Sunday, February 28, 2021

Owyhee Tough Sucker to Offer Early-Season 100

February 28 2021
by Merri Melde

Idaho's Owyhee Tough Sucker, normally scheduled as the first endurance ride of the Northwest season, has moved this year to the last weekend in April, and will offer a 100-mile ride in addition to a 25, 50 and 75-miler.

Ride manager Regina Rose said, "Several people were asking me if I'd put on a 100, but the first of April is pretty early in the season. So I talked with Layne Lewis (ride manager of the Eagle Canyon ride in Eagle, Idaho), and we decided to switch dates." Lewis' Eagle Canyon 25 and 50-mile ride will be held on April 3rd, and the Owyhee Tough Sucker will be held April 24th.

In the Owyhee desert, near 3500 feet, the ride will offer up a moderate, do-able early-season 100-mile trail, over 2-track roads and cow trails, with minimum sand and minimum rocks to negotiate. Parts of the trail will follow the historic Oregon Trail near the Snake River.

"The trails are not hard, but not easy," Rose said. "The 100 will have several gentle climbs and descents of 1000 feet throughout the ride. It's an early-season opportunity for folks to start preparing for the National Championships in Montana in June, and Tevis in July."

For more information and to register, see
https://owyheeendurancerid.wixsite.com/rrose

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Christina Hyke Selected as 2021 Wisconsin Horse Council "Horseperson of the Year"

Wisconsin Horse Council District 4

Congratulations to Christina Hyke on being selected as the 2021 Wisconsin Horse Council "Horseperson of the Year"!

Christina was nominated by a District 4 resident and selected by the WHC Board of Directors for her leadership and contributions to Wisconsin's equine industry.

Christina is an equine photographer located in Jefferson, WI. https://www.christinahyke.com/ . Through development of programs such as Endurance Horse Podcast ( https://endurancehorsepodcast.podbean.com/ ) and her "Warhorse Challenges" https://www.warhorseendurance.com/ she has created platforms where horse enthusiasts from all over the world can enjoy and share stories of their horses together, inspire and support each other, and give back to charitable organizations - both local and nationally! She encourages and supports youth, honors and helps preserve equine history, and continues to positively impact lives all over the world!

Congratulations on a well deserved honor!!

Thursday, February 25, 2021

List of Early Tevis Cup Entries Released

Teviscup.org

Posted Sunday, February 21, 2021 6:02pm

All entrants are listed in the order entries were received by the Tevis office whether by post mail or email. This ranking will be posted on the Tevis website and will only change when there are entrant withdrawals.

We will not know the number of starters allowed until we are much closer to the actual ride date.

Our current rider list for 2021:
http://teviscup.org/images/2021/RiderList-02-21-21.pdf

The number of Tevis starters in 2021 will depend on several factors that are beyond the control of ride management:

• The number of participants may be limited by the usable area at the Robinson Flat vet check due to hazardous tree logging by the US Forest Service.

• Additionally, ride management does not yet know if restrictions may be placed on us by land owners, the US Forest Service, or the Auburn State Recreation Area due to Covid-19 concerns.

Because of these factors, Tevis wants to be clear about how the entry list was ranked and how it will be updated. Thank you for your understanding during these unusual times.

Tevis Cup Ride Director Message - February 2021

February 24 2020

As a member of the Board of Governors and the Director of the Ride, I hold Tevis traditions and the effort to sustain and preserve them close to my heart. Then Covid 19 happened, and we are all struggling with what that means. What is normal anymore, and we’ve seen how fragile traditions are as we reconstructed our holiday season across the nation and the world.

Usually the Ride Director’s message goes over what to expect at Tevis: the Ride Week, traditions, the check in at Robie, the awards banquet on Sunday, etc. I think we should keep it simple. ENTER EARLY!! Our numbers may be limited by government regulations, local agencies, and property owners. We will maintain and post the rider list as entries are logged in at the office (http://teviscup.org/2021-Rider-List). Our whole organization is committed to starting as many riders on the morning of July 24, 2021, as permits and circumstances allow.

For people who would like to volunteer for one of the critical 800 volunteer positions, please go to teviscup.org to complete a volunteer registration form. Let us know if you are a rider and can take pulses, keep the mashes going for horses in a hurry, or are interested in keeping water flowing to cool out hot horses. We are always looking for experienced horse transport drivers who have a well-maintained rig to help with getting pulled horses to assigned destinations (as determined by veterinarians and ride management). Please send us your information by completing the form on line (http://teviscup.org/how-to-help/volunteering-for-tevis) Our Volunteer Coordinator will contact you, and you are on the team. Become part of the magic of Tevis—it’s just that easy.

If you have a special request, please email or call the office. Jean Hixon will route your request to the correct person. Don't be shy about asking for help or directions, we have had many varied requests and can usually assist with meeting them. Also, hotels in Auburn fill up early for Tevis weekend. So if you need a reservation, please book lodging early.

On behalf of the 29 members of the Western States Board of Governors, the ride committee and the community of Auburn, we look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Tevis Cup Ride!

Chuck Stalley
Ride Director

Monday, February 22, 2021

Talkin' Trot Podcast: Talkin AERC 2021 "Unconventional" Convention with the AERC Offic‪e‬

Talkin' Trot Podcast - Listen

Join us for a chat with the ladies of AERC about the Unconventional Convention coming up March 6 and 7! They give us the details on the speakers, the raffle, the vendors and more! The app we will get to use sounds awesome!!! This will be a great opportunity for anyone in any discipline in any country to attend the AERC National Convention!

Look for the details at aerc.org/convention and listen now at:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/793154/7754758.mp3

Saturday, February 13, 2021

Keeping open land open in Scotts Valley

SantaCruzSentinal.com - Full Article

Land trust helps owner to fulfill wish to keep property near Scotts Valley undeveloped

By Jessica A. York | jyork@santacruzsentinel.com | Santa Cruz Sentinel
PUBLISHED: February 12, 2021

SCOTTS VALLEY — With an unquenchable love of horse riding and country living cultivated since childhood, Julie Weston Suhr did not have to be asked twice when her husband proposed buying up a vast swath of undeveloped land in the Santa Cruz Mountains some 50 years ago.

“I grew up in Santa Clara Valley in an orchard out in the country with no neighbors and I saw what happened to it, covered with concrete and it was disturbing,” Suhr said during a recent interview with the Sentinel. “And I had a very wonderful husband and he said, you’d like to live in the country with your horses, wouldn’t you? And I said yes, so we came over here and found this piece of property for sale and that was 1971 and then we built the home in ’73 and I’ve had horses here ever since.”

Suhr and her husband, Robert Suhr Sr., transported their life from Saratoga to unincorporated Scotts Valley off Weston Road, making their home in a place echoing Julie Suhr’s maiden name as a pure coincidence, she said. Robert Suhr died in 2010, after 64 years of marriage to Julie Suhr.

As with her horses, the nearly 300 acres of undeveloped land which the Suhrs and, often, their neighbors, have roamed for hours on end in the past half century have left their indelible mark on Suhr. So much so that she devised a way to protect the property’s sanctity, long after she is no longer around to watch over it. Working with the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and a private financial gift from neighbor Ed Fenster, cofounder of Sunrun Solar, Suhr said her land will never be developed beyond an existing picnic table that overlooks a stunning view of the area. Through a conservation easement developed in the past three years, Suhr has entrusted her property’s development rights to the land trust in perpetuity, with an agreement that nothing will be built on nor taken from the land...

Read more here:
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/12/keeping-open-land-open-in-scotts-valley/?utm_medium=40digest.7days3.20210213.home&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

Friday, February 12, 2021

AERC Middle Distance High Point Winner

February 8 2021

The Arabian Horse Association recognizes the AERC high point earning Arabian and Half-Arabians/Anglo-Arabian of the AERC National 100 Mile year-end standing and the Arabian and Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian High Point Middle Distance applicants that meet AHA membership and registration criteria.

The AERC Middle Distance High Point is an AHA nomination-based annual award given to the Arabian and Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian with the highest AERC points accumulated in the year through 50-99 mile Endurance rides.

Keeping Faith+ is the winner of the Arabian AERC 50-99 Mile High Point award earning a total of 450 points with owner and rider Mindy Wolfe.

Keeping Faith+ won competing in 6 Endurance Rides during the season and since 2013, the pair has completed a total of 2,330 Endurance miles together. Mindy states "The past couple years have been challenging for a lot of people and myself personally, but my girl Keeping Faith+ has been my rock through it all! She was given to me as an unbroke 5 year old and her quiet sweet nature melted into my heart! She was going to be my project horse while I bred my 1/2 Arab mare and when my mare could not carry, ended up being my embryo transfer recipient mare and was a wonderful mother! After weaning she went right back to work training for Endurance and she has surpassed my expectations! We are looking forward to many more miles down the trail together!

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Arabian AERC 100 Mile High Point Winner

February 8 2021

The Arabian Horse Association recognizes the AERC high point earning Arabian and Half-Arabians/Anglo-Arabian of the AERC National 100 Mile year-end standing and the Arabian and Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian High Point Middle Distance applicants that meet AHA membership and registration criteria.

Poete (Bandjo De Falgas X Poetikka), a 2007 gelding is the winner of the Arabian AERC 100 Mile High Point!

Poete earned a total of 940 points for completing three 100 mile rides with owner and rider Holly Corcoran. Holly states “He’s a big horse, with a BIG personality and on the ground he can be the sweetest, most endearing horse. In competition he loves to go and loves being out front.

Early in the ride that is not always the best ride plan, so that is when we are most often “negotiating.” While I have ridden other horses where I know it is my love and desire that fills their sails, with him, our competitive spirit is mutual … and he makes it just so much FUN (most of the time)! I am honored to be owned by this awesome horse and while he is truly a talented athlete, we both are blessed by amazing supportive crew who take great care of us and keep us fresh in the game. For all of his wins, we have had such amazing support from friends who ride with me to condition and who travel to rides to help crew. It is with sincere gratitude that the Sayvetz family/Asgard Arabians entrusted this amazing horse to me.” In addition Holly says both “Poete and his ¾ sister Poetrie are fully qualified and nominated for the World Endurance Championships to be held in San Rossore, Italy in May 2021. Both have the maximum scores for USA selection so I am fervently hoping that we will have the opportunity to represent the USA together in May.”

Lillie Slifka Hall 1930 - 2020

Legacy.com

Lillie Adele Slifka Hall
April 14,1930 - December 7, 2020

Lillie Slifka Hall (April 14, 1930 to December 7, 2020) was born in Torrington, Wyoming, the 3rd daughter of Roy and Elsie York. She was named Lillie Adele York but her family called her "Pete". She and her two older sisters, Lavonne and Lois spent their early years on a ranch near Lance Creek in Eastern Wyoming, 26 miles from town. The winters were tough, and the Depression conditions persuaded the family to move to Idaho. They bought a ranch 12 miles West of Cambridge, Idaho on Mill Creek at the end of a wagon road. This wagon road is now highway 71. Lillie started first grade at the Pine Grove School on Seid Creek. She and her sisters rode horses, walked, or rode the horse drawn "school bus" 4 miles to the one room school for 2 years.

In 1939 the family relocated to a ranch in Cow Valley, near Brogan in Eastern Oregon. It was 4 miles horseback to this school too. Lillie loved horses, so this mode of transportation was never a problem for her.

In 1943, during the war years, ranch help was hard to find, so Lillie, at age 13 helped work their farm with draft horses. She always prefered working outdoors. She mowed hay with a sickle bar, raked with a dump rake dodging rattlesnakes, and helped stack loose hay. She also worked on neighboring ranches where she stayed during summer harvest , working their horses. Her passion for horses started very young in her life, and embraced her to the end of her 90 years.

In 1944 the family relocated to Cascade, Idaho. Their farm was in the valley, and was eventually buried under the waters of Cascade Reservoir when the dam was built. At this time the family moved to town where the girls got to attend a "town school" for the first time. Lillie attended Cascade High School and formed some of her dearest memories there. She met Elden Slifka at school where she was a cheer leader and he was a football player. In 1948 they were married at the Methodist Church in Cascade. Elden called her "Dusty" all of his life. Lillie adored her in laws, Joe and Margaret Slifka.

When she was 18 Lillie cooked for a remote logging crew near Burgdorf, Idaho.

1n 1949 Lillie and Elden moved 28 miles from Hungry Horse, Montana where Elden worked construction on the new dam. They then moved to Boise where Elden attended Boise Junior College.

They later moved to Ketchikan, Alaska where Elden worked on a logging operation. When they moved back to Boise their first child, Mark Steven Slifka was born January, 1955. In April, 1956 Trudy Lois Slifka was born. The young family moved to Moscow, Idaho where Elden attended the University of Idaho and earned a degree as an Electrical Engineer. Lillie kept plenty busy caring for her babies.

The family moved to Bountiful, Utah where Elden worked for Utah Engineering Labs, but their roots in their beloved Idaho were calling. After 4 years in Utah, the family including horses and dogs moved to an acreage between Boise and Meridian where Lillie pursued her passion for horses and they began raising Arabian horses. It was not long before the horse operation needed room to expand, and the family moved to the end of South Cole road near Boise. They built a beautiful horse facility known as Desert Edge Arabians where they raised, trained, and marketed horses for several years. They were involved with the Des Arab Horse Club from it's first meeting. Elden was the charter president. Their stallion, Las Trad was Lillies pride and joy. He won numerous championships at horse shows from 3 states competing in halter, western, english, and driving. He was ridden in parades as well as back country mountain trails, and was the Boise State Bronco Mascot at the football games. He sired 167 colts and lived to be 33...

More:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/idahopress/obituary.aspx?n=lillie-slifka-hall&pid=197344768&fhid=7108&fbclid=IwAR2BW5jHjhvedGhY4avPWJH5hA5twQadYvFBgFjtfOmBj64qCBBiuKkMSlk

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Selection Memo Available for 2022 FEI Endurance World Championship

USEF.org

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Feb 8, 2021, 11:59 AM EST

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has published a selection memo for the 2022 FEI Endurance World Championship with helpful information for potential applicants.

In December 2020, the FEI Board considered a series of key decisions on allocation, cancellation, and reopening of bids for FEI Championships. The FEI Board agreed to allocate the 2022 FEI Endurance World Championship to Isola della Scala in Verona, Italy.

Following this decision, the USEF Endurance Sport Committee produced a selection memo for the championship, which can be found here.

This preliminary information is provided to assist athletes with their competition planning and is subject to change. Please remember that this information is based upon the recommendations of the USEF Endurance Sport Committee and is subject to approval by the USEF Board of Directors or an Ad Hoc Selection Group approved by the USEF Board of Directors when the selection procedures are compiled. Therefore, the information outlined in the selection memo is subject to change.

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

More at:
https://www.usef.org/media/press-releases/selection-memo-available-for-2022-fei-endurance

2021 February's Horses in the Morning

Horsesinthemorning.com - Listen

Tevis Winner and Dressage Trainer Erin McChesney: Endurance for Feb 9, 2021

Feb 9, 2021

Endurance Episode: Multiple Tevis and Haggin Cup winner Erin McChesney joins us. Karen shares her recipe for thrush control and we catch up on how her new horse Apollo is doing. Listen in...

https://www.horsesinthemorning.com/tevis-winner-and-dressage-trainer-erin-mcchesney-endurance-for-feb-9-2021/

Tuesday, February 09, 2021

Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian AERC 100 Mile High Point Winner

February 8 2021

The Arabian Horse Association recognizes the AERC high point earning Arabian and Half-Arabians/Anglo-Arabian of the AERC National 100 Mile year-end standing and the Arabian and Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian High Point Middle Distance applicants that meet AHA membership and registration criteria.

Our 2020 Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian AERC 100 Mile High Point winner is Shyrocco Rimbaud owned by Heather Davis!

Shyrocco Rimbaud “Rim” (Rimmon X Poetic Pride) is a 2006 gelding, earned a total of 885 points for completing three 100 mile rides with owner and rider Heather Davis. “Rim is the ultimate athlete - brains, brawn, speed, agility but most importantly heart. Every ride on him is pure joy” Heather states.

Monday, February 08, 2021

Talkin' Trot Podcast: Talkin AERC National Championships with Bill & Jan Steven‪s‬

Talkin' Trot Podcast - Listen

January 27 2021

Episode 17: Talkin about AERC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS with Bill and Jan Stevens!

In preparation for the 2021 Championships at Fort Howes in Montana we talk to Bill and Jan about it all: How to qualify, ranch history, ride camp, trail conditions, young rider championships, area attractions and more. If you're going to attend this an episode you'll want to listen to!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talkin-aerc-national-championships-with-bill-jan-stevens/id1497409048?i=1000506769535