Belesemo Arabians Flourish at the Arabian Horse Association National Championship in Idaho

By Kim Johnson

September 6 2025

WONDERFUL!! A word to describe the Arabian Horse Association National Championship Endurance Ride in Idaho City last weekend!  It takes so many talented people to put on a ride of this caliber that had people and horses come from all across the United States. So many thanks need to be given out for the local ride managers Debbie Johnston, Regina Rose and their crew and the AHA representatives - Paige Lockard, Art King, Eric Reuter and Jerry Cummings that came from Colorado, Quebec, Tennessee and Kansas. I apologize for missing some.

It takes several years of pre-planning to put on a ride with these logistics,  including location to park all the rigs, mark hundreds of trail miles, prepare meals, bring together veterinarians and support staff, etc.  It really is an incredible feat and we salute all involved.

It was great to meet up with old friends, veterinarians, clients and aficionados of the sport of endurance. and we were honored to be one of the sponsors for this great event. 

Belesemo Arabians was represented by 5 different horses and owner/riders and we are so grateful and proud of them. CONGRATULATIONS to all of you.

BELESEMO GOLD MONARCH (BR Gold Sovereign x Diva CLL) and Gordon Garewal ended up being the Champions of the Open 3 Day Limited Distance Challenge - a combined 3 day score. Gordon won this as a heavyweight - a great feat which included some Best Condition and High Vet Scores.

BELESEMA AMEELIA (Belesemo Ibn Trad x Meena) and Cherie Garewal placed 4th on the National 50 Mile Ride earning an AHA  National Top Ten 50 Mile Award in addition to placing 11th on the Open 50 Mile Ride. They also placed 5th on the Open ride portion on the 3rd day along with High Vet Score.

BELESEMO MOON CRESENT (Belesemo Ibn Trad x Belesema Moon Song) and Bentley French took 29th in only their second 50 mile Ride in the Open portion of the National Championship.  This is a pair to watch in the future.

BELESEMA SANS OMEGA (Sanskrit x Belesema Finalia) and Nance Worman took 30th place in the open 50 mile portion of the National Championship ride.  Omega's dam, Belesema Finalia,  won this National Championsihip back in 2014 so it is fun to watch her progress.

BELESEMA BINT SPICE (Belesemo Ibn Trad x Sans Spice) ridden by Debbie Ellis tied for 12th on the second day Limited Distance ride.

SANSTORMM (Sanskrit x Alta Snow) owned/ridden by Suzanne Hayes was the National Reserve Champion 50 Mile Half-Arabian.  Storm was bred by Dee Matlock the previous owner of Sanskrit but we are excited for Susie and Dee as well and want to include them.

It was a fantastic coming together of the best the sport has to offer.  CONGRATULATIONS to all of the crew that put it on, riders and horses!! What a great event!!

http://www.endurance.net/advertisers/Belesemo.html

Photo above by Steve Bradley, of Belesema Sans Omega and Nance Worman

Endurance Horse Podcast - Virginia City 100 with Tami Rougeau

Endurance Horse Podcast - Listen

September 1 2025
Hosted by Christina Hyke of WARHORSE Endurance™

In this heartfelt 71st episode of the Endurance Horse Podcast™, we head to the wild beauty of Nevada to visit with Tami Rougrau, ride manager of the legendary Virginia City 100.

Tami shares her deep love for the trail, her horses, and the endurance community, along with fun behind-the-scenes stories (yes—her chickens often chime in!) and insight into what it takes to keep a 100-mile tradition going strong. We talk about the spirit of endurance riding, the magic of the Virginia City 100 trail, and the dedicated team behind it all, NASTR.

We take time to highlight NASTR—Nevada All-State Trail Riders—a phenomenal organization that plays a critical role in trail preservation, mentoring new distance riders, and keeping the future of our sport alive. If you're looking for a club that blends heart, history, and boots-on-the-ground trail work, NASTR is worth joining and supporting.

To listen and to see more about WARHORSE virtual rides: https://endurancehorsepodcast.podbean.com/e/virginia-city-100-rm-tami-rougrau-56th-anniversary-of-vc100/

Endurance Competition Returns to Biltmore Following Hurricane Helene

USEF.org - Full Article

“We were under more than 20 feet of water in some locations,” said Elizabeth McLean, Director of Equestrian Activities at Biltmore, when discussing the impact of the deadliest hurricane in North Carolina history.

by Debbie Elliot | Sep 2, 2025, 9:30 AM

On September 27, 2024, wind and flooding from Hurricane Helene devastated the western Appalachian area of North Carolina, including the town of Asheville, which is home to Biltmore, a majestic house and historic property dating back to 1895. Several rivers in the region overflowed and the subsequent destruction led Helene to become the costliest natural disaster in North Carolina history.

The 8,000-acre Biltmore estate hosts two endurance rides each year: a spring ride in May and a fall ride in September. While the spring event had to be cancelled earlier this year due to ongoing recovery efforts, the Biltmore Fall Endurance Ride to Benefit Hope for Horses will take place around the estate’s stunning trail system on September 20-21. The event features a number of different classes: 30-mile Limited Distance, 50-mile, 65-mile, and 75-mile Endurance Rides, plus FEI divisions (2* Open, 1* Open and Junior/Young Rider). Biltmore's bi-annual endurance rides follow the Biltmore trails; photo by Becky Pearman

“Our primary facility and a lot of our pastures are right alongside the French Broad River in Asheville, so we had significant flooding after Helene, worse than I've ever seen, and certainly worse than the area had seen in over a hundred years,” said Elizabeth McLean, Director of the Biltmore Equestrian CenterActivities at Biltmore. “We were under more than 20 feet of water in some locations.”

There was heavy rainfall throughout the week before the brunt of Helene hit the area, then the hurricane pummeled western North Carolina, ultimately leading to 108 deaths across the state.

Fortunately, no lives were lost at Biltmore despite the property suffering significant damage...

Read more here:
https://www.usef.org/media/equestrian-weekly/endurance-competition-returns-to-biltmore

2025 June's Horses in the Morning Endurance Podcast

HorseRadioNetwork.com - Listen

Endurance Day: Horse Signals, Hat Creek and Bad Feet for June 10, 2025 by Arabian Horse Association

by Ashley Winch | Jun 10, 2025

Karen reviews the Fi Tracker and goes over the Ten Horse Signals to Watch for During an Endurance Ride. Plus, Cyd Fairbanks tells us all about the Hat Creek Hustle Ride in Northern California, listen in...

https://www.horseradionetwork.com/2025/06/endurance-day-horse-signals-hat-creek-and-bad-feet-for-june-10-2025-by-arabian-horse-association/