Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Marsha Hayes
October 27 2008, Article # 12972
Half-Arabian Elmer Bandit trotted under the finish line to set a new competitive trail mileage record of 20,720 miles, 201 days after his 37th birthday. The North American Trail Conference event took place Oct. 25-26 at Kanopolis State Park near Lindsborg, Kan.
A heavy frost greeted the 43 riders starting the event early Saturday morning. Only 40 would complete the tough prairie course. Jerry Weil, DVM, and pulse and respiration crew leader noted, "I think we lost more points at this ride than any of the season."
Wood and Elmer started strong on the nearly 29-mile course Saturday, breezing the first two miles in 15 minutes. It took three more brisk miles before Elmer was comfortable on a loose rein. "It's normal for Elmer to be very forward the first few miles," explained Elmer's owner/rider Mary Anna Wood.
More...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Skjoldur Passing ...
John Park
Image by Lynn Glazer
We returned home two weeks ago after our trip to Colorado for the funeral of my wife Marilyn’s young nephew. I went out at night to feed the horses and noticed that Skjoldur had a heavy discharge pouring out of his eyes. When I saw him the next morning, he was a little wobbly and his eyes were so opaque that he was effectively blind. I took him into the nearby Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Clinic where he was immediately put onto intravenous fluids. He was diagnosed with an internal infection of possibly his heart and of his liver. He slowly improved for a week until he worsened again. After test after test, his veterinarian informed us that it was clear that his liver was no longer functioning and that there was no hope of recovery. When she told me how he would suffer as his brain deteriorated, we made the decision to put him down last Friday. He was only eighteen years old.
I’ve been in trial but was able to get out early that afternoon and reach Alamo Pintado while the sun was still up. It was a beautiful day. I brought Remington over and met Marilyn at the clinic. I found Skjoldur in his stall at the intensive care barn wobbling on his feet with his head hanging down to the floor. After an intern disconnected his tubing, I haltered him and led him out into the sunlight. When he saw Remington, Skjoldur rushed over and laid his head against Remington’s neck. We put them into the large grassy “playpen” behind the hospital and turned them loose. They both had a good roll in the sand. They then grazed on the fresh grass together under the warm sun while we took turns petting them and taking pictures for half an hour or so. When one would move off a ways, the other would race over to be with him. They were obviously joyous to be in each other’s company again. As the sun started to dip below the horizon, the veterinarian and an intern came over. I fed Skjoldur a final cookie while they administered him an overdose of anesthetic. We left him lying peacefully in the grass under a sycamore tree. I pray his last thoughts were happy ones.
Although we didn’t think we had any tears left after Colorado, Marilyn and I cried our eyes out this weekend sharing memories of our lost pony. Skjoldur was a paradox. He was a stunningly beautiful little horse at just under 13.3 hands high. His summertime palomino pinto coat would turn snow white in the winter. His wavy full, flaxen colored mane was unusual even for an Icelandic. He looked like a toy horse come to life. He was gentle and affectionate. We sometimes used to call him little happiness. My friend Lynne Glazer told me once that Skjoldur was the pony every woman wanted when she was an eight year old girl.
But Skjoldur also proved himself to be one of the toughest horses in the sport of endurance riding. He had tremendous metabolic recoveries and was essentially tireless. During the XP 2001 ride from Missouri to California on the Pony Express trail, he completed 32 fifty mile rides, 1,600 miles, in a 52 day period. He was the first horse in the AERC to complete 1,000 miles of sanctioned endurance rides in a thirty day calendar period. He completed 40 rides that year for 2,010 miles with no pulls. He won first middleweight and first overall in our region, the regional mileage championship, the middleweight Pioneer Award for most points nationally in multi-day rides, and came in 2nd for the national mileage championship even though all of his rides but one were in the last half of the ride season. Almost all of his career miles came from multi-day rides. He was never entered in a ride less than fifty miles long.
Five gaited, he was just as smooth at the trot as he was at the tolt. He liked to poke along at a steady pace, preferably two or three feet behind Remington’s tail. But he was a demon going downhill. He would trot and canter at full speed down the tightest trails, flinging his body around the turns. He had a way of paddling out his front feet so that he didn’t have to slow down as the slope got steeper. My most thrilling ride ever was hi
Image by Lynn Glazer
s 2,000 foot wild descent from the mountain ridge down to the valley floor at 2 am near the end of the Californios 100 mile ride three years ago. I can still feel the exhilaration of not being able to see whether we would fly right or left or dip up or down as he rocketed down the single track trail in the pitch dark. It pains me to think I will never feel what it is like to ride him again except in my memory.
But it comforts me to know that so many people will remember Skjoldur. Although he was Remington’s back up for me, calling him a back up would be like calling Ginger Rogers Fred Astaire’s assistant. Skjoldur was the Icelandic my family and everybody else got to ride in endurance. Probably my most memorable endurance rides were with Marilyn in Utah, my son Andrew in Nevada and my son Willie in Wyoming. Nine different people completed fifty mile endurance rides on him. My friends Laura Hayes and Kat Swigart each completed several rides on him. Jane Blair rode a fifty miler on him wearing a cast at Bryce Canyon three days after breaking her arm falling off her own horse. Everyone who rode him thought he was the smoothest horse they had ever ridden. Lori Cox wrote after riding him in a seventy five miler in Nevada that it was like riding a horse on wheels.
Image by Lynn Glazer
Skjoldur was also the horse my non horsey friends felt safe on in weekend trail rides at the beach or in the mountains. The many children and other beginners who were introduced to horse back riding on his back were proud to know they were on a horse who could take them as far as they could imagine. Remington and I tend to be loners on the trail. By allowing people to ride with us, Sjoldur served as our bond with family and friends. My life is richer for the deep friendships we made throughout the endurance community in the years we shared with him. He was so much a part of our lives.
We never had the sense that Skjoldur relished going down the trail mile after mile for its own sake the way Remington does. Instead, it seemed that Skjoldur did the amazing things he did simply because we asked him to. When he was young, he would get nervous and sometimes spook and throw me when I would ride him alone on conditioning rides. The more angry I would get, the more nervous he would get. So I composed a dumb little song about how I loved him from the minute I picked him out of the herd and how lucky I was to have him. I would sing this out loud to him while we trotted along. It forced me to calm down which, of course, allowed him to relax. This dumb little song has been going through my head all day even while I’ve been in court. I hope it never stops.
Image by Lynn Glazer
We returned home two weeks ago after our trip to Colorado for the funeral of my wife Marilyn’s young nephew. I went out at night to feed the horses and noticed that Skjoldur had a heavy discharge pouring out of his eyes. When I saw him the next morning, he was a little wobbly and his eyes were so opaque that he was effectively blind. I took him into the nearby Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Clinic where he was immediately put onto intravenous fluids. He was diagnosed with an internal infection of possibly his heart and of his liver. He slowly improved for a week until he worsened again. After test after test, his veterinarian informed us that it was clear that his liver was no longer functioning and that there was no hope of recovery. When she told me how he would suffer as his brain deteriorated, we made the decision to put him down last Friday. He was only eighteen years old.
I’ve been in trial but was able to get out early that afternoon and reach Alamo Pintado while the sun was still up. It was a beautiful day. I brought Remington over and met Marilyn at the clinic. I found Skjoldur in his stall at the intensive care barn wobbling on his feet with his head hanging down to the floor. After an intern disconnected his tubing, I haltered him and led him out into the sunlight. When he saw Remington, Skjoldur rushed over and laid his head against Remington’s neck. We put them into the large grassy “playpen” behind the hospital and turned them loose. They both had a good roll in the sand. They then grazed on the fresh grass together under the warm sun while we took turns petting them and taking pictures for half an hour or so. When one would move off a ways, the other would race over to be with him. They were obviously joyous to be in each other’s company again. As the sun started to dip below the horizon, the veterinarian and an intern came over. I fed Skjoldur a final cookie while they administered him an overdose of anesthetic. We left him lying peacefully in the grass under a sycamore tree. I pray his last thoughts were happy ones.
Although we didn’t think we had any tears left after Colorado, Marilyn and I cried our eyes out this weekend sharing memories of our lost pony. Skjoldur was a paradox. He was a stunningly beautiful little horse at just under 13.3 hands high. His summertime palomino pinto coat would turn snow white in the winter. His wavy full, flaxen colored mane was unusual even for an Icelandic. He looked like a toy horse come to life. He was gentle and affectionate. We sometimes used to call him little happiness. My friend Lynne Glazer told me once that Skjoldur was the pony every woman wanted when she was an eight year old girl.
But Skjoldur also proved himself to be one of the toughest horses in the sport of endurance riding. He had tremendous metabolic recoveries and was essentially tireless. During the XP 2001 ride from Missouri to California on the Pony Express trail, he completed 32 fifty mile rides, 1,600 miles, in a 52 day period. He was the first horse in the AERC to complete 1,000 miles of sanctioned endurance rides in a thirty day calendar period. He completed 40 rides that year for 2,010 miles with no pulls. He won first middleweight and first overall in our region, the regional mileage championship, the middleweight Pioneer Award for most points nationally in multi-day rides, and came in 2nd for the national mileage championship even though all of his rides but one were in the last half of the ride season. Almost all of his career miles came from multi-day rides. He was never entered in a ride less than fifty miles long.
Five gaited, he was just as smooth at the trot as he was at the tolt. He liked to poke along at a steady pace, preferably two or three feet behind Remington’s tail. But he was a demon going downhill. He would trot and canter at full speed down the tightest trails, flinging his body around the turns. He had a way of paddling out his front feet so that he didn’t have to slow down as the slope got steeper. My most thrilling ride ever was hi
Image by Lynn Glazer
s 2,000 foot wild descent from the mountain ridge down to the valley floor at 2 am near the end of the Californios 100 mile ride three years ago. I can still feel the exhilaration of not being able to see whether we would fly right or left or dip up or down as he rocketed down the single track trail in the pitch dark. It pains me to think I will never feel what it is like to ride him again except in my memory.
But it comforts me to know that so many people will remember Skjoldur. Although he was Remington’s back up for me, calling him a back up would be like calling Ginger Rogers Fred Astaire’s assistant. Skjoldur was the Icelandic my family and everybody else got to ride in endurance. Probably my most memorable endurance rides were with Marilyn in Utah, my son Andrew in Nevada and my son Willie in Wyoming. Nine different people completed fifty mile endurance rides on him. My friends Laura Hayes and Kat Swigart each completed several rides on him. Jane Blair rode a fifty miler on him wearing a cast at Bryce Canyon three days after breaking her arm falling off her own horse. Everyone who rode him thought he was the smoothest horse they had ever ridden. Lori Cox wrote after riding him in a seventy five miler in Nevada that it was like riding a horse on wheels.
Image by Lynn Glazer
Skjoldur was also the horse my non horsey friends felt safe on in weekend trail rides at the beach or in the mountains. The many children and other beginners who were introduced to horse back riding on his back were proud to know they were on a horse who could take them as far as they could imagine. Remington and I tend to be loners on the trail. By allowing people to ride with us, Sjoldur served as our bond with family and friends. My life is richer for the deep friendships we made throughout the endurance community in the years we shared with him. He was so much a part of our lives.
We never had the sense that Skjoldur relished going down the trail mile after mile for its own sake the way Remington does. Instead, it seemed that Skjoldur did the amazing things he did simply because we asked him to. When he was young, he would get nervous and sometimes spook and throw me when I would ride him alone on conditioning rides. The more angry I would get, the more nervous he would get. So I composed a dumb little song about how I loved him from the minute I picked him out of the herd and how lucky I was to have him. I would sing this out loud to him while we trotted along. It forced me to calm down which, of course, allowed him to relax. This dumb little song has been going through my head all day even while I’ve been in court. I hope it never stops.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Attention West Coast Riders - FEI Star Qualification
Attention: West Coast Riders
Last chance to get in the FEI Star system before it is changes in 2009.
Bring all of your horses and get them in the FEI system before it gets harder next year.
Desert Gold Pioneer Multiday
Fort Ord, CA
has applied for FEI sanctioning for their ride.
November 28, 29 and 30.
Ride one, two or all three days.
Remember to get into the Star System you only need a completion,
so bring your young horses too.
Nov 28th CEI ** 90km/55miles
Nov 29th CEI ** 80km/50miles
Nov 30th CEI ** 80km/50miles
OR
Nov 29th and 30th CEI *** 2 day 160km/100miles
We really NEED you to pre-register.
IHP fees must be paid prior or make a separate check to USEF.
FEI horse and rider registration also need to be current for 2008
For the CEI 3 *** your horse will need a FEI passport
For the CEI 2** you only need a diagram of your horses and record all of your flu shots up to date per FEI guidelines. No passport needed for 2**. FEI ride entry will be up on AERC Web site for Desert Gold Pioneer soon, so keep checking in.
We have submitted the application for FEI approval. It is pending but expected to be approved.
May also be AHA Ride.
Thanks go to Scott Sansom for generously offering his venue to us, for this end of year FEI sanctioning.
Contact: Fred Cluskey with any questions 619 204-0366 or email:fcluskey@hotmail.com
Last chance to get in the FEI Star system before it is changes in 2009.
Bring all of your horses and get them in the FEI system before it gets harder next year.
Desert Gold Pioneer Multiday
Fort Ord, CA
has applied for FEI sanctioning for their ride.
November 28, 29 and 30.
Ride one, two or all three days.
Remember to get into the Star System you only need a completion,
so bring your young horses too.
Nov 28th CEI ** 90km/55miles
Nov 29th CEI ** 80km/50miles
Nov 30th CEI ** 80km/50miles
OR
Nov 29th and 30th CEI *** 2 day 160km/100miles
We really NEED you to pre-register.
IHP fees must be paid prior or make a separate check to USEF.
FEI horse and rider registration also need to be current for 2008
For the CEI 3 *** your horse will need a FEI passport
For the CEI 2** you only need a diagram of your horses and record all of your flu shots up to date per FEI guidelines. No passport needed for 2**. FEI ride entry will be up on AERC Web site for Desert Gold Pioneer soon, so keep checking in.
We have submitted the application for FEI approval. It is pending but expected to be approved.
May also be AHA Ride.
Thanks go to Scott Sansom for generously offering his venue to us, for this end of year FEI sanctioning.
Contact: Fred Cluskey with any questions 619 204-0366 or email:fcluskey@hotmail.com
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Equestrian2010 World Equestrian Games: Horse Park plans Kentucky Cup to serve as test
Kentucky.com
Herald-Leader Staff Report
A series of competitions will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2009 and 2010 to test the new arena, stadium and other facilities before the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are held in 2010, Games organizers said Wednesday.
The competitions will be named The Kentucky Cup. The first will be a reining competition July 15-20, 2009, followed by vaulting July 28-Aug. 2, endurance Sept. 28-30, driving Oct. 1-4 and eventing, jumping and dressage April 20-25, 2010, during the 2010 Rolex Three-Day Event.
"These Kentucky Cup competitions will allow us to test each of our competition facilities well in advance of the 2010 Games, and will give us the opportunity to make modifications and adjustments in our planning based on these tests," said Games Competition Director Kate Jackson.
Related activities, including ticketing, transportation and hospitality, also will be tested at the Kentucky Cup events. More information about each event will be released as it becomes available, the foundation said.
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held at the Horse Park Sept. 25-Oct. 10, 2010, and will determine world champions in eight disciplines, including para-equestrian dressage.
Herald-Leader Staff Report
A series of competitions will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2009 and 2010 to test the new arena, stadium and other facilities before the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are held in 2010, Games organizers said Wednesday.
The competitions will be named The Kentucky Cup. The first will be a reining competition July 15-20, 2009, followed by vaulting July 28-Aug. 2, endurance Sept. 28-30, driving Oct. 1-4 and eventing, jumping and dressage April 20-25, 2010, during the 2010 Rolex Three-Day Event.
"These Kentucky Cup competitions will allow us to test each of our competition facilities well in advance of the 2010 Games, and will give us the opportunity to make modifications and adjustments in our planning based on these tests," said Games Competition Director Kate Jackson.
Related activities, including ticketing, transportation and hospitality, also will be tested at the Kentucky Cup events. More information about each event will be released as it becomes available, the foundation said.
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held at the Horse Park Sept. 25-Oct. 10, 2010, and will determine world champions in eight disciplines, including para-equestrian dressage.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Southeast Endurance Riders Association
From The Horse's Mouth
Southeast Endurance Riders Association Newsletter
November 2007
Downloadable PDF file
Southeast Endurance Riders Association Newsletter
November 2007
Downloadable PDF file
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Man vs. Horse 2008: Horse bests man again in 50-mile Mingus race
PVTrib.cm - Full Article
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
By Heidi Dahms-Foster, Editorial Manager
Endurance rider Kim Abbott has a history on Mingus Mountain, and she added another chapter Saturday with a win in the Annual 50-mile Man Against Horse Race.
Abbott galloped her Arabian horse, Sea Spot Run, across the finish line with an exhultant yell and a high-five for husband Greg Rose, also an endurance rider.
"Eight years ago today, I won this!" she said.
Abbott finished the grueling 50-mile loop course in 7 hours, 27 minutes, besting last year's winner, Dana Weary, by just three minutes.
Paul Bonnett of Scottsdale was just 20 minutes behind at 7 hours, 57 minutes.
"I was catching up on the mountain," he said, "But I couldn't catch the horse on the flats."
The runner has won the race in the past - most notably Dennis Poolheco, who scorched the course six straight times between 2001 and 2006.
More...
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
By Heidi Dahms-Foster, Editorial Manager
Endurance rider Kim Abbott has a history on Mingus Mountain, and she added another chapter Saturday with a win in the Annual 50-mile Man Against Horse Race.
Abbott galloped her Arabian horse, Sea Spot Run, across the finish line with an exhultant yell and a high-five for husband Greg Rose, also an endurance rider.
"Eight years ago today, I won this!" she said.
Abbott finished the grueling 50-mile loop course in 7 hours, 27 minutes, besting last year's winner, Dana Weary, by just three minutes.
Paul Bonnett of Scottsdale was just 20 minutes behind at 7 hours, 57 minutes.
"I was catching up on the mountain," he said, "But I couldn't catch the horse on the flats."
The runner has won the race in the past - most notably Dennis Poolheco, who scorched the course six straight times between 2001 and 2006.
More...
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Black and Smooth travel 260 miles in endurance ride
Omakchronicle.com
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008
Kim Black, Tonasket, finished all five days of the Owyhee Canyon lands Endurance Ride Sept. 24-28 in southern Idaho.
Out of four horses that participated in all five days of the ride, Black and her horse, Smooth, finished second. The duo covered the 260-mile course in 31 hours, 37 minutes.
The winner was about 50 minutes faster. Third- and fourth-place finished about an hour later.
The ride drew about 30 riders each day, with many opting to just compete for that day. On the last day only 15 horses started.
Canadian riders took four first places out of the five days, but none of the Canadian teams tried for all five days.
Riders had the choice to enter day by day in either the 30-mile limited distance course or the 50- to 55-mile endurance course.
Riders also had the choice as to whether they wanted to travel slowly and enjoy the canyon land views or move along to try for one of the top 10 finishing positions, reported Black.
“There are time limits for each distance, which include the mandatory veterinary exams to assure every horse is fit to continue,” she said.
Black and Smooth had top 10 finishes on three days - sixth, fifth and seventh.
Black attributed her and Smooth’s success to careful management during the ride as well as to their veterinarian (who also is the horse’s chiropractor) and the horse’s farrier.
“Both are very supportive in helping Smooth reach optimum performance,” Black said.
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008
Kim Black, Tonasket, finished all five days of the Owyhee Canyon lands Endurance Ride Sept. 24-28 in southern Idaho.
Out of four horses that participated in all five days of the ride, Black and her horse, Smooth, finished second. The duo covered the 260-mile course in 31 hours, 37 minutes.
The winner was about 50 minutes faster. Third- and fourth-place finished about an hour later.
The ride drew about 30 riders each day, with many opting to just compete for that day. On the last day only 15 horses started.
Canadian riders took four first places out of the five days, but none of the Canadian teams tried for all five days.
Riders had the choice to enter day by day in either the 30-mile limited distance course or the 50- to 55-mile endurance course.
Riders also had the choice as to whether they wanted to travel slowly and enjoy the canyon land views or move along to try for one of the top 10 finishing positions, reported Black.
“There are time limits for each distance, which include the mandatory veterinary exams to assure every horse is fit to continue,” she said.
Black and Smooth had top 10 finishes on three days - sixth, fifth and seventh.
Black attributed her and Smooth’s success to careful management during the ride as well as to their veterinarian (who also is the horse’s chiropractor) and the horse’s farrier.
“Both are very supportive in helping Smooth reach optimum performance,” Black said.
Monday, October 06, 2008
National Championship Endurance Ride
Appaloosablogspot.com
Posted by Steve – October 6th, 2008
Photo and report by Gerry Lukacik, Sooner ApHC
Here’s a picture from the National Championship Endurance Ride, held this past weekend in Oklahoma. This is your winning horse and rider, Kat Carter & THESPUROFTHEMOMENT. The picture was taken on the first 17 mile loop.
Not only were they first Appaloosa across the line, and the Best Conditioned Appaloosa, they were also the first over the line for the entire (all breeds) Indian Territory Ride! They came in second in the overall scoring for best conditioned for the entire ride. Not a bad showing for the breed!
Other Appaloosa results: 2nd place - Shilo Vanhart riding WAPS BLACKCHERRY, owned by Jeff Hartman; 3rd - Karen Gerken riding DKG PRINCE ARISTO; 4th - Lucie Hess riding COKE STRAW LAHAAM. Congratulations to all!
Carol Johnson, Sooner ApHC President also has tons of pictures, that I haven’t seen yet. The Indian Territory Ride had hired a professional photographer, and Marsha Hayes, who is doing an article for the Appaloosa Journal, was out on horseback, on the trail, taking pictures, as well.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Man Against Horse turns 25
Dcourier.com - Full Article
By Doug Cook, The Daily Courier
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Thrilling, yet risky, the uniquely popular Man vs. Horse Race reaches a considerable milestone on Saturday, Oct. 4, with its 25th running at the base of Mingus Mountain.
The event's main 50-mile endurance race goes from 6:30 a.m. to about 5 p.m., with an open-to-the-public awards banquet and barbecue dinner to follow at 5:30.
For race director and longtime Prescott resident Ron Barrett, 57, the competition that typically attracts 300 competitors from around the United States owns an intriguing history.
More...
By Doug Cook, The Daily Courier
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Thrilling, yet risky, the uniquely popular Man vs. Horse Race reaches a considerable milestone on Saturday, Oct. 4, with its 25th running at the base of Mingus Mountain.
The event's main 50-mile endurance race goes from 6:30 a.m. to about 5 p.m., with an open-to-the-public awards banquet and barbecue dinner to follow at 5:30.
For race director and longtime Prescott resident Ron Barrett, 57, the competition that typically attracts 300 competitors from around the United States owns an intriguing history.
More...
Patriot's Day Ride: 50-mile equestrian ride has increase in riders
Plumasnews.com - Full Article
9/24/08
Shannon Morrow
Sports Editor
A good number of horse trailers rolled into Indian Valley a couple weeks ago for the Patriots' Day 50-mile, multi-day equestrian ride Sept. 13-14.
Not to be confused with the Patriots' Day 100-mile ride in May, the multi-day ride featured a 50-mile ride on both Saturday and Sunday.
A total of 110 riders took part in Saturday's 50-mile ride, and Sunday's ride had 78 participants. There were also seven junior riders under the age of 16.
Even though last year's event had to be cancelled due to the Moonlight Fire, this year's ride fetched twice as many entries than previous years.
More...
9/24/08
Shannon Morrow
Sports Editor
A good number of horse trailers rolled into Indian Valley a couple weeks ago for the Patriots' Day 50-mile, multi-day equestrian ride Sept. 13-14.
Not to be confused with the Patriots' Day 100-mile ride in May, the multi-day ride featured a 50-mile ride on both Saturday and Sunday.
A total of 110 riders took part in Saturday's 50-mile ride, and Sunday's ride had 78 participants. There were also seven junior riders under the age of 16.
Even though last year's event had to be cancelled due to the Moonlight Fire, this year's ride fetched twice as many entries than previous years.
More...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Never too old for a challenge
Original Article
A LEADING businessman came out of sporting retirement at the age of 84 to become the oldest man in the UK to compete in a gruelling endurance horse race.
Derek Francis, who owns the Francis’ chain of furniture shops in Worcester Road, Malvern Link, rode Imperial Prince 40 miles over two days to take home a prestigious grade one rating.
Mr Francis, who was national champion at the sport in his younger days, was swayed by an urge to find out whether he was still up to the considerable task.
He said: “I have been playing with the idea for age because it’s a wrench to give up a major sport. Endurance racing is a hard game. You are pushing yourself and your horse to the parameters of what is possible.”
The venue for Mr Francis’ comeback was the Sherwood Ride in Nottinghamshire, where he found himself pitted against dozens of younger riders at the weekend.
Endurance riding involves maintaining an average speed while ensuring the horse’s heartbeat is kept below 64 beats per minute.
Frankie Turley, Imperial Prince’s trainer and part of Mr Francis’ three-person support crew, said: “Mentally and physically it’s very demanding. Most teenagers wouldn’t be able to walk after getting off their horses.”
The list of injuries suffered by Mr Francis over the years is testament to this fact. He has had concussion 12 to 15 times but said he was lucky not to have broken any bones.
Being back in the saddle, however, has not managed to quell Mr Francis’ thirst for adventure.
He now intends to enter the lowest level of major competition in March, consisting of 10 rides of 25 miles each.
A LEADING businessman came out of sporting retirement at the age of 84 to become the oldest man in the UK to compete in a gruelling endurance horse race.Derek Francis, who owns the Francis’ chain of furniture shops in Worcester Road, Malvern Link, rode Imperial Prince 40 miles over two days to take home a prestigious grade one rating.
Mr Francis, who was national champion at the sport in his younger days, was swayed by an urge to find out whether he was still up to the considerable task.
He said: “I have been playing with the idea for age because it’s a wrench to give up a major sport. Endurance racing is a hard game. You are pushing yourself and your horse to the parameters of what is possible.”
The venue for Mr Francis’ comeback was the Sherwood Ride in Nottinghamshire, where he found himself pitted against dozens of younger riders at the weekend.
Endurance riding involves maintaining an average speed while ensuring the horse’s heartbeat is kept below 64 beats per minute.
Frankie Turley, Imperial Prince’s trainer and part of Mr Francis’ three-person support crew, said: “Mentally and physically it’s very demanding. Most teenagers wouldn’t be able to walk after getting off their horses.”
The list of injuries suffered by Mr Francis over the years is testament to this fact. He has had concussion 12 to 15 times but said he was lucky not to have broken any bones.
Being back in the saddle, however, has not managed to quell Mr Francis’ thirst for adventure.
He now intends to enter the lowest level of major competition in March, consisting of 10 rides of 25 miles each.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
WEG 2010: Organizers release competition schedule
Kentucky.com - Full Article
GAMES WILL BEGIN WITH TRADITIONAL NOTE: VAULTING
Herald-Leader Staff Report
The competition schedule for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games was released Monday by the World Games 2010 Foundation.
Competition director Kate Jackson said the schedule would provide "an exciting variety of top sport on each of the 16 days of the Games.
"I am particularly happy that we are able, for the first time, to include para-equestrian as an integral part of the World Equestrian Games," Jackson said.
The Games will begin with opening ceremonies on Sept. 25, 2010. Competition will take place in eight equestrian disciplines, and a world champion will be selected in each. Organizers say the Games will attract more than 800 athletes who will have at least 900 horses
The first weekend will include vaulting and endurance. Vaulting will continue into week one, along with dressage and eventing.
In week two, competition will take place in jumping, para-dressage, driving and reining.
More...
GAMES WILL BEGIN WITH TRADITIONAL NOTE: VAULTING
Herald-Leader Staff Report
The competition schedule for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games was released Monday by the World Games 2010 Foundation.
Competition director Kate Jackson said the schedule would provide "an exciting variety of top sport on each of the 16 days of the Games.
"I am particularly happy that we are able, for the first time, to include para-equestrian as an integral part of the World Equestrian Games," Jackson said.
The Games will begin with opening ceremonies on Sept. 25, 2010. Competition will take place in eight equestrian disciplines, and a world champion will be selected in each. Organizers say the Games will attract more than 800 athletes who will have at least 900 horses
The first weekend will include vaulting and endurance. Vaulting will continue into week one, along with dressage and eventing.
In week two, competition will take place in jumping, para-dressage, driving and reining.
More...
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Australia: Horse council argues against EI vaccination
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
September 20, 2008
The Australia Horse Industry Council (AHIC) says it does not support ongoing vaccination against equine flu - a position it will take into next week's summit to discuss strategies to manage the risk of future outbreaks.
Its position will pit it against racing interests which have expressed a desire for an ongoing vaccination programme.
"To continue to vaccinate against EI, when it currently does not exist in Australia, can compromise future efforts to eradicate the disease, should it enter Australia," said AHIC president Dr Barry Smyth.
He said the AHIC did not support ongoing vaccination against EI for "certain sectors of the horse industry".
More...
September 20, 2008
The Australia Horse Industry Council (AHIC) says it does not support ongoing vaccination against equine flu - a position it will take into next week's summit to discuss strategies to manage the risk of future outbreaks.
Its position will pit it against racing interests which have expressed a desire for an ongoing vaccination programme.
"To continue to vaccinate against EI, when it currently does not exist in Australia, can compromise future efforts to eradicate the disease, should it enter Australia," said AHIC president Dr Barry Smyth.
He said the AHIC did not support ongoing vaccination against EI for "certain sectors of the horse industry".
More...
WEG 2010: The Hand on the Reins
Bizlex.com - Full Article
WEG 2010 Foundation's chair John Long discusses preparations
September 19, 2008
by Tom Martin
Since former World Games 2010 Foundation CEO Jack Kelly resigned for personal reasons in July, John Long, chair of the Foundation's Board of Directors, has become both a public face and guiding force behind the planning efforts for the 16-day event that is now two years away. Long, who serves as CEO for the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), recently returned from the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, where he participated in leading the U.S. Equestrian Team. Back in Kentucky, the Shelbyville resident and former chief operating officer of Churchill Downs is setting his sights on preparing Lexington to welcome its global equestrian audience in 2010.
He recently discussed those preparations with Business Lexington editor-in-chief Tom Martin. The complete interview is available by clicking on the podcast below.
TM: With Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games now just two years away, what's been accomplished since it was announced that the event was coming to Lexington and what challenges remain ahead?
JL: A lot has been accomplished. I think if you look at the Horse Park and if you've driven out there recently, you can see that it is a giant construction zone — with the new indoor arena and the outdoor stadium literally gone, and driving on dirt roads and cones everywhere to make sure that you don't go off the road. So you can see, one of the big changes over the last years has happened at the Horse Park. Now many of those changes would have happened anyway. But they've been accelerated and made even more important as a result of the Games coming in 2010.
I think organizationally much has been accomplished. We've got a first-class management team. We've got some of the best consultants in the world that are used to working in big game environments: everything from security, traffic, parking to planning. We have a hospitality consultant that we brought onboard a couple of months ago who is just finishing up work in Beijing. We've identified the consultant that will be working with us on the opening and closing ceremonies. He did the Pan Am Games in Rio this past year, and he's also just coming back from Beijing, will be doing the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. So we've really, I think, been able to round out the organization with a very sophisticated and experienced batch of consultants, and then our cracker-jack management team within. I think we're really, really well prepared to enter into this last two years.
TM: How do the improvements of the Horse Park inform the future and what might be happening there?
JL: The United States Equestrian Federation itself does not host or operate any kind of competitions. Rather it is the national governing body of the sport which licenses many of the competitions which occur in the country. So when we look at the Horse Park, we see all kinds of opportunities which did not exist before, as a result of the construction of this new indoor stadium, predominantly. The Horse Park has not been able to be competitive with places like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Albuquerque for many of the breed and Western shows that occur over the winter months, simply because the Horse Park hasn't had a temperature-controlled facility to host them. So with this new arena ... it will be able to bid and compete for those competitions that they have not been able to chase before. The outdoor arena to have 6,500 or so permanent seats — expandable, which we will be doing for the Games, to in excess of 30,000 — will be another great opportunity to bring events that either were too small or too large to the Horse Park during the summer months.
And maybe the biggest thing of all to the horse lover and to the competitor is the quality of the footing that has been put into both the Walnut Arena, one of the current training arenas where there are competitions that are held, and that will be going into the new outdoor. It is state of the art. It's as good as anything that the Olympics have seen, and that kind of footing will be here at the Horse Park as well. So all of those things, with the possibility of new restaurants and new hospitality, new entry, new signage, it's going to look like a brand-new Horse Park ... at this time a year from now.
TM: Another big element that will have to be constructed during this time is the endurance course. Tell us about that.
More...
WEG 2010 Foundation's chair John Long discusses preparations
September 19, 2008
by Tom Martin
Since former World Games 2010 Foundation CEO Jack Kelly resigned for personal reasons in July, John Long, chair of the Foundation's Board of Directors, has become both a public face and guiding force behind the planning efforts for the 16-day event that is now two years away. Long, who serves as CEO for the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), recently returned from the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, where he participated in leading the U.S. Equestrian Team. Back in Kentucky, the Shelbyville resident and former chief operating officer of Churchill Downs is setting his sights on preparing Lexington to welcome its global equestrian audience in 2010.
He recently discussed those preparations with Business Lexington editor-in-chief Tom Martin. The complete interview is available by clicking on the podcast below.
TM: With Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games now just two years away, what's been accomplished since it was announced that the event was coming to Lexington and what challenges remain ahead?
JL: A lot has been accomplished. I think if you look at the Horse Park and if you've driven out there recently, you can see that it is a giant construction zone — with the new indoor arena and the outdoor stadium literally gone, and driving on dirt roads and cones everywhere to make sure that you don't go off the road. So you can see, one of the big changes over the last years has happened at the Horse Park. Now many of those changes would have happened anyway. But they've been accelerated and made even more important as a result of the Games coming in 2010.
I think organizationally much has been accomplished. We've got a first-class management team. We've got some of the best consultants in the world that are used to working in big game environments: everything from security, traffic, parking to planning. We have a hospitality consultant that we brought onboard a couple of months ago who is just finishing up work in Beijing. We've identified the consultant that will be working with us on the opening and closing ceremonies. He did the Pan Am Games in Rio this past year, and he's also just coming back from Beijing, will be doing the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. So we've really, I think, been able to round out the organization with a very sophisticated and experienced batch of consultants, and then our cracker-jack management team within. I think we're really, really well prepared to enter into this last two years.
TM: How do the improvements of the Horse Park inform the future and what might be happening there?
JL: The United States Equestrian Federation itself does not host or operate any kind of competitions. Rather it is the national governing body of the sport which licenses many of the competitions which occur in the country. So when we look at the Horse Park, we see all kinds of opportunities which did not exist before, as a result of the construction of this new indoor stadium, predominantly. The Horse Park has not been able to be competitive with places like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Albuquerque for many of the breed and Western shows that occur over the winter months, simply because the Horse Park hasn't had a temperature-controlled facility to host them. So with this new arena ... it will be able to bid and compete for those competitions that they have not been able to chase before. The outdoor arena to have 6,500 or so permanent seats — expandable, which we will be doing for the Games, to in excess of 30,000 — will be another great opportunity to bring events that either were too small or too large to the Horse Park during the summer months.
And maybe the biggest thing of all to the horse lover and to the competitor is the quality of the footing that has been put into both the Walnut Arena, one of the current training arenas where there are competitions that are held, and that will be going into the new outdoor. It is state of the art. It's as good as anything that the Olympics have seen, and that kind of footing will be here at the Horse Park as well. So all of those things, with the possibility of new restaurants and new hospitality, new entry, new signage, it's going to look like a brand-new Horse Park ... at this time a year from now.
TM: Another big element that will have to be constructed during this time is the endurance course. Tell us about that.
More...
Monday, September 15, 2008
Topekan learns about history, hardships on 15-day trek along Santa Fe Trail
CJonline.com - Full Story
Published Monday, September 15, 2008
Topekan Becky McDowell recently participated in the Great Santa Fe Trail Endurance Ride, a 515-mile, 15-day horse race along a portion of the Santa Fe Trail stretching from New Mexico to Kansas. The race finished Saturday. The following are excerpts from McDowell's daily journal entries.
Day 1
The first night at Wagon Mound, N.M., there was the biggest lightning storm. My tent flooded, and when I was running to my truck, I dropped my cell phone. So much for an AT&T phone.
Our first day was riding through some ranches from Wagon Mound to Roy. Several ranches had different wildlife ranging from Przwalski wild horses and to Zebras.
The next section of the ride was through some canyons, then we crossed the Canadian River, which was up to my horse's belly because of the rain.
I ended up third and lost by five minutes due to my errors, not my horse's, One Eye.
Day 2
The second day I rode Prizzy...
More...
Published Monday, September 15, 2008
Topekan Becky McDowell recently participated in the Great Santa Fe Trail Endurance Ride, a 515-mile, 15-day horse race along a portion of the Santa Fe Trail stretching from New Mexico to Kansas. The race finished Saturday. The following are excerpts from McDowell's daily journal entries.
Day 1
The first night at Wagon Mound, N.M., there was the biggest lightning storm. My tent flooded, and when I was running to my truck, I dropped my cell phone. So much for an AT&T phone.
Our first day was riding through some ranches from Wagon Mound to Roy. Several ranches had different wildlife ranging from Przwalski wild horses and to Zebras.
The next section of the ride was through some canyons, then we crossed the Canadian River, which was up to my horse's belly because of the rain.
I ended up third and lost by five minutes due to my errors, not my horse's, One Eye.
Day 2
The second day I rode Prizzy...
More...
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Hot for trotting
Sacbee.com - Video and Full Article
Teams of three - two runners, one horse - compete for glory in the endurance sport called ride and tie
By Sam McManis - smcmanis@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 11, 2008
COOL – Lore has it that ride and tie, an obscure three-way equine-human endurance sport, has a lawless, unpredictable, Wild West ethos. Anything can happen, they tell us city slickers, when two runners and a horse traverse rough terrain for a near-marathon distance.
But, heck, last Saturday's The Coolest Run and Ride and Tie at Olmstead Trail in this baja-Auburn burg seems downright tame and civilized.
Until the start, that is.
Off the teams – one runner on foot, the other on horseback – go in a cloud of dust. The rules and objectives are simple. Two humans trade off running and riding, tying the horse to trees, fences, bushes, anything handy, so the partner can untie, mount and take off. First team to cross together wins.
But when that initial dust cloud clears, not even a half-mile down the path, the first incident in this wild and woolly, not to mention wildly entertaining, event comes to pass.
More...
Teams of three - two runners, one horse - compete for glory in the endurance sport called ride and tie
By Sam McManis - smcmanis@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 11, 2008
COOL – Lore has it that ride and tie, an obscure three-way equine-human endurance sport, has a lawless, unpredictable, Wild West ethos. Anything can happen, they tell us city slickers, when two runners and a horse traverse rough terrain for a near-marathon distance.
But, heck, last Saturday's The Coolest Run and Ride and Tie at Olmstead Trail in this baja-Auburn burg seems downright tame and civilized.
Until the start, that is.
Off the teams – one runner on foot, the other on horseback – go in a cloud of dust. The rules and objectives are simple. Two humans trade off running and riding, tying the horse to trees, fences, bushes, anything handy, so the partner can untie, mount and take off. First team to cross together wins.
But when that initial dust cloud clears, not even a half-mile down the path, the first incident in this wild and woolly, not to mention wildly entertaining, event comes to pass.
More...
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Riding the Santa Fe Trail
Dodgeglobe.com - Full Article
By CHERISE FORNO
Daily Globe
Posted Sep 08, 2008 @ 11:40 AM
DODGE CITY — Riders traveled from as far as Australia to participate in this year's Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride, which covers 515 miles of the historic trail.
"It's a really nice thing, and it's interesting to watch them," said Jan Stevens, director of the Dodge City Center and Visitors Bureau.
The endurance ride is completed over a 14-day period, 10 of which are riding days. This year's ride began Aug. 31 in Wagon Mound, N.M. In order to complete the race in 10 days, participants ride approximately 50 miles a day.
The participants raced down the Arkansas River bed into Dodge City Roundup Arena Saturday afternoon and spent the night at the fairgrounds. Sunday, they spent the day resting and preparing for their next ride.
Nineteen riders began the ride, but not all of them signed up for the full race. Approximately 10 riders remain to complete the final few days of the course.
Charlie Gauci came from Sydney, Australia, to ride in the race this year. He found out about the race from other endurance riders online and spent a year planning for the trip.
More...
By CHERISE FORNO
Daily Globe
Posted Sep 08, 2008 @ 11:40 AM
DODGE CITY — Riders traveled from as far as Australia to participate in this year's Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride, which covers 515 miles of the historic trail.
"It's a really nice thing, and it's interesting to watch them," said Jan Stevens, director of the Dodge City Center and Visitors Bureau.
The endurance ride is completed over a 14-day period, 10 of which are riding days. This year's ride began Aug. 31 in Wagon Mound, N.M. In order to complete the race in 10 days, participants ride approximately 50 miles a day.
The participants raced down the Arkansas River bed into Dodge City Roundup Arena Saturday afternoon and spent the night at the fairgrounds. Sunday, they spent the day resting and preparing for their next ride.
Nineteen riders began the ride, but not all of them signed up for the full race. Approximately 10 riders remain to complete the final few days of the course.
Charlie Gauci came from Sydney, Australia, to ride in the race this year. He found out about the race from other endurance riders online and spent a year planning for the trip.
More...
Monday, September 08, 2008
ThinLine and Back On Track Join Forces to Develop the Contender II Saddle Pad
ThinLine and Back On Track Join Forces to
Develop the Contender II Saddle Pad
Wellington, FL-Two of the leading manufacturers of equine back care products joined forces to develop what is now being touted as the "ultimate saddle pad." A joint effort of ThinLine® and Back on Track® has resulted in the Contender II Saddle Pad which is undeniably the most technically advanced saddle pad available in the world. The new saddle pad delivers therapeutic thermal heat from the Back on Track fabric combined with the renowned shock absorbing properties made famous by ThinLine. The technologically advanced Contender II Saddle Pad from ThinLine and Back On Track is available for Dressage and Jumping.
Top jumper and dressage riders who tested the Contender II Saddle Pad were overwhelmed by the pad’s performance. "I love the fit and stability that ThinLine brings to this pad," said former US Team rider, Betsy Steiner. "The rider’s impact is diffused across the horse’s back while the Back on Track fabric increases the blood flow and reduces inflammation during the ride. It is a powerful combination. I also notice that my horses supple more quickly and they show improved freedom of movement in the back and shoulder s with this perfect marriage of technology," she added.
Four-time Olympic jumper rider, Ann Kursinski also gave the saddle pad high praise. "The combination is simple and eliminates fitting challenges," said Kursinski, "Incorporating the Back on Track fabric with the ThinLine shock absorber in a single pad is better for horse and rider. The Back on Track fabric keeps my horses back soft and relaxed and the ThinLine pad is great for concussion," Kursinski added. She went on to praise the pad’s fit and stability on the horse and summed up it saying, "This pad allows my horses to use their backs properly and be more elastic because it makes the horses more comfortable."
Olympic medalist Michelle Gibson agrees, "I've started using this saddle pad on 95% of my horses. I like it because the ThinLine pad is thinner than a fleece pad, allowing you to be closer to the horse. Combined with the benefits of Back on Track, this saddle pad is excellent."
ThinLine is very well known for their lightweight shock absorbing saddle pads. The Ultra ThinLine is a popular item and the same technology is utilized in the Contender II saddle pad. Many top riders have ridden in the traditional Ultra ThinLine for years to absorb shock, distribute weight and stabilize the saddle by using a wonderful no-slip impact technology. The shock absorption is designed to help horses and riders reduce back pain.
In addition top riders in a number of disciplines depend on Back on Track products to maintain their horses in the best condition possible. Back on Track products are made from a one-of-a-kind fabric that blends ceramic powder into polyester threads. The result is the horse's body heat is reflected back in the form of a soothing thermal infrared ray that increases circulation. For horses, Back on Track manufactures a number of products including stable blankets, hock boots, saddle pads, and leg wraps. Each product has the ability to help reduce muscle soreness, inflammation, and stiffness. Back on Track products are recommended for both the treatment and prevention of stress related injuries.
Elaine Lockhead, President of ThinLine, has been using a ThinLine pad over her Back on Track saddle pad for sometime with her own horses. That’s what inspired her to develop the Contender II , which combines these two products in one pad. Lockhead commented, "With both products in place, my horses have the best of everything I can provide them with. Now, I can have a single pad where my ThinLine is always in the right place on my favorite Back on Track pad. In conjunction, the two products provide the perfect amount of heat, stability and shock absorbsion under the saddle. The ThinLine will ventilate the excess heat trapped by the saddle and leave only the best therapeutic warming."
"Word has spread quickly and the demand for the Contender II pad in Europe has been exciting," says Lockhead." We are even offering a reduced international shipping fee on this pad, so more horses and riders can take advantage of all this pad has to offer," she added.
For riders who want to put this technologically advanced pad to the test for both themselves and their horses, the Contender II pad can be found in stores or online at www.thinlineinc.com or www.backontrackproducts.com
Develop the Contender II Saddle Pad
Wellington, FL-Two of the leading manufacturers of equine back care products joined forces to develop what is now being touted as the "ultimate saddle pad." A joint effort of ThinLine® and Back on Track® has resulted in the Contender II Saddle Pad which is undeniably the most technically advanced saddle pad available in the world. The new saddle pad delivers therapeutic thermal heat from the Back on Track fabric combined with the renowned shock absorbing properties made famous by ThinLine. The technologically advanced Contender II Saddle Pad from ThinLine and Back On Track is available for Dressage and Jumping.
Top jumper and dressage riders who tested the Contender II Saddle Pad were overwhelmed by the pad’s performance. "I love the fit and stability that ThinLine brings to this pad," said former US Team rider, Betsy Steiner. "The rider’s impact is diffused across the horse’s back while the Back on Track fabric increases the blood flow and reduces inflammation during the ride. It is a powerful combination. I also notice that my horses supple more quickly and they show improved freedom of movement in the back and shoulder s with this perfect marriage of technology," she added.
Four-time Olympic jumper rider, Ann Kursinski also gave the saddle pad high praise. "The combination is simple and eliminates fitting challenges," said Kursinski, "Incorporating the Back on Track fabric with the ThinLine shock absorber in a single pad is better for horse and rider. The Back on Track fabric keeps my horses back soft and relaxed and the ThinLine pad is great for concussion," Kursinski added. She went on to praise the pad’s fit and stability on the horse and summed up it saying, "This pad allows my horses to use their backs properly and be more elastic because it makes the horses more comfortable."
Olympic medalist Michelle Gibson agrees, "I've started using this saddle pad on 95% of my horses. I like it because the ThinLine pad is thinner than a fleece pad, allowing you to be closer to the horse. Combined with the benefits of Back on Track, this saddle pad is excellent."
ThinLine is very well known for their lightweight shock absorbing saddle pads. The Ultra ThinLine is a popular item and the same technology is utilized in the Contender II saddle pad. Many top riders have ridden in the traditional Ultra ThinLine for years to absorb shock, distribute weight and stabilize the saddle by using a wonderful no-slip impact technology. The shock absorption is designed to help horses and riders reduce back pain.
In addition top riders in a number of disciplines depend on Back on Track products to maintain their horses in the best condition possible. Back on Track products are made from a one-of-a-kind fabric that blends ceramic powder into polyester threads. The result is the horse's body heat is reflected back in the form of a soothing thermal infrared ray that increases circulation. For horses, Back on Track manufactures a number of products including stable blankets, hock boots, saddle pads, and leg wraps. Each product has the ability to help reduce muscle soreness, inflammation, and stiffness. Back on Track products are recommended for both the treatment and prevention of stress related injuries.
Elaine Lockhead, President of ThinLine, has been using a ThinLine pad over her Back on Track saddle pad for sometime with her own horses. That’s what inspired her to develop the Contender II , which combines these two products in one pad. Lockhead commented, "With both products in place, my horses have the best of everything I can provide them with. Now, I can have a single pad where my ThinLine is always in the right place on my favorite Back on Track pad. In conjunction, the two products provide the perfect amount of heat, stability and shock absorbsion under the saddle. The ThinLine will ventilate the excess heat trapped by the saddle and leave only the best therapeutic warming."
"Word has spread quickly and the demand for the Contender II pad in Europe has been exciting," says Lockhead." We are even offering a reduced international shipping fee on this pad, so more horses and riders can take advantage of all this pad has to offer," she added.
For riders who want to put this technologically advanced pad to the test for both themselves and their horses, the Contender II pad can be found in stores or online at www.thinlineinc.com or www.backontrackproducts.com
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Elmer Bandit, 37, Completes Another Ride, On Track for Record
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Marsha Hayes
September 02 2008, Article # 12615
Elmer Bandit, the 37-year-old Half-Arabian gelding nearing a lifetime competitive mileage record, boosted his mileage to 20,480 over Labor Day weekend after completing the Nebraska National Forest event.
"Elmer loved trotting over the rock-free trails," reported his owner and rider, Mary Anna Wood of Independence, Mo. Elmer placed fourth in the open lightweight division and Wood garnered first place horsemanship honors.
Continued...
by: Marsha Hayes
September 02 2008, Article # 12615
Elmer Bandit, the 37-year-old Half-Arabian gelding nearing a lifetime competitive mileage record, boosted his mileage to 20,480 over Labor Day weekend after completing the Nebraska National Forest event.
"Elmer loved trotting over the rock-free trails," reported his owner and rider, Mary Anna Wood of Independence, Mo. Elmer placed fourth in the open lightweight division and Wood garnered first place horsemanship honors.
Continued...
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Fourteen-day endurance competition will take Topekan along the path of pioneers who rode the Santa Fe Trail
Cjonline.com - Full Article
Published Tuesday, August 26, 2008
When she heard about a horse ride more than 500 miles along one of the most historic trails in the United States, Becky McDowell thought "why not?"
"I've got the horses, and I've got the time," McDowell said. "I have a hard time getting a job anywhere.
"I don't know how to do anything. But I know how to ride horses."
Starting Sunday, McDowell will take part in the Great Santa Fe Trail endurance ride, a 14-day, 515-mile horse race along a section of the Santa Fe Trail.
This is the second year for the race, which starts in Mountain Wagon, N.M. The course takes riders along the Santa Fe Trail with stops in various cities along the way. The 515-mile course is broken into 10 rides of about 50 miles a day, with two-day stops in Clayton, N.M., Dodge City, Lyons and Council Grove, where the race finishes.
The race awards two winners — one who rides the same horse the entire 515 miles and another who uses more than one horse.
McDowell, who qualified 17th in a preliminary ride, is taking two horses, the appropriately named One Eye (really, he only has one eye) and Prizzy. While One Eye will be her primary mount, Prizzy will be coming along in case One Eye needs a break.
Race officials monitor the health of the horses and can force a rider to quit if the horse's heart rate is too high.
For McDowell, a Hutchinson native who has lived in Topeka since she was a child, the race is a chance to see some great countryside.
"We start high in the mountains," McDowell said. "I'll be able to experience a little bit of what the pioneers went through, a little. Not near as much because they had a lot of hardships. We'll have tents, and some people will have campers."
While the chance to see some historic sights along a piece of history is one aspect of the race, McDowell said most of the competitors have one thing in common.
"We all have one love," she said. "We love horses, and we love riding."
Published Tuesday, August 26, 2008
When she heard about a horse ride more than 500 miles along one of the most historic trails in the United States, Becky McDowell thought "why not?"
"I've got the horses, and I've got the time," McDowell said. "I have a hard time getting a job anywhere.
"I don't know how to do anything. But I know how to ride horses."
Starting Sunday, McDowell will take part in the Great Santa Fe Trail endurance ride, a 14-day, 515-mile horse race along a section of the Santa Fe Trail.
This is the second year for the race, which starts in Mountain Wagon, N.M. The course takes riders along the Santa Fe Trail with stops in various cities along the way. The 515-mile course is broken into 10 rides of about 50 miles a day, with two-day stops in Clayton, N.M., Dodge City, Lyons and Council Grove, where the race finishes.
The race awards two winners — one who rides the same horse the entire 515 miles and another who uses more than one horse.
McDowell, who qualified 17th in a preliminary ride, is taking two horses, the appropriately named One Eye (really, he only has one eye) and Prizzy. While One Eye will be her primary mount, Prizzy will be coming along in case One Eye needs a break.
Race officials monitor the health of the horses and can force a rider to quit if the horse's heart rate is too high.
For McDowell, a Hutchinson native who has lived in Topeka since she was a child, the race is a chance to see some great countryside.
"We start high in the mountains," McDowell said. "I'll be able to experience a little bit of what the pioneers went through, a little. Not near as much because they had a lot of hardships. We'll have tents, and some people will have campers."
While the chance to see some historic sights along a piece of history is one aspect of the race, McDowell said most of the competitors have one thing in common.
"We all have one love," she said. "We love horses, and we love riding."
Thursday, August 21, 2008
37yo Horse Elmer Bandit Finishes Second at CTR
Thehorse.com
by: Marsha Hayes
August 18 2008, Article # 12530
Elmer Bandit, 37-year-old half-Arabian gelding, completed the Spotted Rump Ride Competitive Trail Event at Greensfelder Equestrian Park near St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 16 to boost his lifetime mileage to 20,420. Saddlebred Wing Tempo holds the current mileage record with 20,710 miles.
Elmer finished second in the Open Lightweight Division. Weight divisions are based on the weight the horse carries over the 60-mile, two-day event. Owner Mary Anna Wood of Independence, Mo., consistently weighs in (with tack) at around 150 lbs, well below the 189 lb limit for the Lightweight Division.
More...
by: Marsha Hayes
August 18 2008, Article # 12530
Elmer Bandit, 37-year-old half-Arabian gelding, completed the Spotted Rump Ride Competitive Trail Event at Greensfelder Equestrian Park near St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 16 to boost his lifetime mileage to 20,420. Saddlebred Wing Tempo holds the current mileage record with 20,710 miles.
Elmer finished second in the Open Lightweight Division. Weight divisions are based on the weight the horse carries over the 60-mile, two-day event. Owner Mary Anna Wood of Independence, Mo., consistently weighs in (with tack) at around 150 lbs, well below the 189 lb limit for the Lightweight Division.
More...
Thistle Down endurance run pulls nearly 100 riders to Frazee
Frazee-Vergas Forum
Endurance race features 50 miles of trails
by Dale Fett
The sound of diesel trucks and the whinny of horses filled the air on Friday afternoon as riders rolled in for the second running of the Thistle Down Run endurance ride.
photo: Along with hosting the ride, Teresa Fett rode the 25 miler both days which had 20 entries. She finished with a 4th place on Saturday and a 3rd on Sunday. Photo by Henry Gruber, St. Cloud The endurance ride was hosted by Dale and Teresa Fett. The Aug. 16-17 event drew 96 entries over the two days, with riders coming from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Warm and dry weather made for great camping and riding thanks to the generosity of landowners, Ron Kertscher, Les and Pat Kertscher, Vinton and Joyce Vogler, and camp host, Ben Piche.
The check-in crew of Donna Fett, Orlyn Hanson, Robin Holmer, and Clio Jepson kept order to the events and Joyce Vogler used her great culinary skills to keep them fed. "Thanks to this great bunch of people," Dale Fett said.
photo: rlyn Hanson, Frazee, (left) was the official timer for the run. Dale Fett kept an eye on everything as ride manager and race organizer. Photo by Gale KaasArabs in the top three of the Minnesota point standings with three more events to go for the season.
Tom Gower of Madison, Wis. was a double winner with first place finishes in the Saturday 50 miler and the Sunday 25 miler.
Sunday's 8-mile novice class had 12 participants with a few local riders doing very well. Diane Bellefeuille of Detroit Lakes took home 2nd, Gale Kaas of Frazee at 3rd, Clio Jepson of Frazee brought home 5th place, and Alisa Wendt of Frazee had a completion. "It was great to see these local people test their skills and to learn the condition of their horses," Fett said.
A potluck supper was held Saturday night and featured a cowboy dress-up contest and a campfire. Most riders hit the bed by 10 p.m. as they had to be up early for a 6 a.m. start.
The Thistle Down Run is considered one of the premier rides in Minnesota, so if local riders want to try this sport, "this would be your opportunity," Fett said.
Complete endurance ride rules and info can be found at www.mndra.com.
"Volunteers are always welcome and we can find a spot to use your talent," he added. For more info contact Teresa or Dale Fett at 218-334-5711 or fettbros@loretel.net.
Full Story
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
American Endurance Ride Conference National Championships 2008 Preview
Release: August 19 2008
By Genie Stewart-Spears
Southern Indiana and the Daniel Boone Distance Riders (DBDR) Association, on October 16 and 18, are offering American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) members a ride of a lifetime by hosting the National Championships on trails in the Clark State Forest. Recently the DBDR bridged an AERC/Clark State Forest partnership through trail funding. The oldest state forest in Indiana, Clark State Forest is comprised of 24,000 acres of wooded forestland, with headquarters in the town of Henryville, just 25 miles north of Louisville, KY.
Endurance rides have been held in the Clark State Forest for 15 years. With its varied terrain, from flat ridge tops and hills (referred to as "knobs" in this region), to low-lying creeks and valleys, neither you nor your horse will get bored in either the 50- or 100-mile championship. For the most part, the trails are wide enough for two horses abreast or to pass safely. The trails will be golden with the fall foliage and the views are breathtaking. Why would you want to miss such a spectacular ride?
Making It Possible
Feeling the money crunch with high fuel and food costs? Be creative in finding ways to make it to the AERC National Championships. Instead of a summer vacation, make the nationals your destination this fall. Base camp will open the Friday prior, and there are a number of nearby day trips you can take with family and friends to Louisville or Lexington.
If you normally travel alone, buddy up with a friend or two to save on expenses. Riders who buddy up can have a "money pot," where each person traveling together puts in, say, $100 or $200 or more, depending on the travel distance, to be used for fuel, oil, or any minor repairs (tire blow-out, for instance) on the road. When the trip is over, what is left is divided up and given back to the participating parties.
A Family Affair
Do you have a junior rider who would like to enter the championship? Meghan Delp and her mother Lisa drove from Maryland to preview the trails during the Top of the Rock Ride in late May. "I liked the pretty views, and although it wasn't always an easy trail because of some of the steep switchbacks, it wasn’t scary," said 14-year-old Meghan, who completed the 50-mile course in ninth place overall and first junior. "I really want to come and ride in the National Championship because the trails are enjoyable," she added.
Meghan's mother Lisa stated, "I would strongly encourage parents to bring their children to compete with them in the rides. What a wonderful way to spend time with your children! Think of the strength you are building in your children to be able to do this sport. They learn how to discipline themselves and it gives them confidence. And, when they fail to complete, although disappointing, it also teaches your child how to deal with problems, work on fixing them and move forward."
What to Expect at Base Camp
Base camp is on veteran endurance rider Bill Wilson's farm, with plenty of parking for rigs and grassy space for pens. While the twisty, narrow road to base camp may make a few pucker up, you'll quickly forget the less than a mile of road when you hit the trails.
Ride managers Amy Whelan and Cindy Young are working diligently to make this a classy event. Young said, "We're still lining up vendors and sponsors. Horse Lovers Outlet/Distance Depot with Kristen Lacy will be one of the vendors, as will Running Bear Farms with Teddy Lancaster. I am working with a local business, Metzger's Country Store, to have a truck on site with supplies such as hay, feed, shavings and other things riders might need."
Specialized Saddles (50-mile) and Native Spirit Saddlery (100-mile) have committed to donating saddles to the first-place winners.
Besides nice completion awards, each participant who enters the ride will receive a grooming bag, T-shirt and portrait. (I’ll be serving as ride and portrait photographer. Reminder: wear appropriate attire to the vet-in for your portrait session.)
For the 100-mile entrants, there will be a pasta dinner the evening before their event, and coffee, juice, fruit and doughnuts the morning of the start. Lunch and snacks will be available during the day for them, too. The awards brunch will be Friday mid-morning. (All meals subject to change.)
The 50-mile entrants will be treated to a pizza party the evening prior to their event and also be offered coffee, juice, fruit and doughnuts the next morning. There will be snacks during the ride and an awards banquet Saturday evening. (All meals subject to change.)
"I'm sure we'll have some sort of raffle drawing/prize giveaways," added Young. "And, the two events will wrap up with a great party and band on Saturday night.
What to Expect on the Trail
Tom Gower of Wisconsin, who recently won best condition on JG Saqr in May’s Biltmore 100, has competed over these trails and plans to enter both the 100-miler and 50-miler. "The course," said Gower, "has a little bit of everything: single track, dirt roads, a small amount of pavement (at least if we use the traditional course), rolling hills, flat sections for moving out, and some short steep climbs and descents. This is definitely not a course where the rider just sits back and asks his/her equine partner to canter an eight- or nine-hour 100 miles.
"It is a technical but fun trail and, at times, your equine partner will appreciate you hopping off and getting up the hill on your own on some of the short but steep hills!" said Gower.
"The course is technical," stated past AERC President Stagg Newman, "and smart riding takes advantage of a horse’s strengths. A climbing horse should use the hills to its advantage while galloping-type horses should use the flatter sections. Riders will need to keep reserves for the steeper hilly sections."
Because some of the trails have a base of white rock, Jan Worthington says she pads her horses. Although Worthington and a few riders recommend padding the horse’s feet or using hoof boots, especially for the 100-mile distance, Gower said, “Overall the course has good footing, with little rock. I have never used pads at Chicken Chase [spring ride] or Spook Run [fall ride]. I would not consider it a concussive ride.
"I have ridden this ride in rain, and that adds another fun challenge and requires riders to make smart horsemanship decisions about the trade-offs of risks versus gains," said Gower.
"There are many stream crossings," he continued, "and ride management does an excellent job making sure water tanks are at strategic locations and that they are full."
Speculating on the winning time for the 100, Gower said, "I suspect the winner will do the championship course in around 10 hours, but there are places where walking will be required.
"This is a great venue because of the great trails and because ride management is also all down-to-earth, easygoing endurance riders who will do everything in their powers to make you feel welcome and help you have a good time," said Gower.
A Word from the Ride Manager
Ride manager Cindy Young stated, “The National Championship is in a good central location this year, allowing riders from several adjoining states the opportunity to come because it’s close. I hope others traveling longer distances can buddy up to come.
"These are some of the most beautiful trails in this area, and challenging as well. I sometimes forget how fortunate I am to have these trails to train on a regular basis," said Young. "We’re all looking forward to putting on a great competition, and I hope people make the plans to come!"
For more information about AERC’s 2008 National Championship rides, visit http://www.dbdr.info/NC%20Home.htm or phone the AERC office at (866) 271-2372.
By Genie Stewart-Spears
Southern Indiana and the Daniel Boone Distance Riders (DBDR) Association, on October 16 and 18, are offering American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) members a ride of a lifetime by hosting the National Championships on trails in the Clark State Forest. Recently the DBDR bridged an AERC/Clark State Forest partnership through trail funding. The oldest state forest in Indiana, Clark State Forest is comprised of 24,000 acres of wooded forestland, with headquarters in the town of Henryville, just 25 miles north of Louisville, KY.
Endurance rides have been held in the Clark State Forest for 15 years. With its varied terrain, from flat ridge tops and hills (referred to as "knobs" in this region), to low-lying creeks and valleys, neither you nor your horse will get bored in either the 50- or 100-mile championship. For the most part, the trails are wide enough for two horses abreast or to pass safely. The trails will be golden with the fall foliage and the views are breathtaking. Why would you want to miss such a spectacular ride?
Making It Possible
Feeling the money crunch with high fuel and food costs? Be creative in finding ways to make it to the AERC National Championships. Instead of a summer vacation, make the nationals your destination this fall. Base camp will open the Friday prior, and there are a number of nearby day trips you can take with family and friends to Louisville or Lexington.
If you normally travel alone, buddy up with a friend or two to save on expenses. Riders who buddy up can have a "money pot," where each person traveling together puts in, say, $100 or $200 or more, depending on the travel distance, to be used for fuel, oil, or any minor repairs (tire blow-out, for instance) on the road. When the trip is over, what is left is divided up and given back to the participating parties.
A Family Affair
Do you have a junior rider who would like to enter the championship? Meghan Delp and her mother Lisa drove from Maryland to preview the trails during the Top of the Rock Ride in late May. "I liked the pretty views, and although it wasn't always an easy trail because of some of the steep switchbacks, it wasn’t scary," said 14-year-old Meghan, who completed the 50-mile course in ninth place overall and first junior. "I really want to come and ride in the National Championship because the trails are enjoyable," she added.
Meghan's mother Lisa stated, "I would strongly encourage parents to bring their children to compete with them in the rides. What a wonderful way to spend time with your children! Think of the strength you are building in your children to be able to do this sport. They learn how to discipline themselves and it gives them confidence. And, when they fail to complete, although disappointing, it also teaches your child how to deal with problems, work on fixing them and move forward."
What to Expect at Base Camp
Base camp is on veteran endurance rider Bill Wilson's farm, with plenty of parking for rigs and grassy space for pens. While the twisty, narrow road to base camp may make a few pucker up, you'll quickly forget the less than a mile of road when you hit the trails.
Ride managers Amy Whelan and Cindy Young are working diligently to make this a classy event. Young said, "We're still lining up vendors and sponsors. Horse Lovers Outlet/Distance Depot with Kristen Lacy will be one of the vendors, as will Running Bear Farms with Teddy Lancaster. I am working with a local business, Metzger's Country Store, to have a truck on site with supplies such as hay, feed, shavings and other things riders might need."
Specialized Saddles (50-mile) and Native Spirit Saddlery (100-mile) have committed to donating saddles to the first-place winners.
Besides nice completion awards, each participant who enters the ride will receive a grooming bag, T-shirt and portrait. (I’ll be serving as ride and portrait photographer. Reminder: wear appropriate attire to the vet-in for your portrait session.)
For the 100-mile entrants, there will be a pasta dinner the evening before their event, and coffee, juice, fruit and doughnuts the morning of the start. Lunch and snacks will be available during the day for them, too. The awards brunch will be Friday mid-morning. (All meals subject to change.)
The 50-mile entrants will be treated to a pizza party the evening prior to their event and also be offered coffee, juice, fruit and doughnuts the next morning. There will be snacks during the ride and an awards banquet Saturday evening. (All meals subject to change.)
"I'm sure we'll have some sort of raffle drawing/prize giveaways," added Young. "And, the two events will wrap up with a great party and band on Saturday night.
What to Expect on the Trail
Tom Gower of Wisconsin, who recently won best condition on JG Saqr in May’s Biltmore 100, has competed over these trails and plans to enter both the 100-miler and 50-miler. "The course," said Gower, "has a little bit of everything: single track, dirt roads, a small amount of pavement (at least if we use the traditional course), rolling hills, flat sections for moving out, and some short steep climbs and descents. This is definitely not a course where the rider just sits back and asks his/her equine partner to canter an eight- or nine-hour 100 miles.
"It is a technical but fun trail and, at times, your equine partner will appreciate you hopping off and getting up the hill on your own on some of the short but steep hills!" said Gower.
"The course is technical," stated past AERC President Stagg Newman, "and smart riding takes advantage of a horse’s strengths. A climbing horse should use the hills to its advantage while galloping-type horses should use the flatter sections. Riders will need to keep reserves for the steeper hilly sections."
Because some of the trails have a base of white rock, Jan Worthington says she pads her horses. Although Worthington and a few riders recommend padding the horse’s feet or using hoof boots, especially for the 100-mile distance, Gower said, “Overall the course has good footing, with little rock. I have never used pads at Chicken Chase [spring ride] or Spook Run [fall ride]. I would not consider it a concussive ride.
"I have ridden this ride in rain, and that adds another fun challenge and requires riders to make smart horsemanship decisions about the trade-offs of risks versus gains," said Gower.
"There are many stream crossings," he continued, "and ride management does an excellent job making sure water tanks are at strategic locations and that they are full."
Speculating on the winning time for the 100, Gower said, "I suspect the winner will do the championship course in around 10 hours, but there are places where walking will be required.
"This is a great venue because of the great trails and because ride management is also all down-to-earth, easygoing endurance riders who will do everything in their powers to make you feel welcome and help you have a good time," said Gower.
A Word from the Ride Manager
Ride manager Cindy Young stated, “The National Championship is in a good central location this year, allowing riders from several adjoining states the opportunity to come because it’s close. I hope others traveling longer distances can buddy up to come.
"These are some of the most beautiful trails in this area, and challenging as well. I sometimes forget how fortunate I am to have these trails to train on a regular basis," said Young. "We’re all looking forward to putting on a great competition, and I hope people make the plans to come!"
For more information about AERC’s 2008 National Championship rides, visit http://www.dbdr.info/NC%20Home.htm or phone the AERC office at (866) 271-2372.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Karlstad couple behind new breed of horses
Grandforksherald - Full Article
An AP Member Exchange Feature By MATT BEWLEY Agweek
The Associated Press - Saturday, August 16, 2008
KARLSTAD, Minn.
Leaning on the fence rail, you look him over and just scratch your head. It's like seeing one of those little Arabians, all decked out in his Sunday best.
"Well, someone must have crossed one of those hotbloods with some kind of a pinto," you tell yourself. "Or maybe a paint?"
His head comes up and his ears lock on to you. He's no paint. He's too sleek and almost pony-size. He ambles over to you, but doesn't sniff your hand for treats. He's just saying hello. You study the dished face and large nostrils set in a small muzzle. He's got to be Arabian, but you've never seen any Arabian that looks like this.
More...
An AP Member Exchange Feature By MATT BEWLEY Agweek
The Associated Press - Saturday, August 16, 2008
KARLSTAD, Minn.
Leaning on the fence rail, you look him over and just scratch your head. It's like seeing one of those little Arabians, all decked out in his Sunday best.
"Well, someone must have crossed one of those hotbloods with some kind of a pinto," you tell yourself. "Or maybe a paint?"
His head comes up and his ears lock on to you. He's no paint. He's too sleek and almost pony-size. He ambles over to you, but doesn't sniff your hand for treats. He's just saying hello. You study the dished face and large nostrils set in a small muzzle. He's got to be Arabian, but you've never seen any Arabian that looks like this.
More...
Monday, August 11, 2008
Mike Cottendon passes
Mike Cottenden, long-time partner of Nancy Beacon and wonderful friend to
Endurance, was killed on Sunday morning on his way home from work when a
driver went through a stop sign and hit his car. After all that they have
been through recently one cannot believe that this has happened - that this
is even possible. This will be such a difficult time for Nancy - we know all
of our prayers and our thoughts will be with her in the days ahead. Just
last week she was dancing the night away at the Rocky Mountain Challenge -
how sad that this joy has now been taken from her.
Mike started riding horses with Nancy in the early 80's. Mike went on to do close to 5000 miles, did over 12 100's, including Old Dominion, on at least 6 different horses, and was one of the first Canadians to complete an FEI ride in 1986.
Mike was not only was a master trail maker, but also applied his skills in constructing wonderful bridges and walkways for many rides in Grey County. He made a great bridge for last year's Ontario Championship. He made a series of bridges and walkways up a steep incline hill east of Pretty River Valley Provincial park that was a marvel of engineering.
Mike on his ATV monitored the horse rides with military precision, and many a person, rider or pit crew, were extremely happy to see Mike to get them out of a big mess when they ventured off the beaten path. I am sure no one will forget his "treats" along the trail.
Mike as a communicator, wowed all at ride wrap up time and Nancy's attempt to tone down his "observations" usually was met with an increase in elaboration. We should all cherish his last performance in 2007.
Mike on both sides of the border was known for his "Redneck" celebrations when his military comrades would gather for games, frivolity and good brew. He was referred to in the House of Commons as a true character and inspirational leader!
Mike will be missed
Wendy MacCoubrey
Endurance, was killed on Sunday morning on his way home from work when a
driver went through a stop sign and hit his car. After all that they have
been through recently one cannot believe that this has happened - that this
is even possible. This will be such a difficult time for Nancy - we know all
of our prayers and our thoughts will be with her in the days ahead. Just
last week she was dancing the night away at the Rocky Mountain Challenge -
how sad that this joy has now been taken from her.
Mike started riding horses with Nancy in the early 80's. Mike went on to do close to 5000 miles, did over 12 100's, including Old Dominion, on at least 6 different horses, and was one of the first Canadians to complete an FEI ride in 1986.
Mike was not only was a master trail maker, but also applied his skills in constructing wonderful bridges and walkways for many rides in Grey County. He made a great bridge for last year's Ontario Championship. He made a series of bridges and walkways up a steep incline hill east of Pretty River Valley Provincial park that was a marvel of engineering.
Mike on his ATV monitored the horse rides with military precision, and many a person, rider or pit crew, were extremely happy to see Mike to get them out of a big mess when they ventured off the beaten path. I am sure no one will forget his "treats" along the trail.
Mike as a communicator, wowed all at ride wrap up time and Nancy's attempt to tone down his "observations" usually was met with an increase in elaboration. We should all cherish his last performance in 2007.
Mike on both sides of the border was known for his "Redneck" celebrations when his military comrades would gather for games, frivolity and good brew. He was referred to in the House of Commons as a true character and inspirational leader!
Mike will be missed
Wendy MacCoubrey
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Ovando's Hayes wins equestrian event
By the Missoulian
Suzanne Hayes of Ovando turned in the fastest overall time last weekend at the Pink Flamingo Classic Endurance Ride, which is an annual equestrian event held south of Cascade.
Hayes was one of more than 120 riders from around Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Montana, California and Canada that attended the two-day competition.
Hayes won the award for the overall fastest ride of the two 50-mile rides, finishing fourth on the first day and first on the following day.
Hayes has logged nearly 18,000 endurance miles and began riding when she was 11 years old with her mother. She has not missed an endurance riding season in 43 years and has also been a member of the U.S. Endurance team in international competitions abroad. Her horse, Tezero's Gold, has nearly 4,000 miles in competition and has completed in 12 100-mile rides.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Stalley sisters successfully ride 100 miles in Wyoming
Appeal-democrat.com - Full Article
July 24, 2008 11:21:00 PM
Sisters Alyssa and Jennifer Stalley of Williams recently returned from Wyoming, where they participated in the Bighorn 100, a horseback endurance ride.
It was a replacement ride or sorts in that the Stalleys were scheduled to participate in the 54th annual Tevis Cup, a 100-mile ride from Truckee to Auburn on the same day. But because of all of the recent wildfires in Northern California, the air quality was poor and event organizers canceled the Tevis Cup.
The Stalleys rode in the 100-mile Wyoming event and their father, Chuck, rode in the 50-miler.
More...
July 24, 2008 11:21:00 PM
Sisters Alyssa and Jennifer Stalley of Williams recently returned from Wyoming, where they participated in the Bighorn 100, a horseback endurance ride.
It was a replacement ride or sorts in that the Stalleys were scheduled to participate in the 54th annual Tevis Cup, a 100-mile ride from Truckee to Auburn on the same day. But because of all of the recent wildfires in Northern California, the air quality was poor and event organizers canceled the Tevis Cup.
The Stalleys rode in the 100-mile Wyoming event and their father, Chuck, rode in the 50-miler.
More...
Friday, July 18, 2008
Pioneer farming alive and well in Fallon
By Jamie Winkler • Fallon Star Press • July 18, 2008
Bill Adams and Kathy Davis run a unique, old-fashioned farm which is definitely a step back in time as they use their mules and antique equipment to run it. Modern farm equipment is not allowed.
Advertisement
"When I was a boy, I grew up doing this stuff," said Adams, which explains his desire for keeping farming simple.
Davis and Adams met at Bishop Mule Days in Bishop, CA a few years back and they realized they had a lot in common. Davis was a racehorse trainer and endurance rider.
After they got to know each other, Davis moved to Fallon to help out on Adams' farm and she took to the mules right away. "Kathy just jumped on the wagon and it looked like she was born to do this," Adams said.
Davis, originally from California, grew up with a love for horses. Her parents couldn't afford one, so she bought a "dingbat Arab" with the money she earned from her first job. Soon after, she became certified to train racehorses.
Endurance riding came next. Davis has eight national championships in long distance riding and rode a tough section of the Pony Express route (Top Gun Speedway to Sand Mountain) this year. She is used to riding 25-30 miles at a clip.
...[More]
Bill Adams and Kathy Davis run a unique, old-fashioned farm which is definitely a step back in time as they use their mules and antique equipment to run it. Modern farm equipment is not allowed.
Advertisement
"When I was a boy, I grew up doing this stuff," said Adams, which explains his desire for keeping farming simple.
Davis and Adams met at Bishop Mule Days in Bishop, CA a few years back and they realized they had a lot in common. Davis was a racehorse trainer and endurance rider.
After they got to know each other, Davis moved to Fallon to help out on Adams' farm and she took to the mules right away. "Kathy just jumped on the wagon and it looked like she was born to do this," Adams said.
Davis, originally from California, grew up with a love for horses. Her parents couldn't afford one, so she bought a "dingbat Arab" with the money she earned from her first job. Soon after, she became certified to train racehorses.
Endurance riding came next. Davis has eight national championships in long distance riding and rode a tough section of the Pony Express route (Top Gun Speedway to Sand Mountain) this year. She is used to riding 25-30 miles at a clip.
...[More]
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Frazee, MN: Endurance Riding
The Frazee Forum
Maplewood State Park will host an endurance and competitive trail riding clinic Saturday, July 19.
The event will begin at 10 a.m., finishing by 4 p.m. A light lunch will be served, according to organizers. The cost is $25 for the event.
Persons curious about the fastest-growing equine sport in America are urged to attend and learn about the activity. Moreover, they can get questions answered that may even spur greater interest.
Topics to be covered include:
• the various distance riding organizations;
• the difference between endurance and competitive trail riding;
• tack, equipment and clothing;
• what to expect at your first ride;
• vet check procedures;
• feeding the endurance horse;
• choosing a good endurance or competitive trail horse;
• shoeing options for the distance riding horse;
• an explanation of the paperwork;
• conditioning your horse (where to start and what to do);
• a mock vet check.
There will also be Q and A concerning the "ins and outs" of endurance and competitive trail riding.
If it rains, the clinic will be held in the new shelter built this spring, otherwise it will be staged in the day rider area of the horse camp.
Participants may also decide to make the trip to camp in the park. In any case, a Minnesota State Park sticker is required. After the clinic, a ride will follow for those who wish to take part. A Minnesota Horse Trail Pass is required.
Reservations for camping can be obtained through the Minnesota State Park reservation system. Info: Charlotte Thompson, 28953 15th Ave. N, Hawley, MN 56549, 701-526-3734.
Related Stories
Thistle Down Run ride set for Aug. 16-17 near Frazee
Maplewood State Park will host an endurance and competitive trail riding clinic Saturday, July 19.
The event will begin at 10 a.m., finishing by 4 p.m. A light lunch will be served, according to organizers. The cost is $25 for the event.
Persons curious about the fastest-growing equine sport in America are urged to attend and learn about the activity. Moreover, they can get questions answered that may even spur greater interest.
Topics to be covered include:
• the various distance riding organizations;
• the difference between endurance and competitive trail riding;
• tack, equipment and clothing;
• what to expect at your first ride;
• vet check procedures;
• feeding the endurance horse;
• choosing a good endurance or competitive trail horse;
• shoeing options for the distance riding horse;
• an explanation of the paperwork;
• conditioning your horse (where to start and what to do);
• a mock vet check.
There will also be Q and A concerning the "ins and outs" of endurance and competitive trail riding.
If it rains, the clinic will be held in the new shelter built this spring, otherwise it will be staged in the day rider area of the horse camp.
Participants may also decide to make the trip to camp in the park. In any case, a Minnesota State Park sticker is required. After the clinic, a ride will follow for those who wish to take part. A Minnesota Horse Trail Pass is required.
Reservations for camping can be obtained through the Minnesota State Park reservation system. Info: Charlotte Thompson, 28953 15th Ave. N, Hawley, MN 56549, 701-526-3734.
Related Stories
Thistle Down Run ride set for Aug. 16-17 near Frazee
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Worthington & Golden Lightening at Greenway Gallivant
FEI Results of Greenway Gallivant
Ocala, Florida July 5, 2008
Jan Worthington and Golden Lightening took top FEI placement and Best Condition award at the summer night ride in Florida.
Ocala, Florida July 5, 2008
Jan Worthington and Golden Lightening took top FEI placement and Best Condition award at the summer night ride in Florida.
 | | |
| FEI Rider | Horse | Ride Time / Code |
| Jan Worthington | Golden Lightning | 10:44:25 - BC |
| John Crandell III | HH Saba Shams | 11:01:08 |
| Cecilia Butler-Stasiuk | DJB Sambrieul | 11:01:09 |
| Lisa Green | LR Amana Tabi | 11:49:56 |
| Heather Reynolds | Cal Flaming Emit | 11:53:39 |
| Debra Ivey | Raazyl Cha | 12:16:08 |
| Hernon Barbosa | Savvy | 12:43:05 |
| Stephen Rojek | Julio | 12:43:06 |
| Cheryl Van Deusen | DA Al Capone | 12:53:31 |
| Ann S. Hall | Bogus Thunder | 14:40:16 |
| Jonie Brucker | Prince of Grace | EL-ME |
| Darolyn Butler | DJB Mercy Merci | EL_LA |
| Valerie Kanavy | Saagre Gold | EL_LA |
| Jeremy Reynolds | Sir Smith | EL_LA |
| Jeremy Olson | Berjo Smokey | EL_ME_TR |
| Mary Farris | Thundering Overtime | EL_LA |
| Lynn Kenelly | Reminisonce+/ | RET |
Monday, July 14, 2008
USEF: Top 25 Ranked USEF Riders, July 2008
July 14, 2008
Endurance.Net
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) began a ranking system for riders in 2007. With this system, riders earn points at specific 100 mile 'ranking' rides based upon their placement relative to the entire field of riders. These points are awarded to the rider, independent of the horse being ridden. Points earned during a 2 year 'rolling' period will remain in effect; all points earned within 24 months of the most recent ranking calculation will apply. The ranking list is updated each month, with results of the most recent rides being factored in. The two best performances of each rider, within this 24 month period, are used to calculate overall ranking.
The top 25 ranked riders earn placement on the USEF Endurance Training Team, with prioritized eligibility to participate in USEF Training Events, and selection to the National Squad. Top 25 USEF Ranked Riders
July, 2008:
1.Crandell, John
1.Kanavy, Valerie
3.Rojek, Steve
4.Worthington, Jan
5.Sleeper, Meg
5.Brunjes, Kathryn
5.Butler, Darolyn
8.Sousa, Joyce
9.Dell, Cheryl
10.Reynolds, Heather
10.Reynolds, Jeremy
12.Green, Lisa
13.Hall, Ann
14.Niehaus, Jennifer
14.Stasiuk, Ceci Butler
16.Schork, Christoph
17.Glenn, Charisse
18.Hayes, Suzanne
19.Fuess, Kimberley
20.Worthington, Guy ZTEC
21.Summers, Dennis
22.Van Deusen, Cheryl
23.McGunigal, Danielle Kanavy
23.Summers, Susan
25.Olson, Jeremy
25.Stevens, Heather
Australia: Outback Queensland's camel races set to begin
Abc.net.au - Full Story
July 14 2008
Camels and their trainers have begun arriving in outback Queensland for the start of the state's camel racing circuit.
Boulia Camel Races is offering $30,000 prize money for this weekend's races and another $50,000 will be offered next month at a camel endurance race in Hughendon.
There is another race meet in Winton later this month.
Camel racing identity Paddy McHugh says events are becoming more popular.
"Certainly when the horse influenza thing went through our phones ran hot for us to do more and more races," he said.
"It's gained in popularity but it will never give horse racing a run for its money, it's just a different industry you know.
"There is a serious side to it though, in the fact that Middle Eastern market is worth millions and millions of dollars to the industry."
Mr McHugh says high fuel prices may deter some competitors from making the trip to western Queensland.
"It seems the tourism hasn't really slowed down a great deal," he said.
"The camel people like to have a bit of a moan and groan, but you know $50,000, $30,000 at Boulia and Winton is another little bit as well, it's pretty good prize money.
"It's not as if there's a lot of them in the business so whoever wins makes pretty good money for three or four months of the year."
July 14 2008
Camels and their trainers have begun arriving in outback Queensland for the start of the state's camel racing circuit.
Boulia Camel Races is offering $30,000 prize money for this weekend's races and another $50,000 will be offered next month at a camel endurance race in Hughendon.
There is another race meet in Winton later this month.
Camel racing identity Paddy McHugh says events are becoming more popular.
"Certainly when the horse influenza thing went through our phones ran hot for us to do more and more races," he said.
"It's gained in popularity but it will never give horse racing a run for its money, it's just a different industry you know.
"There is a serious side to it though, in the fact that Middle Eastern market is worth millions and millions of dollars to the industry."
Mr McHugh says high fuel prices may deter some competitors from making the trip to western Queensland.
"It seems the tourism hasn't really slowed down a great deal," he said.
"The camel people like to have a bit of a moan and groan, but you know $50,000, $30,000 at Boulia and Winton is another little bit as well, it's pretty good prize money.
"It's not as if there's a lot of them in the business so whoever wins makes pretty good money for three or four months of the year."
Mounting a bid for the cure
PJStar.com - Full Story
Journal Star
Posted Jul 13, 2008 @ 12:20 PM
As competitors race, sponsors pony up for cancer research
EAST PEORIA —
For Keith and Kristi Kesick, horse riding is a lifestyle.
'We're horse people, straight up,' Keith Kesick said Saturday.
So when the Wisconsin couple decided to get involved in the search for a cure for cancer, a disease they have watched family members struggle with for years, they managed to incorporate their passion.
They donated a handmade saddle to the cause.
The equestrian accessory is the top prize in the three-day Endure for the Cure horse ride at Farmdale Park. The competition, which included race lengths ranging from 12.5 miles to 100 miles, brought in money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The three-day event will conclude today...
More...
Journal Star
Posted Jul 13, 2008 @ 12:20 PM
As competitors race, sponsors pony up for cancer research
EAST PEORIA —
For Keith and Kristi Kesick, horse riding is a lifestyle.
'We're horse people, straight up,' Keith Kesick said Saturday.
So when the Wisconsin couple decided to get involved in the search for a cure for cancer, a disease they have watched family members struggle with for years, they managed to incorporate their passion.
They donated a handmade saddle to the cause.
The equestrian accessory is the top prize in the three-day Endure for the Cure horse ride at Farmdale Park. The competition, which included race lengths ranging from 12.5 miles to 100 miles, brought in money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The three-day event will conclude today...
More...
Friday, July 11, 2008
Smoky skies mean change of plans for endurance riders
Colusa County Sun Herald
Thursday, Jul 10 2008, 8:19 pm
By Richard Myers/Freedom News Service
The Grinch, blanketed in soot and smoke, stole Christmas from Jennifer Stalley.
Stalley her sister, Alyssa, were looking forward to participating in the 54th annual Tevis Cup, a 100-mile, 24-hour equestrian endurance ride slated for July 19.
“It’s like Christmas to me,” Jennifer said.
But, less than two hours after talking Wednesday about the upcoming event, Jennifer, 21, and Alyssa, 18, both from Williams, learned the ride had been canceled because of poor air quality caused by the rash of forest fires in Northern California.
“We were really excited after talking about it,” Jennifer said.
Canceling the Tevis Cup, however, might turn out to be a blessing in disguise, Alyssa admitted.
That’s because the Stalleys now have the opportunity to participate in a similar 100-mile, 24-hour endurance ride, the Bighorn 100 in Wyoming.
“It’s the same day as the Tevis Cup, so we’re never able to ride in it,” Alyssa said.
“We’re pretty excited about getting the chance to go to the Bighorn 100,” Jennifer added. “It sounds pretty challenging.”
Both of their parents have ridden in the Bighorn 100 and told their daughters about it.
“A lot of the ride is at the 10,000-foot elevation,” Chuck said, noting while there are some trees there also are a lot of open meadows.
Stalley added his wife, Pam, finished the Bighorn 100 first one year and also has a second- and a third-place finish to her credit.
While all four Stalleys have ridden in the Tevis Cup together, this was to have been the first year that the two sisters were going to participate without their parents.
“You have to be 18 before you can ride without an adult,” Alyssa said, adding she is disappointed she won’t get the opportunity this year.
But, the Stalleys are content knowing the ride was canceled for a good reason.
“(Ride director) Mike Pickett said the health and safety of the horses and riders take precedence over everything else,” Alyssa said.
Chuck Stalley, who is a member of the Tevis Cup Board of Governors, said the U.S. Forest Service had given ride officials an alternate route around a portion of the trail near Foresthill that was closed because of fire. But, because of the air quality, directors opted to cancel the ride now rather than wait until the last minute.
“I know of some riders from Florida who already left home and are headed here,” he said. “They planned to be on the road for a week.”
Canceling now also means riders can opt to participate in the Bighorn 100, he added. Usually, the Bighorn 100 is a much smaller race with perhaps 50 riders, as compared to the Tevis Cup, which has as many as 250 riders.
“The cool thing about the Bighorn 100 is that riders who successfully complete the event within 24 hours receive a belt buckle,” Alyssa said about the same “trophy” awarded to successful riders in the Tevis Cup.
Both Stalley sisters have earned four Tevis Cup belt buckles.
They inherited their love for horses from their parents. Their father, who loved running cross country, first began competing in ride-and-ties, Alyssa said, which involves two riders and one horse. One person goes out ahead on horseback, stops at some point, dismounts and ties the horse and then takes off running. The second person, who started out running, catches up to the tied horse and takes off on horseback. They keep alternating through the end of the race.
Chuck Stalley won several ride-and-tie events.
Pam Stalley, meanwhile, has earned 11 Tevis Cup belt buckles, finishing as high as sixth one year.
Besides participating in national events, the Stalleys also have ridden overseas. Alyssa said she and her sister served as grooms while their mother participated in an endurance race in the United Arab Emirates. Their father was the team captain. Pam Stalley also has ridden in France.
While the Stalley sisters are excited about the opportunity to ride in Wyoming, it could be quite an interesting trek. That’s because, unlike the Tevis Cup, they will be riding on an unfamiliar trail.
Since both events take place during daylight and night-time hours, riders have to rely a lot on their horses. In the Tevis Cup, Alyssa pointed out a portion of that ride traverses a narrow trail hundreds of feet above the American River Canyon.
Glow bars attached to the breastplates on the horses help light the trail for the riders, Alyssa said.
One year she thought the trail was clear so she kept urging her horse, Tiki, to start trotting. But he wouldn’t, she said, and pretty soon they encountered a very rocky section of trail.
“As soon as we were through the rocks, he took off trotting,” Alyssa said, adding, “horses can see a lot better at night than we can.”
Both girls said they love riding in the Tevis Cup each year because of the beautiful scenery.
“There’s a mystical, magical feeling about the Tevis Cup,” said Jennifer.
“There’s no other ride like it,” added Chuck Stalley, who has three Tevis Cup buckles.
Contact sports reporter Richard Myers at 749-4714 or rmyers@appeal-democrat.com
Thursday, Jul 10 2008, 8:19 pm
By Richard Myers/Freedom News Service
The Grinch, blanketed in soot and smoke, stole Christmas from Jennifer Stalley.
Stalley her sister, Alyssa, were looking forward to participating in the 54th annual Tevis Cup, a 100-mile, 24-hour equestrian endurance ride slated for July 19.
“It’s like Christmas to me,” Jennifer said.
But, less than two hours after talking Wednesday about the upcoming event, Jennifer, 21, and Alyssa, 18, both from Williams, learned the ride had been canceled because of poor air quality caused by the rash of forest fires in Northern California.
“We were really excited after talking about it,” Jennifer said.
Canceling the Tevis Cup, however, might turn out to be a blessing in disguise, Alyssa admitted.
That’s because the Stalleys now have the opportunity to participate in a similar 100-mile, 24-hour endurance ride, the Bighorn 100 in Wyoming.
“It’s the same day as the Tevis Cup, so we’re never able to ride in it,” Alyssa said.
“We’re pretty excited about getting the chance to go to the Bighorn 100,” Jennifer added. “It sounds pretty challenging.”
Both of their parents have ridden in the Bighorn 100 and told their daughters about it.
“A lot of the ride is at the 10,000-foot elevation,” Chuck said, noting while there are some trees there also are a lot of open meadows.
Stalley added his wife, Pam, finished the Bighorn 100 first one year and also has a second- and a third-place finish to her credit.
While all four Stalleys have ridden in the Tevis Cup together, this was to have been the first year that the two sisters were going to participate without their parents.
“You have to be 18 before you can ride without an adult,” Alyssa said, adding she is disappointed she won’t get the opportunity this year.
But, the Stalleys are content knowing the ride was canceled for a good reason.
“(Ride director) Mike Pickett said the health and safety of the horses and riders take precedence over everything else,” Alyssa said.
Chuck Stalley, who is a member of the Tevis Cup Board of Governors, said the U.S. Forest Service had given ride officials an alternate route around a portion of the trail near Foresthill that was closed because of fire. But, because of the air quality, directors opted to cancel the ride now rather than wait until the last minute.
“I know of some riders from Florida who already left home and are headed here,” he said. “They planned to be on the road for a week.”
Canceling now also means riders can opt to participate in the Bighorn 100, he added. Usually, the Bighorn 100 is a much smaller race with perhaps 50 riders, as compared to the Tevis Cup, which has as many as 250 riders.
“The cool thing about the Bighorn 100 is that riders who successfully complete the event within 24 hours receive a belt buckle,” Alyssa said about the same “trophy” awarded to successful riders in the Tevis Cup.
Both Stalley sisters have earned four Tevis Cup belt buckles.
They inherited their love for horses from their parents. Their father, who loved running cross country, first began competing in ride-and-ties, Alyssa said, which involves two riders and one horse. One person goes out ahead on horseback, stops at some point, dismounts and ties the horse and then takes off running. The second person, who started out running, catches up to the tied horse and takes off on horseback. They keep alternating through the end of the race.
Chuck Stalley won several ride-and-tie events.
Pam Stalley, meanwhile, has earned 11 Tevis Cup belt buckles, finishing as high as sixth one year.
Besides participating in national events, the Stalleys also have ridden overseas. Alyssa said she and her sister served as grooms while their mother participated in an endurance race in the United Arab Emirates. Their father was the team captain. Pam Stalley also has ridden in France.
While the Stalley sisters are excited about the opportunity to ride in Wyoming, it could be quite an interesting trek. That’s because, unlike the Tevis Cup, they will be riding on an unfamiliar trail.
Since both events take place during daylight and night-time hours, riders have to rely a lot on their horses. In the Tevis Cup, Alyssa pointed out a portion of that ride traverses a narrow trail hundreds of feet above the American River Canyon.
Glow bars attached to the breastplates on the horses help light the trail for the riders, Alyssa said.
One year she thought the trail was clear so she kept urging her horse, Tiki, to start trotting. But he wouldn’t, she said, and pretty soon they encountered a very rocky section of trail.
“As soon as we were through the rocks, he took off trotting,” Alyssa said, adding, “horses can see a lot better at night than we can.”
Both girls said they love riding in the Tevis Cup each year because of the beautiful scenery.
“There’s a mystical, magical feeling about the Tevis Cup,” said Jennifer.
“There’s no other ride like it,” added Chuck Stalley, who has three Tevis Cup buckles.
Contact sports reporter Richard Myers at 749-4714 or rmyers@appeal-democrat.com
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Farrier makes mark in Dubai
It’s a long way from Forbes to Dubai but the equine industry can take you places, just ask local man Shaun Moss.
Moss has long been renowned in the local region as a quality horseman and master farrier.
But the past six months has seen him ply his trade further a field, working for the ruling family of the Middle Eastern Emirate of Dubai.
Last year’s Equine Influenza outbreak decimated the horse racing industry and had severe consequences for Moss’ business as a master farrier.
“It was a disaster really. It flattened my business,” he said.
“A friend who was there about three years ago put me on to it.”
The ‘it’ is working with the endurance horses of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the brother of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai.
His Highness Shiekh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been in the news recently after taking control of Australian racing legend Bob Ingham’s vast Woodlands Stud for $460 million.
Moss has been working with the family’s stable of endurance horses which race in events across the desert in distances ranging between 120kms and 160kms.
Any one race can see up to 50 competitors and Moss is charged with the care of approximately 150 horses at a complex located around half an hour’s drive from Dubai City.
He was home on vacation when the Advocate spoke to him last week.
“It’s a big culture shock,” he said.
“There’s a lot of new people in a strange place.”
“I am enjoying it, having a great time but it’s hard being away from the family,” he said.
Dubai is a city on the move with massive developments now dotting the skyline.
“There’s work going on 24 hours a day, just construction, construction and building sites.”
“They’re very serious, very quiet but once you get to know them they’re good people,” Moss said when asked of the locals.
Dubai has a largely foreign work force and Moss said this is also the case with the horse industry.
Moss said he had been given an introduction to the country by a vet from Uruguay, Mario Castro.
“We’ve been working together for the last six months now and he’s one of the best vets I’ve ever seen,” Moss said.
“He’s sort of taken me under his wing a little bit.”
Castro was also one of those responsible for bringing the 2007 Dubai World Cup (this race carries a purse of $6 million) champion Invasor to the country and Moss has two apprentices both of whom are Indian.
“I am rubbing shoulders with some of the best tradesmen,” he said.
He said the shoeing methods used in the country are different but the change has not taken long to adjust.
Moss got his start in the industry here in Forbes with a four year apprenticeship to Don Mulqueeney, while at the same time travelling to Hawkesbury Agricultural College and studying veterinary science.
Now with approximately 15 years industry experience, Moss said the trip has been an excellent chance to further his skills.
“This is a great opportunity to further my career. It’s a bit further up the ladder and I’ve already had offers to go to South America,” he said.
Moss flies out for Dubai again tomorrow.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
It’s been a long ride for Marilyn Smart
She's won many endurance riding awards in her career
HEREFORD — For nearly 30 years, competitive endurance riding has been Marilyn Smart’s life. After a highly successful year in 2007, the Hereford resident is hanging up her helmet and retiring her saddle, looking forward to a more relaxing lifestyle with her husband of 50 years, Lee.
“I’m 68 years old, and this sport can take a lot out of you,” Marilyn said. “For 40 years, Lee has been nothing but supportive when it comes to my horses. I couldn’t have competed like this without him. So now it’s my turn to give back to him.”But Marilyn didn’t retire quietly. Hoping to achieve some “lofty goals,” on her way out, she set her sights on specific endurance competitions that she wanted to win, a kind of grand finale to top off her impressive endurance resume.
“I conferred with my trusty adviser, husband Lee, and together we decided to set another lofty goal and pursue it with vigor — I would train and condition my Morgans and compete for the Bill Stuckey Award.”
And that’s exactly what they did.
The Smarts logged more than 15,000 driving miles in 2007 alone, as they traveled to different endurance competitions in six states.
In a sport dominated by Arabian horses, a breed known for its stamina and endurance, Marilyn’s two horses were an exception. She won top honors and national recognition with two Morgan horses, brother and sister Excalibur Gabriel and Excalibur Annakate. Gabe was Marilyn’s primary horse during the competitions, carrying her 1,735 miles of the 2,095 total miles that she logged.
The year 2007 was a stellar one for Marilyn and her horses. They earned the Morgan Open High-Point Award two different times that year. In addition, Marilyn achieved a number of national accolades, to include a personal aspiration, the Bill Stuckey Award. It’s an award that honors a rider 65 years of age or older, who has the greatest number of miles in a season. Stuckey was a personal friend of Marilyn’s, someone she met when she started competing in endurance in the early ’80s. A highly competitive senior endurance rider, Stuckey actually died on the trail.
“He (Stuckey) was a legend in endurance riding then, as he is today,” Marilyn said of her friend. “I’m honored to receive the award bearing his name.”
Also in 2007, Marilyn and Gabe won the Pioneer Award, presented to the competitor with the most points in a multi-day event of 155 or more miles. She earned second place in the National Mileage Championship and was honored with six regional awards, to include first place wins in the Regional Point Standings, Southwest Region Featherweight Division and the Regional Rider Mileage Award for the Southwest Region.
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled, long-distance rides, usually varying between 50 and 100 miles. There are, however, shorter rides for beginners and longer, multi-day events for the die-hard, experienced competitors like Marilyn Smart. It’s a sport that takes competitors and their horses through scenic country, faraway destinations, rugged trails and nights spent under the stars or in the sleeping quarters of horse trailers.
Riders chose their pace during a competition, making adjustments with changes in terrain and the horse’s condition. Before each ride, horses are inspected by a veterinarian to ensure they are fit enough to tackle the course.
In addition, horses are checked at different points throughout a race, where veterinarians look for soundness and dehydration. The horse’s pulse and respiration are taken at the veterinarian inspection points, as well. Veterinarians will eliminate horses from a competition if deemed unfit to continue.
Horses are fed and watered after the inspection, giving them a break before continuing on.
The following is taken from Marilyn’s 2007 competition experiences, in what she dubbed the “June Campaign.”
“Our posse, Lee and I, scout dogs Dingo and Spunky and my mounts Gabe and Annakate, left our home in Hereford at 5 a.m. on June 1st, on an odyssey that would take us through four states and cover 3,578 miles,” Marilyn wrote.
The first ride of that odyssey was the Pony Express out of Fort Shellbourne, Nev., a five-day, 250-mile ride through the rugged Shell Creek Mountain Range. On the third day of the competition, riders faced high wind and driving snow as they tackled an uphill climb over a mountainous pass. The weather was so cold that day, a vet check was cut from 45 minutes to 15 so the horses could stay warmed up.
“Fortunately, I was riding with three knowledgeable endurance riders that knew the trail,” Marilyn wrote in her journal. “As we continued to climb, the bad weather got worse. We were now riding in driving winds, sleet beating into our faces and almost white-out conditions ... It was all I could do to keep Gabe on the trail.” As riders dropped to the other side of the mountain, the weather let up. Marilyn recalls being “grateful but not surprised that Gabe never faltered as we rode on to the finish line.”
The fourth day was much easier. The riders stayed in lower elevations and snow was minimal. On day five, Mother Nature gave the riders a welcome reprieve, with a sunny day, calmer winds and temperatures in the low 80s. Marilyn and Gabe finished second overall. Seventy-one horse/rider teams started the competition, with 13 horse/rider teams completing all five days.
According to the American Endurance Ride Conference, in 2006 there were more than 3,000 Arabian and Arabian crosses involved with endurance competition, as compared with 60 Morgans. “Her accomplishments with our two Morgans are amazing, something we’re very proud of,” Lee said of his wife.
Marilyn’s attraction to horses goes way back, when she started riding as a teen on a ranch in Northern California. In 1970, Lee was stationed in Ethiopia, where Marilyn, her three daughters and one son all rode horses, competing in gymkhanas and open jumping classes.
From 1972 through 1975, the family lived in Germany, where they rode, as well. While living in Missouri, the family owned two horses, a thoroughbred and a paint. During that time, Marilyn competed in dressage. “I started endurance riding in 1980 when we were living in Southern California,” Marilyn said. “At that time, I was riding Arabians, and did well in regional competitions.”
When her two Arabs passed their competitive prime, Marilyn thought her endurance days might be over. But she acquired the two Morgans, trained and conditioned them, and started competing again, with Lee’s support.
Now that she has accomplished her competition goals, Marilyn is stepping out of endurance riding. She is selling her Morgans and plans to enjoy a life of leisure with Lee, golfing and traveling.
Smart’s achievements
The following statistics are provided by American Endurance Ride Conference in the 2007 Yearbook of Endurance Riding:
• Marilyn Smart and Excalibur Gabriel finished first in the Southwest Region Featherweight Division, logging 1,735 miles with 3,608.5 division points.
• Marilyn Smart and her two horses Excalibur Gabriel and Excalibur Annakate finished first in the Southwest Region for the most miles, logging a total of 1,990 miles.
• Marilyn Smart and Excalibur Gabriel won first place in the Featherweight Division of the Belesemo Arabians Pioneer Award competition, with 1,305 miles and 2,528 points.
The 2007 American Morgan Horse Association Open Competition High Point and Medallion Report provided the following information:
• Excalibur Gabriel was the Morgan that won the champion honors for the 2007 Open Competition High-Point Award for endurance trail riding.
• Excalibur Annakate was the Morgan that placed fourth for the 2007 Open Competition High-Point Award for endurance trail riding.
Original Article
HEREFORD — For nearly 30 years, competitive endurance riding has been Marilyn Smart’s life. After a highly successful year in 2007, the Hereford resident is hanging up her helmet and retiring her saddle, looking forward to a more relaxing lifestyle with her husband of 50 years, Lee.“I’m 68 years old, and this sport can take a lot out of you,” Marilyn said. “For 40 years, Lee has been nothing but supportive when it comes to my horses. I couldn’t have competed like this without him. So now it’s my turn to give back to him.”But Marilyn didn’t retire quietly. Hoping to achieve some “lofty goals,” on her way out, she set her sights on specific endurance competitions that she wanted to win, a kind of grand finale to top off her impressive endurance resume.
“I conferred with my trusty adviser, husband Lee, and together we decided to set another lofty goal and pursue it with vigor — I would train and condition my Morgans and compete for the Bill Stuckey Award.”
And that’s exactly what they did.
The Smarts logged more than 15,000 driving miles in 2007 alone, as they traveled to different endurance competitions in six states.
In a sport dominated by Arabian horses, a breed known for its stamina and endurance, Marilyn’s two horses were an exception. She won top honors and national recognition with two Morgan horses, brother and sister Excalibur Gabriel and Excalibur Annakate. Gabe was Marilyn’s primary horse during the competitions, carrying her 1,735 miles of the 2,095 total miles that she logged.
The year 2007 was a stellar one for Marilyn and her horses. They earned the Morgan Open High-Point Award two different times that year. In addition, Marilyn achieved a number of national accolades, to include a personal aspiration, the Bill Stuckey Award. It’s an award that honors a rider 65 years of age or older, who has the greatest number of miles in a season. Stuckey was a personal friend of Marilyn’s, someone she met when she started competing in endurance in the early ’80s. A highly competitive senior endurance rider, Stuckey actually died on the trail.
“He (Stuckey) was a legend in endurance riding then, as he is today,” Marilyn said of her friend. “I’m honored to receive the award bearing his name.”
Also in 2007, Marilyn and Gabe won the Pioneer Award, presented to the competitor with the most points in a multi-day event of 155 or more miles. She earned second place in the National Mileage Championship and was honored with six regional awards, to include first place wins in the Regional Point Standings, Southwest Region Featherweight Division and the Regional Rider Mileage Award for the Southwest Region.
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled, long-distance rides, usually varying between 50 and 100 miles. There are, however, shorter rides for beginners and longer, multi-day events for the die-hard, experienced competitors like Marilyn Smart. It’s a sport that takes competitors and their horses through scenic country, faraway destinations, rugged trails and nights spent under the stars or in the sleeping quarters of horse trailers.
Riders chose their pace during a competition, making adjustments with changes in terrain and the horse’s condition. Before each ride, horses are inspected by a veterinarian to ensure they are fit enough to tackle the course.
In addition, horses are checked at different points throughout a race, where veterinarians look for soundness and dehydration. The horse’s pulse and respiration are taken at the veterinarian inspection points, as well. Veterinarians will eliminate horses from a competition if deemed unfit to continue.
Horses are fed and watered after the inspection, giving them a break before continuing on.
The following is taken from Marilyn’s 2007 competition experiences, in what she dubbed the “June Campaign.”
“Our posse, Lee and I, scout dogs Dingo and Spunky and my mounts Gabe and Annakate, left our home in Hereford at 5 a.m. on June 1st, on an odyssey that would take us through four states and cover 3,578 miles,” Marilyn wrote.
The first ride of that odyssey was the Pony Express out of Fort Shellbourne, Nev., a five-day, 250-mile ride through the rugged Shell Creek Mountain Range. On the third day of the competition, riders faced high wind and driving snow as they tackled an uphill climb over a mountainous pass. The weather was so cold that day, a vet check was cut from 45 minutes to 15 so the horses could stay warmed up.
“Fortunately, I was riding with three knowledgeable endurance riders that knew the trail,” Marilyn wrote in her journal. “As we continued to climb, the bad weather got worse. We were now riding in driving winds, sleet beating into our faces and almost white-out conditions ... It was all I could do to keep Gabe on the trail.” As riders dropped to the other side of the mountain, the weather let up. Marilyn recalls being “grateful but not surprised that Gabe never faltered as we rode on to the finish line.”
The fourth day was much easier. The riders stayed in lower elevations and snow was minimal. On day five, Mother Nature gave the riders a welcome reprieve, with a sunny day, calmer winds and temperatures in the low 80s. Marilyn and Gabe finished second overall. Seventy-one horse/rider teams started the competition, with 13 horse/rider teams completing all five days.
According to the American Endurance Ride Conference, in 2006 there were more than 3,000 Arabian and Arabian crosses involved with endurance competition, as compared with 60 Morgans. “Her accomplishments with our two Morgans are amazing, something we’re very proud of,” Lee said of his wife.
Marilyn’s attraction to horses goes way back, when she started riding as a teen on a ranch in Northern California. In 1970, Lee was stationed in Ethiopia, where Marilyn, her three daughters and one son all rode horses, competing in gymkhanas and open jumping classes.
From 1972 through 1975, the family lived in Germany, where they rode, as well. While living in Missouri, the family owned two horses, a thoroughbred and a paint. During that time, Marilyn competed in dressage. “I started endurance riding in 1980 when we were living in Southern California,” Marilyn said. “At that time, I was riding Arabians, and did well in regional competitions.”
When her two Arabs passed their competitive prime, Marilyn thought her endurance days might be over. But she acquired the two Morgans, trained and conditioned them, and started competing again, with Lee’s support.
Now that she has accomplished her competition goals, Marilyn is stepping out of endurance riding. She is selling her Morgans and plans to enjoy a life of leisure with Lee, golfing and traveling.
Smart’s achievements
The following statistics are provided by American Endurance Ride Conference in the 2007 Yearbook of Endurance Riding:
• Marilyn Smart and Excalibur Gabriel finished first in the Southwest Region Featherweight Division, logging 1,735 miles with 3,608.5 division points.
• Marilyn Smart and her two horses Excalibur Gabriel and Excalibur Annakate finished first in the Southwest Region for the most miles, logging a total of 1,990 miles.
• Marilyn Smart and Excalibur Gabriel won first place in the Featherweight Division of the Belesemo Arabians Pioneer Award competition, with 1,305 miles and 2,528 points.
The 2007 American Morgan Horse Association Open Competition High Point and Medallion Report provided the following information:
• Excalibur Gabriel was the Morgan that won the champion honors for the 2007 Open Competition High-Point Award for endurance trail riding.
• Excalibur Annakate was the Morgan that placed fourth for the 2007 Open Competition High-Point Award for endurance trail riding.
Original Article
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Ride & Tie World Championship: Applegate teen wins title
Full article at Colfaxrecord.com
photo:Applegate resident Sara Howard, 15, teamed with her father, 53-year-old Jim Howard and their steed, Magic Sirocco, to win the Ride & Tie World Championship last Saturday. Sarah is the youngest person ever to win the event. Magic Sirocco also earned the Best Condition award.
Carol Ruprecht, Special to the Colfax Record
Sara Howad youngest person to win Ride & Tie World Championship
PLUMAS COUNTY -- Applegate resident Sara Howard became the youngest person ever to win the Ride & Tie World Championship last Saturday.
She also enters the rarified ranks of women who have won the overall event. There are only three female winners in the 38-year history of the sport.
And to the satisfaction of this young athlete, she and her partner rode their steed, Magic Sirocco, to his fourth Ride & Tie World Championship Best Condition award.
Howard, who runs high school cross country and track and competes in endurance riding, teamed with her father, Jim Howard for this, her first Ride & Tie World Championship effort.
Howard declined the prize money in order to maintain her amateur running status.
At 53, Jim Howard is a well-known Masters ultrarunner and now a ten-time Ride & Tie World Champion.
“Sara has been conditioning the horse for me for the past three years. She wanted to do the championship, which is all fine and exciting, but nerve wracking for me as a parent,” he said. “It is a risky sport.”
Jim’s concerns finally eased only when the start of the race went smoothly.
“Our strategy worked. We put Sara out in the front of the team, where there would be less potential commotion with other teams. I still wasn’t sure we were doing the right thing,” he said.
“My daddy ran a lot of it for me” reports Sara Howard.
Their best estimate is that Sara ran a total of 14 miles during the race -- more than a normal workout, but certainly within the scope of her training.
Prior to this year’s event, the record for the youngest win was held by a young man who won the original Levi’s Ride & Tie in 1971 at age 17.
Best Condition is awarded by the veterinarian staff to the horse that performs at the top level of the event, and still shows as most “fit to continue.”
While Sara thought it was “kind of a surprise” to have Magic Sirocco win the honors, she admitted that it was nice, after all the conditioning and training she put in to getting him ready for the race.
Her father had a little bit more confidence his horse might win the award.
“We took really good care of the horse. He had so much energy toward the end that he was still
spooking. It’s always chancy though: there is a gauntlet of rocks” on that course, he said.
The pinnacle of an outstanding horse’s ride and tie career is induction into the Ride & Tie Hall of Fame.
Magic Sirocco’s record, which is far from completed, bears watching in this regard.
Twin sisters Uta Konig and Miriam Schmidt of Germany accepted a free entry offered to the international team by the Ride & Tie Association and they represented the world in “World Championship.”
Both sisters are athletes, riders since age 7, and competitors in the sport of Ride & Tie in Germany for the past 15 years.
Nothing they had seen in Germany prepared them for their first look at the World Championship course in Taylorsville.
Repeating the same trail set in 1991 and used again in 1994, this year’s course is possibly the most rugged course in the history of the World Championship event.
Base camp and the starting line are at approximately 3,500 feet elevation. The high point of Mount Jura is over 6,000 feet.
The course ran teams up several mountainsides and plunged them into an equal number of ravines before presenting them with the final heartbreaking slog up Mount Jura at mile 29.
Competitors who had faced that same late-in-the-race climb in the 1990s had not forgotten: it is mostly described as “dreaded” Mount Jura and is followed by a steep descent to the finish line at 34 miles total race distance.
After seeing part of the course on their first day at the race-site, the German team considered withdrawing from the event. The sisters’ primary hope had been to survive the event and possibly place well.
Their primary concern was the fact they were leasing a local horse they didn’t know and hadn’t personally trained for a course they had never seen.
A few days later, after they had tried out their horse-partner and practiced a few ride and tie exchanges, they were somewhat cheered at their prospects.
On race day they turned in a formidable result: an overall fourth place finish, second woman/woman, 46 minutes behind the first place team.
At the awards ceremony the two returned the compliment: they invited everyone to consider flying to Germany to race in their annual Ride & Tie in July.
Returning to the location of the 2007 Ride & Tie World Championship, the 39th annual event will take place June 20, 2009 at Cuneo Creek Horse Camp, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, adjacent to the Avenue of the Giants.
The 2009 race will be on a revised course and is open to all entries. The association will again include a complimentary invitation to international teams.
About the Sport of Ride & Tie
The sport of Ride & Tie combines trail running, endurance riding, and strategy.
The goal is to get all three team members, two humans and one horse, across a 20- to 100-mile cross-country course by alternating riding and running. Everyone starts out together.
The rider, being faster, rides ahead and ties the horse to a tree, and then continues down the trail on foot.
The team member who started out on foot gets to the horse, unties, mounts up and rides past the runner, ties the horse … and this leapfrog continues the entire course.
When, where, and how a team exchanges riding for running is almost entirely up to each team to develop their own strategy.
The Ride and Tie Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the sport of Ride & Tie and safe endurance horse management.
Over 150 years old, Ride & Tie originated in the old West, where frontiersmen discovered two men could travel great distances at a fast pace without wearing down the horse if they traded off. Ride & Tie was invented as a sport and gained national attention in 1971 when Levi Strauss sponsored the first Levi’s Ride & Tie.
The Association offers a mentor program, partner matching, training videos, hosts practice Ride & Ties, and sanctions regional and national events.
For more information about Ride & Tie, visit the web site at www.rideandtie.org.
[...More]
photo:Applegate resident Sara Howard, 15, teamed with her father, 53-year-old Jim Howard and their steed, Magic Sirocco, to win the Ride & Tie World Championship last Saturday. Sarah is the youngest person ever to win the event. Magic Sirocco also earned the Best Condition award.Carol Ruprecht, Special to the Colfax Record
Sara Howad youngest person to win Ride & Tie World Championship
PLUMAS COUNTY -- Applegate resident Sara Howard became the youngest person ever to win the Ride & Tie World Championship last Saturday.
She also enters the rarified ranks of women who have won the overall event. There are only three female winners in the 38-year history of the sport.
And to the satisfaction of this young athlete, she and her partner rode their steed, Magic Sirocco, to his fourth Ride & Tie World Championship Best Condition award.
Howard, who runs high school cross country and track and competes in endurance riding, teamed with her father, Jim Howard for this, her first Ride & Tie World Championship effort.
Howard declined the prize money in order to maintain her amateur running status.
At 53, Jim Howard is a well-known Masters ultrarunner and now a ten-time Ride & Tie World Champion.
“Sara has been conditioning the horse for me for the past three years. She wanted to do the championship, which is all fine and exciting, but nerve wracking for me as a parent,” he said. “It is a risky sport.”
Jim’s concerns finally eased only when the start of the race went smoothly.
“Our strategy worked. We put Sara out in the front of the team, where there would be less potential commotion with other teams. I still wasn’t sure we were doing the right thing,” he said.
“My daddy ran a lot of it for me” reports Sara Howard.
Their best estimate is that Sara ran a total of 14 miles during the race -- more than a normal workout, but certainly within the scope of her training.
Prior to this year’s event, the record for the youngest win was held by a young man who won the original Levi’s Ride & Tie in 1971 at age 17.
Best Condition is awarded by the veterinarian staff to the horse that performs at the top level of the event, and still shows as most “fit to continue.”
While Sara thought it was “kind of a surprise” to have Magic Sirocco win the honors, she admitted that it was nice, after all the conditioning and training she put in to getting him ready for the race.
Her father had a little bit more confidence his horse might win the award.
“We took really good care of the horse. He had so much energy toward the end that he was still
spooking. It’s always chancy though: there is a gauntlet of rocks” on that course, he said.
The pinnacle of an outstanding horse’s ride and tie career is induction into the Ride & Tie Hall of Fame.
Magic Sirocco’s record, which is far from completed, bears watching in this regard.
Twin sisters Uta Konig and Miriam Schmidt of Germany accepted a free entry offered to the international team by the Ride & Tie Association and they represented the world in “World Championship.”
Both sisters are athletes, riders since age 7, and competitors in the sport of Ride & Tie in Germany for the past 15 years.
Nothing they had seen in Germany prepared them for their first look at the World Championship course in Taylorsville.
Repeating the same trail set in 1991 and used again in 1994, this year’s course is possibly the most rugged course in the history of the World Championship event.
Base camp and the starting line are at approximately 3,500 feet elevation. The high point of Mount Jura is over 6,000 feet.
The course ran teams up several mountainsides and plunged them into an equal number of ravines before presenting them with the final heartbreaking slog up Mount Jura at mile 29.
Competitors who had faced that same late-in-the-race climb in the 1990s had not forgotten: it is mostly described as “dreaded” Mount Jura and is followed by a steep descent to the finish line at 34 miles total race distance.
After seeing part of the course on their first day at the race-site, the German team considered withdrawing from the event. The sisters’ primary hope had been to survive the event and possibly place well.
Their primary concern was the fact they were leasing a local horse they didn’t know and hadn’t personally trained for a course they had never seen.
A few days later, after they had tried out their horse-partner and practiced a few ride and tie exchanges, they were somewhat cheered at their prospects.
On race day they turned in a formidable result: an overall fourth place finish, second woman/woman, 46 minutes behind the first place team.
At the awards ceremony the two returned the compliment: they invited everyone to consider flying to Germany to race in their annual Ride & Tie in July.
Returning to the location of the 2007 Ride & Tie World Championship, the 39th annual event will take place June 20, 2009 at Cuneo Creek Horse Camp, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, adjacent to the Avenue of the Giants.
The 2009 race will be on a revised course and is open to all entries. The association will again include a complimentary invitation to international teams.
About the Sport of Ride & Tie
The sport of Ride & Tie combines trail running, endurance riding, and strategy.
The goal is to get all three team members, two humans and one horse, across a 20- to 100-mile cross-country course by alternating riding and running. Everyone starts out together.
The rider, being faster, rides ahead and ties the horse to a tree, and then continues down the trail on foot.
The team member who started out on foot gets to the horse, unties, mounts up and rides past the runner, ties the horse … and this leapfrog continues the entire course.
When, where, and how a team exchanges riding for running is almost entirely up to each team to develop their own strategy.
The Ride and Tie Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the sport of Ride & Tie and safe endurance horse management.
Over 150 years old, Ride & Tie originated in the old West, where frontiersmen discovered two men could travel great distances at a fast pace without wearing down the horse if they traded off. Ride & Tie was invented as a sport and gained national attention in 1971 when Levi Strauss sponsored the first Levi’s Ride & Tie.
The Association offers a mentor program, partner matching, training videos, hosts practice Ride & Ties, and sanctions regional and national events.
For more information about Ride & Tie, visit the web site at www.rideandtie.org.
[...More]
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Tevis BBQ for Bob Walz
My dad, Bob Walz, passed away May 17th, 2008 at the age of 86. He
had a stroke about 6 weeks previous & just didn’t recover.
We are going to have a party in his honor (that's right, he
requested a party!) following the Tevis BBQ on Wednesday, July 16th at
the fairgrounds. It will start at 7:30 PM approximately. It will end
when we're done honoring the man with stories & memories.
Donations made on RavensEndurance.info will go toward buying a mile
of Tevis Trail as a memorial for my dad. The Bob Walz Easy Ride Mile!
Thanks to Garrett Ford and Easy Care for the kick off donation!
I am going to deeply miss my dad. He was an amazing man. My Tevis
crew chief every year I rode it. My adviser & ultimate authority on
horses & endurance.
He started the New Jersey 100 Mile Ride in ‘62 when I was just 7 yrs
old. He took my brother, Roy & I to many east coast endurance rides
when we were young.
He was the first to adapt Polar Heart Monitors for horse use. He
designed & made the Easy Ride Stirrups for years before he sold the
rights to Garrett Ford & EasyCare. He was AERC member #1520 with 8690
lifetime miles… lots of pre-AERC miles, too! He was 86 & continued to
ride up to 2 years ago. He had just bought a new horse with hopes of
riding again.
My dad was a great guy, a giver and an innovator, creating a few of
the most prolific and important products to hit the equine industry in
decades. He deserves to be honored in a fashion equal to his impact
on all of us horse folks.
~Sue Walz
http://RavensEndurance.info
http://www.MarsanPoodles.com
had a stroke about 6 weeks previous & just didn’t recover.
We are going to have a party in his honor (that's right, he
requested a party!) following the Tevis BBQ on Wednesday, July 16th at
the fairgrounds. It will start at 7:30 PM approximately. It will end
when we're done honoring the man with stories & memories.
Donations made on RavensEndurance.info will go toward buying a mile
of Tevis Trail as a memorial for my dad. The Bob Walz Easy Ride Mile!
Thanks to Garrett Ford and Easy Care for the kick off donation!
I am going to deeply miss my dad. He was an amazing man. My Tevis
crew chief every year I rode it. My adviser & ultimate authority on
horses & endurance.
He started the New Jersey 100 Mile Ride in ‘62 when I was just 7 yrs
old. He took my brother, Roy & I to many east coast endurance rides
when we were young.
He was the first to adapt Polar Heart Monitors for horse use. He
designed & made the Easy Ride Stirrups for years before he sold the
rights to Garrett Ford & EasyCare. He was AERC member #1520 with 8690
lifetime miles… lots of pre-AERC miles, too! He was 86 & continued to
ride up to 2 years ago. He had just bought a new horse with hopes of
riding again.
My dad was a great guy, a giver and an innovator, creating a few of
the most prolific and important products to hit the equine industry in
decades. He deserves to be honored in a fashion equal to his impact
on all of us horse folks.
~Sue Walz
http://RavensEndurance.info
http://www.MarsanPoodles.com
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Local riders turning workhorses into champs
Full Article - Marion Daily Republican Online
photo: Pat Phillips of Crab Orchard.
MARION - In recent long-distance horse races, a different training regimen for horses not known for capabilities in distance events appears to be working for Shawnee Sunrise Farm owners Keith and Sandy Kibler.
Gaited horses such as the Tennessee Walking Horse and Missouri Foxtrotter were bred for life as workhorses or transporting circuit-riding clergymen, but the Kiblers found training methods to make such horses competitive against Arabians, which are known for racing abilities.
This year, the Kiblers' horses have recorded seven top-10 finishes, with five in the top-five.
"Probably 95 percent of horses competitive in this are Arabians,” Keith said. “Often we get funny looks when we take our horses off the trailer because our horses are much bigger and heavier-boned than most horses used for endurance."
In a recent weekend event outside Salem, the Kiblers’ horses swept top honors. In Saturday 30-mile races, two horses were victorious and another was third. On Sunday, the Marion crew claimed the top three spots in a 50-mile ride.
Marion resident Myrl Upchurch finished second in the adult division (behind Keith in the 50-miler) in her first-ever race after serving on Kibler’s crew last year. She led for a portion of the day. Marion High School student Michelle Lazorchak had the best junior time.
“We are so proud of these horses. They are proving they can do so much more than others think they can do. We are elated,” Keith said.
[More...]
photo: Pat Phillips of Crab Orchard.MARION - In recent long-distance horse races, a different training regimen for horses not known for capabilities in distance events appears to be working for Shawnee Sunrise Farm owners Keith and Sandy Kibler.
Gaited horses such as the Tennessee Walking Horse and Missouri Foxtrotter were bred for life as workhorses or transporting circuit-riding clergymen, but the Kiblers found training methods to make such horses competitive against Arabians, which are known for racing abilities.
This year, the Kiblers' horses have recorded seven top-10 finishes, with five in the top-five.
"Probably 95 percent of horses competitive in this are Arabians,” Keith said. “Often we get funny looks when we take our horses off the trailer because our horses are much bigger and heavier-boned than most horses used for endurance."
In a recent weekend event outside Salem, the Kiblers’ horses swept top honors. In Saturday 30-mile races, two horses were victorious and another was third. On Sunday, the Marion crew claimed the top three spots in a 50-mile ride.
Marion resident Myrl Upchurch finished second in the adult division (behind Keith in the 50-miler) in her first-ever race after serving on Kibler’s crew last year. She led for a portion of the day. Marion High School student Michelle Lazorchak had the best junior time.
“We are so proud of these horses. They are proving they can do so much more than others think they can do. We are elated,” Keith said.
[More...]
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thank You from Dave Rabe
Team Easyboot post
Photo: Dave and Okay at the Washoe Valley Ride, May 2008
I want to thank everybody for their support and for all of their donations and contributions after my trailer accident in March. Everything really helped me to get going again. My horse that survived the accident Rushcreek Okay has completed three endurance rides since the accident and is doing really well. I was able to get my truck repaired and had a new flatbed put on it and just recently purchased another horse trailer which was made possible because of all of the help and contributions that came in from so many generous people. There are so many individuals and companies who have supported me in many ways that I am afraid if I listed them I would miss somebody. Please know that I am genuinely appreciative of all of them and for everything that everybody has done for me.
Dave Rabe
Photo: Dave and Okay at the Washoe Valley Ride, May 2008I want to thank everybody for their support and for all of their donations and contributions after my trailer accident in March. Everything really helped me to get going again. My horse that survived the accident Rushcreek Okay has completed three endurance rides since the accident and is doing really well. I was able to get my truck repaired and had a new flatbed put on it and just recently purchased another horse trailer which was made possible because of all of the help and contributions that came in from so many generous people. There are so many individuals and companies who have supported me in many ways that I am afraid if I listed them I would miss somebody. Please know that I am genuinely appreciative of all of them and for everything that everybody has done for me.
Dave Rabe
Friday, June 06, 2008
Auburn-Tahoe trek resurrected in new film
Media Life: Silent movie from 1931 Auburn-Tahoe trek resurrected in new film
Western States Trail’s “They Crossed the Mountains” includes rarely seen footage
By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
The Western States Trail saga was a story just begging to be told on the movie screen. And part of it was – in 1931.
Now it’s been enshrined in film form again and will get its first public showing on Sunday at the Old State Theater in Auburn.
And it turns out, the story is very well told. Luckily the early 1930s film has survived and plays a starring role in the new production.
Colorado Springs producer-director Ginger Kathrens, a veteran film-maker with a Grammy in her trophy case, has helmed a 53-minute history of the storied trail that brings some well-known Auburn faces, privately held and publicly owned photos, and riveting film footage together to provide perspective to a larger-than-life subject.
Called “They Crossed the Mountains,” the film starts off with birds-eye views from a helicopter of some of the most scenic stretches of the 100-mile trail between Auburn and Squaw Valley.
Full article at Auburnjournal.com
Gus Thomson of the Auburn Journal and Media Life can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.
Western States Trail’s “They Crossed the Mountains” includes rarely seen footage
By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
The Western States Trail saga was a story just begging to be told on the movie screen. And part of it was – in 1931.
Now it’s been enshrined in film form again and will get its first public showing on Sunday at the Old State Theater in Auburn.
And it turns out, the story is very well told. Luckily the early 1930s film has survived and plays a starring role in the new production.
Colorado Springs producer-director Ginger Kathrens, a veteran film-maker with a Grammy in her trophy case, has helmed a 53-minute history of the storied trail that brings some well-known Auburn faces, privately held and publicly owned photos, and riveting film footage together to provide perspective to a larger-than-life subject.
Called “They Crossed the Mountains,” the film starts off with birds-eye views from a helicopter of some of the most scenic stretches of the 100-mile trail between Auburn and Squaw Valley.
Full article at Auburnjournal.com
Gus Thomson of the Auburn Journal and Media Life can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
37 Year Old Elmer Bandit with 20,710 Miles!!
Elmer, the 37-year-old elder statesman of competitive trail riding in the United States, has completed his first trail ride of the new season.Only yesterday, Missouri owner Mary Anna Wood completed the paperwork for a further nine rides she and Elmer intend entering this season.
Elmer, among the first five horses inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame in 1980, successfully completed a two-day ride at Perry Lake, in Kansas, on the weekend of April 26.
Mary Anna and Elmer completed 33 miles (53km) on the Saturday and 20 miles (32km) on the Sunday.
He passed the veterinary checks without a problem.
Elmer now has 20,300 certified competitive miles (32,670km), and is only about seven rides away from passing the national record of 20,710 miles (33,330km) held by a saddlebred horse, Wing Tempo.
[More ...]
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Western States Trail: They Crossed the Mountains
Free Viewing of “They Crossed the Mountains” Documentary at Auburn’s State Theater
The documentary “They Crossed the Mountains: A History of the Western States Trail” will be shown Sunday, June 8 at noon at the State Theater, 985 Lincoln Way in Auburn. The public is invited at no charge, and popcorn and drinks will be free. Seating is limited.
The one-hour film covers the usage and history of the Western States Trail, from the Native Americans to Gold Rush miners, horseback riders and runners. Twelve historians were interviewed for this film, giving the documentary a richness and depth about this route that traverses the Sierra Nevada Mountains from the Lake Tahoe area to Auburn. A portion of the documentary captures a 1931 film that features a group of Auburn men who traveled the trail on horseback, marking it along the way before this original Emigrant Trail disappeared into the wilderness. The documentary also highlights a background of how the Tevis Cup Ride and the Western States 100 Mile Run evolved and became such integral parts of Auburn’s history.
The film was sponsored by the Western States Trail Foundation (“Tevis Cup Ride”), the Western States Endurance Run Foundation, the Placer County Historical Society Foundation, the Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation, and the Josephine Stedem Scripps Foundation.
Contact: Kate Riordan • 530/333-2002 • irishkate@prodigy.net
The documentary “They Crossed the Mountains: A History of the Western States Trail” will be shown Sunday, June 8 at noon at the State Theater, 985 Lincoln Way in Auburn. The public is invited at no charge, and popcorn and drinks will be free. Seating is limited.
The one-hour film covers the usage and history of the Western States Trail, from the Native Americans to Gold Rush miners, horseback riders and runners. Twelve historians were interviewed for this film, giving the documentary a richness and depth about this route that traverses the Sierra Nevada Mountains from the Lake Tahoe area to Auburn. A portion of the documentary captures a 1931 film that features a group of Auburn men who traveled the trail on horseback, marking it along the way before this original Emigrant Trail disappeared into the wilderness. The documentary also highlights a background of how the Tevis Cup Ride and the Western States 100 Mile Run evolved and became such integral parts of Auburn’s history.
The film was sponsored by the Western States Trail Foundation (“Tevis Cup Ride”), the Western States Endurance Run Foundation, the Placer County Historical Society Foundation, the Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation, and the Josephine Stedem Scripps Foundation.
Contact: Kate Riordan • 530/333-2002 • irishkate@prodigy.net
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
South Africa: This huge Stutterheim 'family' gallops for kicks
Weekendpost.co.za - Full Story
Tim and Sharon Salmon WEEKEND POST CORRESPONDENTS
24 May 2008
EASTERN Cape horse breeders Greg and Maria Miles's farm in Stutterheim is home to 54 family members - 50 of which are horses.
"We love animals and it's exciting breeding horses - it's a big family we have!" said Greg.
His son Robert, 9, and daughter Stephanie, 8, help look after the horses and Maria helps him run their farm, Bare Acres.
"I wouldn�t swop our way of life for anything. It's safe and a good environment for kids," he said.
In 2004, the couple imported the country's first Pintabian mare from Iowa in the United States.
Pintabians are a cross between the Native American coloured pintos and Arabian horses.
Floral Hearts arrived in South Africa pregnant and Raine Heart was the first Pintabian born in South Africa in March 2005.
Raine Heart in turn bore the first South African-bred Pintabian colt named Thunder Heart in February 2006, sired by the Miles's South African Arab stallion, Jelby Taxman.
Floral Hearts added another first by being the first Pintabian in the world to compete in endurance riding at Thomas River near Stutterheim in March last year.
More...
Tim and Sharon Salmon WEEKEND POST CORRESPONDENTS
24 May 2008
EASTERN Cape horse breeders Greg and Maria Miles's farm in Stutterheim is home to 54 family members - 50 of which are horses.
"We love animals and it's exciting breeding horses - it's a big family we have!" said Greg.
His son Robert, 9, and daughter Stephanie, 8, help look after the horses and Maria helps him run their farm, Bare Acres.
"I wouldn�t swop our way of life for anything. It's safe and a good environment for kids," he said.
In 2004, the couple imported the country's first Pintabian mare from Iowa in the United States.
Pintabians are a cross between the Native American coloured pintos and Arabian horses.
Floral Hearts arrived in South Africa pregnant and Raine Heart was the first Pintabian born in South Africa in March 2005.
Raine Heart in turn bore the first South African-bred Pintabian colt named Thunder Heart in February 2006, sired by the Miles's South African Arab stallion, Jelby Taxman.
Floral Hearts added another first by being the first Pintabian in the world to compete in endurance riding at Thomas River near Stutterheim in March last year.
More...
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