Arlene Morris 1931-2026

Arlene Morris passed away on January 12, 2026, at the age of 94. 

Arlene was one of the founders of the Southwest Idaho Trail & Distance Riders. She and her husband, Bob Morris, were a force to be reckoned with in the early days of AERC. Arlene completed 16,605 endurance miles including 14 hundreds (14 starts/14 finishes). Her horses earned 29 best condition awards, and AERC records reflect only 2 pulls out of 180 starts.  That is a darned impressive record!  Over half (8085) of those miles were on a grade mare named Champagne (including 20 rides in 1985!). Nearly 5000 miles were on her bay mare, Messaoud's Peeco. 

Her horses earned 29 best condition awards. Champagne was inducted into AERC's Hall of Fame in 1985. Arlene and Peeco were members of the USA squad at the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Sweden. 

Arlene and her husband, Bob lived and rode in the Boise foothills. Arlene was always happy to mentor new riders. Going on a conditioning ride with Bob and Arlene on the Boise Front was always a thrill, and the endurance rides they put on were truly challenging. 

Arlene and Bob bred and raised several fine endurance horses over the years, usually naming them after a mineral, such as Magnetite, Niccolite, Tourmaline, and Phylite. Bob and Arlene were passionate advocates for equestrian trails as members of the Boise Front Coalition, which led to the Ridge to Rivers trail system. 

Arlene spent her final years of her adventurous life at the Brookdale Assisted Living Facility in Newberg, Oregon. She enjoyed playing poker with her fellow residents at Brookdale Assisted Living Facility. She attended every Saturday afternoon movie matinee and every Sunday afternoon Classical Music hour.  She also enjoyed CoffeeHouse Jazz on Friday afternoons. 

Minden rider trains for 310-mile Gaucho Derby across Patagonia

Press-Herald.com - Full Article

written by Amber McDown
Jan 11, 2026

A Minden woman and active-duty U.S. Air Force member is preparing for one of the most demanding equestrian endurance events in the world, a 10-day, 310-mile race across the Patagonian wilderness of Argentina known as the Gaucho Derby.

Cat Rafanello, who moved to Minden in 2022 after being stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, has been offered a bid to compete in the 2027 Gaucho Derby, an extreme test of horsemanship, navigation and survival that requires riders to switch horses throughout the race while traveling through rugged and remote terrain.

“My husband and I moved to Minden in March 2022 from Montana … when I got orders to Barksdale,” Rafanello said. “We brought our three horses, three dogs, three cats, and a plethora of chickens and geese with us to our beautiful little plot in Minden.”

Since then, she said, her family has put down roots in the community.

“My husband opened a mechanic shop, my sister and her husband have started a farm and are involved with the Minden Farmer’s Market, we are here to stay,” Rafanello said.

That sense of permanence, she said, has given her a strong base as she prepares for an international challenge that began with a simple moment of inspiration.

“I was listening to a Podcast about an Endurance Rider that I really look up to, and she had run in the Gaucho,” Rafanello said. “Someone whispered in my ear just then ‘Why don’t you just apply and see what happens?’”...

Read more here:
https://press-herald.com/minden-rider-trains-for-310-mile-gaucho-derby-across-patagonia/

2025 December's Horses in the Morning Endurance Podcast

HorseRadioNetwork.com - Listen

Guess the Endurance Acronym, Mongol Derby Bid, for December 9, 2025

Horses in the Morning
December 9, 2025

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. A classic re-visit. Listen in...

https://horseradionetwork.com/2025/12/guess-the-endurance-acronym-mongol-derby-bid-for-december-9-2025/

US Equestrian Announces 2025 Endurance Year-End Awards for Horses and Athletes

USEF.org

by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | 1/7/2026 Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian proudly congratulates the recipients of the 2025 USEF Endurance Year-End Awards. These awards celebrate and recognize the exceptional achievements of our endurance athletes and horses throughout the 2025 competition season. For detailed descriptions of the 2026 awards program, click here.

Top Ten National-Ranked Senior Athletes

Awarded to the top senior athletes on the national athlete ranking list

• Heather Davis - Maggie Price Endurance Excellence Award recipient for being the top nationally ranked Senior Rider

• Cheryl Van Deusen

• Nathalie Weemaels

• Nicole Wertz

• Alex Shampoe

• Mollie Quiroz

• Anastassia Savini

• Tom Rajala

• Claudie Gaspa-Ward

• Evelyn Baig

Top National-Ranked Junior/Young Rider Athletes

Awarded to the top Junior/Young Riders on the national athlete ranking list

• Uma Kraskin - Brunjes Junior/Young Rider Endurance Trophy recipient for being the top nationally ranked Junior/Young Rider

• AnnaMaria Clarke

• Vanessa Erickson

• Avery Betz-Conway

• Jax Beloberk

• Lila Reeder

• Ansley Conway

• Meghan Wert

• Aubrey Muthard

Endurance Athlete of the Year Award – Heather Davis
Awarded to the rider with the highest number of points between the annual athlete ranking lists

Heather Davis (The Plains, Va.) earned the 2025 Endurance Athlete of the Year Award following an ambitious season that was highlighted by international competition across multiple continents and top ten championship results. Competing consistently at the FEI level, Davis exemplified exceptional horsemanship and strategic riding.

Davis opened her 2025 FEI season with a decisive victory at the Broxton Bridge Ride in the Low Country, winning the CEI2* 120km aboard HM Kaiser Milo. She continued her campaign in South America and Europe, completing a series of FEI rides at the CEI2* and CEI1* levels in Uruguay and Portugal, including solid finishes at CEI Loma Azul, CEI Punta del Este, and a CEI1* victory at Estremoz (POR) aboard SM Mi Anay. The pair also competed at the CEI2* (ESP) where they finished in second place with only 1 second between them and the first-place finisher. Stepping up to the sport’s most demanding distances, Davis successfully completed the CEI3* 160km at Barroca d’Alva (POR), finishing fifth against a strong international field.

The pinnacle of Davis’s season came at the 2025 FEI Endurance Pan American Championships in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, where she and HM Kaiser Tesla, a 2016 Anglo-Arabian gelding owned by Haras Paso Manzanero, delivered a standout performance. The pair finished ninth overall individually in the Senior Championship, marking Davis’s first top ten finish at the championship level and a significant milestone in her international career.

Endurance Horse of the Year Award – Tru Beau Sardi

Awarded to the owner of the horse ranked first on the annual national horse ranking list

Tru Beau Sardi, a 2013 Arabian gelding (Trussardi x Precious Beaunita+), is owned and bred by Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) Campaigned throughout the USEF competition year in a demanding FEI schedule, Tru Beau Sardi delivered top performances from 100km to 160km, beginning with a victory in the CEIYJ2* 120km at the Broxton Bridge Ride in the Low Country (S.C.) with Ansley Conway, before stepping up to complete the CEI3* 160km at Fun in the Sun (Fla.) with owner Cheryl Van Deusen.

He continued his strong season with a win in the CEIYJ1* 100km at the Scenic Spruce Creek Spring Fling (Fla.) and a second-place finish at the Broxton Bridge Let’s Have Fun Ride (S.C.) with Sofía Alvarez Camas, followed by a third-place finish in the CEI1* 100km at the Fall Ride at Biltmore (N.C.) with Clarke Martin, and closed the year with a third-place finish in the CEI3* 160km at Broxton Bridge Fall Rides (S.C.) under Van Deusen.

Endurance Best Condition Season Award – Highh Tops Awarded to the owner of the horse ranked first on the annual national best condition standings Highh Tops, a 2018 Arabian mare (Vangogh FPA x Edelika), is owned by Samantha Ellis (Newcastle, Calif.) and bred by Jessica Lemmons. Competing across four FEI endurance events during the USEF competition year, Highh Tops met and exceeded all eligibility requirements, finishing her first FEI season with a 100% completion rate and consistently demonstrating superior recovery, soundness, and condition at veterinary inspections. At all four events, Highh Tops was awarded Best Conditioned Horse within her division at the competition.

More from USEF:
https://www.usef.org/media/press-releases/us-equestrian-announces-2025-endurance-year-end

2025 Distance Horse of the Year: Suzanne Ford Huff’s Ezprezzo

Arabian Horse Association announces Distance Horse of 2025

January 9 2026

At 16 years old, Ezprezzo proves that heart, grit, and partnership never go out of style.

This Old World Pure Polish–bred gelding (SS Hypnotic x Eukadra), owned and ridden by Suzanne Ford Huff of the West Region, had an unforgettable season—earning:

 • West Region Featherweight Mileage Champion

 • AERC Decade Team Award

 • 3rd Place Tevis Cup

 • Reserve Champion, AHA Distance National 100

 • AERC Gold Level 100-Mile Award

 • Over 3,000 lifetime AERC miles

Even more inspiring? Ezprezzo returned to peak form after overcoming two major pasture injuries, showcasing the resilience, longevity, and heart that define the Arabian endurance horse.

With 18 first places, 8 BCs, excellent recoveries, and unwavering enthusiasm on the trail, Ezprezzo is the definition of a true endurance partner.

Congratulations to our 2025 Distance Horse of the Year, Ezprezzo, and rider Suzanne Ford Huff!

Photo Credit: Sonja Barrera from the 2025 Tevis

Tom Sites: Finding Peace in the Great American Horse Race | Travel Grit Podcast

Travel Grit podcast - Listen

Tom Sites showed up to the starting line of the Great American Horse Race with $750, a $15 saddle, and a horse he barely knew—100 days later, he was one of only 54 finishers out of 92 starters.

Click here to listen to Tom’s Great American Horse Race story.