesinthemorning.com Podcast - Listen

Endurance: Karen Chaton on the Hot Seat for Dec. 14, 2021 by Horseware

Dec 14, 2021

Karen Chaton, usually the host, becomes the guest on this Endurance episode. She was recently interviewed on the Stall and Stable podcast and we wanted to share it with you. Listen in...

https://www.horsesinthemorning.com/endurance-karen-chaton-on-the-hot-seat-for-dec-14-2021-by-horseware/

PL Mercury 02/03/1991 - 12/09/2021

Owned by Dr Claire Godwin
an amazing gelding with 6030 miles, 18 100-mile finishes including the Tevis Cup (his 5th buckle) at 27 years of age.
Becky Pearman photos

Endurance Ride Photographers Guild member Linda Sherrill Wins Professional Photographers of America International Print Competition Awards




by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
December 10 2021 


Linda Sherrill of Justus Photography based in Alamogordo, New Mexico, has been a member of the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) since 2014. PPA is a group of around 25,000 photographers in the US, Mexico, and Canada. 


The organization holds two international print competitions each year. Linda entered three of her images in this year’s September event in Atlanta. Out of 5901 entries, only 1040 received Image Excellence awards, and around 2000 were merited. Two of Linda’s images, ‘Another Day at the Office’ and ‘Spring Branding’ merited, and ‘Ride and Slide’ won an Image Excellence award. “That one was judged by 10 judges, and it was a unanimous IE award,” Linda says. 


“There are 12 different criteria that are their judging points, and those have to be adhered to. For example, you have to see direction of light, and the title that you give it gets judged - the impact that it has on the judges when they open their computer screen and look at it for the first time. 


“The judges only have 60 seconds to judge the images. They know exactly to look for.” 


Linda is two merits short of becoming a ‘Master Photographer’ in the Photographic Open category. To become a Master of Photography, a member needs 26 merits. Thirteen have to be in competition, and the other 13 have to be in service which qualifies as attending education, taking classes such as photography technique, Photoshop, or basics of starting a photo business. It’s a fierce competition to just get into some of the classes.  


“The MP certification proves that you have invested time and money in education, and obviously it’s important to you, and then you also took that and translated it into images that would win in competition.” 


Master Photographers can teach on whatever their expertise is, so Linda will soon be able to teach classes on photographing horses and dogs and the people who love them. 


“PPA does some wonderful things. They’re there to support us. We have an annual national convention, coming up in January in Washington DC, and all of my images will hang in the gallery there, as well as everybody else’s that merited or got an image of excellence award. 


“This year was special, I’ve never done this well in competition in one year before. It just makes your client pictures so much better. Trying to comply with competition rules really ups your game.” 


Just recently, ‘Ride and Slide’ was also nominated for a GIA (Grand Imaging Award) which is the highest award PPA bestows. That judging will take place next month during the PPA Annual convention in DC. 


“PPA is the premiere educational place to go when you want to learn about photography. It’s a very supportive group. The classes teach me how to make my client images better. I can’t tell you how much my career has gotten better by print competition.” 


Linda started photographing Arabian horses at a horse show for a friend in 1992. After that, she was hooked. She started shooting Endurance rides in the midwest in 1996, and is a member of the Endurance Ride Photographers Guild. This is a group of around two dozen professional photographers from around the USA dedicated to documenting AERC Endurance ride events in the USA. 


“Shooting Endurance rides is a lot of fun. I don’t compete anymore, but getting out there with a camera and watching the riders go by is still huge to me, because it’s really about the people - your friends, and the friends that you make.” 


See more on Linda at:
http://www.endurance.net/advertisers/EnduranceRidePhotographersGuild/LindaSherrill.html 


Linda’s website:
www.lindasherrill.com 


The Tevis Cup: A 100-Mile Endurance Ride Like No Other

HorseIllustrated.com - Full Article

By Heather Wallace
December 2, 2021

Preparing for a 100-mile horse ride is no small feat. I’ve trekked across Mongolia as an official for an endurance horse race, but that seems like a warm-up for The Tevis Cup, which spans across the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California. This is a true test of horse-and-rider athleticism and mental endurance. Recently, I attended my first Tevis, also known as the Western States Trail Ride, as a crew member for a friend’s first attempt.

Held annually during a full moon in late July or early August since 1955, the longest North American trail ride starts at Robie Park in Truckee, Calif., and runs 24 hours over mountains and through canyons to finish at McCann Stadium in Auburn.

The trail winds through canyons and a popular Western States Trail, which travels through a few small towns. For example, the town of Forest Hill, which is a one-hour hold, is lined with volunteers, crew, and the locals all cheering on riders as they pass through the neighborhoods on their journey. The annual event is celebrated, and it is hard work to coordinate 100 miles of public and private lands for this adventure...

Read more at:
https://www.horseillustrated.com/the-tevis-cup-a-100-mile-endurance-ride-like-no-other

Four New Champions Crowned at the 2021 USEF Endurance National Championships

©Becky Pearman Photography

USEF.org

Ehrhardt, S.C. – Four new national champions emerged over the weekend at the 2021 USEF Endurance National Championships for CEIYJI1*, CEI1*, CEIYJ2*, and CEI2* divisions. Horse-and-rider combinations took on the South Carolina terrain at Broxton Bridge under cool and clear conditions on November 12 and 13, 2021.

2021 USEF CEI1* National Championship

Geneva Soule (Frenchtown, N.J.) and Meg Sleeper’s 2011 Arabian mare, Syrocco Madrigal, took the champion title in the CEI1* division. “Maddie” is a seasoned competitor, with 1530 endurance miles completed so far over her six-year career, and her experience helped take Soule to the National Championship win in the rider’s first time out at the event.

“I started competing in FEI rides last year with Meg’s horses, and this was my first National Championship ride,” said Soule. “The atmosphere was so friendly with everyone working toward a common goal: to keep the horses happy and healthy so we could get a completion. The Broxton Bridge trails and hospitality are something I always look forward to when I visit.”

Soule has gotten to know Maddie well as one of her caretakers at home.

“I hadn’t actually ridden Maddie in about two years, but I’ve known her and have helped care for her during that time as the manager of Meg Sleeper’s New Jersey farm, Goodwink Farm,” said Soule. “Maddie is a great mare and is very easy going around the farm. It’s fun seeing her develop as a competitor, and she definitely lets her herdmates know that she’s an accomplished endurance horse!”

The Reserve National Champion title for the CEI1* went to Jose Ortega (Miami, Fla.) and Nazeefs Flashy Rose, a 2007 Arabian mare owned by Cheryl Van Deusen.

2021 CEIYJ1* National Championship

Sydnie Tycer (Natalbany, La.) and Gypsy Brocade, her 2008 Arabian mare, earned the National Champion title in the CEIYJ1* as well as the Best Condition award for the one-star division. Tycer and “Gypsy” have built a bond over seven years together, and that connection helped them to finish strong.

“She has such a big personality and is always willing to please,” said Tycer. “She can be a little overdramatic and feisty at times, but she gets calmer as the race goes on. One of my biggest highlights [from the National Championship] was crossing the finish line. She was extremely forward the entire time and never lost motivation to go.”

Looking ahead, Tycer has ambitions of representing the U.S. in endurance competition on the world stage. “My goal for 2022 is to get all of my qualifications to be on the U.S. Young Rider Team,” she said. “I hope to reach these goals by the end of the year.”

Reserve National Champion honors in the division went to Avery Betz-Conway (Kingsland, Ga.) and RR Soldier, a 2012 Arabian gelding owned by Stephen Rojek.

Charly Dugan (Muncy, Pa.) and her 2012 Arabian gelding, Southern Justice, rode to the win in the CEIYJ2* division. Dugan and “Roo” are capping off an exciting year of competition in which they competed as part of the U.S. Endurance Team at the 2021 FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders and Juniors in Ermelo, The Netherlands, in September.

Roo is a former show horse re-trained for endurance by Dugan’s mom, Sally Jellison. Dugan took over the ride last year in the lead up to the World Championship. Dugan and Jellison were able to ride together for part of the course at Broxton Bridge, which Dugan cites as a highlight of the weekend.

“Roo can be a spook monster, but he’s always well intentioned and he’s very sweet,” said Dugan. “When competing, he puts his big boy pants on and is all business. The first loop is always a struggle, but after that it’s smooth sailing.

“Looking ahead to 2022, I have several goals for Roo,” said Dugan. “They are completing his first 3*, getting most of my rides with him to get my Elite Status, and continuing to spend time in the ring with him to work on equitation.”

2021 USEF CEI2* National Championship

Erin Lemmons (Hico, Texas) and Tuscarora John, her own 2006 Arabian gelding, earned the National Champion title in the CEI2*, finishing the 120km ride with a time of 7:30:15. Lemmons and Tuscarora John have a long history together, having competed at the FEI level since 2016.

The Reserve National Champion title went to Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) and JG General, her own 2012 Arabian gelding.

The Best Condition award for the two-star division went to third-place finishers Kelsey Russell (Williston, Fla.) and Tru Beau Sardi, a 2013 Arabian gelding owned by Cheryl Van Deusen.

For more info, photos and results see:
https://www.usef.org/media/press-releases/four-new-champions-crowned-at-2021-usef

Santa Cruz Intro to Endurance Clinic a Success

by Nick Warhol
November 22 2021

We had a very successful Intro to Endurance clinic this past Saturday in Santa Cruz. It was hosted by the Santa Cruz horseman’s association and the Quicksilver endurance riders.

The turnout was incredible- we sold out! We had 16 horses and 10 auditors. There were a few riders who had done a couple of rides, but most attendees were interested in the sport and had not done a ride. I was a speaker, as was Debbie Boscoe and Jill Kilty Newburn, but the act that stole the show was Julie Suhr. She came and talked to the riders and impressed them very much. She also handed out a copy of her book and handouts to the riders. Thanks Julie!

The facility at Santa Cruz is amazing- indoor lecture area with couches, full kitchen, the works. The picture is Debbie doing her presentation on new riders and the right speed to ride as a beginner. The horse camp is excellent and has pens for all the horses. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the trails were in great shape. The attendees were a great group who were hungry to learn.

The highlight for me was the trail portion. You can lecture all you want, (which we did!) but the proof is in the pudding, or the riding in this case. We split the riders into four groups and paired them with a mentor rider. Me, Debbie, Jill, and Lori Olsen came to help. Each group went out separately with a mentor and we rode a nice six-mile loop that had trails that ranged from perfect to pretty technical and gnarly. The goal was to ride at a pace to show them exactly what it would be like in their first ride. My group was just great! We had a nice fun ride that took about an hour and fifteen minutes, which would equate to about a ten-hour ride time in a 50. Some of the comments on the trail were “I had no idea you trotted so much!” “I have never trotted this much before on a ride.” “it’s tricky to follow the ribbons when you are concentrating on riding!” “This is the hardest my horse has ever worked!” “Your horse is amazing!”

We then had a vet check at the end where the riders really got to see how it worked. All four of my horses were at about 60-64 when we hopped out of the saddles, and after about 10 minutes they were all recovered down to 48 or so. That really clicked with the riders when they saw that the ride they had just done let them get to the check at criteria, and their horse recovered fully after just a few minutes and were not stressed at that time. They now also understood why Sorsha’s pulse was 36. She’s a fit experienced horse, and theirs were not. Our trot outs were great- everything from A+ for attitude, gait, and impulsion, to a “D” since this one poor horse just did not understand that he was supposed to trot in hand! That just takes some training. We also had our only pull- one of my horses was lame on the rear at the finish. It was obvious to the group, and the rider had noticed it on the trail and mentioned it out there. It turns out the horse had scuffed itself in the trailer I believe a couple weeks ago and was not quite over it. It was a good learning experience for everyone.

We had a nice awards presentation that included wine, beer, cheese and goodies, where everyone got a nice gift, and we handed out a horse blanket for our “Horse excellence” award, which is our equivalent to the Best condition award at a ride. We picked out a rider who had a great time, learned a lot, and whose horse looked great all day. The woman who won it was moved to tears- it was pretty cool. I also had one extra blanket to give out, so I picked a rider at random who ended up being Connie Bennet, a long-time rider who was there attending with a guy she is mentoring. She did a cool thing and handed him the blanket. Nice job, Connie!

The only problem I had was not enough time to cover all the things I wanted to cover. The lecture for my clinics is usually a full day, and we crammed it into 5 hours which was tough. People hung around and asked questions like mad. Everyone had a really great time, and I KNOW we are getting a bunch of new endurance riders as a result. That’s the goal, and I love it when a plan comes together.

Thanks to Debbie, Jill, Lori, Lindsay, Laura, Karen Hassan, and especially Julie for helping make it happen.

Meet Endurance Ride Veterinarian Cassee Terry

 

by Elayne Barclay

for PNER - Pacific Northwest Endurance Rides

 

Hopefully everyone takes the time to acknowledge what they have to be grateful for on a regular basis but it is that time of the year when we are especially conscious of our gratitude. As endurance riders we are all grateful for the veterinarians that are willing to be control judges and treatment vets at rides on their days off from their regular (long and stressful) work hours. They endure all kinds of inclement weather at all hours of the day and night to deal with a wide variety of personality types, both human and equine. To honor that gratitude, this member focus features one of these keystone people, Cassee Terry.

Cassee grew up in Central Oregon as the oldest of five kids. Her dad told her that at the age of one she would point out the horses in the neighbor's fields by saying “horsey”. Her interest in equines prompted her dad to get her one of her own, a donkey! Cassee recalls, “Her name was Jenny Donkey and my dad would lead her up and down the driveway with me on her back. I have been blessed to have equines ever since.” She got bucked off when she was around six years old and as a result she remembers, “I became very fearful of horses. My mom had the sense to get me into riding lessons and my dad found a great 16.2 hand polish Arab of all things that was the ultimate kids' horse. That horse's name was Special and he truly was and he gave me the confidence I needed to get back to being comfortable and then daring on horses.”

Cassee's dad acquired horses to use while elk hunting and he joined the Deschutes County Mounted Posse. “I remember the Posse playdays, parades and trail rides as a kid. My dad also took me on multi- day cattle drives and brandings out in Eastern Oregon. What a great way for a girl to grow up!”

Cassee lost her dad, who shared her love of horses, when she only 12 years of age. “My mother knew how important horses were to me and after he passed we kept two, my horse and my dad's horse. Horses were my stress release throughout school and sports. I lost my horses while I was in college, and I didn't get them again until after I was married.”

Cassee always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian, but during the summers when she was an undergraduate she was a king salmon fishing guide in Glennallen, Alaska. It was during her time guiding that she met her future husband, Will. In a it's-a-small-world moment they discovered that they lived within 20 minutes of each other in Oregon! Cassee elaborated on their courtship, “We hunted and fished together thru my years at vet school and were married in the spring of 2006.”

Before applying to vet school she said, “I wanted to stay in Alaska thru a winter so after I graduated from Western Baptist College in Salem in 2000, I guided the summer then lived in Anchorage for the winter where I was a very successful substitute teacher. I landed long term jobs and could have easily stayed on as a teacher. If I would not have gotten into vet school I would have remained a teacher in Alaska, my majors were math and science so I would have stayed in that role. High school was my favorite age, but my first day of substitute teaching was a kindergarten class and that was glorified babysitting and not for me!”

Luckily for us, Cassee got into the one and only veterinary school she applied to: OSU. When asked where she had hoped to work after she graduated, Cassee said, “I wanted to work in New Zealand for my first couple of years. I had been there in high school for a mission trip and I loved it. They didn't seem to want a new grad from the USA though, so nothing ever became of that, so I looked for work in my home region. My first choice was Redmond as it was the clinic I grew up at since I was a kid. It so happened that one of the vets there (one of my high school classmates) was moving to John Day and I was able to take her place at my home clinic. What a blessing to be able to live at home and work in the clinic I knew and loved. I have been at Redmond Vet Clinic ever since and became a partner in 2020 (what a year to start buying a practice!)”

Cassee was asked to be a veterinarian at an endurance ride for the first time during her first year out of vet school by Carol Baldery for Dust Devil in October of 2005. Cassee went on to say, “From then I was hooked, vetting not only local rides but a lot of the rides in the PNER region and even one in Arizona. My girls were born around rides. Tabitha was born two days after Bandit Springs in 2008 and Joslynn was born in December 2009 and made me hold her most of her first year while I vetted horses! Growing up in the ride camp environment Joslynn got the bug and started competing at the age of eight. We were blessed by a couple of great endurance horses, Sue McLain gave us AH Priority Male (Prior) and then Darlene Merlich gave us SAR Tiki Eclipse (Lumpy). Joslynn has been sponsored by so many PNER members and it is such a blessing for me as a mom to trust the horses she is on and the sponsors she goes with.”

Cassee has yet to ride and in an endurance event (must be tricky to manage that when she is always vetting at them), but she hopes to and currently rides an Appendix mare named Roz. “Roz is a retired working ranch horse and is so sweet, she carried a junior thru her first 25 at the Mary and Anna Memorial in 2019! I was so proud of them both. Currently she has a beautiful Monster filly at her side.”

Cassee joined PNER in 2015 and currently is the Chair of the Education Committee. She has supported Joslynn in her role as the Junior Rider Representative for the past three years and will be helping Juniors staff the raffle and do some fundraising at the PNER convention. If you have something to donate or have leads for potential raffle donations, Cassee can pass that info on to a youth contact for follow up.

When asked what PNER means to her she replied, “PNER means family! I have seen this group of people come thru time and time again to help others. My family and I have been the recipient of them so many times. Joslynn has needed a sponsor for every ride and so many people have changed their game plan to allow her to ride along. It is amazing and we are truly blessed.”

PNER is truly blessed to have Cassee and her family as part of our family.

 

 

I am Equestrian Canada”: Nine-year-old Endurance Rider Sets the Pace

Natasha Dombrosky photo

Equestrian.ca - Full Article

17 November 2021
by Kat Irvine

On August 7, 2021, at 4:30am six endurance riders are warming up at the start line of the 160 km “Piles of Miles” endurance ride near Devon, AB., wearing head lamps, flash narrow beams and glowsticks. As the riders vanish into the dark, Natasha Dombrosky, mother of one of the riders, stands on the sidelines with her video camera and calls out, “don’t lose the kid!”

The kid in this case is nine-year-old Paige Dombrosky, from Redwater, AB., riding NightWind’s Indigo Bey (Indi) (Dakotas Keyanti x Bold Strike V), a 19-year-old black Arabian gelding. “She has been interested in horses since she was a baby,” said her mother. “Paige loved sitting on them when she got a little older, because she didn’t have her own pony, rode my 15.3hh paint mare around the yard...”

Read more here:
https://www.equestrian.ca/news/342xLHxXtftkdyfFF/i-am-equestrian-canada-nine-year-old

Celebrating AERC's 50th Anniversary at the 2022 Convenion in Reno

We're celebrating AERC's 50th anniversary!

March 4 and 5, 2022 • Nugget Casino Resort • Sparks, Nevada

AERC's convention is the most fun you can have without your horse! Two days of informative and thought-provoking seminars, shopping galore, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, awards presentations, Hot Topics seminars, plus fun Friday night dance (wear your best 1970s costume!) and the awards banquet on Saturday night.

Convention registration will open around December 1, so check back here or watch Endurance News for the latest information.

A two-day Veterinary Continuing Education course will be held Thursday, March 3, and Friday, March 4. All veterinarians are welcome to attend this CE course. Information will be sent to all AERC-member veterinarians later this fall.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS: Use this exclusive AERC group discount code: GAERC22. You can call to reserve: 800-648-1177 (mention the discount code!) or make your reservation online.

Room rates on weeknights are $103.02 (that includes all taxes and resort fees). On Friday and Saturday night stays, the total cost per night is $137.06. AERC rates apply from Tuesday, March 2-Tuesday, March 8. Be sure to book by the AERC discount deadline of February 4.

More about the Nugget (site of AERC's first Nevada convention in 1978!) here: Nugget Casino Resort website.

YES, THERE IS A FREE SHUTTLE! The Nugget's shuttle bus runs from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. It departs the Reno/Tahoe airport at the bottom of the hour for the hotel, and leaves the hotel for the airport at the top of the hour. (Note: the airport is 2 miles from the hotel).

TRADE SHOW EXHIBITORS: Be a part of AERC's 50th anniversary celebration! Click to find out about exhibiting at the 2022 AERC Convention Trade Show.

AERC CONVENTION SPONSORS are needed to help make our 50th anniversary celebration a grand success! Contact Kyra at the AERC office for information.

Virginia Highlands Back Country Horsemen Win Regional Foresters Honors Award

“Sustainability is the buzzword” - Nancy Sluys

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
November 11 2021

At the virtual Regional Foresters Honors Award ceremony on November 3, 2021, the Back Country Horsemen of the Virginia Highlands Chapter won the prestigious Regional Foresters Honors award in Region 8 for their trail rehab project in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Southwestern Virginia.  

The George Washington & Jefferson National Forest nominated the Virginia Highlands BCH group for the award in the category of "Delivering Benefits to the Public" for their trail project.

The award recognizes the extraordinary initiative, logistical coordination, and field expertise of the Virginia Highlands Back Country Horseman.

Endurance rider Nancy Sluys is president of this Back Country Horsemen Chapter, which boasts a number of AERC members. “We applied for a National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance trail grant and got it,” Nancy said. “The grant was for $15,000, and we also did some very effective fund raising and raised the whole amount as a match.

“In fact as the project went on throughout the year and people saw what we were doing, we got lots more donations and have now far exceeded our goal, which has allowed us to do even more work than originally planned.”

This past week the BCH group brought the year-long project to an end. They improved a 14-mile section of the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail (which is used on the Iron Mountain Jubilee Endurance ride), plus several miles of connecting trail.

Matt Helt, the Dispersed Recreation Program Manager for the USFS, commented: “What set the Virginia Highlands Chapter of the BCHA apart is their collaboration with the districts. They went out and got a grant from the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, $15,000 to support work on the Virginia Highlands horse trail, which is heavily used by their members and the horse community here.

“So instead of just traditionally matching it with their labor in kind, they did that and they raised another $15,000 cash. So that $15,000 turned into $30,000, and they turned in about 1000 hours of volunteer labor on top of that.”

The group projects included raising trail bed, fixing mud holes, shoring up stream banks, repairing and hardening grade dips, improving drainage, and filling ruts.

“It all has to do with water,” Nancy said, “and its damaging effects on our trails. Since our storms continue to be stronger and because of the lack of maintenance (the Forest Service lacks the money and staffing to maintain the trails properly), water has been allowed to run down the trails instead of sheeting off like it is supposed to, causing increasing damage to trail tread due to volume and velocity eroding away trail tread and depositing sediment into nearby streams, causing environmental damage and safety hazards.

“The work we have done may look drastic at the moment, but it is doing its job by allowing the water to sheet off the trail, instead of down the trail where it causes rutting and eventually erodes the trail away, causing it to become unsafe for users and the environment, and causing possible future closures.

“Sustainability is the buzz word. And because of the work we have done, these sections of trail have been made sustainable, which means they will be around for a long time and will need less maintenance in the future to keep them in good shape. Pretty soon nature will soften the rough look, the leaves will fall and the weeds will grow back, and all you will see is a pretty trail that will be around for your children and beyond.

“I’m very proud of my group. It was so rewarding to go back and ride the trails that we have improved!

“We hope folks will see the big picture and realize that we are looking out for everybody’s interests. We love these trails and do not want to see them erode away to nothing. Please consider joining us on a work day sometime to learn more about sustainable trails and why we do what we do.”

2021 November's Horses in the Morning Podcast

Horsesinthemorning.com - Listen

Equine Anatomy and Health, Cayuse Endurance Ride for Nov 9, 2021 by Eagle Equine Products

Nov 9, 2021

Tami Elkayam talks about how she uses CranioSacral therapy, Myofascial release and other modalities to facilitate a return to balance and physical health. Ride Manager Dana Tryde introduces us to the new Cayuse Endurance Ride in California. Listen in...

https://www.horsesinthemorning.com/equine-anatomy-and-health-cayuse-endurance-ride-for-nov-9-2021-by-eagle-equine-products/

20,000 Mile-stone for the Northwest Region’s Karen Steenhof

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
November 10 2021

In finishing the final ride of the Northwest Endurance season, the Owyhee Halloween ride in southwest Idaho, Karen Steenhof, 68, crossed the 20,000 AERC mile mark aboard her gelding WMA Proclaim (Riley).

She reached 18,000 miles in the 2016 Halloween ride (also aboard Riley). Back then she hoped she’d reach the 20K mark, but wasn’t sure her body would hold up. “It took me 5 years to get the last 2k. My body held up for 20,000 miles,” Karen said, “and then it broke!” She rode this season’s Halloween ride with a possible torn meniscus.

Karen started riding horses when she was 6 years old; she stumbled onto the sport of Endurance in 1985, with a pony cross mare named Sunday. She ultimately rode Sunday for 1910 AERC miles before she moved to Arabians.

Back in 2016 after her 18,000-mile achievement, she recalled three of her most favorite rides over the years, which exist no more: the Turkey Trot near Eagle, Idaho during her first Endurance season; the 5-day Ft Schellborne XP in Nevada; and the 50-mile Buckskin Challenge in eastern Idaho.

The Turkey Trot took place in November in the snow, and was just a memorable, fun ride on her mare Sunday.

"Ft Schellborne was peaceful. It was the hidden Nevada. You know, the Nevada you see on the highway is flat, and then you go into this beautiful country on horseback.

"The Buckskin Challenge was a really hard ride. There aren't that many rides that I can remember saying, 'Oh no, it's over already!' Usually you're like, 'Whew - finally, I'm finished!' But this one I was thinking, 'Oh, I wish we could go longer!' I was crushed when they decided not to have that ride anymore."

Karen’s current mount, 14-year-old Riley, is a steady, forward, former racehorse who has proven to be calm and rate-able on trail. With Karen, Riley has 2145 miles over 6 seasons, with a 100% completion rate, and this year’s Halloween ride was his 78th consecutive completion.

“I expect to do more LDs now….but it would be great if Riley and I could get a Decade Team award---that would mean doing at least one 50 the next 4 years.  We will see if my body holds up…”

But then, that’s what Karen said at 18,000 miles and she made it here!

Karen’s 18,000-mile mark story is here

Above photo by Judy Theis at the Owyhee Halloween ride. Karen often wins Best Costume, and she won again this year in the 50-mile ride!

2022 AERC Young Rider Championship Announced

2022 AERC Young Rider Championship

We are VERY excited to announce the 2022 AERC Young Rider Championship! This event will take place at the gorgeous and popular Yellowhammer ride in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama! The ride date is set for Saturday, May 21, 2022. More info and updates coming very soon!

11-year-old Idaho girl rode her horse 290 miles, earning state and national endurance nods

MERRI MELDE THE EQUESTRIAN VAGABOND photo

IdahoStatesman.com - Full Article

BY NICOLE BLANCHARD
NOVEMBER 03, 2021 5:00 AM

An Idaho girl earned local recognition and a national ranking after riding hundreds of miles on her horse over just a few days in a series of equestrian endurance competitions known as the Idaho IronHorse. Eleven-year-old Olivia Valtierra, of Eagle, began endurance riding this year. The sport involves riding long distances on horseback in organized events, sometimes covering as much as 50 miles in a single day. It’s a sport Olivia’s mother and grandmother did, and Olivia, along with her 19-year-old Arabian gelding Tai Juan, followed in their footsteps this summer and fall...

Read more or listen to story at: https://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/article255386151.html#storylink=cpy

2021 USEF Endurance National Championships & North American Endurance Championships – Final Application Deadline Reminder

USEF.org 

by U.S. Equestrian Communications Department | Oct 29, 2021 

Lexington, Ky. - The 2021 USEF Endurance National Championships & North American Endurance Championships will be held at Broxton Bridge in Ehrhardt, SC from November 10-14, 2021, and applications close this weekend. More information for these Championships can be found on the US Equestrian website here as well as on the official competition website here. 

The schedule for the 2021 USEF Endurance National Championships & North American Endurance Championships will be as follows:

November 11th
CEI2*/CEIYJ2* - National Championships & North American Championships

November 12th
CEI2*/CEIYJ2*

November 13th
CEI1*/CEIYJ1* - National Championships & North American Championships

National Championships Application of Intent

The USEF Endurance National Championships are open to all U.S. athletes and horses that have their relevant FEI qualifications and are in good standing with the FEI and USEF. The USEF Endurance National Championships have sections at the CEI1*, CEIYJ1*, CEI2*, and CEIYJ2* levels. Those interested in competing in the National Championships must submit their FEI Entry through the USEF website as well as submit an application of intent which can be found on the USEF website here by October 31st, 2021.

North American Endurance Championships Application of Intent

The U.S. Zone Teams at the North American Endurance Championships are open to the top 15 athletes in each Zone from the ranking list for the event per the qualifying requirements. In order to be listed on the ranking list, an athlete must have completed an FEI competition within the qualifying period. All athletes and horses must also have their relevant FEI qualifications and be in good standing with the FEI and USEF. The North American Endurance Championships have sections at the CEI1*, CEIYJ1*, CEI2*, and CEIYJ2* levels. Those interested in competing in the North American Endurance Championships must submit their FEI Entry through the USEF website as well as submit an application of intent which can be found on the USEF website here by October 31st, 2021.

Please contact Steven Morrissey, Project Director of High Performance Programs, at smorrissey@usef.org if you have any questions.

Follow USA Endurance
Stay up to date with U.S. Endurance by following USA Endurance on Facebook and US Equestrian on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Use #USAEndurance.

The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOPC, and USEF sponsors and members.

 

Equestrian Adventuresses Podcast: An Endurance Riding Tale for Young Adults & Young at Heart

EquestrianAdventuresses.com Podcast - Listen

by utetonia
October 27, 2021

If you love books, this is the perfect place for you. Once a month, Heather, Ute, and sometimes Krystal, will talk about their favorite horsey book. In today’s episode of the EQA Book Club, Ute is talking with Claire Eckhard about her book Gallant – Call of the Trail, a story of a young girl and her horse. The book is modelled loosely on the life of Julie Suhr, a legend among American Endurance Riders with 22 Tevis Cup Buckles and three times Haggin Cup winner. It has been written for young adults, buts its strong endurance riding angle and simple but strong language makes it a joy to read for every horse lover and endurance rider out there.

Listen:
https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2021/10/27/horse-podcast-ep-200-an-endurance-riding-tale-for-young-adults-young-at-heart/

Santa Cruz California Fall Endurance Riding Clinic

Saturday, Nov 20, 20219:00 – 4:30

Santa Cruz County Horsemen’s Assn Showgrounds
1251 Graham Hill Road, Santa Cruz CA 95060.
Sponsored by SCCHA & Quicksilver Endurance Riders

Have you ever wanted to learn more about what it takes to compete in 25- or 50-mile endurance riding events? Join us for this fun and educational clinic to learn how to get started, or how to step up your game if you are new to the sport.

Whether you are a competitor at heart or are looking for a sport for your entire family, endurance riding has something for everyone. Endurance riding combines the opportunity of riding a challenging course with your equine partner with the camaraderie of camping and socializing with people who share your interests. In this full day clinic, you will learn • How to condition and care for your equine partner
• What the rules are at endurance events sanctioned by AERC
• What happens on the day of the ride
• Setting up a conditioning program
• How to gauge your horse’s fitness and set goals
• Tack and accessories to consider
• Feeding and supplementation for the endurance athlete
• How to pace your horse in an endurance ride

This clinic will be held at the lovely Santa Cruz County Horseman’s Association Showgrounds. We have shaded outdoor stalls for your horse to stay in, and the clinic fee includes one night of camping – your choice of Friday or Saturday night. Your instructors for the day will be several very experienced endurance riders who, together, have tens of thousands of miles of competitive experience in the sport. Through a combination of lecture, demonstration, and trail riding in small groups, we will help you increase your knowledge and skills so that you can successfully complete endurance rides with a healthy and happy horse

Cost: $50, which includes the full day clinic, lunch, and camping for you and your horse; OR $15 for the lecture and demonstrations, and lunch. We welcome all riders from any discipline, and their horses (unless auditing). For more information, contact Jill Kilty-Newburn at mail@knfarms.com or Debbie Boscoe at debbieboscoe@gmail.com.

We are limited to 25 riders so don’t wait! For registration and payment, use this link:
https://sccha.wildapricot.org/event-4515550

"Slightly Broken," Nicole Wertz Wins Virginia City 100

Broken ribs? Banged up knee and ankle? Lost stirrups in the gallop in the dark to the finish line? No problem for veteran rider Nicole Wertz in the Virginia City 100

October 22 2021
By Merri Melde-Endurance.net

Two weeks before Nicole Wertz and All For You were to attempt Nicole’s 23rd Virginia City 100 finish, it looked doubtful that they’d even reach the starting line in front of the Delta Saloon.

Nicole’s 13-year-old mare All For You (“Tinga”) had a rider-option pull in her first 50-mile start in May of 2021.

In her second start two weeks prior to Virginia City, Tinga got hung up in a gate three miles into a 50-miler when Nicole’s stirrup got caught; it ripped Nicole’s leg and she eventually fell off onto a pile of rocks, breaking three ribs, hurting her knee and ankle, while Tinga ran off for two hours.

The obvious solution would have been to call it a day, but once Nicole caught her horse and had the vets thoroughly check her out and give her the all-clear, Nicole climbed back on Tinga for a 38-mile training ride. “She needed a good workout; she was going to VC!” Nicole laughed.

Tinga was the horse Nicole thought she could win VC on. “I won it in 2013, but it was a tie. So my goal was always, if I had the right horse, and the right setup, I would try to win it for real.”

Nicole took a (whole) week off from riding, then took Tinga on a test ride six days before VC. “Just to make sure I could ride balanced enough, and think that I could do a hundred miles. Yeah - that’s right - ride 100 miles slightly broken. But us endurance people are tough.”

Hence she and Tinga made it to the starting line in downtown Virginia City, Nevada, at 5:00 AM on Saturday, October 16th.

Nicole and her good friend Kassandra DiMaggio, aboard One Sun, rode together most of the ride, chasing the leader Melissa Montgomery aboard Guns “N” Roses.

“We were behind her by about 15 minutes most of the day,” Nicole said. “We just never seemed to be able to catch her. She’s a fierce competitor. She’s relentless. She had just done that Moab 240-mile foot race right before she came here. She’s just an amazing, amazing, amazing woman.”

At the 93-mile checkpoint, Nicole and Kassandra caught Melissa (she would cross the finish line, but her horse was pulled, as he had fallen with her on the last loop and ended up lame.)

That left Nicole and Kassandra vying for first place. Kassandra had a minute lead on Nicole out of the last vet check, but Nicole quickly caught her. “I think she thought she had me, and when I caught her she said, ‘Aw shoot, I knew this was going to happen!’”

The two riders knew the VC trail well, and knew that the hardest section was after 50 miles. “There’s an extreme amount of climbing between the 50 and 75 mile mark. It’s like literally non-stop climbing. That’s where you’ve got to conserve. And the last loop, the last 25 miles - if you’ve got horse - it’s mostly pretty flat, so you can really move. And it’s fairly good footing.”

The race was on between the two friends the last seven miles. “We just rode along and rode smart, and right about when it was time to go, we went, and like Kassandra said at our awards ceremony, ‘Nicole is a little more ballsy on the runaway down the hill!’

“And I ended up racing the last probably half mile with no stirrups, because I lost them. My ankle was a wreck. I almost fell off on the turn; Tinga switched leads and her saddle slipped. There was a moment where literally I thought, Ohmigod, I’m going to fall off and lose this race! And I was planning to fall off on the side I was already wrecked on…” Nicole’s ankle had started to bother her at the 65-mile mark, and the knee pain had returned (and she didn’t even mention her mending ribs). And now she was racing in the dark for the finish line with no stirrups.

“But I really didn’t want to fall off, so I grabbed her neck and mane and I just figured, well, I ride a Grand Prix dressage horse, so I was like, I can ride without stirrups racing at a full gallop!

“And I did! And as we went over the finish line, I won by about a horse length. Tinga gave it her all. She didn’t even have to dig into her gas tank. She really had a lot left.” They finished at 9:39 PM.

Eventual third place finisher Jay Mero, riding Ozark Kaolena SWA, left the last vet check about a half hour behind Nicole and Kassandra, but those two sped up so much they put another half hour on Jay.

“We were moving,” Nicole said. “But it was a beautiful night. Our horses know each other well. And Kassandra and I are actually really close friends.”

After that great effort, All For You completed the ride (her second VC finish) with an impressive 48-48 CRI.

The next morning, Kassandra’s Arabian gelding One Sun won the Best Condition award (One Sun is a son of French Open, who won the Tevis Cup with Heather Reynolds in 2014).

“That was icing on the cake. Her horse looked fabulous. It was great that both of us essentially got a win. I think that made it even more fun for friends, especially,” Nicole said.

Nicole has owned All For You for four seasons. She originally bought the mare from Endurance rider Gwen Hall for her husband Josh to ride. “But he’s not a serious rider, so I guess I stole her.”

While you’ve often seen Nicole riding her homebred Friesian crosses, Tinga is a well-bred Arabian (Nivour de Cardonne X Tu For All, by Tron Ku Tu) who is a delight to ride.

“She’s actually the funnest horse I’ve ever ridden, and I’ve ridden a lot of horses over the years. She is super fun. She’s kind of like riding a dirt bike on a trail. She’s very handy. She has a big floaty stride, but she’s very easy to half-halt and get around tight corners. When you watch her, she’s a pretty effortless mover. Her normal going-down-the-road trot is 12 mph. Big trot. That’s just her normal speed. Slow for her is 10. She’s a nice mover.”

But she’s a horse Nicole has had to manage metabolically. “She’s been a challenge in that respect.

“I had encouragement from Heather and Jeremy Reynolds, who really like this mare, and have told me many times, do not give her away!

“I’ve had to figure her out. The Reynolds gave me some professional advice with their electrolyte protocol. And this mare just needs more electrolytes than I’ve ever given. She’s one that needs it every two hours, and I just have to do that. And it seems to work.

“And we figured out that the best thing for her is she needs to do an Endurance ride two weeks before a hundred.” (Or, say, a 38-mile training ride despite the fact you just sustained broken ribs.)

As for Nicole receiving her 23rd Virginia City buckle (second only behind Connie Creech’s 26), that dream started when she was 10 or 11. “I don’t know why, but I had a goal of getting 20 buckles.

“I rode a pony the first time I rode it at age 11. And by the time I was 20, I did have 10 buckles. And I did 12 consecutive years without getting pulled. I begged, borrowed, stole a horse so I could ride.

“Then life, college, whatever, horse, no horse; the years went by. It’s been a while since my Friesian crosses have been going, so I haven’t really had anything recently to ride. So there was kind of a gap.”

Nicole obviously got her riding genes from her mom, 77-year-old Pat Chappell, a legend in her own right who rode this year for her 20th VC buckle. She and Nicole rode together until about mile 38, when her mom started dropping back. Pat ended up rider-option pulling at 60 miles. When Nicole isn’t riding Virginia City, she’s there helping crew for her mom or to support someone else.

All For You appears to like doing 100s, and it looks like she’s got a few more Virginia City buckles in her future.

“When I couldn’t start Tevis this year, (we had some issues with shoes falling off at the wrong time) Heather and Jeremy really encouraged me to get Tinga’s feet repaired and ‘Go win VC’.

“At the finish of Tevis [Jeremy won aboard Treasured Moments], Jeremy hugged me and told me I should have been right there with him with my mare.

“Their encouragement and positivity and believing in this horse really helped prepare us for VC this year.

“Despite many challenges we did it, and I am so proud!”

2021 October's Horses in the Morning Podcast

Horsesinthemorning podcast - Listen

Revisit Endurance Day: Endurance for the Clueless Equestrian for 10-12-2021 by Horseware

Oct 12, 2021

Revisit: Karen Chaton is joined by Patti Stedman to tell us just about everything we need to know to get through our first Endurance ride. Heather ‘Flash’ Accardo talks about her preparations for the Mongol Derby and common Endurance acronyms are deciphered, plus we make up a few new ones. Listen in...

https://www.horsesinthemorning.com/endurance-for-clueless-equestrian-accardos-mongol-derby-prep-endurance-day-for-06-12-18/

Nicole Wertz Wins Virginia City 100 to Earn 23rd Buckle

October 18 2021

Nicole Wertz and All For You crossed the finish line of the Virginia City 100 on Saturday night at 10:39 PM to win the ride, earning her 23rd VC buckle. Kassandra DiMaggio aboard One Sun finished second, also at 10:39, and earned next morning's Best Condition award.

Nicole also won the VC 100 in 2013 (in a tie with Diane Stevens riding Banderaz LC) riding her one-eyed Friesian cross Golden Knight.

36 started the 100, with 20 finishing.

More to come at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2021VirginiaCity100/

Man and horse travel 2,500 miles from California to Kentucky

WDRB.com - Article & Video

Dominik Fuhrmann
Oct 7, 2021 Updated Oct 8, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If anyone in Louisville saw a guy on a horse going across the Big Four Bridge this week, you weren't imagining things.

Patrick Sullivan is riding his horse, Gamilah, bareback and bridleless across country.

"We've traveled 2,400 miles from California to Kentucky here, and we're finishing at the Kentucky Horse Park," he said.

WDRB Photojournalist Dominik Fuhrmann caught up with Sullivan and his 9-year-old Egyptian Arabian mare while they were passing through Louisville.

Gamilah is a "liberty horse," which means Sullivan doesn't use ropes, reins, a saddle or a bridle. The horses are trained to choose to work with their rider, and it trains using positive reinforcement or clickers...

See more here:
https://www.wdrb.com/news/man-and-horse-travel-2-500-miles-from-california-to-kentucky/article_eee166ec-27bc-11ec-83f0-fba4bee70eb0.html

Junior Olivia Valtierra Claims Idaho IronHorse Title

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
October 15 2021

11-year-old Endurance rider Olivia Valtierra claimed the 2021 Junior division Idaho IronHorse LD last weekend. This title is awarded to the rider who completes at least nine days of the 3-day City of Rocks Pioneer ride in Almo in June, the 3-day Top o’ the World Pioneer ride near Spencer in July, the 3-day Old Selam Pioneer in Idaho City in August, and the 3-day Autumn Sun Pioneer near Gooding in October. Olivia rode all days of LDs except Old Selam.


Riding her 19-year-old trusty gelding Tai Bo, Olivia was sponsored on most of the rides by her mom Jessica Valtierra and grandmother Veronica Simpson (these 3 were on the cover of the June Endurance News magazine) and her aunt Lindsay Fisher. She also rode parts of the Top O’ the World trails with Steven Coziah, who, aboard his mustang The Duchess of Beatty’s Butte, earned the senior division title of Idaho IronHorse LD.

2021 was Olivia’s first year of Endurance riding, completing all 11 of her rides with Tai Bo - watch out for this Junior in the future!

Bernice Ende's Last Long Ride

EndeOfTheTrail.com

October 7, 2021

On Saturday, October 2, Bernice passed away in New Mexico at her sister’s home, peacefully and quietly. Just how she wanted. Her two sisters were by her side and the horses close by.

Bernice stated often how she had lived an extraordinary life. She loved horses, adventures, being outside and meeting all of you who were part of her Lady Long Rider journey. Her family is so thankful for the encouragement, support and love you provided.

Bernice requested a small and private memorial with family only. If you would like to do something in Bernice’s memory please give to your favorite charity and continue to pass on the kindness and love you have shown Bernice.

2021 Autumn Sun Pioneer: A Fine Trial Run for Next Year's Distance Horse National Championships

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
October 12 2021

A more welcoming and well-organized group of ride management family and friends and vets you won’t find than at the Autumn Sun Pioneer ride in southern Idaho. Put on by Jessica Huber and her family at 4500’ in the Gooding foothills out of a spacious and sheltered Ridecamp,

this year was the fourth year for this new(ish) Ride Manager, who next year will hold the The Distance Horse National Championships (50 and 100 miles), hosted by the Arabian Horse Association along with the usual Autumn Sun Pioneer.

The endurance of horses and riders were front and center, as Idaho presented all kinds of weather over this year’s 3-day event: sun, wind, rain, fog (trails were marked so well that nobody got lost in the fog!)

The ride had a bit of Endurance royalty in attendance: AERC Hall of Famer and highest-mileage-rider-ever Dave Rabe (73,000+ miles) and two of his rather famous horses, White Cloud and Cocamoe Joe, parked next to us in Ridecamp; AERC’s winningest rider Christoph Schork rode the 100; Suzie Hayes (AERC Pard’ners Award with Kootenai Zizzero in 1997 and Hall of Fame equine in 2011) rode the 100; Joyce Sousa (AERC Pard’ners Award with Jim Bob in 2001; Hall of Fame equines Jim Bob in 2005 and LV Integrity in 2015) rode with her daughter Jennifer Neihaus in the 100. And you couldn’t miss Piece of Perfection, aka Flash the Hackney pony, (Tevis Cup finisher this year), who carried Kyla’s little sister Layla on day 2’s 55-miler.

The 100-miler, run on Sunday, day 3, had 13 starters and 7 finishers. Tying for first place were Suzie Hayes and Al Marah Triple Speed, Christoph Schork and VA Blizzard of Oz, and Tom Currier and Zell the Bull in a ride time of 13:50. Al Marah Triple Speed earned the Best Condition award, and Suzie finished her 96th 100-miler. Finishing 6th and 7th were Joyce Sousa on Shahs Gold Nugget and Jennifer Neihaus on Bak Jabari, for Joyce’s 93rd 100-mile completion.

The Idaho IronHorse senior champion was The Duchess of Beatty’s Butte (Ness), ridden by Steven Coziah. This pair finished all 3 Limited Distance days at Idaho’s City of Rocks Pioneer, all 3 days of LDs at Top O’ The World, and all 3 days of LDs at Autumn Sun. Congrats to Steven and his super mustang mare!

And the Junior Idaho Ironhorse champion was Tai Juan ridden by Olivia Valtierra, finishing all 3 LD days at City of Rocks, Top O' the WOrld, and Autumn Sun. She's one of our Idaho Super Juniors!

Day 3’s 100 was the first 100-miler that Jessica Huber put on; with her test pilot riders this year, and their wise inputs, next year’s Championship ride trails will be dialed in to perfection. And the ride will be a weekend earlier in 2022, so you can *almost* guarantee the weather will be perfect!

More photos and stories from the ride at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2021AutumnSun/

2021 USEF Endurance National Championships & North American Endurance Championships – Application Deadlines and Chefs d’Equipe and Team Veterinarians Interest Forms

USEF.org

 

by U.S. Equestrian Communications Department | Oct 8, 2021, 2:15 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – The 2021 USEF Endurance National Championships & North American Endurance Championships will be held at Broxton Bridge in Ehrhardt, SC from November 10-14, 2021. More information for these Championships can be found on the US Equestrian website here as well as on the official competition website here.

National Championships Application of Intent
The USEF Endurance National Championships are open to all U.S. athletes and horses that have their relevant FEI qualifications and are in good standing with the FEI and USEF. The USEF Endurance National Championships have sections at the CEI1*, CEIYJ1*, CEI2*, and CEIYJ2* levels. Those interested in competing in the National Championships must submit their FEI Entry through the USEF website as well as submit an application of intent which can be found on the USEF website here by October 31^st, 2021.

North American Endurance Championships Application of Intent
The U.S. Zone Teams at the North American Endurance Championships are open to the top 15 athletes in each Zone from the ranking list for the event per the qualifying requirements. In order to be listed on the ranking list, an athlete must have completed an FEI competition within the qualifying period. All athletes and horses must also have their relevant FEI qualifications and be in good standing with the FEI and USEF. The North American Endurance Championships have sections at the CEI1*, CEIYJ1*, CEI2*, and CEIYJ2* levels. Those interested in competing in the North American Endurance Championships must submit their FEI Entry through the USEF website as well as submit an application of intent which can be found on the USEF website here by October 31^st, 2021.

Interest Form for Chefs d’Equipe and Team Veterinarians for the U.S. Zone Teams at the NAECs
Those interested in serving in the role of Chef d’Equipe or Team Veterinarian for one of the U.S. Zone Teams at the North American Endurance Championships should complete the form found here and submit to Steven Morrissey at smorrissey@usef.org by no later than October 25^th, 2021.

One Team Chef d’Equipe and one Team Veterinarian will be recommended from each Zone by the USEF Endurance Sport Committee. The Zone Team Veterinarians must have an FEI Permitted Veterinarian card no later than the closing date for the FEI Definite Entry (per the FEI Definite Schedule). Every member of a U.S. Zone Team Staff, must successfully complete a criminal background check and Safe Sport training as required by the Safe Sport Policy prior to arrival to the North American Endurance Championships.

There will be no USEF funding or compensation for the Zone Team Chefs d’Equipe and Team Veterinarians.

Please contact Steven Morrissey, Project Director of High Performance Programs, at smorrissey@usef.org if you have any questions.

Follow USA Endurance
Stay up to date with U.S. Endurance by following USA Endurance on Facebook and US Equestrian on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Use #USAEndurance.

The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOPC, and USEF sponsors and members.

 

Local Idaho Endurance Riding Group Pitches in on National Public Lands Day

October 5 2021
by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

Joining a group of Backcountry Horsemen, members of SWITnDR, Southwest Idaho Trail and Distance Riders, volunteered with projects on BLM land on September 25 National Public Lands Day.

Wilson Creek Trailhead in the BLM Owyhee Mountain foothills is a popular place for horseback riders, hikers and bikers, and several projects were attended to that were on a long To-Do list.

A much-needed gate was added to a fence line where a new cattle guard had been put in on the road and no other access was available for horse riders. Another sketchy gate was cleared for safe use. Trash was cleared from the area. Volunteers were enlisted for trail multi-use education (particularly for bikers and horse riders) for weekends, when this trailhead can be very busy. And led by the SWITnDR horseback riders, a couple of pack mules hauled safety signs that were installed on a dangerous sight-limited curve in a trail.

The Wilson Creek Trail Coalition sponsored the event with BLM. The Coalition is made up of representatives from each of the user groups and BLM land managers. The Idaho Horse Council initiated the forming of this coalition. Numerous horsemen groups, including Back Country Horsemen, TVBCH, SBBCH , Boise BCH, and Southwest Idaho Trail and Distance Riders are representated. Mountain biking groups include Wilson Creek Mountain Biking and SWIMBA.

Though the biker groups who belong to the coalition weren’t present on this day, there were groups of bikers out riding, and the horse riders had some very positive discussions with them. BLM representatives made an appearance, and the present volunteers interacted with hunters and other members of the public during the morning.