AERC Riders Win Nevada Day Parade Award

Pictured L to R: Connie Creech on LS Shardonney Bey, Phyllis Keller on Curious George, Karen Chaton on Granite Chief, Riley McHenry on Pro Bono D

November 2 2015
by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

16 AERC horses and riders placed first in the "Parading Arabians" group in the 2015 Nevada Day Parade on October 31 in Carson City, Nevada. Four of the riders (Creech, Keller, Chaton, and Crysta Turnage) and five of the horses who participated are part of the AERC Rose Parade Riders headed to the Rosebowl Parade on January 1st.

Now in its 77th year, the Nevada Day Parade celebrates Nevada Day, a grand celebration commemorating admission to statehood on October 31, 1864.

"It was a big parade, over 200 entries, and an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 people," said participant Karen Chaton, a member of the northern group of AERC Rose Parade riders. "There were several other equestrian groups - military horses, dancing horses, vaqueros, Pony Express, and politicians riding."

10-year-old Junior AERC rider Riley McHenry, who just recently joined AERC and completed her first 50 mile ride, participated in her first Nevada Day Parade. She was aboard Pro Bono D, owned by Chaton. Before the Parade was over, McHenry said to Chaton, "I'd rather ride a 50 than do a parade!"

The "Parading Arabians" are all dressed in Native Arabian Costumes. Veterinarian Susan McCartney provided some of the horses, and several of the costumes for the parade riders, and her husband Dave Cookware rode in the lead on one of their 33-year-old horses.

Endurance riders converge on Big Foot

Melissa Woicek (left) of Stone County begins the 25-mile portion of the AERC race at Big Foot Saturday. Woicek won the Turtle Award as the last finisher. Enterprise photo by Jody O'Hara

Stone County Enterprise

By Jody O'Hara
Oct 30, 2015

The Big Foot Horse Trail in the DeSoto National Forest was the focus of the American Endurance Ride Conference this past weekend.
Hunting for Big Foot involved 16 riders in a 50-mile endurance ride and 24 more in a 25-mile ride.
Jane Lee of Poplarville was the manager for the event and said she had wanted to share the riding facilities at Big Foot with a larger group of riders.
"This is where I come to train and condition and I thought, 'We should share this,' because it's such a fantastic facility and it's really rather unknown," she said.
Lee owns the No. 1 horse in the Southeast Region of the AERC, a paint named Ruby, and has been involved in the sport for seven years.
She took on the task of managing a race because she believes she's taken a lot from it.
"I felt the need to give something back to the sport," she said.
On Friday, riders brought their horses to a check-in station where veterinarians gave them a thorough going over, checking for hydration, muscle tone, soreness, tack galls, soundness and heart rate.
Steve Huffman of Tupelo was on hand with his Spanish mustang, Choctaw Warrior.
"We came down to support Miss Jane because she's putting on this race in Mississippi," he said. "There used to be a lot of races in the state, but it's kind of died off over the past several years."
On Saturday morning, the 50-milers left first, followed shortly by the 25-milers.
Local rider Melissa Woicek, aboard her rescued walking horse, Peotyr, was participating in her first endurance ride and was presented the Turtle Award for being the last finisher in the 25-mile event.
"That's really quite an accomplishment, to go out on your first endurance ride and finish with a horse that is happy, safe and sound," Lee said. "Our motto is, 'To Finish is to Win,' and she certainly did that."
Lee said the overall event was a huge success.
"For our first time, we had great participation and the feedback was all really positive," she said. "We were able to introduce a bunch of riders from several states to our beautiful DeSoto National Forest and the amenities we have to offer for riders here."
Riders were on hand from Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana and Texas.

Owhyee Hallowed Weenies Ride to Benefit Injured Endurance Rider

October 28 2015

Ride managers Steph Teeter and Regina Rose have designated proceeds from the Owyhee Hallowed Weenies ride, on October 31, 2015, in Oreana, Idaho, to go to northwest endurance rider Julia Corbin, who was injured in a horse accident in September.

"We've all been there, or been close..." Teeter said.

Corbin explained her situation:

On September 26, 2015 I was at an endurance ride, just going for a trail ride with friends. On our way back from our trail ride, A rider who was in the competition, came galloping up on our horses and failed to listen or heed to our verbal warnings and slow down gestures, and spooked our horses. My horse reared and stumbled over backwards on top of me, breaking my pelvis in the process. Luckily we were in cell service and we could get a call out to get me life flighted to the trauma center. Certainly it could have been much much worse and I am eternally grateful that it was not. And that no other riders or horses were involved. 

Currently I am unable to walk. I am bound to a wheelchair. I can stand on one leg with the assistance of a walker. Idaho does not offer short-term disability and I do not qualify for any unemployment. 

I have not had a clear diagnosis as to where and how badly my pelvis is broken. I do know that I have a very large bone chip off of my pelvic symphysis. I am trying to get a team of doctors to me figure out exactly what I need to be doing and what I need to not be doing in order to heal properly so that not only can I ride in the coming year but so that I can ride well in the next 50 years. Like any horse person can relate, I need to know about stall rest, and hand walking, turn out, and cold hosing lol!

  I absolutely live to ride and to be confined to a chair and not be able to just sit on a horse is absolutely crushing to me.  But I need as much love and support as I can get as I go through this process. I have never been through anything more physically demanding nor mentally taxing and I am struggling.  I'm asking for support for my medical expenses BUT mostly to ensure my horses always have a safe place to live and are able to be provided for properly. And  if something should happen to them, I would be able to ensure their health. 

This next  part is very hard for me to write because I have kept this part of my life a secret to many of my  friends and much of my family.

In March 2015 I went to the ER very ill thinking I had pneumonia. My lymph nodes, spleen, and liver were extremely enlarged to the point where you could not feel my lower ribs and I had no definition to my waist. Through x-rays and ultrasounds and CT scans we found out that my lymph nodes were numerous and abnormally enlarged. I tested positive and was diagnosed with Mononucleosis. It wrecked absolute havoc on my body and left me very weak. I was also diagnosed with possibly having lymphoma. I also found out I have a very large ovarian cyst that needs to be surgically removed. I was hoping it got smooshed in the accident, but alas my luck was needed elsewhere :)  It is larger than my uterus and could possibly compromise my future fertility. Months have gone by playing the waiting game to see if my lymph nodes will continue to reduce in size and they have not. Living in cancer limbo is no fun at all. I need to have my lymph nodes biopsied and my ovarian cyst removed.

One of THE most important things for me to be able to produce from this is rider education, so that equestrians in the sport of endurance, understand that trail etiquette is not just for the safety of your own horse, but  the actions you take in a split second can change the life of someone else permanently and in a very terrible way. And most of these actions are easy to do! Slow down! Don't run up on horses whether or not they have ribbons in their tail! Talk to your fellow riders, ensure their safety as well as yours, and treat them as though you would wish to be treated yourself. I am absolutely not looking to point fingers or put the blame on anyone, Shit happens, but at the same time some future shit can be prevented by others learning from my accident.

In the Endurance world the motto is "To Finish Is To Win" To me that is the shortened version of "TO FINISH (Knowing You Did All You Could To Help And Assist Your Equine Partner, Yourself, And Your Fellow Competitors Without Hesitation Through To Completion) IS TO WIN"

Corbin's Gofundme campaign is here:
https://www.gofundme.com/8h77wjw2

Come ride or help at the Owyhee Hallowed Weenies ride:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2015OwyheeHallowedWeenies/

The Newest Perfect Ten Equine: Ann Kratochvil and GF Brazils Envy

"She doesn't know slow!"

October 26 2015
by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

If you've been lucky enough to ride a 5000-mile endurance equine, you have an idea of the soundness and persistence required for a horse to reach such a milestone in the sport.

There are a few equines that rise above that, to the very top of the sport. The hallmark traits of these equine athletes in the U.S. are toughness, consistency, and longevity.

No award in AERC - or in any endurance conference in the world - demonstrates the excellence of the true endurance horse more than the Perfect Ten Equine: a horse who has completed 10 years, 10,000 miles, 10 first place finishes and 10 Best Conditions over their career.

Only seven horses had accomplished this feat since it was created in 1997. It's an elite group: Becky Hart's great R.O. Grand Sultan+// (1997), Joe and Robbie Long's Kahlil Khai (1997), Roberta Harms' Sha-win (2004), Randy Coleman's Pandora's Pixy (2004), Earle Baxter's CH Catch Me If You Can (2007), Philip Ottinger's Robin Hood (2010), and Karen Fredrickson's MRR Pyro (2011).

On Saturday, October 24th, after completing the 50 miles at the Bill Thornburgh Friends and Family ride in California, another equine joined this elite group: Ann Kratochvil's mare GF Brazils Envy.


Looking back some 12 years (Envy is 17 now), there wasn't much indication of what was to come over the next decade. "When I brought her home to Ridgecrest [California] from Utah," Ann says, "everybody asked me, 'Why'd you buy a Quarter Horse?' She was enormous! She'd lived for 5 years in a 5-acre alfalfa field, totally flat, no rocks, no water crossings, and did nothing but eat."

Ann still liked the looks of the mare, by Brazil DWF out of LL Jealousy, by Lamolin. Those lines are mostly CMK, with a little Russian and a little Spanish. But Ann turned the mare down when she flunked her pre-purchase exam. The owner took Envy to a vet clinic outside of Salt Lake City, where they did numerous radiographs on her. "They said there's absolutely nothing wrong with this horse - she was just shod so badly," Ann says. Even today, Envy 'paddles' a a bit with her hind end, if veterinarians want to get nit picky when Ann vets her in for rides. "It's hard to keep shoes on her back feet because of the way she moves. She wears them off. I really thought that was going to do her in, but it hasn't been an issue. Yep, she's been like that for 9000 miles!"

Envy had only been started a little a two; at 5 she was worked in a round pen indoors, and "she may have been out on the trail 3 times." To say she was spooky was a bit of an understatement. "She'd spook and do a 180 and run off. But I'd already fallen in love with her!" Ann says.


Ann called up her friend and trainer Callie Thornburgh, who lives close to Ann in the Mojave Desert. Callie told her the green horse just needed more wet saddle pads. "Envy was real spooky, and she didn't really know how to rate her speed," Callie says. She's known Ann for over 20 years. "It was either a fast trot or a slow walk. We started training her, put Ann on her in lessons - and now look what happened!"

Envy's first endurance season in 2006 was a modest one, with two Limited Distance finishes and 3 50-mile finishes. In 2007 she completed 10 of 12 50-mile rides. By 2008, Envy was piling on the miles in a pattern that would carry her steadily throughout her career on her march to the Perfect Ten.

Any horse that accomplishes 600 endurance miles in one season (finishing 12 50-mile rides) could be said to have had an outstanding year. From 2008 onward, Envy has racked up from between 950 to nearly 1700 miles per year, starting to finish more consistently in the Top Ten each ride, and garnering an occasional first place finish and a Best Condition award along the way.


Envy excels at 50-mile multi-day rides, having done many of the XP Duck rides in the West and Southwest. She's completed 4 out of 4 75 mile rides, winning 2 of them. In the only 100-mile ride Ann and Envy attempted, they came in first at the 20 Mule Team in 2010 - and were pulled at the finish line. It was a cold, windy, rainy day as it can be in February in the Mojave Desert, and Envy's butt muscles stiffened up. She'd previously had some trouble with tying up issues during training rides, and upon advice of Callie Thornburgh, Ann changed Envy's diet. Now subsisting (amply) on grass hay, beet pulp, timothy pellets, and no grain (only a little senior and oats during a ride), Envy has never had a problem since.

The mare thrived on a busy ride schedule and did not require much in the way of training rides in between. Ann rode her with her neighbor Carol on the occasional 5 mile slow desert amble; and Ann's friend Cliff has for years enjoyed hand-walking Envy for 5 miles in the desert several days a week.

2012 and 2013 were outstanding years for the pair. In 2012, Envy finished 33 of 33 rides and 1690 miles, with 26 Top Tens, 4 wins, and 4 Best Conditions. In 2013, she finished 20 of 20 rides and 1015 miles, with 18 Top Tens, 1 win, and 4 Best Conditions. Both of these years Ann and Envy won AERC's year-end War Mare award, based on the most points accrued by the same mare/rider team during one season. They are on track to repeat that feat this season.


It hasn't always been easy, though. Although Envy doesn't dump Ann so much anymore by her spooking, she does "other things." Like trip. It was in the spring of 2014 at the New Cuyama ride where Envy was trotting up a road that had just been graded, when the worst happened. "She tripped over a rock sticking up, and lost her balance, then hit the berm, and she fell on top of me," Ann recalls. "I broke my clavicle, 3 ribs, had blood on the brain, and chipped my ankle. I was in the hospital 3 days, but I don't remember 2 of them at all."

But as most long-time endurance rider addicts (Ann has 25,000 AERC miles in 25 years of riding) have this gene that makes you want to get back to riding as soon as possible, Ann was back in the saddle 2 months later, finishing 4th in a 50-mile ride in Idaho's Owyhee Fandango. She credits her friend Cliff, who continued to take Envy out on 5-mile walks several times a week while Ann was recuperating, for keeping Envy exercised and loosened up.

Ann and Envy ultimately completed 1125 miles and 22 of 23 rides that year (the only pull was Ann's "rider option" accident), with 18 Top Tens, 2 wins, and 2 Best Conditions.


Ann, now 68, was nervous getting on her the first ride back after her accident - and she's still always a little nervous about riding Envy. In fact, Ann says, "She scares the sh*t out of me half the time. Oh, gosh, does she ever pull. In fact, she's gotten way, way worse the last couple of years. She doesn't know slow!

"She can be really bad coming in sometimes [to the finish]. There's rides where she's not controllable at all. Last year when we came to the finish at Death Valley the first day I rode her, I said, 'Anybody got a gun?'" Ann laughs. "It wasn't like I could let her go! She'd start bucking if I did. She's dumped me a lot of times, that's why I wear a vest!"

Saturday's 'Perfect Ten' ride may have been her scariest yet. "Envy was the worst she's ever been. Ever! I was absolutely terrified! I didn't know if I was going to make it," Ann says. "Along with constantly pulling on me, she was shaking her head. Every 15 to 30 seconds, constantly, she'd throw her head down, almost to the ground, almost yanking me out of the saddle, I can't believe I didn't come off!"


Envy probably sensed the pressure Ann had been feeling in the weeks up to this final 'Perfect Ten' ride. "This was so built up," she says, "and I'd been so worried about this for weeks. I'd been a total wreck."

But when Ann made it to the finish line, many people were there to watch their final trot-out for completion. It was, after all, history being made. "Everybody cheered when we trotted out sound, and yes, I cried!"

Ann will now start to ease off on Envy's ride schedule - and take the time to get her hips replaced, something she's been putting off for years, riding with constant pain.

Callie Thornburgh, who was ride manager for the ride, was so proud that her friend Ann reached the historic milestone at her ride. Callie says, "We gave a little speech about it at the awards ceremony, about what the Perfect Ten is, what Ann and Envy accomplished. We all did the 'Hip Hip Hoorays' and stood up and yelled and screamed.


"I feel very honored to be a part of her story. It's such an accomplishment. So few people have done it; it's something that takes a special horse and a special rider to even think about getting there. She and Envy are just incredible!"

For all Envy's quirks, Ann is overwhelmed with love for the tough mare. "She's just so amazing. I love her to death, and I don't know if she likes me or not!" Ann laughs. "But I think she does. She trusts me for sure.

"I'll do anything for her!"



Pertinent side note:

Ann actually has two Perfect Ten horses in her back yard. Pandora's Pixy was owned by Ann's long-time partner, Randy Coleman. Randy passed away in the fall of 2006. The mare is around 30 now.

Callie Thornburgh also knew Randy and Pandora. "Pandora was a cranky mare. She was one of those kind of horses that didn't want you to pet her or mess with her - just get on her, do the job, and leave her alone," she says.

"I still have Pandora. She hates me!" Ann laughs. "She always hated me; she used to kick me and bite me, because she was jealous of me with Randy.

"And I lost my Red horse last year; it just broke my heart. Pandora never forgave me for that, either. He was her best friend. Red was colicking, and I left for the vet with him in the trailer, and he died. When I came back, she was all excited to see Red again, but there was no horse in the trailer. It was so heartbreaking. She still hates me, because she thinks I took Randy away from her, and she thinks I took Red away from her.

"But I take really good care of her."

16-year-old crowned 100-mile winner at AERC National Championships

by Mary Howell
October 21, 201

On October 8 and 10, the Old Dominion Endurance Rides Inc. hosted the 50- and 100-mile American Endurance Ride Conference National Championship rides for the third time, using the same trails used for the organization’s venerable 100-mile ride, which has been held in Virginia each June for more than 40 years.

Veteran ride managers Joe Selden and Nancy Smart headed up a virtual army of experienced staff who were vital to the success of the championship event. Organized by volunteer coordinator Claire Godwin, DVM, volunteers staffed the multiple vet checks on the point-to-point trail. Among them were experienced Old Dominion drag riders and ham radio operators who provided a crucial safety net for this remote area with its spotty mobile phone coverage and limited vehicle access.

Despite several periods of heavy rain on Friday evening, the 100-mile riders awoke early Saturday to starry skies and cool temperatures. Less than two hours after the 27 starters also got underway at 7 a.m., a rush of front-runners arrived at the Bird Haven vet check at the 15.7 mile mark within seconds of each other.

This fast pace continued past Laurel Run, with five horse-and-rider teams arriving together at the 45.6 mile Bucktail hold. The pace slowed around noon, as horses negotiated technical single-track trail along the mountain ridge marking the Virginia/West Virginia state line, giving riders time to enjoy the spectacle of the sun illuminating the fall foliage in the surrounding mountains.

By the Wates Run “gate and go” hold at the 51.1 mile mark, the course had begun to take its toll, with two horses pulled there. But the pace didn’t slacken for the front-runners, even as darkness took hold.

Sixteen-year-old Bryna Stevenson of Newton, NJ, was on Whispersteams Atropine (Maddie), the $500 mare her family purchased four years earlier, while Carol Federighi of Takoma Park, MD, was aboard Lily Creek Stetson, a Shagya Arabian gelding bred by her fiancé’s mother. The two had swapped the lead throughout the day, with Federighi’s mount pulsing a bit faster at several holds, but Stevenson’s mount soon catching up on trail.

“I was impressed by Bryna’s exquisite balance and horsemanship,” said Federighi, who explained that she’d assured Stevenson that if they could stay together on trail, she wouldn’t challenge the teenager in a race-off to the finish.

At 10:24 p.m., the two galloped in together, with Stevenson crossing the finish line as first in the featherweight division in a ride time of 12:14:57, four seconds ahead of Federighi, who placed as first lightweight. It was the second 100-mile win for Stevenson and Maddie, as she surprised the endurance world by winning the Old Dominion 100 in 2014, as a 14-year-old.

A little over an hour later, Sara Schick of Chesapeake, VA, and Lynne Gilbert of Raphine, VA, finished together, both on Asgard Arabians. Schick placed third on Legalas, the horse she won in the OD’s 2006 fund-raising raffle.

Despite the best efforts of her crew and being triple blanketed, Gilbert’s horse Mercuric was pulled at the finish for a hind end cramp. Gilbert is a veteran 100-mile rider who’d completed the 2012 AERC National Championship on Mercuric and had won the Old Dominion 100 in 2002 and again a decade later. In 2012 she also won the coveted Old Dominion Trophy, along with a best condition and the traditional cavalry award, meaning she had to carry everything she and Mercuric needed on the ride without accepting any help along the way.

But endurance riding’s rules are explicit about the horse being “fit to continue” to get a completion, and Gilbert was philosophical about Mercuric’s pull.

Rounding out the top 10 were Godwin, of Laytonsville, MD, on PL Mercury; Ann Mebane of Star Tannery, VA, on HH Saba Shams; Pam Karner, DVM, of Ithaca, NY, on Clunk; Jennifer Poling of Moatsville, WV, Prado CF; Tom Hagis of Fries, VA (first middleweight), on Ali Mostafa; Nancy Sluys of Westfield, NC, on FYF InZane+, and Trisha Juerling of Broad Run, VA, on Busy.

Two days earlier, the 50-mile championship had also dawned cool and clear. The perfect fall weather contributed to a 79 percent completion rate, with 33 out of 42 completing the ride. Following the 7 a.m. start, nearly a dozen front-runners were closely packed as they arrived at Bird Haven, the 15.7-mile hold.

Trail Master and OD Board Member Bob Walsh had modified the second loop to replace a portion of single-track trail that had become eroded and potentially dangerous with gravel road. As a result, many competitors covered this 16.4-mile leg into the second vet check at Laurel Run in under two hours.

Only three horses had been retired from competition after Laurel Run, but the rocks and pace eventually took their toll and six horses failed to meet the “fit to continue” criteria upon returning to Bird Haven for the third and final vet check.

With a 25-minute lead, Cheryl Newman of Chandler, NC, on JS Comet (O’Ryan) crossed the finish line first in a ride time of 5:12:10, also earning first place in the featherweight division. Next was first lightweight Colleen Greene of Rayland, OH, one of three Ohio riders to finish in the top ten.

Shortly after, the quartet of Laura Bramel of East Liverpool, OH, on RHS Sitara; Alex Upsenski of Rock Creek, OH; and Gina Hagis of Fries, VA, on Lumina, and Godwin, riding EH Ahmose, tied for third place with a ride time of 5:43:54. Uspenski was first in the heavyweight division on his Arabian gelding Marton, who’d earned three best conditions in a row just prior to the National Championship.

Next in were Verena Stock of Camden, SC, on King Tiki, in seventh. Sallie Sullivan, of Canfield, OH, finished eighth on Ivan Groznyi and Jesse Jarrett, of Lenoir, NC, was the ninth place finisher and first middleweight on Smoke Deuce. Rounding out the top ten were Holly Corcoran and Poete, who traveled from Stroudsburg, PA, for the championships.

Newman’s horse, O’Ryan, earned both best condition and high vet score. As manager of the Biltmore endurance ride in North Carolina each May, O’Ryan had been piloted by family friends for his several 100-mile finishes on Biltmore trails, including the 2012 AERC National Championship, but this was their time to shine together.

Traveling all the way from Brunswick, ME, junior Sarah Buckley was sponsored by three riders, Kelly Lane, Jennifer Smith and Elyse Carreno, who each had years of experience riding the technical OD trails. “Elyse and Jen needed to slow their pace, so they sent Sarah on with me,” explained Lane. “We’re really proud of helping ensure her completion despite her pony having never encountered that many rocks before!” Buckley ended up tying for 21st overall with Lane and Karen Neuenschwander.

For the first time, both a 25-mile limited distance open ride and a ride-and-tie event were held in conjunction with the AERC National Championship, on the day between the 50- and 100-mile competitions. A total of 44 limited distance riders and nine ride-and-tie teams added both revenue and more spectators to the event.

“While we were prepared for many more entries,” said Walsh, “we were delighted by the sportsmanship of all who competed and grateful to our sponsors, who together provided nearly $12,000 in cash or in-kind donations.”

Smart added, “Joe and I were delighted with the good spirit and attitude of all who were there, enjoying the beautiful weather and the difficult trail, whether rider, crew or volunteer, or some of the most dedicated and experienced veterinary judges in our sport. Everyone seemed to capture that special feeling that only a championship can bring.”

AERC’s 2016 national championship will be held September 8 and 10 on the riding trails of Antelope Island State Park, which lies within the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
- - -
For more information about endurance riding, or to request a free information packet, please contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, California, at 866-271-2372, email aerc@foothill.net, or visit www.aerc.org

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About the Old Dominion Rides, Inc.
Formed in 1973 as a 501c(3) nonprofit to promote and support the sport of endurance riding, the Old Dominion offers three AERC-sanctioned rides as well as several ride-and-tie events each year, but takes seriously its mission to preserve trails and educate riders “in the enjoyment, safety and well-being of the working endurance horses” by offering regular clinics and training rides.

The Old Dominion previously hosted the 1988 AERC National Championship in Front Royal and 2006 AERC National Championship in Fort Valley. In 2008, loss of those trails from development led the organization to move its 100-mile ride south and west to Orkney Springs, with nearly all of its trails now within the George Washington National Forest, in Virginia and West Virginia.

Since then, “Dozens of volunteers have worked countless hours to develop our new trail system and vet check locations, as well as improve our base camp along Happy Valley Road,” explained Jack Weber, an Old Dominion board member who managed the ride’s base camp and emceed the national championship award ceremonies.

Weber credits OD board member Virginia Ingram for the base camp’s cheerful and beautiful landscaping. She and her son and daughter installed footbridges across the creek dividing the meals tent from the vetting, vendor and camping areas. Bright flowerbeds and Halloween-themed decorations, with lights woven through tree limbs and along paths, adding a festive flair to the event.

The Old Dominion looks forward to welcoming endurance riders to its beautiful base camp for many years to come.

Chile: World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders

Follow the event in Chile on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chilewec2015

Official event website: http://www.chilewec2015.com/

Suzanne White Hedgecock

Suzanne White Hedgecock passed on October 22. She was a talented horsewoman and a friend to many. Sue lived a full life with her love of family, and passion for sport. She was a first class ski coach out of Park City, Utah, and an avid Endurance rider with almost 12,000 miles of AERC competition. She rode at all competitive levels, and also participated in the 2000 mile Pony Express ride across the United States. Sue and her horse Julio's Last Chance won the coveted Haggin's Cup Award at the 2012 Tevis, a special lifetime achievement for her. Sue touched many lives and will be missed.

Anne Ayala Junior Scholarship Applications Available

AERC.org

Applications are open for the 2016 Anne Ayala Junior Scholarship. Applications are due by 1/4/16. (Check out the link for all details.)

AERC Juniors and Young Riders in good standing from their high school senior year through age 21 are invited to apply for the 2016 Anne Ayala Junior Scholarship. (You must be younger than 22 as of 1/1/2016)

Applicants must have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0 and a minimum of 500 AERC lifetime miles.

One scholarship of $1000 will be awarded. This will be paid directly to the school and credited to your tuition. This scholarship can be applied to colleges and universities as well as technical schools and specialized training programs.

Applications will be reviewed by the AERC Hall of Fame Committee, and the 2016 AERC scholarship recipient will be announced at the AERC Annual Convention on February 20, 2016, in Reno, Nevada

Past recipients are not eligible.

Applications must be received by January 4, 2016, and must be submitted to the AERC office via mail: AERC, Attn: Scholarship, P.O. Box 6027, Auburn, CA 95604 or e-mail: endurancenews@foothill.net (see application form for details: http://www.aerc.org/Static/Temp/2016Scholarship.pdf )

Lady Long Rider Ends Cross Country Ride in Chewelah

Chewelahindependent.com - Full Article

THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2015
By Jamie Henneman, The Independent Staff

When Bernice Ende rode her two Fjord horses down Flowery Trail Road and into Chewelah last week, it was her last stop on an US coast-to-coast ride for 2015. Ende, a 61 year-old former ballet teacher, started riding long endurance distances in 2005 after she retired from teaching ballet in Trego, Montana. Ende said on her blog, www.endeofthetrail.com, that her inspiration to do long distance rides came from her Minnesota farmgirl upbringing and her life-long love of horses. Horses are also what brought her to dance, said Ende.

“One might ask, ‘how does a Minnesota farm girl get to ballet teacher?’ The horse, that is how. I was inspired by the horse, a most gifted dancer indeed,” Ende wrote.

Ende studied under Ms. Susan Higgens in Portland at the Royal Academy of Dance. She also has a fitness Specialist degree from the Lake Washington Voc-Tech, in Bellingham. Ende taught corporate dance/fitness and classical ballet for 25 years and in 1992 moved east from Seattle to Trego, Montana. She opened The Community Dance Studio in Trego and the Whitefish School of Classical Ballet in Whitefish, Montana...

Read more here:
http://www.chewelahindependent.com/news/featured-news/2529-lady-long-rider-ends-cross-country-ride-in-chewelah

Tevis Talks with Ben Masters, Unbranded 'Mastermind'

Teviscup.org

Tevis Talks presents a conversation with Ben Masters, the "mastermind" behind the film Unbranded, a 3000-mile ride he and 3 friends completed along the Continental Divide in 2010 on mustangs.

The event will take place Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at The State Theatre in Auburn, California, at 7:30 PM with host Matt Scribner. Tickets are available at Teviscup.org store, and at the Unbranded screening on December 15. Signature tickets are $175, and General tickets are $40. All proceeds go to the Western States Trail Foundation.

Fredon teen rides to national championship

NJHerald.com - Full Article

Posted: Oct 18, 2015

By BRUCE A. SCRUTON
bscruton@njherald.com

STILLWATER — Maddy was showing her independent streak, her owner explained, as the horse stood in the pasture, one of two horses that refused to be caught and led out of the wind and flurries.

“She really does have a mind of her own,” added Bryna Stevenson. “She has an attitude of like, ‘I’m better than you. Prove me wrong!”

Earlier this month in Orkney Springs, Va., Maddy and Stevenson proved they were the better pair in the country, capturing the 100-mile American Endurance Ride Conference National Championship in Stevenson’s weight category — featherweight, designated as 160 pounds or less with saddle and tack.

There were five categories in the national championship: junior, featherweight, lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight. There were no entries in the junior division and no team finished in the heavyweight division.

The pair also was judged to be “best conditioned,” and since they won both those titles, they also cantered away with the highest score...

Read more here:
http://www.njherald.com/story/30290942/2015/10/18/fredon-teen-rides-to-national-championship

Holly Corcoran to give TED talk on her field

Poconorecord.com - Full Article

Leading local experts to give TED talks on their fields

Oct. 14, 2015 at 8:26 PM

TED is coming to Stroudsburg on Saturday at the Hughes Library of the Eastern Monroe Public Library on 1002 N. 9th St. in Stroudsburg starting at 9:30 a.m.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today's leading thinkers and doers.

There will be coffee and breakfast. This free event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For further information, call 570-421-080, ext. 304. Registration is required. Seating is limited to 100 persons. Register for this event at: eventbrite.com/e/tedx-stroudsburglibrary-tickets-18823830584.

...

Holly Corcoran - Enduring passion: Endurance horseback riding and life's lessons. Corcoran is a Certified Public Accountant and a partner in her firm. She is also a passionate endurance equestrian rider and trainer. She has developed a deep connection with her equine partners and competed in national and international endurance competitions...

More at:
http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20151014/NEWS/151019702/101010/NEWS

On the trail with the Lakeside Frontier Riders

Eccalifornian.com - Full Article

Betty McMillen
Wed October 14 2015

Lakeside Frontier Riders sounds like a bunch of old western movies, cowboys and cowgirls riding hard along the dusty trails. Yep, that’s just about how they still are ... not that much has changed over the years.

Recently the Frontier Riders went horse camping at Los Vaqueros Horse Camp in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, loading up their saddles, tack, camping gear and horses to take the one hour trip up to the mountains. They camped Thursday through Monday and got in some good trail rides, potluck dinners and stories around the campfire at night. Joyce Jewell, past president, said the weather was fair all weekend but just as they were finishing up a ride on Sunday, the rains came down hard.

They came home all tired, dirty and happy, with their horses tired and happy also. Horses love getting out into the wide-open spaces, but it’s always good to get home again. The song “Happy Trails To You” can often be heard coming from the riders whistling or humming happily along...

- See more at: http://www.eccalifornian.com/article/trail-lakeside-frontier-riders#sthash.ytFlRLYA.dpuf

2016-17 AERC Regional Directors Announced

AERC.org

No elections are necessary for the 2016-17 regional director positions. Serving AERC will be Michael Campbell and Monica Chapman (CT), Connie Caudill and Sue Keith (MW), Jan Stevens and Janet Tipton (MT), Mary Howell and Nick Kohut DVM (NE), Paul Latiolais and Steph Teeter (NW), John Parke and Lisa Schneider (PS), Duane Barnett DVM and Susan Kasemeyer (SE), Roger Taylor (SW) and Andrew Gerhard (W). Roger and Andrew will each be appointing a second director for their regions. These new and returning directors will be sworn in at the 2016 convention next February in Reno. Congratulations all!

Four U.S. Horses Headed to the World’s Richest Arabian Race

October 13 2015

Aurora, CO – Four of America’s finest Arabian race horses are headed to Abu Dhabi for the world’s richest Arabian race: The EUR 1.2 million Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (Group 1) on November 8, 2015 at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

“The United States plays a significant role in the global sport of Arabian racing,” says Kathy Smoke, president of the Arabian Jockey Club. “It is demonstrated by the invitation of these four superstar horses. We are proud to have them representing Arabian racing in the U.S.”

Paddys Day (Inaugural Triple Jewel series winner), RB Frynch Broad, RB Rich, and So Big Is Better (Darley Horse of the Year in 2013) are all multiple stakes winners– some on international soil– that make up the elite group of invited horses to this historic race.

“The invitation and acceptance brought feeling of excitement, pride and moments of disbelief,” said Garrett Ford, owner of RB Rich. “We are honored to have RB Rich invited to participate in the Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi and be part of this historic moment for the Arabian horse. We are on cloud nine, how can we not feel giddy?”

Dianne Waldron, owner of RB Frynch Broad and breeder of RB Rich, echoed Ford’s sentiments. “Rosebrook is very privileged to have our homebred filly RB Frynch Broad invited to this most prestigious of all races… History will be made that day!” she said. “We are honored to be included in the short list of the best runners in the world.”
So Big is Better is a classic ambassador for Arabian racing. At 11 years old, he is racing against horses half his age. And yet he is considered a live contender, having recently won the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup at Los Alamitos, defeating favorite Paddys Day.

His owner, Mark Powell – brother of Scott Powell, owner/trainer of Paddys Day – echoed these sentiments.
“What a great honor it is for So Big Is Better to be invited to the Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi,” said Powell, “especially competing against horses at least half his age.”

As the current leading money earner of 2015 with $112,160 plus the $150,000 Triple Jewel bonus, Paddys Day enters the race already poised for Darley Horse of the Year.

“We are extremely honored to be invited to the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi,” said Lori Powell, who is in partnership with her husband Scott, Jim Schleimer and Nicki Forbes-Robinson. “What a unique experience it will be to run Paddy's Day amongst the best Arabians in the World. We are thrilled.”

A total of 16 horses from around the world have been invited to the race, including six local horses from the United Arab Emirates and seven from Europe. Only one horse per owner is allowed in order to eliminate domination from any one stable. The race’s sponsor, the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Flat Racing Festival, is paying the shipping costs and travel expenses of all horses and their owners and trainers.

The race is for purebred Arabian horses 4 years and up, being run at one mile on turf.

Viewing information will be found on the AJC Facebook page as the event nears. Visit www.Facebook.com/TheAJClub for all the updates.

October's Endurance Day on Horses In The Morning with Karen Chaton

Horsesinthemorning - Listen in

October 13 2015

Horses in the Morning for 10-13-2015 by the American Endurance Ride Conference – Rider Fitness, New Cardio Study, Is Your Horse Ready to Complete or Compete?

This month's AERC Endurance episode with Karen Chaton; Heather Sansom helps us with rider fitness, Dr. Zebrack talks about his new cardio study, Susan Garlinghouse Dvm discusses the importance of a horses overall fitness as well as experience and The Distance Depot highlights Anne York pottery. Listen in...

http://www.horsesinthemorning.com/hitm-for-10-13-2015-by-the-aerc-rider-fitness-new-cardio-study-is-your-horse-ready-to-complete-or-compete/

Lew Hollander: The Man in the Mirror

Ironman.com - Full Article

October 6 2015
by Lisa Dolbear

As IRONMAN’s oldest competitor, Lew Hollander prepares for Kona through reflection, accountability, and fun.

Eighty-five year old Lew Hollander was given some interesting advice in his lifetime. "When I was a kid, medical pros preached that exercise was bad for you. They said you only have so many heart beats, so don’t waste them."

The 58-time IRONMAN finisher will be on the start line of the IRONMAN World Championship, presented by GoPro, again this weekend, and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the sport’s oldest competitor—which he set at 82 years of age.

Despite the advances in technology and the sport’s intensified focus on diet, training plans, coaches, and qualifying, the The Terrebonne, Ore. native still sees IRONMAN as being all about fun. "The sport has grown over the years, and I love it. They set rules, but it’s a game," he says.

In that spirit, he doesn’t get caught up with the details of specific workouts or training zones. As he consistently shares with anyone who asks, his training plan boils down to the adage, "move it or lose it:" "At 85, that takes some doing," he explains. "I’m not unusual. The only thing I have going for me is persistence. I just do what Lew can do and I’m not too concerned about what other folks do better or worse," he says.

Hollander isn’t one to riff on his own strengths, but persistence isn’t the only factor in his success. A scientist, father, and hall of famer for endurance horse riding, Hollander has demonstrated a lifetime of tenacity and perseverance—and swears it comes down to a simple piece of glass: "I go by the mirror principal," he explains. "I look at my reflection and I ask myself, 'Lew, did you do the best that you could today?"

More at: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2015/10/lew-hollander-the-man-in-the-mirror.aspx#ixzz3oSdQjURt

Alaska: Saddling up for endurance horse ride

Homertribune.com - Full Article

By Joseph Robertia
Redoubt Reporter

“Endurance sport” plus “animals” in Alaska usually means dog mushing. And that’s true for Iditarod veteran Jane Adkins. But for the past five years, it has also meant horse riding.
While there is no shortage of rodeo events for horse enthusiasts around the state, Adkins has instead spent her mushing “offseason” participating in endurance-themed equestrian challenges that hold a similar appeal as covering 1,000 miles by dog team.

“I’m drawn to endurance, I think, because I’m not fast. I’m slow, but I can complete things,” she said.
But she’s not a huge fan of having to travel long distances to participate in long-distance races. So she organized the Midnight Sun Challenge endurance ride in Nikiski.

Seeing others participate in competitive trail-riding events around the state, such as the Challenge of the North in Fairbanks and the Bald Mountain Butt Buster in the Wasilla area, Adkins decided to provide an opportunity to saddle up on the Kenai Peninsula...

Read more here:
http://homertribune.com/2015/10/saddling-up-for-endurance-horse-ride/

Marnye Langer to Judge Inaugural 2016 College Preparatory Invitational Los Angeles Horse Show

MIAMI, Florida – October 5, 2015 – The College Preparatory Invitational (CPI) welcomes Marnye Langer as the judge for the Los Angeles CPI horse show which will take place for March 11-13, 2016 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, CA. Langer is an accomplished amateur competitor who is one of the few amateur riders to have earned an “R” judging license by the USEF. She has judged at a variety of shows around the country, including HITS Saugerties, Arizona, and Desert Circuit, as well as the North American Junior & Young Rider Championships. She has also judged Arabian Sporthorses and IHSA shows.

Committed to giving back to her sport, Langer serves as President of Los Angeles Hunter Jumper Association, a Director of the USHJA Foundation, and as a member of several USHJA committees.

She also holds the position of CFO for Langer Equestrian Group and Managing Director of the insurance agency, LEGISequine.com. She is also a published author of The Tevis Cup: To Finish is to Win (Globe Pequot Press) and has won five national journalism awards.

In her spare time, Langer campaigns her horse ‘LEGIS Rockstar’ in the Amateur Owner Jumpers. The pair finished 2014 as the USEF National Reserve Champions Low Amateur Owner Jumpers, as well as USHJA Zone 10 and PCHA Champions. Langer has also won a variety of medal finals, including USEF Adult, CPHA Amateur, and Nor Cal Senior. Judging equitation is one of her favorite aspects of officiating.

“We are so excited to have such an accomplished horsewoman join us as the judge for our inaugural event in Los Angeles,” said CPI president, Lindsay Martin. “The breadth and depth of Marnye’s knowledge as a judge combined with her experience as a competitor and involvement in the industry make her a terrific role model for the students showing at the event.”

In 2015, the CPI horse show marked its fifth year with 150 student riders and nearly 30 participating colleges/universities from all over the nation. More than 30 states, including Hawaii, were represented by the diverse roster of participants who attended the CPI.

About the College Preparatory Invitational
The CPI is a three-day event designed to educate student riders about the different formats of college equestrian competitions and provide riders with resources to help them create their desired college equestrian experience. Riders in grades 9 through 12 have a chance to win scholarships in hunt seat equitation competition and participate in educational presentations throughout the event. In an effort to encourage academic excellence and embed social integrity as a lifelong commitment to the equestrian sport, the CPI Scholarship and Educational Fund also awards riders the opportunity to win scholarships for academics and community service. To learn more about the CPI please visit http://www.collegeprepinvitational.com.

Media Contact:
Candace FitzGerald
Dobbin Group LLC
603-738-2788

Amateurs Like Us: Kathy Broaddus Rewrote Her Bucket List After The Tevis Cup

Chronofhorse.com - Full Article

September 30 2015
By: Sara Lieser

Veterinarian Kathy Broaddus always dreamed of someday completing the 100-mile Western States Trail Ride, better known as the Tevis Cup. But, you know, I’ve always dreamed of competing at the Olympic Games too, and for an amateur rider with a full-time job and no magic money tree in the backyard, the odds of doing either were about as unlikely.

However, Broaddus, of Bluemont, Va., accomplished a remarkable feat this summer when she managed to not only complete the notoriously difficult endurance ride, but also to finish in the top 10 in her first attempt on Aug. 1.

“It’s always been on my unofficial bucket list to go to Tevis because everybody wants to do Tevis,” she said.

Broaddus adores all things endurance. She’s been a runner since high school and ran the Vermont 100-mile Endurance Race herself, although she admits that after pounding out 100 miles on her own two feet, she’d prefer to cover that distance on a horse.

But any event that combines running and riding over distance is her thing. Make no mistake, at 53 years young, Broaddus is a competitor. She radiates intensity and coiled energy, but her ready smile and quick raucous laugh put you instantly at ease. Line up next to her at the start of a race though, and you’re going down...

Read more here:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/amateurs-us-kathy-broaddus-rewrote-her-bucket-list-after-tevis-cup

2015 AHA Distance Nationals

September 10-13, 2015

This year's Distance Nationals were held at Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area in Tennessee. They provided some of the deepest competition in the past several years. Even with the challenging terrain, an average 80% of the Arabian and Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian riders completed in good condition.

Sudi Lenhart and A Long Way to El Paso won the AHA Purebred 100-Mile Championship in 13:17. The also received Best Condition honors. Margaret Clare Summers and LR Georgie Girl were Reserve Champions. There were 9 starters and 5 completions.

Gunnar Frank and MI Clever Ansata won the AHA Half-Angle Arabian 100-Mile Championship in 16.31
4 starters, 4 completions. Lori Dinkelman and DCL Mooi Roccoby Baby were Reserve Champions and Best Condition winners.

Heather Reynolds and Bound for Honor were the AHA Purebed 50-Mile Championship winners in 5:10. Barbara Hershberger and Kenlyn Irishman were Reserve Champions. There were 14 starters and 13 completions. Best Condition went to fourth place Cheryl Newman and JS Comet.

Wendy Justice and Rococo Amber were the AHA Half-Angle Arabian 50-Mile Championship winners in 6:17. They also won the Best Condition Award. Margaret Clare Summers and Mardi Gras Tuesday were Reserve Champions. There were 6 starters and 5 completions.

Jitske Miedema-Staker and CR Mighty Grace were the AHA Purebred CTR Champions with a score of 193.50. Reserve Champions went to Jean Shaw and AM Radiant Force.

Cheryl Van Deusen and Snake Eyes Leroy were the AHA Half Anglo Arabian CTR Champions with a score of 196.00. Reserve Champions were Nancy Sluys and FYF InZane+/.

For complete results, see
http://www.arabianhorses.org/competitions/nationalevents/natdist/dist_nat_results.asp

NHHS senior competes in Tevis Cup endurance ride

NJ.com - Full Article

By Sallie Graziano | For NJ.com
on September 24, 2015

Claire Taylor, a senior at North Hunterdon High School, finished the 2015 Tevis Cup, a 100-mile endurance test for horse and rider, in 21 hours, 4 minutes in August.

The Tevis Cup, held in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, is the oldest modern-day endurance ride and the inspiration and model for the most challenging endurance rides worldwide.

In the 60 years this event has been held, only 2,360 people have managed to complete the ride, which follows a rugged portion of the Western States Trail once used by gold and silver miners during the 1850s.

Claire, considered a junior rider in the sport, started endurance riding about five years ago, mentored primarily by family friend Dr. Claire Godwin...

Read more here:
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon/index.ssf/2015/09/nhhs_senior_competes_in_tevis_cup_endurance_ride.html

From Trail Ride to Endurance: Not Such a Big Leap

September 21 2015

Endurance riders may covet the discipline’s reputation as an extreme sport, but the American Endurance Ride Conference's "gateway" event, the 25-35 mile limited distance ride, is well within the reach of most well-conditioned trail horses.

As the usual stepping-stone to endurance riding, limited distance rides are popular with those new to the sport, riders with new horses, and young and older riders. Some who join AERC move up right away to the endurance distances of 50, 75 or even 100 mile rides, while many are content to stay with what is often called "luxury distance."

Riders have six hours to complete a 25-mile ride, although placings are given and the top ten finishers are able to compete for the coveted best condition award given out at each AERC event. Equines of all types are welcome in AERC rides, as long as they are 4 years old for LD, 5 years for 50-75 mile rides, and 6 years old for 100-mile rides. AERC’s motto means everything to participants: “To finish is to win."

AERC's Fall Special allows new riders to join for the remainder of the 2015 ride season and all of the 2016 season (12/1/15-11/30/16) for $88.75. "We're also welcoming new 2016 memberships, which are $63.75, a 15% discount off the renewal price thanks to sponsorship by EasyCare Inc.," said AERC Executive Director Kathleen Henkel. "You have to call the office to take advantage of the Fall Special—866-271-2372—but you can join online for 2016 through our www.aerc.org website."

Members of the organization range from 5 years old to early 90s. As with many horse sports, membership skews older but, according to Henkel, "We are seeing an influx of younger new members in the last year or two which makes us quite positive for the future of endurance riding."

"I am so happy to have found a group of people that put their horse first for once and go out of their way to help newbies like me," said new member Maria Phillips. A mentoring program, a new rider handbook, educational materials and a subscription to the monthly Endurance News magazine welcome those new to the nonprofit organization, which has been going strong since 1972.

"I've ridden jumpers and hunters since the age of 9, and I was converted into a die-hard endurance enthusiast by a wonderful mentor who invested an entire year into getting me trained up," said 20-something rider Parry Kietzman. "Mentoring is what made all the difference to me and I hope I'll be able to pay it forward some day for some other young kid."

Jessica Brewer Cobbley, a new-to-endurance rider, best summed up the sport:

"It's a very much individual sport on the trail. Just you and your horse and maybe a partner or two, but in camp it's relaxing and telling stories and hanging out. It's people helping other people, it's competing against yourself, it's all hands on deck to provide the best of everything for the horses.

"It's groups just for newbies, where experienced seniors hang out just to answer questions and help you come along. It's people reaching out and taking you under their wing, answering your questions, giving advice, talking you down off the ledge, getting you through, cheering their guts out when you succeed, huddling with you when you fail.

"It's control judges telling you your horse looks great. It's a cold bottle of water at the end of 10 hours of dusty trail. It's volunteers holding your horse so you can pee, or your hair so you can vomit. It's the ride meeting, and the ride sharing, and the completion awards that aren't worth $10 but are priceless and irreplaceable.

"It's the trails you would have never seen, the achievement you would have never guessed you had in you. The pride in your horse, the gleam in his eye, the fog, the dawn, the steam, the sweat, the sunshine, the rain. Triumph and overcoming and enduring, and loading up to go home while you pull up the calendar to find your next ride.

"It's addictive, indescribable, painful, exhausting, exhilarating, freedom and achievement."

If that description intrigues rather than repels, contact the AERC office to receive a "Discover Endurance Riding" booklet or to sign up for membership.

For more information, contact:

Troy Smith, Publications Coordinator
AERC National Office:
endurancenews@foothill.net

Endurance Riders Aid Equestrian Fire Victims

I have honestly never felt such impending doom. - Emily Pendergrass

September 16 2015
by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

Sometimes it takes a raging catastrophe to put things in perspective.

It all started with another one of those LD/Endurance discussion-turned-arguments on Facebook. Emily Pendergrass, a new member of AERC and an endurance riding "prospect", chirped up in the discussion with what she thought was a humorous reply. "I jokingly posted that I lost all my horse tack," Emily says, "and can I do a ride without tack?"

That eye-popping statement caught the instant attention of endurance rider Aurora Grohman of Oroville, California. As the two began corresponding, Aurora learned the full extent of Emily's traumatic situation: living in Middletown, California, she'd just lost her barn and all her tack in the devastating, ongoing Valley Fire in Lake County, California, just hours after the blaze started.

Though she saved her horses and her house was damaged but still standing, Emily says pragmatically, with a sense of humor, "I finally had all the tack I wanted, a lot of brand new tack I had just bought; I was finally ready to go on my first endurance ride. It was just bad timing basically!"

Emily recounts the terrible day: "I was home all day Saturday (September 12). It was a 100 degree day; it was really windy, strangely windy, and it was overcast. I started seeing some brown smoke against the overcast. I wasn't sure if it was a fire, but I kept an eye on it.

"It started growing, so I started listening to the scanner, looking on Facebook. And it started getting bigger, and I knew it wasn't going to be good, because the wind was blowing in our direction. This was such an isolated place up on the mountain. I just started preparing my house, putting halters on my horses, putting my cats in kennels…

"We didn't have any time at all. I think the fire started around 2:00; Middletown got a mandatory evacuation at 6:30, and I threw my horses in the trailer and we headed out of town. We had to stop at another ranch to pick up horses, and we got out of town by around 7:30. So there was not a lot of time for people to prepare for this.


"It moved so quickly. I could see flames coming down the hill, and it was dark by the time we left town because the smoke was so dark. But you could see the fire really well, it was just a half mile away from where we were loading horses. I have honestly never felt such impending doom. It was a pretty intense situation, for sure. I'm not surprised people had trouble getting everything out, there just wasn't time."

Aurora felt an immediate kinship with Emily and those affected by the Valley Fire, because she knows herself exactly what the threat of fire is like. "There's literally an 800 acre fire that's 4 miles from my house right now," Aurora says. "And that's the fifth fire that's been within 5 miles of us this year. When it's close it's terrifying."

And when Aurora heard that Emily had lost her barn and all her tack, she knew she had to do something. "I knew I had stuff to give," Aurora says, "so I asked her what I could do, what I could give her. Emily said, 'Anything! From a hoof pick on up! And, i'm not the only one.'

"I thought, well, shoot, many folks just lost everything. So there's a lot to be done, but I figure I know horse people who have spare gear, and I'm in a huge horse area over here, so let's see what we can put together."

What Aurora quickly organized was a network of fellow endurance riders and other horse people, setting up tack collection spots. "We've got a box happening at Virginia City 100 (September 19, in Virginia City, Nevada). We've got a collection happening at Cuneo Creek ride (September 19 and 20 at the Humboldt State Redwoods Cuneo Creek Horse Camp, California). I've got boxes happening from pretty much Sacramento up to the Redding area."

And despite her losses, now that Emily is out of danger, she's also turned her attention to helping others affected by the fire. The disaster is not over: Tuesday evening, 3 days after the fire started (the cause is still under investigation), the fire had burned 67,200 acres with only 30% containment, with 585 homes and hundreds of other structures destroyed, with 9000 more structures under immediate threat.

After the collections, Aurora will drive up to meet Emily with the donated tack, and when Emily is allowed back into her town, she'll connect with her neighbors.

"I know personally a lot of barns that were burned down," Emily says. "There's this awesome woman who does a lot of lessons for kids. She couldn't even get most of her horses out. They grabbed a couple dogs, and a couple horses, and they had to leave, and she lost everything - so I really wanted to help her out. And I have a lot of contacts already of people who lost their barns, so I'll be able to call them all and say, 'What do you need!?'"

When dreadful disasters like these pull the endurance and horse communities together, it suddenly doesn't matter if you are a 100-mile rider, or an LD rider, or someone who has yet to begin her endurance career, or a trail rider, or a rodeo queen.


"It's rough…" Emily admits, "but I'm not even worried. Look, we're the lucky ones. We have our house. So many people i know - like my neighbor right across the street, her daughter is the current California high school rodeo queen, and all their trailers melted or were completely destroyed. They lost everything. It's sad. and I know plenty of other people that are in the same boat."

Aurora rather shrugs off her quick and benevolent efforts to help Emily and other fire-ravaged equestrians. It's just common sense.

"I'm not even sure I've met Emily in person," Aurora says, "but endurance is that kind of community. I know others would do it for me, so I'm doing it for them."

AERC Board Meeting September 14

The American Endurance Ride Conference held a Board of Director's meeting by telephone conference call September 14, 2015.

Items of business included:

1) Summary of membership numbers and ride fees comparing current year to previous year:
Total membership, rider fees and new memberships are higher at this point in time than last year.
Sanction Fees collected are lower.
(exact numbers will be reported in the minutes of the meeting)

2) Approval of the Antelope Island ride site in Utah as the 2016 AERC National Championship site. Ride manager Jeff Stuart submitted the bid application with a scheduled date of September 30 - October 1. The ride site is 40 miles from Salt Lake City and offers varied terrain as well as camping amenities.

3) Approval of a Trails Grant for the Vesuvius Lake Loop Project, a cooperative project supported by Elkins Creek Horse Club, Wayne National Forest and OAATS, Inc. Elkins Creek Horse Camp is the site of Black Sheep Boogie and Gobble til' you Wobble endurance rides. The grant will provide up to $5k in materials and/or rental of special equipment.

3) A motion requesting the formation of an Ad Hoc committee to review the policies, procedures and organizational structure for providing legal assistance to the Board of Directors was not approved. The majority of directors felt that the current policy of appointing one individual as Legal Counsel, with the ability of the Executive Director to seek further opinions if deemed necessary was working well and no change was desired.

----
Steph Teeter
Northwest Regional Director

No horsing around on a marathon ride

Bakersfield.com - Full Article

BY KELLY ARIDS
The Bakersfield Californian
kardis@bakersfield.com

Rider able to complete grueling event

You can do a lot in 24 hours. Go to work, get dinner, take a walk or, if it’s a particularly lazy weekend, go on a Netflix/ takeout binge. If you’re Marci Cunningham, though, you just might spend 24 hours on a horse, riding 100 miles west from Robie Park near Truckee to Auburn.

The long journey of the Western States Trail Foundation’s Tevis Cup, held once a year on the weekend closest to the July full moon, is a feat for any horse and rider. Starting at 5:15 a.m., the endurance ride covers valley and mountain terrains, with some paths wide enough to accommodate a few horses and others so narrow that only one at a time can pass through. Riders and horses go up rocky cliffs, skirt the edge of tall mountains and cross the American River.

Only about half of those who start the ride finish it. But Cunningham, who had finished once years before, was among the elite few, successfully completing the grueling endurance test with her 14-year-old Arabian horse, Fire Mt. Zoom (or Zoom, for short), in Auburn on Aug. 2. Placing 73rd of the 90 who completed the ride, Cunningham and Zoom trotted across the finish line at 4:33 a.m. (first-place winners typically cross around 10 p.m.)...

Read more here:
http://ireader.olivesoftware.com/Olive/iReader/TBC/SharedArticle.ashx?document=TBC%5c2015%5c09%5c10&article=Ar02801

How I Got the Shot: 5 Questions for Bill Gore, Endurance Photographer

Horsecollaborative.com - Full Article

NINA FEDRIZZI | SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

If you’re a fan of endurance riding, then chances are you’ve seen this breathtaking photo of the 2015 Tevis Cup winner, 72-year-old Potato Richardson (who has won the Auburn, California event three times) and his Arabian mare, SMR Filouette. But the story behind how the photo was captured is equally fascinating.

Photographer Bill Gore has been shooting endurance rides for 18 years, and took over the photography for the Tevis Cup’s famous, Cougar Rock outcropping back in 2011. What’s it really like to photograph one of endurance riding’s most challenging hazards? We caught up with Gore to find out.

1. How did you get started in endurance photography?

The first endurance ride I shot was in 1997. Up until that point I had never heard of the Tevis Cup, even though I had grown up within 30 miles of Auburn. After hearing about this famous 100-Mile One Day Ride, I was intrigued with the idea of taking photographs of my friend [who was competing]. I contacted the Western States Trails Foundation and asked, particularly about Cougar Rock, as I had heard that it was the iconic “shot” from the ride.

I was put in touch with Charlie Barieau, who had been shooting Tevis since the beginning, and I explained my interest in shooting during the ride. Charlie offered to show me where some of the [prime photography] locations were, and we loaded up into my 4×4 pickup and away we went. I had the pleasure and honor to bounce around the mountains for about nine hours that day with Charlie. I didn’t realize the treasure of information that he shared with me. It wasn’t until years later that I realized what an intricate role in early endurance that Charlie had—plus, he truly was a “class act”. A few years later, I learned Charlie was living at an assisted living facility, so I contacted him again to see if he wanted to go with me to look for a spot for me to shoot at that year’s Tevis Cup. I already knew where I was going to shoot, but I couldn’t help myself with the opportunity to bounce around the mountain and hear all of Charlie’s stories...

Read more here:
http://www.horsecollaborative.com/how-i-got-the-shot-5-questions-for-bill-gore-endurance-photographer/

Ride, Compete, Endure

Northwestgeorgianews.com - Full Article

Posted in Rome life on Monday, September 7, 2015

Molly Caldwell is happiest when the wind is pulling at her hair, the terrain is gliding beneath her and when her movements are in sync with those of her horse.

Caldwell is one of only a few people in the Rome area who regularly participates in endurance riding — an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races.

She packs a tent and loads up a trailer and is gone for days at a time, traveling to events throughout the southeast where she and other endurance riders compete, testing themselves and their horses while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.

“The horses’ health and well being is the most important thing we consider,” said Caldwell, who has been riding since she was 2. “Winning feels great, but I’m really out there because I love it and the horse loves to get out there and run too. We’re addicted to it...”

Read more here:
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/lifestyles/rome_life/ride-compete-endure/article_b9d69026-532e-11e5-aacc-6747d2b1cd46.html

2015 AERC National Championship Seeks Sponsors

Olddominion.org

Old Dominion Endurance Rides continues to seek sponsors for the 2015 AERC National Championship 100/50 Mile Endurance Rides, which will be held at Orkney Springs, Virginia from Oct 8 to 10, 2015. Please consider donating today. To become a sponsor, contact Beth Johnson, OD Awards Coordinator, whirlwind815@hotmail.com

A very special THANK YOU to the following sponsors who have already generously donated to the 2015 AERC National Championship:

PLATINUM SPONSORS
-Paul & Patsy Sidio in memory of Gardenia Sidio
-Advanced Biological Concepts
-Gold Medal Farms—Home of Multiple National and World Endurance Champions
-Hammer Nutrition
-Arabian Horse World
-EasyCare, Inc.

GOLD SPONSORS
-Triple Crown Nutrition–Southern States Cooperative
-Running Bear
-Becky Pearman Photography
-The Distance Depot

SILVER SPONSORS
-Dr. Sarah Fletcher, M.D., Sterling Osteopathic
-Mane n'Tail from Straight Arrow Products
-Taylored Tack
-Iron Mountain Jubilee Endurance Ride and Ride & Tie
-Riding Warehouse
-Country Aire Farm

BRONZE SPONSORS
-Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health)
-Virginia’s Electric Cooperatives
-Stephen & Bethanne Johnson
-Bob & Kathy Walsh

CREW SPONSORS
-Margaret Wergley

Matt

Dear Matt,

Thanks for the happy moment you gave us at I Know You Rider Endurance Ride. We only knew you for a little bit, but your kindness and cheerful words, and popsicles, gave us great cheer at the end of a hot dusty ride.

Rest in Peace,

The Oreana Riders.

Mathew Buzis obituary

American Pharoah

It's not Endurance.... but what a horse! Races today (Saturday August 29) at Saratoga Springs.

From the NYT article:

As magical as racehorses are in full flight, the horse people who filled the racetrack here Friday felt privileged to experience American Pharoah at rest — especially his trainer, Baffert.

“I think I know how it feels to be a Secret Service agent,” he said, “and to protect a precious package.”

..read the full New York Times article here

Pegasus Awards - Accepting Nominations

August 26 2015

The United States Equestrian Federation is once again accepting nominations for the 2015 USEF Pegasus Awards. These are some of the most prestigious awards the USEF has to offer, and are in large measure determined by distinguished nominators.
 
Please think carefully about the most notable stand-outs your organization has to offer—horsemen and women who truly embody the spirit of the Pegasus, and following the enclosed criteria, submit your top candidates. Befitting of this extraordinary honor, winners will be recognized and celebrated during the formal Pegasus Awards Gala at the 2016 USEF Annual Meeting January 15, 2016.  

To make a nomination you must be a current USEF member. Click here to make a nomination. Nominations can also be made online on the USEF homepage atwww.usef.org.  Please click the “Pegasus Awards Nominations” link on the right side of the home page and log in as an Authorized User. 

If you are an affiliate and would like to make a nomination, click here.

To view the distinguished list of winners from last year, click here.

To make a nomination for the EQUUS award, click here.

To see a complete listing of winners and how the awards are selected, go to this page.
 
• Jimmy A. Williams Lifetime Achievement Award                      October 5, 2015
• Pegasus Medal of Honor Award                                      October 5, 2015
• Walter B. Devereux Sportsmanship Award                            October 5, 2015
• Richard E. McDevitt Award of Merit                                October 5, 2015
• Ellen Scripps Davis Memorial Breeders’ Cup                        October 30, 2015
• Junior Equestrian of the Year                                     October 30, 2015
• EQQUS Foundation Humanitarian Award                               October 30, 2015
• Equestrians of Honor                                              November 9, 2015
• Horses of the Year                                                November 9, 2015
 
 
Nominations must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on each of the above deadlines. Nominations should be submitted to the USEF Marketing Department, attention Trisha Watkins attlwatkins@usef.org, faxed to (859)231-6662 or mailed to the USEF’s Lexington office:
 

RN’s Love of Horses Sets Her on Long Endurance Ride

Bestmedicinenews.org - Full Article

August 13, 2015 Get To Know

One Registered Nurse accomplished her childhood dream of owning horses and has spent the past 18 years participating in trail endurance rides. She shares her memories from the competitions and how horses have shaped her livelihood.

Ericka Bjorum-Nelson jokingly asked her dad if he ever felt guilty about not getting her a pony growing up. Smiling he said, “Yes, but I got over it.”

Luckily for Ericka, she turned her childhood dreams of owning horses into a reality.
trail endurance rides

She got her first horse in 1997 and has spent her life as a horse-owner in a different way from most — as an endurance horse rider participating in several rides crossing many miles per year.

“I heard about endurance horse riding back in the ‘80s,” explains Ericka, RN, OCN, in Renown Infusion Services. “I finally was able to start endurance riding in 1998, when I found a mentor and she helped me get started...”

Read more here:
http://bestmedicinenews.org/get-to-know/rns-love-of-horses-sets-her-on-long-endurance-ride/

Trails Matter: New Endurance.net Blog

August 23 2015

Endurance.net, the world's foremost website for current and archived news and stories and related subjects concerning Endurance riding around the world, has launched a new blog, "Trails Matter."

Trails issues and accessibility are quickly becoming one of the highest priority concerns for not just endurance riders, but equestrians around the country. Rising fees for state and federal land usage, limited "heartbeats" on wilderness trails, the movement to transfer federal lands to states (and ultimately private or industrial use), private land closures because of liability, trail closures due to lack of maintenance; all are just a sample of issues that affect riders' rights to ride on trails, and ride managers' ability to put on endurance rides now and in the future.

The new "Trails Matter" blog will consolidate trails news regarding trails, and funding sources for trail projects, from leading trails advocate groups such as Backcountry Horsemen, ELCR (Equine Land Conservation Resource), AHC (American Horse Council), and other diverse sources. The news will be in an easily-searchable archive by date or keywords.

Follow the blog at http://trailsmatter.endurance.net/

AERC Youth Representative

Are you a young rider between the age of 12 and 21? Do you want to help AERC grow into the future?

AERC has a Youth Representative position - an opportunity for you to attend board meetings, learn how AERC does business, and help the Board of Directors make decisions about the sport. Statistically, we are an aging organization, with a median age of 52 according to recent numbers. We need more juniors and young riders participating - and you can help us figure out how to energize the sport.

You should be willing to attend board meetings and take part in discussions. You will be encouraged to speak on all of the issues but will not have a formal vote. There are two board meetings at AERC convention: Thursday evening and Sunday morning. Additionally the board meets every month by conference call and holds one mid-year meeting. You should have ideas to share with the board about improving junior and young rider participation and keeping the board in tune with the younger generation. You will also become an active member of the Junior Committee.

We would like to select a few individuals to qualify as Youth Representatives so that one person doesn't have to do it all. If you are interested send a letter by post or by email to the AERC office telling us your age, your riding experience, and why you would like to be an AERC Youth Representative. Please include a letter of recommendation from a senior AERC member.

Get involved, we need you!

Horse Radio Network in Top 5 Podcasts Worldwide and Horsemanship Radio is Along for the Ride



August 18, 2015 Solvang, California: Horsemanship Radio is proud to be a part of Horse Radio Network represented at the 2015 Podcast Movement, an international podcasting conference held this year in Fort Worth, Texas and happens to be the largest podcasting conference in the world. Founder of the Horse Radio Network, Glenn Hebert developed it into one of the top five podcasting networks in the world, as announced at the conference last week. It’s a unique position for an equine internet radio show to be amongst the most successful podcasts in the world.

Their growth happened with a lot of hard work and a belief that if you have fun, others will join you. One show grew to eight and two hosts grew to twenty. Now 130,000 listeners in 92 countries, have sought out the network. To date, HRN has 4,200 episodes, featured over 6,000 guests and reviewed over 600 products. The largest show is ‘Horses in the Morning,’ airing every weekday morning in a radio-style format that’s unlike anything else in podcasting, especially in the horse world.
 
With an impressive 70% sponsor retention rate, no doubt the sponsoring companies including Equestrian Collections, Omega Alpha, Kentucky Performance Products, Index Fund Advisors, Omega Fields, and Monty Roberts University believe in and commit to HRN.
 
“We owe much of the success of HRN to our fabulous hosts,” Glenn humbly states. “We are so lucky to have the most entertaining, engaging hosts in the world of podcasting.” Glenn and his wife and partner Jenn Hebert, long time horsewomen herself, have been pleased with the response the show is getting by guests and listeners.


Podcasting is now going mainstream, assuring HRN can continue to dominate the horse world in Internet Radio.

Listener responses have been generous: "The Horsemanship Radio Show with Debbie is so good that although you air them on Horses In the Morning, I listen to them again on their download because they are just so inspiring.   Jen’s updates about Pablo are interesting as my quarter horse doesn’t seem to be real keen on going to our weekly lessons."  Shae, Canada 

The Horsemanship Radio Show is dedicated to the exploration of good horsemanship throughout the world. Recent guests have included Four Star Eventer Bunnie Sexton, Endurance Legend Beverly Gray, Christy Landwehr of the Certified Horsemanship Association and Temple Grandin, author and renowned animal behaviorist. 
 
Since launching in the fall of 2013, guest include Monty Roberts, Joel Baker, Charlotte Bredahl, Dr. Robert Miller, Ada Gates, Joe Camp, Phillip Ralls, Carrie Scrima, Sean McCarthy, Sandy Collier, Mark Herthel, Julie Malick, Leigh Wills and Ann Lindberg contributing their knowledge of horsemanship. Title sponsored by Index Fund Advisors IFA.com with show sponsors OmegaFields.com and www.MontyRobertsUniversity.com. and hosted by Debbie Roberts Loucks (Monty Roberts' daughter) the show includes segments, tips and interviews exploring good horsemanship.  

Horsemanshipradio.com is the fastest growing program on the Horse Radio Network which dominates horse programming podcasting in the United States. A podcast is nothing more than a radio show online.  The advantage over regular radio is the many choices of how and when to listen to the shows.  With podcasts people can listen on the website using the players in each show listings or by downloading the free app and listen on their ’smart’ phones. The shows are found in iTunes for free. It is all about choices.  People listen while cleaning stalls, on a trail ride, or driving to a horse show.

Host Debbie Roberts Loucks shared that “We are excited to be a part of the shaping of the way media helps the horse industry now." The shows are aired the 1st and 15th of every month and can be found here: www.HorsemanshipRadio.com  Or listeners can also search for the Horsemanship Radio on the Horse Radio Network here: http://www.horseradionetwork.com/ or download the app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/horse-radio-network/id672259386?mt=8

It can be found free on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/horsemanship-radio-episodes/id657184487
And Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horseradionetwork.hrn

###
 
DEBBIE ROBERTS LOUCKS joined her parents, Monty and Pat Roberts, in 2002 to build Monty Roberts’ international training schedule and oversee their publishing, product development and licensing. Monty Roberts is the world renowned Horse Whisperer and New York Times Bestselling author of The Man Who Listens to Horses. Pat Roberts is an internationally acclaimed sculptress of horses. A graduate of UCLA, Debbie has extensive experience in marketing as well as new business development. Debbie’s life-long work with horses, as well as her commitment with Monty to advance his concepts, uniquely qualifies her to extend the MPRI brand into a global leadership organization which has impacted millions of individuals, companies, organizations, governments and industries. She is credited with developing the first of its kind Equus Online University; an interactive online lesson site that is already being considered the most effective educational tool for horsemen on the web. Learn more about Debbie at http://www.linkedin.com/in/debbieloucks

Media Contact: Debbie Loucks
Monty and Pat Roberts, Inc./Join-Up® International
(949) 632-1856
debbie@montyroberts.com

AERC Regional Director Elections

AERC.org

It's time to nominate yourself or someone else for 2016-17 Regional Director -- these positions will be voted on in October and swearing in will take place at the 2016 convention. Call 866-271-2372 or email the office, aerc@foothill.net, to sign up and pay the $5 nomination fee.

AERC Board of Directors meeting, Denver Colorado

The American Endurance Ride Conference held it's annual mid-year meeting August 15 in Denver Colorado. Directed by board President Michael Campbell, the day was spent resolving several motions and proposals presented to the board and in informal sessions discussing the various aspects of AERC's long term strategic plan.

Board resolutions included:
-Extension of a media representative contract with Candace Fitzgerald (Dobbin Group)
-Approval of Tennessee Lane as Mountain Region director, to replace Peter Hommertzein
-Approval of AERC International committee's Young Rider stipend for a first FEI ride, an International committee dues increase, and reimbursement for expenses incurred at the North American Young Junior/Young Rider competition. Funds will come from committee reserves
-Proposal to raise rider fees in order to fund research projects was deferred back to Research Committee with recommendation to raise awareness of the need for endurance related equine research, and seek funding for specific projects
-A resolution from Trails Committee was adopted to oppose the transfer or sale of Federal Lands to State ownership
-Approval of an increase in the amount of reimbursement available to board members for travel and lodging expenses incurred while attending the mid-year board meeting
-Approval of a Youth Representative to participate in AERC board meetings in a non-voting capacity
-Proposal by Veterinary committee to further raise the amount of drug testing fees collected from riders in order to fund increased drug testing was referred back to committee with a suggestion to use reserve funds which are already in the drug testing account
-Proposal by Veterinary committee to allocate reserve funds in drug testing account to litigation purposes was deferred back to VC to fund increased drug testing for a year to evaluate the effect of doing so.

Treasurer Mollie Krumlaw presented the proposed 2016 AERC budget for discussion. The final budget will be approved in a November board session.

Board member John Parke conducted sessions discussing the various aspect of AERC's Strategic Plan, presenting details on various program aspects including Governance, Education, Trails and Finance. Parke also led an open session discussing ways to improve board efficiency and communication.

---
Steph Teeter, AERC NW Regional Director

Endurance Trail Riding: Shamong's Hanna Weightman Places Second in Nationals

Southjerseylocalnews.com - Full Article

By William H. Kile III
bkile@medfordcentralrecord.com


Hanna Weightman, 17, a junior at Seneca High School, describes Rabi, an 8-year-old chestnut Arabian mare, as “pretty laid back and a joy to ride and be around.”

View and purchase photos
Hanna Weightman is making quite a name for herself in the sport of endurance trail riding – and she has done so in a very short time.

Weightman earned a silver medal in the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) last month in Lexington, Kent. It was quite an accomplishment since the 17-year-old from Shamong hasn’t been endurance trail riding for very long.

In 2014, Weightman was introduced to Dr. Margaret Sleeper, a native of Burlington County who now resides in Frenchtown...

Read more here:
http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/articles/2015/08/13/sports/doc55ccb53858e62324319314.txt

Tevis 2015 Featured Older Equine Athletes

CS.Thehorse.com Blog - Full Article

by Erica Larson
11 August 2015

There are few things I get more excited about than seeing older equine athletes either still competing at the top of their sport or taking a step down and becoming a schoolmaster for younger or less experienced riders.

For instance, at this year’s North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, held in July at the Kentucky Horse Park, I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw two former four-star eventers—Remington XXV and Twizzel (who represented the United States at the 2012 London Olympics), both 19—each giving a young rider the rides of their lives around the cross-country portion of the event.

And I was just as excited when one of our freelancer writers, Marsha Hayes, mentioned that there were several older horses taking part in this year’s Tevis Cup—a 100-mile endurance ride through the mountains of California.

I asked Marsha to keep an eye on the older competitors while she was covering the event for TheHorse.com, and here’s what she had to say:...

- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/old-horses-better-with-age/archive/2015/08/11/tevis-2015-featured-older-equine-athletes.aspx#sthash.Yg3zrMsd.dpuf