EquestrianMag.com
Equestrian News Release
Impressive results continue to roll in for Easyboot hoof boot products in endurance competitions around the world.
Australia. Carol Layton and Sqiggle finished first in the lightweight division and won Best Condition at the Kiwarrak endurance ride March 21. "Many in the peanut gallery at the workout for all the division horses were heard to say that they felt that Sqiggle had the best movement of the lot," said Carol. Carol and Sqiggle used Easyboot Gloves during the event.
USA. Heather Reynolds and her mare “Gem” won their 5th consecutive event with first place finishes all three days at the Cuyama Oaks Pioneer. Gem also received overall Best Condition for the event. Gem recently was 1st place and Best Condition at the Twenty Mule Team 65 and the Shine and Shine Only 50. Heather and Gem have been racing in both the Easyboot Glue-On and Easyboot Glove.
“The boots have worked out really great.” said Heather. “Twenty Mule Team was a really sandy ride. We took the boots off right afterwards and there wasn’t any sand in the boots. We were really amazed.” Heather has an impressive American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) record of over 14,000 miles.
Chris Martin’s horse, Monk, finished the Twenty Mule Team Ride 4th in Easyboot Glue-On’s with Lindsay Graham of Napa, CA up. Dave Rabe finished a respectable 12th on his Arab gelding, Tigger.
Vettec Adhere is used to apply Easyboot Glue-Ons. Easyboot Gloves and Glue-Ons were just released in January.
EasyCare, Inc. has been a leader in the hoof boot industry for years, beginning with the invention of the Easyboot back in the early 70's. Since then, the need for boots has grown tremendously as more and more horse owners see the healthy advantages of pulling shoes and switching to natural hoof care.
[...more]
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
VVMarchMaddness TrackLogs Look Like A Horse!!
Flora Hillman's 525 Mile Very Virtual Track Logs are taking on the outline of a horse. I wonder what that might imply? 5 Days are left in the race with 5448 Total miles logged by 64 Very Virtual Riders!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
New Zealand: Sophie a natural in the saddle
Moruya.yourguide.com.au
BY JOSH GIDNEY
25/03/2009
Benandarah endurance rider Sophie Counsell has plenty of good form on her side as she prepares for the NSW State Enduro Championships in the Boyne and Benendarah State Forests on July 19.
For more local news and photos grab a copy of the Bay Post or Moruya Examiner.
The 15-year-old St Peter’s Anglican College student was the fourth-placed junior rider in the pointscore for the 2008 Enduro Series and first of all the South Coast riders.
She was the first placed junior rider with the best managed horse at the South Coast Championships at Nowra, where she and her horse covered 100km.
Endurance rides involve minimum distances of 80km over difficult bushy terrain such as goat trails and fire trails.
Counsell will compete in the NSW State Championships at Oberon next weekend
As her successes show, Counsell is a natural on a horse, and recently completed her three trick riding course under instructor Heath Harris, who trained riders for films such as the Man From Snowy River and Phar Lap.
In this she has learnt to preform such manoeuvres such as riding while hanging under the horse.
BY JOSH GIDNEY
25/03/2009
Benandarah endurance rider Sophie Counsell has plenty of good form on her side as she prepares for the NSW State Enduro Championships in the Boyne and Benendarah State Forests on July 19.
For more local news and photos grab a copy of the Bay Post or Moruya Examiner.
The 15-year-old St Peter’s Anglican College student was the fourth-placed junior rider in the pointscore for the 2008 Enduro Series and first of all the South Coast riders.
She was the first placed junior rider with the best managed horse at the South Coast Championships at Nowra, where she and her horse covered 100km.
Endurance rides involve minimum distances of 80km over difficult bushy terrain such as goat trails and fire trails.
Counsell will compete in the NSW State Championships at Oberon next weekend
As her successes show, Counsell is a natural on a horse, and recently completed her three trick riding course under instructor Heath Harris, who trained riders for films such as the Man From Snowy River and Phar Lap.
In this she has learnt to preform such manoeuvres such as riding while hanging under the horse.
Trail Riding Club looking for volunteers for national champs
Times-age.co.nz
25.03.2009
The Wairarapa Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding Club are looking for volunteer workers to help with the running of the national championships at Whareama over Easter weekend.
A late decision to host the event after other North Island clubs declined has left the Wairarapa club little time to find the number of people required to assist with organisation.
But spokesperson Jenny Champion is hoping a committee meeting at the Masterton Cosmopolitan Club starting at 7.30pm next Tuesday evening will solve their problems in that respect.
"We are inviting anybody who can help out to come along and we'd like to think we'll get enough support to do the trick," she said.
"There are all sorts of jobs to be done over the three days so we won't be turning anybody down."
Champion is expecting about 150 riders from all over the country to participate in the national championships which will see competitions held over distances of 160km, 120km, 104km, 80km and 40km between April 10 and 12.
And she herself will be centre stage as she looks to defend the 160km title she won at Kurow last year and, before that, at Hawerden in 2006.
On both occasions Champion, from Eketahuna was aboard her now 14-year-old mare Freckles and the partnership will continue at Whareama.
While "more than happy" with Freckles' current fitness and mindset Champion is, however, aware that a hat-trick of national titles won't happen unless she is 100 per cent on the day, and even then the expected high quality of the opposition could see her relegated to a minor placing.
"You can taken nothing for granted over 160kms, everything can be fine when you start off and then turn to custard" she said.
"It's very much down to the day, you can never be too confident".
Champion does believe though that the Whareama course, which will mainly be flat in nature and will involve up to seven different farming properties, will suit Freckles because she is small in size and therefore light on her feet. "She handles the hills OK but the flat is more her go," she said.
Start time for the 160km event is 1am and the participants will be guided through the darkness by fluorescent markers and they will also be aided by the wearing by head lamps.
Champion is not the only Wairarapa rider expected to fare prominently over the 160kms with her partner Shane Dougan, Sheree Brown and Deirdre Bartlett all having good prospects as well.
25.03.2009
The Wairarapa Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding Club are looking for volunteer workers to help with the running of the national championships at Whareama over Easter weekend.
A late decision to host the event after other North Island clubs declined has left the Wairarapa club little time to find the number of people required to assist with organisation.
But spokesperson Jenny Champion is hoping a committee meeting at the Masterton Cosmopolitan Club starting at 7.30pm next Tuesday evening will solve their problems in that respect.
"We are inviting anybody who can help out to come along and we'd like to think we'll get enough support to do the trick," she said.
"There are all sorts of jobs to be done over the three days so we won't be turning anybody down."
Champion is expecting about 150 riders from all over the country to participate in the national championships which will see competitions held over distances of 160km, 120km, 104km, 80km and 40km between April 10 and 12.
And she herself will be centre stage as she looks to defend the 160km title she won at Kurow last year and, before that, at Hawerden in 2006.
On both occasions Champion, from Eketahuna was aboard her now 14-year-old mare Freckles and the partnership will continue at Whareama.
While "more than happy" with Freckles' current fitness and mindset Champion is, however, aware that a hat-trick of national titles won't happen unless she is 100 per cent on the day, and even then the expected high quality of the opposition could see her relegated to a minor placing.
"You can taken nothing for granted over 160kms, everything can be fine when you start off and then turn to custard" she said.
"It's very much down to the day, you can never be too confident".
Champion does believe though that the Whareama course, which will mainly be flat in nature and will involve up to seven different farming properties, will suit Freckles because she is small in size and therefore light on her feet. "She handles the hills OK but the flat is more her go," she said.
Start time for the 160km event is 1am and the participants will be guided through the darkness by fluorescent markers and they will also be aided by the wearing by head lamps.
Champion is not the only Wairarapa rider expected to fare prominently over the 160kms with her partner Shane Dougan, Sheree Brown and Deirdre Bartlett all having good prospects as well.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Great Britain: The Pony Club Endurance Enjoys Fantastic Launch
Horsemart.co.uk
23 March 2009
The Pony Club launched Endurance riding, as an official Pony Club discipline, on March 22nd in Milton Keynes Campbell Park courtesy of the Milton Keynes Parks Trust. The Park, along with some lovely weather, proved a perfect setting with its mix open countryside and special features; although the concrete cows proved slightly less popular with some of the equines in attendance!
The competition had a full entry of over 50 competitors, with Pony Club Members taking part in four, 10, 23, 27 and 37km Endurance rides running throughout the day. The launch was kindly run and hosted by the local Whaddon Chase Pony Club Branch, who ran a seamless competition with some special touches that included a very artistic cake to celebrate both The Pony Clubs 80th Anniversary and the Endurance launch.
Pony Club Endurance is generously supported by new sponsor Carr & Day & Martin and Nicola Slater, Technical Advisor for Carr & Day & Martin, was on hand throughout the day supplying riders with goody bags and the winners with some very smart polo shirts too!
Cherry Michell, Chairman of The Pony Club, was delighted with the launch and commented that “Coming here today has only cemented my feeling that Endurance being a part of The Pony Club is the right decision. We have riders and ponies of all abilities, having a brilliant time and getting out in the countryside, which can only be a good thing”.
It is planned that Pony Club Endurance events will be run around the country in 2009, culminating in the Pony Club Endurance Championship on September 20th at The College EC, Bedfordshire.
For further details about Pony Club Endurance, or Pony Club Tests, activities and Membership see the website www.pcuk.org or contact 02476 698300
23 March 2009
The Pony Club launched Endurance riding, as an official Pony Club discipline, on March 22nd in Milton Keynes Campbell Park courtesy of the Milton Keynes Parks Trust. The Park, along with some lovely weather, proved a perfect setting with its mix open countryside and special features; although the concrete cows proved slightly less popular with some of the equines in attendance!
The competition had a full entry of over 50 competitors, with Pony Club Members taking part in four, 10, 23, 27 and 37km Endurance rides running throughout the day. The launch was kindly run and hosted by the local Whaddon Chase Pony Club Branch, who ran a seamless competition with some special touches that included a very artistic cake to celebrate both The Pony Clubs 80th Anniversary and the Endurance launch.
Pony Club Endurance is generously supported by new sponsor Carr & Day & Martin and Nicola Slater, Technical Advisor for Carr & Day & Martin, was on hand throughout the day supplying riders with goody bags and the winners with some very smart polo shirts too!
Cherry Michell, Chairman of The Pony Club, was delighted with the launch and commented that “Coming here today has only cemented my feeling that Endurance being a part of The Pony Club is the right decision. We have riders and ponies of all abilities, having a brilliant time and getting out in the countryside, which can only be a good thing”.
It is planned that Pony Club Endurance events will be run around the country in 2009, culminating in the Pony Club Endurance Championship on September 20th at The College EC, Bedfordshire.
For further details about Pony Club Endurance, or Pony Club Tests, activities and Membership see the website www.pcuk.org or contact 02476 698300
Friday, March 20, 2009
ApHC Names "Horse of the Year" Recipients for Trail and Distance Equestrian News Release MOSCOW, Idaho—The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) Trail and Dist
Equestrianmag.com
Equestrian News Release
MOSCOW, Idaho—The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) Trail and Distance Department is proud to announce the 2008 recipients of the “Horse of the Year” awards. Congratulations to Fourmile’s Kuna and RR Roman Scooter.
To earn the prestigious “Horse of the Year” awards for Trail and Distance, eligible ApHC-registered Appaloosas must complete a minimum of 350 miles in ApHC-approved competitive or endurance trail rides.
Fourmile’s Kuna earned the 2008 Year-end High-mileage Endurance Appaloosa Award and the 2008 Year-end High-mileage Appaloosa of the Year Award. He competed in 10 competitive and endurance trail rides for a total 770 miles after earning double miles, which are awarded to “Best Condition” and “High-point” winners. The 1995 gelding also earned a 350-mile bronze medallion for 2008. Fourmile’s Kuna is proudly owned by Lisa Delp of Westminister, Md.
RR Roman Scooter was honored with the 2008 Year-end High-mileage Competitive Trail Ride Appaloosa Award. The 2001 stallion earned the award by competing in 15 competitive trail rides, and completed 495 miles. He also earned a 350-mile bronze medallion and the 2008 1,000-mile award, which is awarded to an Appaloosa for each 1,000 miles that it completes. RR Roman Scooter is proudly owned by Barbara Gardner of Oakfield, Wis.
These awards will be presented to the Appaloosas’ owners at the 2008 Year-end Open/Non-pro Banquet held in conjunction with the 62nd National Appaloosa Show/2009 World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show in Jackson, Miss., June 22-July 4, 2009.
To learn more about the ApHC Trail and Distance Program, please call (208) 882-5578 ext. 221; trailrides@appaloosa.com or visit http://www.appaloosa.com.
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was established in 1938, with a mission of preserving, promoting and enhancing the Appaloosa breed. The ApHC has since registered more than 670,000 Appaloosas, which are known for their distinctive color, intelligence and even temperament. True to their reputation as an extremely versatile breed, Appaloosas can be found in nearly every discipline including racing, endurance riding and serving as reliable family horses. The International breed registry is headquartered in Moscow, Idaho, the heart of the Palouse region—the Appaloosa breed’s namesake and point of origin.
[...more]
Equestrian News Release
MOSCOW, Idaho—The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) Trail and Distance Department is proud to announce the 2008 recipients of the “Horse of the Year” awards. Congratulations to Fourmile’s Kuna and RR Roman Scooter.
To earn the prestigious “Horse of the Year” awards for Trail and Distance, eligible ApHC-registered Appaloosas must complete a minimum of 350 miles in ApHC-approved competitive or endurance trail rides.
Fourmile’s Kuna earned the 2008 Year-end High-mileage Endurance Appaloosa Award and the 2008 Year-end High-mileage Appaloosa of the Year Award. He competed in 10 competitive and endurance trail rides for a total 770 miles after earning double miles, which are awarded to “Best Condition” and “High-point” winners. The 1995 gelding also earned a 350-mile bronze medallion for 2008. Fourmile’s Kuna is proudly owned by Lisa Delp of Westminister, Md.
RR Roman Scooter was honored with the 2008 Year-end High-mileage Competitive Trail Ride Appaloosa Award. The 2001 stallion earned the award by competing in 15 competitive trail rides, and completed 495 miles. He also earned a 350-mile bronze medallion and the 2008 1,000-mile award, which is awarded to an Appaloosa for each 1,000 miles that it completes. RR Roman Scooter is proudly owned by Barbara Gardner of Oakfield, Wis.
These awards will be presented to the Appaloosas’ owners at the 2008 Year-end Open/Non-pro Banquet held in conjunction with the 62nd National Appaloosa Show/2009 World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show in Jackson, Miss., June 22-July 4, 2009.
To learn more about the ApHC Trail and Distance Program, please call (208) 882-5578 ext. 221; trailrides@appaloosa.com or visit http://www.appaloosa.com.
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was established in 1938, with a mission of preserving, promoting and enhancing the Appaloosa breed. The ApHC has since registered more than 670,000 Appaloosas, which are known for their distinctive color, intelligence and even temperament. True to their reputation as an extremely versatile breed, Appaloosas can be found in nearly every discipline including racing, endurance riding and serving as reliable family horses. The International breed registry is headquartered in Moscow, Idaho, the heart of the Palouse region—the Appaloosa breed’s namesake and point of origin.
[...more]
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pan American Championship: Entry deadline extended
Memorandum
To: Endurance Athletes
From: USEF Endurance Department
Date: 3/16/2009
Re:Extension of the Application Period for the Pan American Endurance Championship Team
Extended deadline for applications for the Pan Am Endurance Team is March 20th, 2009
Athletes wishing to apply for the Pan American Endurance Team now have until Thursday, March 19. Athletes who have already applied can nominate additional horses on or before March 20. All applications and horse nominations must be faxed or hand delivered on or before March 20, 2009, and must include an application fee of $50 per rider, and a nomination fee of $50 per horse. Applications that are not in hand by 5:00pm Eastern Time on March 20, 2009 cannot be accepted. A copy of the Pan American Endurance Team Selection procedures including the application can be found on the USEF website www.usef.org, or may be obtained by calling or emailing Vonita Bowers, Endurance Director, vbowers@usef.org (859) 825-6001
To: Endurance Athletes
From: USEF Endurance Department
Date: 3/16/2009
Re:Extension of the Application Period for the Pan American Endurance Championship Team
Extended deadline for applications for the Pan Am Endurance Team is March 20th, 2009
Athletes wishing to apply for the Pan American Endurance Team now have until Thursday, March 19. Athletes who have already applied can nominate additional horses on or before March 20. All applications and horse nominations must be faxed or hand delivered on or before March 20, 2009, and must include an application fee of $50 per rider, and a nomination fee of $50 per horse. Applications that are not in hand by 5:00pm Eastern Time on March 20, 2009 cannot be accepted. A copy of the Pan American Endurance Team Selection procedures including the application can be found on the USEF website www.usef.org, or may be obtained by calling or emailing Vonita Bowers, Endurance Director, vbowers@usef.org (859) 825-6001
Friday, March 13, 2009
France CEN and FEI Star Qualification developments
Portail Endurance - Original posting in French
(the following is a translation from French to English using Google translation tools:)
Some words to keep you informed of developments in the transitional post-meeting held in the FFE and Deauville in early March.
The meeting organized by Dominique Faye in the presence of Ian Williams, at the FFE has achieved equivalency between CEN 2008 and IEC 2009. To be more clear, and knowing that the riders' skills are acquired in life, we obtained that:
- The qualifications in 2008, for CEN over distances ranging from 90 km to 109 km speed free, are now equivalent to the qualifications of the course said "novice" as defined in Regulation transitoire2009. This equivalence can participate in organized CEI1 * this year.
However this provision is very little English: indeed, when they qualify Amateur or Pro 1 GP (90 km free speed) the French riders have participated in at least three tests at imposed speed, one of them is an ordeal Amateur or Pro 1 (90 km speed required). However, these conditions alone are already sufficient for a CEI1 *, as the transitional 2009.
- The skills practiced in 2008 on CEN to a distance of 110 km or more, free speed, become equivalent to a qualification test on a CEI1 * Transitional Regulation 2009 and to participate in competitions CEI2 * this year.
In summary a qualification on a CEN2 * or * CEN3, acquired in 2007 or 2008, will participate in a CEI2 * in 2009.
In Deauville, on 9 and 10 March, ahead of the 40 representatives of Nations Group 1 and 2 of the FEI, in the presence of Alex McLin, Secretary General of the FEI and David Holmes, Director of Sports of the FEI, I held a conference on the challenges of the new FEI rules and the transitional 2009. I highlighted the difficulties created by the application of transitional rules for particular qualifications.
Some points in this transitional place indeed at odds with many European countries, especially those who manage their tour officially endurance within the federation through a system of progressive qualifications.
If the recognition and the level of equivalence of CEN 2008 and IEC 2009 have reached a consensus, as was the case during the previous meeting in the FFE, it has not been the same for the recognition of equivalence tests CEI2 * 119 km of 2008 with tests CEI2 * 2009. If one refers to the settlement therefore transitional as it exists, it is necessary for horses qualified CEI2 * two years to qualify at the same level in 2009.
It should be noted that apart from France and brilliant Dominique Faye, and apart from Belgium and the clear and powerful of its secretary general, no representative of the countries concerned by the negative effects of regulation on transitional 'career development of horses and riders during qualifying, took part in the debate.
The presidents of the two groups eventually joined forces to request that the complaint stated by the speakers, and tacitly approved by all, can find a favorable outcome, but fails to the credibility of the FEI. David Holmes is then intervened to explain that it was difficult to change the rules at this stage. The President of the Group 2 spokesman groups involved, concluded by proposing to put this issue on the agenda of the next FEI office provided at the end of March to find a solution, in the interest.
I hope this brought to your knowledge have the merit to shed light on the current situation and you will wait in the stillness of the findings of the FEI office at the end of this month.
(the following is a translation from French to English using Google translation tools:)
Some words to keep you informed of developments in the transitional post-meeting held in the FFE and Deauville in early March.
The meeting organized by Dominique Faye in the presence of Ian Williams, at the FFE has achieved equivalency between CEN 2008 and IEC 2009. To be more clear, and knowing that the riders' skills are acquired in life, we obtained that:
- The qualifications in 2008, for CEN over distances ranging from 90 km to 109 km speed free, are now equivalent to the qualifications of the course said "novice" as defined in Regulation transitoire2009. This equivalence can participate in organized CEI1 * this year.
However this provision is very little English: indeed, when they qualify Amateur or Pro 1 GP (90 km free speed) the French riders have participated in at least three tests at imposed speed, one of them is an ordeal Amateur or Pro 1 (90 km speed required). However, these conditions alone are already sufficient for a CEI1 *, as the transitional 2009.
- The skills practiced in 2008 on CEN to a distance of 110 km or more, free speed, become equivalent to a qualification test on a CEI1 * Transitional Regulation 2009 and to participate in competitions CEI2 * this year.
In summary a qualification on a CEN2 * or * CEN3, acquired in 2007 or 2008, will participate in a CEI2 * in 2009.
In Deauville, on 9 and 10 March, ahead of the 40 representatives of Nations Group 1 and 2 of the FEI, in the presence of Alex McLin, Secretary General of the FEI and David Holmes, Director of Sports of the FEI, I held a conference on the challenges of the new FEI rules and the transitional 2009. I highlighted the difficulties created by the application of transitional rules for particular qualifications.
Some points in this transitional place indeed at odds with many European countries, especially those who manage their tour officially endurance within the federation through a system of progressive qualifications.
If the recognition and the level of equivalence of CEN 2008 and IEC 2009 have reached a consensus, as was the case during the previous meeting in the FFE, it has not been the same for the recognition of equivalence tests CEI2 * 119 km of 2008 with tests CEI2 * 2009. If one refers to the settlement therefore transitional as it exists, it is necessary for horses qualified CEI2 * two years to qualify at the same level in 2009.
It should be noted that apart from France and brilliant Dominique Faye, and apart from Belgium and the clear and powerful of its secretary general, no representative of the countries concerned by the negative effects of regulation on transitional 'career development of horses and riders during qualifying, took part in the debate.
The presidents of the two groups eventually joined forces to request that the complaint stated by the speakers, and tacitly approved by all, can find a favorable outcome, but fails to the credibility of the FEI. David Holmes is then intervened to explain that it was difficult to change the rules at this stage. The President of the Group 2 spokesman groups involved, concluded by proposing to put this issue on the agenda of the next FEI office provided at the end of March to find a solution, in the interest.
I hope this brought to your knowledge have the merit to shed light on the current situation and you will wait in the stillness of the findings of the FEI office at the end of this month.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
New push for rare Shagya horse breed
March 13, 2009
by Donna Coss
Shagya Registry Website
photo: Becky Osborne on Sunami (Bold Bravo x Shoni x *Shandor) . ASAV newsletter
A new breeding promotion for the Shagya Arabian horse breed in the US is aiming to increase awareness in the breed.
The American Shagya Arabian Verband is giving owners the chance to breed their mares for a stud fee of $200. There are only about 150 of the breed in the US, and 1500 in the world.
A famous descendent of the Shagya is the "stallion of the century", Ramzes, who was by a thoroughbred sire and from a Shagya mare. He began the "R" line prominent in dressage and grand prix jumping family lines. ASAV has a registry book that records the Anglo-Shagya cross.
The Arabian-based Shagya breed has been around for more then 200 years, with a certain type being bred for and ruthless culling to set its traits. Breeders say the Shagya's temperament and mind are second to none.
In Europe Shagya blood it is highly prized, and many Shagya stallions can be found in the warmblood studbooks. It is one of the recognised breeds used in Trakehner breeding. "They can add refinement without loss of bone and substance and superior horses in the first generation. They are not supposed to resemble purebred Arabians, although nothing, but Arabian, is allowed in the studbook. Instead the old horse masters selected for superior riding qualities and temperament," the ASAV says.
"The modified Baroque conformation crosses well with all breeds and improves hip and shouder angles, legs and feet and a soft back that is easy to sit. Typically one can expect taller foals with more bone and substance."
The goal of an ideal cavalry horse was the orginal purpose for the breed's existence. This has been accomplished and resulted in a potent and desirable animal. The breed has been discovered by the endurance people and many purebreds and cross-breds are competing at the FEI level and have won international races.
One cross that is producing division winners in the hunter ring is the Shagya stallion crossed with Thoroughbred mares. The foals are tall, with improved conformation, better feet and legs, and all of the flight reaction of the Throughbred is replaced with a lovely prospect, perfect for jumping, combined training and many other disciplines.
www.shagyaregistry.com
by Donna Coss
Shagya Registry Website
photo: Becky Osborne on Sunami (Bold Bravo x Shoni x *Shandor) . ASAV newsletterA new breeding promotion for the Shagya Arabian horse breed in the US is aiming to increase awareness in the breed.
The American Shagya Arabian Verband is giving owners the chance to breed their mares for a stud fee of $200. There are only about 150 of the breed in the US, and 1500 in the world.
A famous descendent of the Shagya is the "stallion of the century", Ramzes, who was by a thoroughbred sire and from a Shagya mare. He began the "R" line prominent in dressage and grand prix jumping family lines. ASAV has a registry book that records the Anglo-Shagya cross.
The Arabian-based Shagya breed has been around for more then 200 years, with a certain type being bred for and ruthless culling to set its traits. Breeders say the Shagya's temperament and mind are second to none.
In Europe Shagya blood it is highly prized, and many Shagya stallions can be found in the warmblood studbooks. It is one of the recognised breeds used in Trakehner breeding. "They can add refinement without loss of bone and substance and superior horses in the first generation. They are not supposed to resemble purebred Arabians, although nothing, but Arabian, is allowed in the studbook. Instead the old horse masters selected for superior riding qualities and temperament," the ASAV says.
"The modified Baroque conformation crosses well with all breeds and improves hip and shouder angles, legs and feet and a soft back that is easy to sit. Typically one can expect taller foals with more bone and substance."
The goal of an ideal cavalry horse was the orginal purpose for the breed's existence. This has been accomplished and resulted in a potent and desirable animal. The breed has been discovered by the endurance people and many purebreds and cross-breds are competing at the FEI level and have won international races.
One cross that is producing division winners in the hunter ring is the Shagya stallion crossed with Thoroughbred mares. The foals are tall, with improved conformation, better feet and legs, and all of the flight reaction of the Throughbred is replaced with a lovely prospect, perfect for jumping, combined training and many other disciplines.
www.shagyaregistry.com
Great Britain: Tested staying power
Midweekherald.co.uk
lee.glanville@archant.co.uk
11 March 2009
Riding on Dartmoor, particularly the colder northern side, can often be a daunting prospect, especially at the end of February. Despite a thick mist and chilly drizzle 30 endurance riders set off from Okehampton camp for a 14 mile training ride.
Due to the fog they had to ride from marker flag to marker flag.
Fortunately for the horses and their riders, the cloud began to lift as they rode down the steep hill to Meldon reservoir and by the time they had dismounted to cross the dam on foot and were heading along the bridleway towards Sourton Down, the visibility improved. By the time, the last riders had reached Higher Nodden, the last of the cloud had lifted.
Despite the conditions, all the riders competed the 14 mile route, including several new members.
One of these was Val Jones from Feniton, near Honiton, riding her ex-racehorse mare, Flying Artist pictured below.
The first competitive endurance ride of the season in the south west will be the Wadebridge Ride on Sunday, March 22, which includes a 20 mile Pleasure Ride.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A rough rider for fine horses
Idaho Mountain Express and Guide
By DENNIS HIGMAN
Valley People
Allah reached up, blew in his hand and out came the Arabian horse, his gift to the faithful: "Drinkers of the Wind, Swallowers of the Earth, Light as a Feather Blowing Across the Land." So the legend goes.
Robert Bouttier, known by his friend and neighbors as "Archie," a buff, wind-burned, enthusiastic man who loves to ski as much as ride, breeds these legendary horses, races them on the track and rides them in endurance contests all across the West.
Many of his horses have won national honors. They include French Kiss, Colorado Race Horse of the Year, and Zabkin, National Endurance Point Champion, who logged over 1,400 miles in one year and won several 100-mile races.
At last count Archie had 57 Arabians on his 85-acre ranch, called Drinkers of the Wind, on Broadford Road in Bellevue, along with three dogs and four cats. Archie is a romantic, at least as far as animals are concerned. He still has his old polo pony, Rose Real Matuse, now 35, which he used to ride at the Broadford Polo Club, which he co-founded after moving to the Wood River Valley in 1973. And he still has his old white Pyrenees, Big Molly, which he got to protect his cats from predators.
"I had a white cat at the time and I'd look out the window and see that cat trying to stalk mice with the big dog right behind her just doing his job, but scaring all the mice off," he laughs. "She was really annoyed. All my dogs and cats get along, though—they're old pals."
Archie was raised in Manhattan Beach, Calif. His father, who was in flight training at the time, died of spinal meningitis four days before Archie was born in the waning days of World War II. His grandfather, a cowboy from Colorado, worked at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.
Archie graduated from Long Beach State, eventually became a pilot and, at age 26, went to work for United Airlines as a flight engineer. "I had nightmares about going to work in an office, so when a friend of mine painted this wonderful picture of making a quarter million a year flying with lots of time off, I went for it."
Click here to come visit us
Although he worked his way up to senior co-pilot on international runs before he retired early in 2003, he was furloughed along with 500 others during the recession of 1971. It was at that time that he moved to the Wood River Valley, started to buy property on Broadford Road and got his first Arabian.
There are a variety of Arabian horses, and he breeds and raises Polish Arabians, descendents of Polish cavalry horses that were the finest in Europe for 200 years. "You know, most people think of Arabians now as expensive show horses, but that's an unfair categorization. They're really a great all-around horse, and although they have sturdy feet and a heart as big as a thoroughbred, they have less body weight so, like the legend says, 'they move light across the ground.'"
Polish Arabians, Archie explains, also have a wonderful temperament. They're easy to get along with; they're not high strung. They are also very athletic. He races them on the California Fair Circuit and in Colorado. Horse racing is generally in decline, he explains, but endurance riding, in which a horse might run 25 miles a day in the novice class and up to 100 miles as a veteran, is growing in popularity.
This combination of track racing and endurance riding gives Archie a way to live by an ethic he has about all animals: You don't abandon them if things don't work out. "Look, over 90 percent of thoroughbreds that are bred to race never make it to the track. Most of those that don't make it are just discarded. I'm not going to do that.
"If I have a horse that likes to run on the track, that's where I take them. And if they get tired of it or just don't take to it, we go on the endurance circuit. Then either way, I've got a stable of great horses."
In the West, there's still a good market for a well-trained family horse, he notes, and he's got plenty of those. But he also sells his Arabians all over the world. "I recently sold an endurance champion to a buyer in the Middle East, so one of my 'Drinkers of the Wind' went back to where it all began. Isn't that something?"
Unlike many horse breeders, Archie is a one-man show. He gets help when he needs it, but for the most part grows his own hay, builds his own fences and foals his own colts. He has foaling stalls where he can sleep on a raised platform next to the mares that are about to give birth. "That way I'll always be there when they need me," he explains.
Robert Boullier is there for all his horses, whether they're young, old or sick, get hurt or just didn't work out as champions. "I feel about horses the same way I feel about dogs and cats. It doesn't matter what color they are or whether they're big or small or pretty or ugly—they're all great to have around as far as I'm concerned."
full article
By DENNIS HIGMAN
Valley People
Allah reached up, blew in his hand and out came the Arabian horse, his gift to the faithful: "Drinkers of the Wind, Swallowers of the Earth, Light as a Feather Blowing Across the Land." So the legend goes.
Robert Bouttier, known by his friend and neighbors as "Archie," a buff, wind-burned, enthusiastic man who loves to ski as much as ride, breeds these legendary horses, races them on the track and rides them in endurance contests all across the West.
Many of his horses have won national honors. They include French Kiss, Colorado Race Horse of the Year, and Zabkin, National Endurance Point Champion, who logged over 1,400 miles in one year and won several 100-mile races.
At last count Archie had 57 Arabians on his 85-acre ranch, called Drinkers of the Wind, on Broadford Road in Bellevue, along with three dogs and four cats. Archie is a romantic, at least as far as animals are concerned. He still has his old polo pony, Rose Real Matuse, now 35, which he used to ride at the Broadford Polo Club, which he co-founded after moving to the Wood River Valley in 1973. And he still has his old white Pyrenees, Big Molly, which he got to protect his cats from predators.
"I had a white cat at the time and I'd look out the window and see that cat trying to stalk mice with the big dog right behind her just doing his job, but scaring all the mice off," he laughs. "She was really annoyed. All my dogs and cats get along, though—they're old pals."
Archie was raised in Manhattan Beach, Calif. His father, who was in flight training at the time, died of spinal meningitis four days before Archie was born in the waning days of World War II. His grandfather, a cowboy from Colorado, worked at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.
Archie graduated from Long Beach State, eventually became a pilot and, at age 26, went to work for United Airlines as a flight engineer. "I had nightmares about going to work in an office, so when a friend of mine painted this wonderful picture of making a quarter million a year flying with lots of time off, I went for it."
Click here to come visit us
Although he worked his way up to senior co-pilot on international runs before he retired early in 2003, he was furloughed along with 500 others during the recession of 1971. It was at that time that he moved to the Wood River Valley, started to buy property on Broadford Road and got his first Arabian.
There are a variety of Arabian horses, and he breeds and raises Polish Arabians, descendents of Polish cavalry horses that were the finest in Europe for 200 years. "You know, most people think of Arabians now as expensive show horses, but that's an unfair categorization. They're really a great all-around horse, and although they have sturdy feet and a heart as big as a thoroughbred, they have less body weight so, like the legend says, 'they move light across the ground.'"
Polish Arabians, Archie explains, also have a wonderful temperament. They're easy to get along with; they're not high strung. They are also very athletic. He races them on the California Fair Circuit and in Colorado. Horse racing is generally in decline, he explains, but endurance riding, in which a horse might run 25 miles a day in the novice class and up to 100 miles as a veteran, is growing in popularity.
This combination of track racing and endurance riding gives Archie a way to live by an ethic he has about all animals: You don't abandon them if things don't work out. "Look, over 90 percent of thoroughbreds that are bred to race never make it to the track. Most of those that don't make it are just discarded. I'm not going to do that.
"If I have a horse that likes to run on the track, that's where I take them. And if they get tired of it or just don't take to it, we go on the endurance circuit. Then either way, I've got a stable of great horses."
In the West, there's still a good market for a well-trained family horse, he notes, and he's got plenty of those. But he also sells his Arabians all over the world. "I recently sold an endurance champion to a buyer in the Middle East, so one of my 'Drinkers of the Wind' went back to where it all began. Isn't that something?"
Unlike many horse breeders, Archie is a one-man show. He gets help when he needs it, but for the most part grows his own hay, builds his own fences and foals his own colts. He has foaling stalls where he can sleep on a raised platform next to the mares that are about to give birth. "That way I'll always be there when they need me," he explains.
Robert Boullier is there for all his horses, whether they're young, old or sick, get hurt or just didn't work out as champions. "I feel about horses the same way I feel about dogs and cats. It doesn't matter what color they are or whether they're big or small or pretty or ugly—they're all great to have around as far as I'm concerned."
full article
Old Pueblo Results and Glue-On Hoof Boot Demo
From The Horse's Mouth:
Behind the scene development of hoof boots and the latest Hoof Boot News
Easyboot results at the Old Pueblo Pioneer were great. Here is a short list of people that were using EasyCare hoof boot products. This is by memory so it may be off a place or two.
1. 50 mile event day #1
2nd Place Christoph Schork
Best Condition Christoph Schork
10th place Dian Woodward
2. 50 mile event day #2
1st Place Christoph Schork
6th Place Garrett Ford
3. 50 mile event day #3
1st Place Christoph Schork
2nd Place Kevin Waters
Best Condition Kevin Waters
7th place Amy Ford (yes that's my mom)
8th place Dian Woodward
High teens Garrett Ford
High teens Debbie Schweibert
On top of the results above we had a great Easyboot Hoof Boot Demo. Christoph Schork and I did the demo in a nasty wind storm that blew dust and dirt. Thanks for everyone that attended and brought horses for us to demo on. Christoph, thank you for your help.
Full blog
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Farewell to Dream Weaver
Karen's farewell
Farewell to my beautiful chestnut gelding, Dream Weaver
Dream Weaver 03/17/90 - 03/01/09
Dream Weaver was my first real horse and we had a lot of special times together. First horses are always special, aren’t they?
For the last few years Weaver has been living in South Dakota with Barney and Linda Fleming, getting to be a horse and enjoying the good life – no real work, just play.
I was so happy last year that I got to go to South Dakota and visit and ride Weaver for a few days. We had a great time and he was just as he always was – you could get on him and expect him to behave like a good boy. I was so looking forward to going and visiting with Weaver and getting to ride him at the upcoming endurance clinic that Barney is putting on in a few weeks. But, it wasn’t to be.
I knew when Barney called that something was wrong. He said that Weaver had not come in to feed at 5:30 a.m. that morning. Weaver was looking good at dinner the evening before. Barney found Weaver passed on with no signs of a struggle or anything wrong and nothing was broken so it appeared that he had a quick and painless death. Weaver would have been 19 in a couple more weeks. Barney said that he buried Weaver with an XP shirt. I’m sure he knows what that was and is somewhere galloping and kicking up his heals going down a historic trail in heaven, stopping of course to eat as that was his second favorite thing in the world to do!
dream_weaver_endurance_horse Farewell to my beautiful chestnut gelding, Dream WeaverI got Weaver when he was three years old, a beautiful chestnut (mostly CMK breeding) gelding for $500. He was unbroken and had grown up living in a pasture with a herd of horses. He was such a sweet natured and uncomplicated horse that I had no trouble at all training him. We did everything together and even as a four and five year old he had the maturity of a horse several years older. I could trust him in any situation. We chased cattle, we went to playdays and I showed him.
[...more]
Farewell to my beautiful chestnut gelding, Dream WeaverDream Weaver 03/17/90 - 03/01/09
Dream Weaver was my first real horse and we had a lot of special times together. First horses are always special, aren’t they?
For the last few years Weaver has been living in South Dakota with Barney and Linda Fleming, getting to be a horse and enjoying the good life – no real work, just play.
I was so happy last year that I got to go to South Dakota and visit and ride Weaver for a few days. We had a great time and he was just as he always was – you could get on him and expect him to behave like a good boy. I was so looking forward to going and visiting with Weaver and getting to ride him at the upcoming endurance clinic that Barney is putting on in a few weeks. But, it wasn’t to be.
I knew when Barney called that something was wrong. He said that Weaver had not come in to feed at 5:30 a.m. that morning. Weaver was looking good at dinner the evening before. Barney found Weaver passed on with no signs of a struggle or anything wrong and nothing was broken so it appeared that he had a quick and painless death. Weaver would have been 19 in a couple more weeks. Barney said that he buried Weaver with an XP shirt. I’m sure he knows what that was and is somewhere galloping and kicking up his heals going down a historic trail in heaven, stopping of course to eat as that was his second favorite thing in the world to do!
dream_weaver_endurance_horse Farewell to my beautiful chestnut gelding, Dream WeaverI got Weaver when he was three years old, a beautiful chestnut (mostly CMK breeding) gelding for $500. He was unbroken and had grown up living in a pasture with a herd of horses. He was such a sweet natured and uncomplicated horse that I had no trouble at all training him. We did everything together and even as a four and five year old he had the maturity of a horse several years older. I could trust him in any situation. We chased cattle, we went to playdays and I showed him.
[...more]
Friday, February 27, 2009
FEI 2009 rules: Mandatory rest period clarification
Please note the FEI Rule Clarification Below
FEI Rule 815.3 states:
Mandatory Rest for Horses:
815.3.1 After competing in a CEI events, a horse must be given a mandatory minimum rest period, as defined, before it is again eligible to participate in a FEI competition:
Distance completed 0 – 80 km 13 days rest
81 and above 20 days rest
815.3.2 If a horse is eliminated for metabolic reasons which require immediate invasive treatment at any CEI event, it must be given a mandatory minimum rest of 60 days before it is again eligible to participate in a CEI event.
815.3.3 If a horse is eliminated for metabolic reasons which require immediate invasive treatment at any 2 consecutive CEI events or twice within any 3 month period, it must be given a mandatory rest period of 90 days before it is again eligible to participate in a CEI event.
815.3.4 The FEI Technical Committee may decide to create a supplementary schedule for additional rest requirements for horses who suffer consistent metabolic elimination problems over time in consultation with the FEI Veterinary Committee.
Clarification:
Mandatory rest periods are based upon the actual miles completed at a competition.
Example 1
A rider completes a 160km competition: the rest period is 20 days between, and not including the starting date of the 160km and the starting date of the next competition the horse may enter.
Example 2
A rider enters a 160km and retires or is eliminated at 70km. The rest period is 13 days between and not including the start of the 160km and the starting date of the next competition the horse may enter.
Example 3
A rider enters a 120km competition and retires or is eliminated at 85km. The rest period is 20 days.
If you have questions regarding this rule contact Vonita Bowers
Vonita Bowers
Endurance Director
The United States Equestrian Federation
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, Ky 40511
Direct # (859) 825-6001
Main Line (859)258-2472
Fax # (859)231-6662
vbowers@usef.org
FEI Rule 815.3 states:
Mandatory Rest for Horses:
815.3.1 After competing in a CEI events, a horse must be given a mandatory minimum rest period, as defined, before it is again eligible to participate in a FEI competition:
Distance completed 0 – 80 km 13 days rest
81 and above 20 days rest
815.3.2 If a horse is eliminated for metabolic reasons which require immediate invasive treatment at any CEI event, it must be given a mandatory minimum rest of 60 days before it is again eligible to participate in a CEI event.
815.3.3 If a horse is eliminated for metabolic reasons which require immediate invasive treatment at any 2 consecutive CEI events or twice within any 3 month period, it must be given a mandatory rest period of 90 days before it is again eligible to participate in a CEI event.
815.3.4 The FEI Technical Committee may decide to create a supplementary schedule for additional rest requirements for horses who suffer consistent metabolic elimination problems over time in consultation with the FEI Veterinary Committee.
Clarification:
Mandatory rest periods are based upon the actual miles completed at a competition.
Example 1
A rider completes a 160km competition: the rest period is 20 days between, and not including the starting date of the 160km and the starting date of the next competition the horse may enter.
Example 2
A rider enters a 160km and retires or is eliminated at 70km. The rest period is 13 days between and not including the start of the 160km and the starting date of the next competition the horse may enter.
Example 3
A rider enters a 120km competition and retires or is eliminated at 85km. The rest period is 20 days.
If you have questions regarding this rule contact Vonita Bowers
Vonita Bowers
Endurance Director
The United States Equestrian Federation
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, Ky 40511
Direct # (859) 825-6001
Main Line (859)258-2472
Fax # (859)231-6662
vbowers@usef.org
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Respected Equestrian, Musician Honored Wednesday
Baltimore - WJZ.com
Feb 25, 2009 4:54 pm US/Eastern
At the Reginald Lewis Black History Museum, a ceremony was held to honor eight Marylanders who have made significant contributions to African American culture. In the arts, the award is going to a singer, poet, producer, activist and internationally respected equestrian--Jean Albert Renaud, known as "Jar."
His voice has carried Jar from the projects of east Baltimore to fame with Motown records. He opened for the Jackson Five. You name the Motown legend and he toured with them. He was a star and, like all stars, began to burn out.
"You kinda get lost because you make a lot of money fast--sex, drugs and rock and roll, and you get caught up in that and I got caught up in it," he said.
At his lowest, he returned to Baltimore and his first love, horses.
"In the end, the horse saved my life," he said. "I had something to turn to when I lost myself."
That was 25 years ago. Since then, Jar has become a recognized trainer.
"It's a dance," he said.
He rides stallions, stallions he's used to create a new breed of horse, "mowalkerab." They're bred for endurance riding.
Two years ago, when Jar was 65 years old, he rode his stallions on a 500 mile race from New Mexico to Missouri. He trains horses for the royal families of the United Arab Emirates. He also raced across the desert of Qatar for the Duchess of York.
"I base my riding on the same thing life is based on," he said. "The heart doesn't skip a beat. It's a rhythm."
Now 67, Jar lives on his ranch in northern Baltimore County.
His next project is to save the wild mustangs and create a ranch where troubled kids and horses can heal each other. To learn more, click here.
WJZ.com article
Feb 25, 2009 4:54 pm US/Eastern
At the Reginald Lewis Black History Museum, a ceremony was held to honor eight Marylanders who have made significant contributions to African American culture. In the arts, the award is going to a singer, poet, producer, activist and internationally respected equestrian--Jean Albert Renaud, known as "Jar."
His voice has carried Jar from the projects of east Baltimore to fame with Motown records. He opened for the Jackson Five. You name the Motown legend and he toured with them. He was a star and, like all stars, began to burn out.
"You kinda get lost because you make a lot of money fast--sex, drugs and rock and roll, and you get caught up in that and I got caught up in it," he said.
At his lowest, he returned to Baltimore and his first love, horses.
"In the end, the horse saved my life," he said. "I had something to turn to when I lost myself."
That was 25 years ago. Since then, Jar has become a recognized trainer.
"It's a dance," he said.
He rides stallions, stallions he's used to create a new breed of horse, "mowalkerab." They're bred for endurance riding.
Two years ago, when Jar was 65 years old, he rode his stallions on a 500 mile race from New Mexico to Missouri. He trains horses for the royal families of the United Arab Emirates. He also raced across the desert of Qatar for the Duchess of York.
"I base my riding on the same thing life is based on," he said. "The heart doesn't skip a beat. It's a rhythm."
Now 67, Jar lives on his ranch in northern Baltimore County.
His next project is to save the wild mustangs and create a ranch where troubled kids and horses can heal each other. To learn more, click here.
WJZ.com article
American Endurance Ride Conference Annual Convention Wrap-Up
Release: February 25 2009
Endurance riders from across the U.S. and Canada made their way to Louisville, KY, for the American Endurance Ride Conference’s 2008 convention, held February 20-21 at the Galt House Hotel.
The convention, which included educational seminars, “hot topics” workshops, trade show, meetings for international competitors, a class for veterinarians, and a dance, concluded with a heartfelt and tearful national awards banquet.
Suzy Kelley, a longtime endurance rider from Southern California, was taken by surprise when she was named to AERC’s Hall of Fame. Called to the stage, Suzy could only say, “I’m not a speaker. Bye!” But her tears stood testament to the impact of this major award. Suzy has racked up 16,000 miles of competition, and has an 89% ride completion rate over 24 years of riding.
Suzy is not just a rider, however. As presenter Kim Fuess noted, “Suzy can meet someone on the trail and within a week they are riding one of her horses at an AERC ride.” And while Suzy is competitive, Kim said, “She is always willing to lend a hand, or share her crew, even if you are her closest competitor.”
The equine Hall of Fame award went to Edens Bay Rum, a 17-year-old bay Arabian gelding owned by MJ Jackson of Bluffdale, UT. In 12 years of competition, Edens Bay Rum has racked up 151 completions in 154 starts, and of those 7935 miles, 88% were top 10 finishes.
As presenter Susie Schomburg helped unveil a portrait of AERC’s newest Hall of Fame equine by California artist Laurie Anderson, MJ made her way to the podium, and said of her horse, “He’s a super guy. I hope you can see him on the trail. He is still going.”
AERC’s third major award honors a partnership of rider and equine. The Pard’ners Award was presented to Bailey Rose Eiland and Nimphas Barbi, who have been competing together for 10 seasons, which is remarkable since they were both born in 1990. Bailey Rose and Barbi, who hail from the El Paso area, have started 104 rides together and completed 101. Barbi has been taking it easy of late, having recently foaled BRE Renegade Rose, but should be back to competing soon.
Accepting the honor from longtime family friend Roger Taylor, Bailey Rose said of her registered Arabian mare, “It’s as if we were meant to be together. I can’t wait to go home and share this award with her.”
Other special presentations included the United States Equestrian Federation’s Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Award which went to Valerie Kanavy. Valerie, a competitor in the recent World Endurance Championships, received the prestigious trophy for earning the most FEI points in the 2008 season.
AERC installed new officers at their general session meeting, with Connie Caudill of Henryville, IN, taking the reins of the 6,800-member organization. Serving as Vice President is Laura Hayes of Brocton, NY. Roger Taylor, of Albuquerque, NM, is treasurer and the secretary’s post is held by Jan Stevens of Ashland, MT.
Plans are already underway for AERC’s 2010 convention, set for February 19-20 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV. For more information about AERC or endurance riding, contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, CA, at (866) 271-2372 or e-mail aerc@foothill.net or visit www.aerc.org.
Troy Smith
Endurance riders from across the U.S. and Canada made their way to Louisville, KY, for the American Endurance Ride Conference’s 2008 convention, held February 20-21 at the Galt House Hotel.
The convention, which included educational seminars, “hot topics” workshops, trade show, meetings for international competitors, a class for veterinarians, and a dance, concluded with a heartfelt and tearful national awards banquet.
Suzy Kelley, a longtime endurance rider from Southern California, was taken by surprise when she was named to AERC’s Hall of Fame. Called to the stage, Suzy could only say, “I’m not a speaker. Bye!” But her tears stood testament to the impact of this major award. Suzy has racked up 16,000 miles of competition, and has an 89% ride completion rate over 24 years of riding.
Suzy is not just a rider, however. As presenter Kim Fuess noted, “Suzy can meet someone on the trail and within a week they are riding one of her horses at an AERC ride.” And while Suzy is competitive, Kim said, “She is always willing to lend a hand, or share her crew, even if you are her closest competitor.”
The equine Hall of Fame award went to Edens Bay Rum, a 17-year-old bay Arabian gelding owned by MJ Jackson of Bluffdale, UT. In 12 years of competition, Edens Bay Rum has racked up 151 completions in 154 starts, and of those 7935 miles, 88% were top 10 finishes.
As presenter Susie Schomburg helped unveil a portrait of AERC’s newest Hall of Fame equine by California artist Laurie Anderson, MJ made her way to the podium, and said of her horse, “He’s a super guy. I hope you can see him on the trail. He is still going.”
AERC’s third major award honors a partnership of rider and equine. The Pard’ners Award was presented to Bailey Rose Eiland and Nimphas Barbi, who have been competing together for 10 seasons, which is remarkable since they were both born in 1990. Bailey Rose and Barbi, who hail from the El Paso area, have started 104 rides together and completed 101. Barbi has been taking it easy of late, having recently foaled BRE Renegade Rose, but should be back to competing soon.
Accepting the honor from longtime family friend Roger Taylor, Bailey Rose said of her registered Arabian mare, “It’s as if we were meant to be together. I can’t wait to go home and share this award with her.”
Other special presentations included the United States Equestrian Federation’s Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Award which went to Valerie Kanavy. Valerie, a competitor in the recent World Endurance Championships, received the prestigious trophy for earning the most FEI points in the 2008 season.
AERC installed new officers at their general session meeting, with Connie Caudill of Henryville, IN, taking the reins of the 6,800-member organization. Serving as Vice President is Laura Hayes of Brocton, NY. Roger Taylor, of Albuquerque, NM, is treasurer and the secretary’s post is held by Jan Stevens of Ashland, MT.
Plans are already underway for AERC’s 2010 convention, set for February 19-20 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV. For more information about AERC or endurance riding, contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, CA, at (866) 271-2372 or e-mail aerc@foothill.net or visit www.aerc.org.
Troy Smith
Uruguay - Panamericano application deadline
Deadline for Pan Am Applications for USEF riders is February 28
The Deadline to apply for the Pan American Endurance Championship Team is February 28, 2009. The competition is April 24-26, 2009 40km from Montevideo, Uruguay. Applications must be postmarked, faxed or hand delivered with the appropriate fees by the end of the day on February 28. For more information and the complete selection procedures for the event, go to the USEF website www.usef.org or contact Vonita Bowers at (859) 825-6001.
The Deadline to apply for the Pan American Endurance Championship Team is February 28, 2009. The competition is April 24-26, 2009 40km from Montevideo, Uruguay. Applications must be postmarked, faxed or hand delivered with the appropriate fees by the end of the day on February 28. For more information and the complete selection procedures for the event, go to the USEF website www.usef.org or contact Vonita Bowers at (859) 825-6001.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
re: [RC] France requests change to 2008->2009
From: <Leonard.Liesens@ec.europa.eu>
Date: February 22, 2009 2:46:52 AM MST
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>, <steph@endurance.net>
Subject: RE: [RC] [Endurance Tracks] France requests change to 2008-
>2009
Date: February 22, 2009 2:46:52 AM MST
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>, <steph@endurance.net>
Subject: RE: [RC] [Endurance Tracks] France requests change to 2008-
>2009
Hi,
Come on... It is not just France who is mad about this transitional
regulation from FEI. The Group1 and Group2 National Federations are
against this.
There are also a big list of problems between european federation and
FEI : Showjumping Global Champions Tour, Dressage committee. There
will be a big meeting between European NF and FEI on 10th March in
Deauville. Belgium has put the endurance item on the schedule of the
meeting.
wait and see...
The problem is as follows :
- most of the europeaa federation have got their qualification system
system well before FEI even tought about qualifications were
necessary for horses and riders : 30km==>40km==>60km==>80km==>100km
before being allowed to enter FEI rides
- and now the FEI would come and say "Hi guys, 'm the big brother and
I will tell you how to do endurance..."
- there are in Europe thousands horses already qualified according to
the 2008 system (having completed several CEI**) who would have to re-
enter a CEI** before being allowed to compete on 160km
- without taking into account the horses who are already qualified at
what we call the CEN (national system) level, 120 and even 160km.
Those horses should START ALL OVER AGAIN.
So please, Steph, add this paragraph to the release :-)
Thanks and happy trail
Leonard, www.endurance-belgium.com
Friday, February 20, 2009
France requests change to 2008->2009 Transitional Measures
The French Federation urgently requests that the FEI reconsider it's refusal to accept modifications of the current qualification transitional measures. The Federation requests that all Star/Distance qualifications achieved under the 2008 qualification rules be accepted, for all 2009 competitions as though they had been achieved under the 2009 Star qualification rules. Without this change, it is estimated that 1500-2000 french horses will otherwise not be qualified for 2009 **/*** events.
Read more (PDF)
Read more (PDF)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Chase TheWind AH Named 2008 Arabian Horse Association Distance Horse of the Year
Release: February 12 2009
By Hilary Nixon
The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) is proud to name purebred Arabian gelding Chase TheWind AH (El Paso x Wind Sonja), owned by Suzanne Ford Huff of Gardnerville, NV, as its 2008 Distance Horse of the Year. Chase received this prestigious acclaim for his outstanding accomplishments in endurance; he completed nine of nine starts during 2008 and received Best Condition twice.
As the winner of the Distance Horse of the Year Award, Chase TheWind AH's name will be engraved on a perpetual trophy donated by the Arabian Horse Owners Foundation and designed by Joe Staheli. Huff will also receive an engraved plaque.
In 2008 alone, Chase earned himself several accolades, including the Nevada All-State Trail Riders Triple Crown Award, finishing his 15th 100-mile one-day ride. There was more than a six-hour difference between Chase and the second-place finisher. Chase also took third at the Virginia City 100-Mile and first place and Best Condition at the High Desert 50-Mile Ride in Fallon, NV.
"Chase did great in 2008, but has been competing every year since 1997. He has accumulated an outstanding record of 15 wins, 35 top 10s, and nine Best Conditions in the featherweight division. He has accumulated 3,985 endurance miles," said Huff. "He has won 10 AHA Regional Purebred Championships, four reserve championships and two top 10s. He has officially finished 14, 100-mile one-day rides, including three of the toughest rides in the country—Swanton, Bighorn and Tevis. He earned a top 10 at Tevis in 2000 as a 10-year-old and then returned at 17 and took third. He has accumulated $25,000 in sweepstakes prize money," adds Huff.
Huff counts 2006 as one of Chase's best years because he was awarded the American Endurance Ride Council National 100-Mile award and the AHA High Point Award in the 100-mile category.
"What makes this horse and his accomplishments even more amazing is that he does it all with an old, traumatic hock injury. Chase is tough in body and mind. He is one of those special horses that just keeps on giving," said Huff.
For more information on AHA distance programs, visit www.ArabianHorses.org/Distance or contact AHA at (303) 696-4531.
By Hilary Nixon
The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) is proud to name purebred Arabian gelding Chase TheWind AH (El Paso x Wind Sonja), owned by Suzanne Ford Huff of Gardnerville, NV, as its 2008 Distance Horse of the Year. Chase received this prestigious acclaim for his outstanding accomplishments in endurance; he completed nine of nine starts during 2008 and received Best Condition twice.
As the winner of the Distance Horse of the Year Award, Chase TheWind AH's name will be engraved on a perpetual trophy donated by the Arabian Horse Owners Foundation and designed by Joe Staheli. Huff will also receive an engraved plaque.
In 2008 alone, Chase earned himself several accolades, including the Nevada All-State Trail Riders Triple Crown Award, finishing his 15th 100-mile one-day ride. There was more than a six-hour difference between Chase and the second-place finisher. Chase also took third at the Virginia City 100-Mile and first place and Best Condition at the High Desert 50-Mile Ride in Fallon, NV.
"Chase did great in 2008, but has been competing every year since 1997. He has accumulated an outstanding record of 15 wins, 35 top 10s, and nine Best Conditions in the featherweight division. He has accumulated 3,985 endurance miles," said Huff. "He has won 10 AHA Regional Purebred Championships, four reserve championships and two top 10s. He has officially finished 14, 100-mile one-day rides, including three of the toughest rides in the country—Swanton, Bighorn and Tevis. He earned a top 10 at Tevis in 2000 as a 10-year-old and then returned at 17 and took third. He has accumulated $25,000 in sweepstakes prize money," adds Huff.
Huff counts 2006 as one of Chase's best years because he was awarded the American Endurance Ride Council National 100-Mile award and the AHA High Point Award in the 100-mile category.
"What makes this horse and his accomplishments even more amazing is that he does it all with an old, traumatic hock injury. Chase is tough in body and mind. He is one of those special horses that just keeps on giving," said Huff.
For more information on AHA distance programs, visit www.ArabianHorses.org/Distance or contact AHA at (303) 696-4531.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Jay's guideline charts for FEI qualification
The following graphics are flow charts assembled by Jay Randle (Australia) to help riders understand the steps involved in qualifying riders and horses for FEI competitions.
disclaimer: These are NOT official FEI documents, please consult the FEI rules for full qualification rules
Note from Jay: "In Australia, the AERA rules override the FEI rules, so the big difference is that although the FEI says that a horse must do either 1) 2 x 40km rides PLUS 2 x 80km rides, OR 2) 3 x 80km rides, BEFORE it can start in an FEI* ride, our Aussie rules state that a horse must do 3 x 80km rides first. And our rules state that a rider MUST do 2 x 40km rides AND 3 x 80km rides before we can move onto FEI.
So, that's really the only difference here (between AERC and AERC riders)."
FEI Horses Flowchart
disclaimer: These are NOT official FEI documents, please consult the FEI rules for full qualification rules
Note from Jay: "In Australia, the AERA rules override the FEI rules, so the big difference is that although the FEI says that a horse must do either 1) 2 x 40km rides PLUS 2 x 80km rides, OR 2) 3 x 80km rides, BEFORE it can start in an FEI* ride, our Aussie rules state that a horse must do 3 x 80km rides first. And our rules state that a rider MUST do 2 x 40km rides AND 3 x 80km rides before we can move onto FEI.
So, that's really the only difference here (between AERC and AERC riders)."
FEI Horses Flowchart
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Date and Location Announced for 2009 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships Pending Final FEI Approval
US Eventing Association
Updated: 2009-02-05
Lexington, KY – Pending final FEI approval, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is announcing the following date and location for the 2009 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC). The USEF has received preliminary approval from the FEI and is awaiting final word from the FEI Bureau.
As the competition season is getting into full swing, the USEF is providing the following information so Juniors, Young Riders and their Trainers and Chef d'Equipes can plan their schedules accordingly.
Pending final FEI approval, the NAJYRC will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park July 22-26, 2009. This is a unique opportunity to use the venue which has been completely redesigned for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Construction is due to be completed in March.
Andrew Ellis will serve as the overall competition manager.
The discipline managers are as follows:
Dressage: Lloyd Landkamer
Eventing: Mary Fike
Reining: Brad Ettleman
Show Jumping: David Distler
Vaulting will have an exhibition during the Championships and Endurance is running a CEIY3* concurrently in Louisville, KY.
Updated: 2009-02-05
Lexington, KY – Pending final FEI approval, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is announcing the following date and location for the 2009 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC). The USEF has received preliminary approval from the FEI and is awaiting final word from the FEI Bureau.
As the competition season is getting into full swing, the USEF is providing the following information so Juniors, Young Riders and their Trainers and Chef d'Equipes can plan their schedules accordingly.
Pending final FEI approval, the NAJYRC will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park July 22-26, 2009. This is a unique opportunity to use the venue which has been completely redesigned for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Construction is due to be completed in March.
Andrew Ellis will serve as the overall competition manager.
The discipline managers are as follows:
Dressage: Lloyd Landkamer
Eventing: Mary Fike
Reining: Brad Ettleman
Show Jumping: David Distler
Vaulting will have an exhibition during the Championships and Endurance is running a CEIY3* concurrently in Louisville, KY.
Wickenburg: Endurance ride produces local winner
Original Article - The Wickenburg Sun
Cheri Noel and her horse ‘Blue’ with prize buckleParticipating in her first endurance ride, local businesswoman Cheri Noel rode across the finish line in the 25-mile portion of the Land of the Sun Endurance Ride on Saturday, Jan. 24, tying for first place.
Riding “Blue,” an 8-year-old grade roan gelding, she completed the course in two hours and 30 minutes. Noel purchased Blue from the Kay El Bar Ranch last May after the resort closed for the season and, as far as she knows, this was his first competition as well. For their efforts, she received a gold belt buckle, T-shirt, and a piece of artwork from local artist Tammi Riggs. Blue also received the award for “Best Condition” of all horses in the 25-mile competition.
Lawrence and Maureen Serrano and Cruz Ruiz, other local 25-mile competitors, placed within the top 10 finishers. Brothers Jose Roberto and Benjamin Ruiz also rode in this division, which had 65 participants.
In the 50-mile competition, locals Bruce Rosenthal finished ninth and Cindy Thal finished 18th out of 71 riders. The last competitor in the 50-mile division finished at 7:41 p.m. in total darkness. This rider came from Pahrump, Nev., and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to complete the course even though she was disqualified for being overtime. Special thanks go to the drag riders and rescue crew for accompanying her in her quest for a finish.
This ride has been held here for more than 30 years with the Wickenburg Horsemen’s Association (WHA) sponsoring it for the last seven. It is a sanctioned event by AERC (American Endurance Riding Conference) and riders come from all over the nation and the world to participate. The trails are maintained and groomed by WHA members and on the day of the ride at least 100 volunteers are out in the desert making sure everyone is safe and stays on course. The High Desert Search & Rescue also donates time by providing communications and emergency assistance. Veterinary services are provided by Drs. Jim Lytle, Sid Vargas, Mike Close, Robin Waldron, Joanne Naylor and Rich Kiely as well as the pre-vet students from the University of Arizona. Nancy Halsey, WHA treasurer, served as ride manager again this year.
Everyone had a great time on a beautiful Arizona winter morning. WHA appreciates the assistance of Vivian Helmsworth, DD Western World, Serenity Farms, Bashas’, Sundance Pizza & Tastee Freez, Tom & Tammie Riggs, HorseTrailerMonitor.com, Laura Bovee Photography, Creations in Thread, together with Theresa Capriotti and her crew who prepared the banquet on Saturday and everyone who volunteered their time to help make this ride possible.
Cheri Noel and her horse ‘Blue’ with prize buckle
Riding “Blue,” an 8-year-old grade roan gelding, she completed the course in two hours and 30 minutes. Noel purchased Blue from the Kay El Bar Ranch last May after the resort closed for the season and, as far as she knows, this was his first competition as well. For their efforts, she received a gold belt buckle, T-shirt, and a piece of artwork from local artist Tammi Riggs. Blue also received the award for “Best Condition” of all horses in the 25-mile competition.
Lawrence and Maureen Serrano and Cruz Ruiz, other local 25-mile competitors, placed within the top 10 finishers. Brothers Jose Roberto and Benjamin Ruiz also rode in this division, which had 65 participants.
In the 50-mile competition, locals Bruce Rosenthal finished ninth and Cindy Thal finished 18th out of 71 riders. The last competitor in the 50-mile division finished at 7:41 p.m. in total darkness. This rider came from Pahrump, Nev., and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to complete the course even though she was disqualified for being overtime. Special thanks go to the drag riders and rescue crew for accompanying her in her quest for a finish.
This ride has been held here for more than 30 years with the Wickenburg Horsemen’s Association (WHA) sponsoring it for the last seven. It is a sanctioned event by AERC (American Endurance Riding Conference) and riders come from all over the nation and the world to participate. The trails are maintained and groomed by WHA members and on the day of the ride at least 100 volunteers are out in the desert making sure everyone is safe and stays on course. The High Desert Search & Rescue also donates time by providing communications and emergency assistance. Veterinary services are provided by Drs. Jim Lytle, Sid Vargas, Mike Close, Robin Waldron, Joanne Naylor and Rich Kiely as well as the pre-vet students from the University of Arizona. Nancy Halsey, WHA treasurer, served as ride manager again this year.
Everyone had a great time on a beautiful Arizona winter morning. WHA appreciates the assistance of Vivian Helmsworth, DD Western World, Serenity Farms, Bashas’, Sundance Pizza & Tastee Freez, Tom & Tammie Riggs, HorseTrailerMonitor.com, Laura Bovee Photography, Creations in Thread, together with Theresa Capriotti and her crew who prepared the banquet on Saturday and everyone who volunteered their time to help make this ride possible.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Rider, horse rescued after wilderness ordeal
The Dahlonega Nugget - Full Article
By Matt Aiken
Published: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 10:33 AM EST
An afternoon horseback ride turned into an unexpected survival situation for Elizabeth Burrell as she lost her way in the Chattahoochee National Forest on Saturday.
The Dawson County resident was separated from her group at around 2 p.m. while riding near Winding Stair Gap on Jake Mountain.
"We were going down a real steep incline and my husband got off his horse," said Burrell. "His horse turned around and ran away and disappeared so I left my husband there on foot. I don't know how but [my horse and I] turned around and got lost and could never find the trail again. Nor did I find his missing horse."
Meanwhile as Burrell searched for the trail her husband's horse returned to him.
"The horse returned but she didn't return," said Lumpkin County Emergency Management Director Don Seabolt.
This discovery set off an informal search among friends and volunteers.
Once the sun began to dip below the trees, the authorities were alerted and officials from the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office (LSCO), Lumpkin County Fire Department, Department of Natural Resources and nearby Frank D. Merrill Ranger Camp joined the search effort.
Search dogs from Lee Arrendale State Prison and a thermal-imaging helicopter from Georgia Sate Patrol (GSP) were called in to assist as well.
Meanwhile Burrell and her horse Morning Star, exhausted from hours or searching for the trail, settled in for the night.
"I found a safe spot and I settled my horse down because she was very upset and I stated dragging firewood to this little clearing on the mountain," said Burrell.
More...
By Matt Aiken
Published: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 10:33 AM EST
An afternoon horseback ride turned into an unexpected survival situation for Elizabeth Burrell as she lost her way in the Chattahoochee National Forest on Saturday.
The Dawson County resident was separated from her group at around 2 p.m. while riding near Winding Stair Gap on Jake Mountain.
"We were going down a real steep incline and my husband got off his horse," said Burrell. "His horse turned around and ran away and disappeared so I left my husband there on foot. I don't know how but [my horse and I] turned around and got lost and could never find the trail again. Nor did I find his missing horse."
Meanwhile as Burrell searched for the trail her husband's horse returned to him.
"The horse returned but she didn't return," said Lumpkin County Emergency Management Director Don Seabolt.
This discovery set off an informal search among friends and volunteers.
Once the sun began to dip below the trees, the authorities were alerted and officials from the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office (LSCO), Lumpkin County Fire Department, Department of Natural Resources and nearby Frank D. Merrill Ranger Camp joined the search effort.
Search dogs from Lee Arrendale State Prison and a thermal-imaging helicopter from Georgia Sate Patrol (GSP) were called in to assist as well.
Meanwhile Burrell and her horse Morning Star, exhausted from hours or searching for the trail, settled in for the night.
"I found a safe spot and I settled my horse down because she was very upset and I stated dragging firewood to this little clearing on the mountain," said Burrell.
More...
Arizona Endurance ride produces local winner
The Wickenburg Sun
photo: Cheri Noel and her horse ‘Blue’ with prize buckle
Participating in her first endurance ride, local businesswoman Cheri Noel rode across the finish line in the 25-mile portion of the Land of the Sun Endurance Ride on Saturday, Jan. 24, tying for first place.
Riding “Blue,” an 8-year-old grade roan gelding, she completed the course in two hours and 30 minutes. Noel purchased Blue from the Kay El Bar Ranch last May after the resort closed for the season and, as far as she knows, this was his first competition as well. For their efforts, she received a gold belt buckle, T-shirt, and a piece of artwork from local artist Tammi Riggs. Blue also received the award for “Best Condition” of all horses in the 25-mile competition.
Lawrence and Maureen Serrano and Cruz Ruiz, other local 25-mile competitors, placed within the top 10 finishers. Brothers Jose Roberto and Benjamin Ruiz also rode in this division, which had 65 participants.
In the 50-mile competition, locals Bruce Rosenthal finished ninth and Cindy Thal finished 18th out of 71 riders. The last competitor in the 50-mile division finished at 7:41 p.m. in total darkness. This rider came from Pahrump, Nev., and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to complete the course even though she was disqualified for being overtime. Special thanks go to the drag riders and rescue crew for accompanying her in her quest for a finish.
This ride has been held here for more than 30 years with the Wickenburg Horsemen’s Association (WHA) sponsoring it for the last seven. It is a sanctioned event by AERC (American Endurance Riding Conference) and riders come from all over the nation and the world to participate. The trails are maintained and groomed by WHA members and on the day of the ride at least 100 volunteers are out in the desert making sure everyone is safe and stays on course. The High Desert Search & Rescue also donates time by providing communications and emergency assistance. Veterinary services are provided by Drs. Jim Lytle, Sid Vargas, Mike Close, Robin Waldron, Joanne Naylor and Rich Kiely as well as the pre-vet students from the University of Arizona. Nancy Halsey, WHA treasurer, served as ride manager again this year.
Everyone had a great time on a beautiful Arizona winter morning. WHA appreciates the assistance of Vivian Helmsworth, DD Western World, Serenity Farms, Bashas’, Sundance Pizza & Tastee Freez, Tom & Tammie Riggs, HorseTrailerMonitor.com, Laura Bovee Photography, Creations in Thread, together with Theresa Capriotti and her crew who prepared the banquet on Saturday and everyone who volunteered their time to help make this ride possible.
photo: Cheri Noel and her horse ‘Blue’ with prize buckle Participating in her first endurance ride, local businesswoman Cheri Noel rode across the finish line in the 25-mile portion of the Land of the Sun Endurance Ride on Saturday, Jan. 24, tying for first place.
Riding “Blue,” an 8-year-old grade roan gelding, she completed the course in two hours and 30 minutes. Noel purchased Blue from the Kay El Bar Ranch last May after the resort closed for the season and, as far as she knows, this was his first competition as well. For their efforts, she received a gold belt buckle, T-shirt, and a piece of artwork from local artist Tammi Riggs. Blue also received the award for “Best Condition” of all horses in the 25-mile competition.
Lawrence and Maureen Serrano and Cruz Ruiz, other local 25-mile competitors, placed within the top 10 finishers. Brothers Jose Roberto and Benjamin Ruiz also rode in this division, which had 65 participants.
In the 50-mile competition, locals Bruce Rosenthal finished ninth and Cindy Thal finished 18th out of 71 riders. The last competitor in the 50-mile division finished at 7:41 p.m. in total darkness. This rider came from Pahrump, Nev., and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to complete the course even though she was disqualified for being overtime. Special thanks go to the drag riders and rescue crew for accompanying her in her quest for a finish.
This ride has been held here for more than 30 years with the Wickenburg Horsemen’s Association (WHA) sponsoring it for the last seven. It is a sanctioned event by AERC (American Endurance Riding Conference) and riders come from all over the nation and the world to participate. The trails are maintained and groomed by WHA members and on the day of the ride at least 100 volunteers are out in the desert making sure everyone is safe and stays on course. The High Desert Search & Rescue also donates time by providing communications and emergency assistance. Veterinary services are provided by Drs. Jim Lytle, Sid Vargas, Mike Close, Robin Waldron, Joanne Naylor and Rich Kiely as well as the pre-vet students from the University of Arizona. Nancy Halsey, WHA treasurer, served as ride manager again this year.
Everyone had a great time on a beautiful Arizona winter morning. WHA appreciates the assistance of Vivian Helmsworth, DD Western World, Serenity Farms, Bashas’, Sundance Pizza & Tastee Freez, Tom & Tammie Riggs, HorseTrailerMonitor.com, Laura Bovee Photography, Creations in Thread, together with Theresa Capriotti and her crew who prepared the banquet on Saturday and everyone who volunteered their time to help make this ride possible.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sinatra - In Memory
Sinatra's Endurance Adventures
In Memory
Friday, January 30, 2009
Crysta Turnage
I didn’t even suspect that Tevis 2007 would be my next to last completion with Sinatra. We had been battling squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, on Sinatra’s left upper lip/nose area for the past few years. That summer, the cancer was very much in remission and was nearly gone entirely. Unfortunately, in the Fall it came back with a vengeance. After numerous trips to several local vet clinics, and a trip down to UC Davis for a consult with the equine oncologist, the very hard decision to retire Sinatra to a life of leisure, food and fun out to pasture with a herd of other horses was made. Sinatra enjoyed 4 months of living in horsey paradise before having to be euthanized due to his cancer in December 2008.
I find it fitting that our very last ride together, was also our very first - The Rides of March here in Reno, Nevada. Also, they have now moved to a new ridecamp location, and Sinatra's ashes are scattered among the hills overlooking the new trail. From our very first 30-mile limited distance ride in March 2003, to our last 50-mile completion in March 2008, Sinatra was my partner and friend. He could be a total pain in the butt (heck, be bucked me off on BOTH of those rides), but he could also be my steady-eddy trustworthy trail partner. I'm very blessed with some of the precious memories he left me with:
* The faces he would make when I would scratch in all the right spots. I think he could stick his upper lip out 4" and roll his eyes clear back in his head. How I couldn't ever clean his corral without him "accidentally" backing up and WHOOPS! putting his butt right in my way to be scratched.
* An early morning start at the Tour de Washoo ride, where a coyote stood on a rock at eye-level with me not 50 feet from the trail and watched us trot by.
* Power trotting the California Loop at Tevis after 80 hard miles - so strong and sure in the lead, his dark coat gleaming in the moonlight.
* The time he went down on his knees unexpectedly, with me mounted, to get a drink out of a puddle that was in a deep depression, and forgot to LIFT his head to compensate and scuba dived clear up to his eye balls in mud. He blew mud balls out his nose for hours! I laughed so hard I nearly fell off.
* Having to stand in my stirrups to slow him down coming into camp on our first 100, I was so awed by him that day/night.
* Being asked to have Sinatra sponsor other horse's through a ride, many times! He had "steady chug" down to a science.
* Winning the Hairiest Horse Award at our Spring local schooling show... by a LONG shot!
* How he would go off the trail and plow over the top of taller bushes to scratch his belly and legs when he was sweaty. And how at Sunriver he did it with a small pine TREE and was grunting and groaning with pleasure while rocking back and forth, branches sticking out every which way, me on top. All 3 of us girls riding were laughing so hard, I was in tears.
* Our quiet moments together in the evenings
* His expectant face - waiting for something to eat - everytime I got in my trailer at a ridecamp, and how he wasn't often disappointed.
Good bye my buddy – on your back was accomplished the dream of a lifetime. You will always be in my heart. I miss you... so much!
[...full blog]
In Memory
Friday, January 30, 2009
Crysta Turnage
I didn’t even suspect that Tevis 2007 would be my next to last completion with Sinatra. We had been battling squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, on Sinatra’s left upper lip/nose area for the past few years. That summer, the cancer was very much in remission and was nearly gone entirely. Unfortunately, in the Fall it came back with a vengeance. After numerous trips to several local vet clinics, and a trip down to UC Davis for a consult with the equine oncologist, the very hard decision to retire Sinatra to a life of leisure, food and fun out to pasture with a herd of other horses was made. Sinatra enjoyed 4 months of living in horsey paradise before having to be euthanized due to his cancer in December 2008.
I find it fitting that our very last ride together, was also our very first - The Rides of March here in Reno, Nevada. Also, they have now moved to a new ridecamp location, and Sinatra's ashes are scattered among the hills overlooking the new trail. From our very first 30-mile limited distance ride in March 2003, to our last 50-mile completion in March 2008, Sinatra was my partner and friend. He could be a total pain in the butt (heck, be bucked me off on BOTH of those rides), but he could also be my steady-eddy trustworthy trail partner. I'm very blessed with some of the precious memories he left me with:
* The faces he would make when I would scratch in all the right spots. I think he could stick his upper lip out 4" and roll his eyes clear back in his head. How I couldn't ever clean his corral without him "accidentally" backing up and WHOOPS! putting his butt right in my way to be scratched.
* An early morning start at the Tour de Washoo ride, where a coyote stood on a rock at eye-level with me not 50 feet from the trail and watched us trot by.
* Power trotting the California Loop at Tevis after 80 hard miles - so strong and sure in the lead, his dark coat gleaming in the moonlight.
* The time he went down on his knees unexpectedly, with me mounted, to get a drink out of a puddle that was in a deep depression, and forgot to LIFT his head to compensate and scuba dived clear up to his eye balls in mud. He blew mud balls out his nose for hours! I laughed so hard I nearly fell off.
* Having to stand in my stirrups to slow him down coming into camp on our first 100, I was so awed by him that day/night.
* Being asked to have Sinatra sponsor other horse's through a ride, many times! He had "steady chug" down to a science.
* Winning the Hairiest Horse Award at our Spring local schooling show... by a LONG shot!
* How he would go off the trail and plow over the top of taller bushes to scratch his belly and legs when he was sweaty. And how at Sunriver he did it with a small pine TREE and was grunting and groaning with pleasure while rocking back and forth, branches sticking out every which way, me on top. All 3 of us girls riding were laughing so hard, I was in tears.
* Our quiet moments together in the evenings
* His expectant face - waiting for something to eat - everytime I got in my trailer at a ridecamp, and how he wasn't often disappointed.
Good bye my buddy – on your back was accomplished the dream of a lifetime. You will always be in my heart. I miss you... so much!
[...full blog]
Whitehaven to host horse endurance ride in May
Theitem.com - Full Article
By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
rburns@theitem.com
Whitehaven Plantation in the Turkey Creek community of Lee County will host a major horse endurance ride on May 23, officials announced Wednesday.
Turkey Creek Trot, sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference, will feature endurance rides of 10, 25 and 50 miles, said ride manager Trisha Dingle of Whitehaven Plantation.
Whitehaven is no stranger to endurance rides, as it has been the site of J.D. Fountain's Thanksgiving Ride, Dingle said.
"But due to the increase in deer hunting in the fall, we have lost access to the trails in November," she said. "While using many of the same trails as J.D.'s ride, we are also thrilled to have brand new trails with limited road crossings."
In addition to the endurance ride on Saturday, a number of educational clinics will take place at Whitehaven on Friday, May 22, Dingle said.
Sponsors are needed for the various awards, she said.
The mostly sandy trails meander through cotton fields and pine trees. There are some hills, and very little paved road riding, Dingle said.
"There's excellent footing for barefoot horses," Dingle said.
Whitehaven will serve as the base camp and there will be primitive camping with no electrical hookup. The plantation is located seven miles from Bishopville on S.C. 341, just a half mile from Fountain's Grocery Store and Gas Station.
Whitehaven Plantation, owned and operated by David and Martha Lucas, has been in the Lucas family for more than 100 years. The century-old plantation is home to the Egyptian Arabian, one of the rarest horses in the world. Egyptian Arabians comprise less than 3 percent of all Arabian horses in the world, and are known for their beauty, intelligence and versatility.
Whitehaven Plantation is located on more than 200 acres and features a covered arena, jump course and breeding facilities. At any time, the farm averages 50 horses on the property, 22 of them being Egyptian Arabians owned by Whitehaven.
For more information, visit the Web site: www.whitehavenplantation.com or call Dingle at (803) 428-5656.
Contact Staff Writer Randy Burns at rburns@theitem.com or (803) 491-4533.
By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
rburns@theitem.com
Whitehaven Plantation in the Turkey Creek community of Lee County will host a major horse endurance ride on May 23, officials announced Wednesday.
Turkey Creek Trot, sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference, will feature endurance rides of 10, 25 and 50 miles, said ride manager Trisha Dingle of Whitehaven Plantation.
Whitehaven is no stranger to endurance rides, as it has been the site of J.D. Fountain's Thanksgiving Ride, Dingle said.
"But due to the increase in deer hunting in the fall, we have lost access to the trails in November," she said. "While using many of the same trails as J.D.'s ride, we are also thrilled to have brand new trails with limited road crossings."
In addition to the endurance ride on Saturday, a number of educational clinics will take place at Whitehaven on Friday, May 22, Dingle said.
Sponsors are needed for the various awards, she said.
The mostly sandy trails meander through cotton fields and pine trees. There are some hills, and very little paved road riding, Dingle said.
"There's excellent footing for barefoot horses," Dingle said.
Whitehaven will serve as the base camp and there will be primitive camping with no electrical hookup. The plantation is located seven miles from Bishopville on S.C. 341, just a half mile from Fountain's Grocery Store and Gas Station.
Whitehaven Plantation, owned and operated by David and Martha Lucas, has been in the Lucas family for more than 100 years. The century-old plantation is home to the Egyptian Arabian, one of the rarest horses in the world. Egyptian Arabians comprise less than 3 percent of all Arabian horses in the world, and are known for their beauty, intelligence and versatility.
Whitehaven Plantation is located on more than 200 acres and features a covered arena, jump course and breeding facilities. At any time, the farm averages 50 horses on the property, 22 of them being Egyptian Arabians owned by Whitehaven.
For more information, visit the Web site: www.whitehavenplantation.com or call Dingle at (803) 428-5656.
Contact Staff Writer Randy Burns at rburns@theitem.com or (803) 491-4533.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Canada tightens rules over CEM in United States
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
January 23, 2009
New restrictions have been imposed for horse imports into Canada from the United States following the outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM).
Eight stallions have so far tested positive for CEM and agricultural authorites in about 40 states are tracing 334 horses potentially exposed to the venereal disease.
Revised import requirements announced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) cover all live horses, semen and embryos entering Canada from the US.
No import permits are required for live horses provided the animals have not been on properties where the bacteria responsible for CEM has been detected during the previous 60 days or on premises currently under quarantine or investigation for CEM.
Any mares must not have been bred naturally to, or inseminated with, semen from a stallion positive for CEM, or a stallion living on a property where positive tests have been returned, or under quarantine or investigation for CEM.
Permits are still required for some horses from Florida, due to that state's outbreak of equine piroplasmosis.
Semen collected after December 15 last year will now require an import permit along with certification that the onor stallion has not been on a premises quarantined or positive for CEM in the preceding 60 days.
Requirements for embryos are similar.
January 23, 2009
New restrictions have been imposed for horse imports into Canada from the United States following the outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM).
Eight stallions have so far tested positive for CEM and agricultural authorites in about 40 states are tracing 334 horses potentially exposed to the venereal disease.
Revised import requirements announced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) cover all live horses, semen and embryos entering Canada from the US.
No import permits are required for live horses provided the animals have not been on properties where the bacteria responsible for CEM has been detected during the previous 60 days or on premises currently under quarantine or investigation for CEM.
Any mares must not have been bred naturally to, or inseminated with, semen from a stallion positive for CEM, or a stallion living on a property where positive tests have been returned, or under quarantine or investigation for CEM.
Permits are still required for some horses from Florida, due to that state's outbreak of equine piroplasmosis.
Semen collected after December 15 last year will now require an import permit along with certification that the onor stallion has not been on a premises quarantined or positive for CEM in the preceding 60 days.
Requirements for embryos are similar.
National Parks Service Awards Grant to ELCR
January 22, 2009
Contact: Deb Balliet, CEO
Equestrian Land Conservation Resource
(859) 455-8383 dballiet@elcr.org
National Parks Service Awards Grant to Equestrian Land Conservation Resource To Develop a National Equestrian Trails Organization
The National Parks Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (NPS RTCA) has awarded the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) a technical assistance grant to develop a national equestrian trails organization. The terms of the grant include assigning an NPS RTCA staff person to facilitate of process, identify issues and needs of trail riders nationwide, determine an effective organizational structure to represent horse trail users; and provide a contact point for land managers to communicate with trail riders. The determination of the needs and appropriate organizational structure will be developed by conducting a series of meetings with stakeholders in 2009.
An organizing meeting was held in 2008 at the National Trails Conference. In 2009, a series of in-person and conference call meetings are planned. The plans also call for an on-line bulletin board to post the meeting agendas and notes. The on-line forum will also provide an opportunity for trail users and trail organization representatives to share their comments. In addition to ELCR and NPS RTCA representatives, representatives from the following organizations participated in the process: American Horse Council, Back Country Horsemen of America, Southeast Equestrian Trails Conference, Ohio Valley Equestrian Trails Symposium, Pennsylvania Equine Council, US Forest Service, and the US Department of Transportation Recreational Trails Program.
The project goals are to increase to the number of trails open to horses, promote good stewardship of the trails, enhance communication with land managers, develop positive relationships with other trail users groups, and serve in an advocacy role on the above issues and other issues identified during the grant process.
If your organization would like to join our national efforts to save land and trails for horses, visit www.ELCR.org, or call (859) 455-8383 for more information.
Contact: Deb Balliet, CEO
Equestrian Land Conservation Resource
(859) 455-8383 dballiet@elcr.org
National Parks Service Awards Grant to Equestrian Land Conservation Resource To Develop a National Equestrian Trails Organization
The National Parks Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (NPS RTCA) has awarded the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) a technical assistance grant to develop a national equestrian trails organization. The terms of the grant include assigning an NPS RTCA staff person to facilitate of process, identify issues and needs of trail riders nationwide, determine an effective organizational structure to represent horse trail users; and provide a contact point for land managers to communicate with trail riders. The determination of the needs and appropriate organizational structure will be developed by conducting a series of meetings with stakeholders in 2009.
An organizing meeting was held in 2008 at the National Trails Conference. In 2009, a series of in-person and conference call meetings are planned. The plans also call for an on-line bulletin board to post the meeting agendas and notes. The on-line forum will also provide an opportunity for trail users and trail organization representatives to share their comments. In addition to ELCR and NPS RTCA representatives, representatives from the following organizations participated in the process: American Horse Council, Back Country Horsemen of America, Southeast Equestrian Trails Conference, Ohio Valley Equestrian Trails Symposium, Pennsylvania Equine Council, US Forest Service, and the US Department of Transportation Recreational Trails Program.
The project goals are to increase to the number of trails open to horses, promote good stewardship of the trails, enhance communication with land managers, develop positive relationships with other trail users groups, and serve in an advocacy role on the above issues and other issues identified during the grant process.
If your organization would like to join our national efforts to save land and trails for horses, visit www.ELCR.org, or call (859) 455-8383 for more information.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Southeast Equestrian Trails Conference
Info, Contact, Registration
The 2009 Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference has been scheduled for July 9 - 12, in Gainesville, Florida.
Hosted by SEDRA and The Goethe Trail, this year's conference is dedicated to the Heritage Horse of Florida, the Florida Cracker.
Green Horses
Making $ents out of Sustainability is the theme for SETC 2009. We will explore ways to build better trails...protect water quality at creek/river crossings, at horse camps, and at our own farms. Additional topics will be manure management, carbon footprints, invasive exotics, conservation easements and more! If we want to preserve historical use of horses on public lands, we need to educate ourselves to be good (green) stewards. Plan to attend to learn more about policy, planning and politics!
The 2009 Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference has been scheduled for July 9 - 12, in Gainesville, Florida.
Hosted by SEDRA and The Goethe Trail, this year's conference is dedicated to the Heritage Horse of Florida, the Florida Cracker. Green Horses
Making $ents out of Sustainability is the theme for SETC 2009. We will explore ways to build better trails...protect water quality at creek/river crossings, at horse camps, and at our own farms. Additional topics will be manure management, carbon footprints, invasive exotics, conservation easements and more! If we want to preserve historical use of horses on public lands, we need to educate ourselves to be good (green) stewards. Plan to attend to learn more about policy, planning and politics!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
California Among 39 States Testing Horses for CEM
Thehorse.com
Press Release
January 17 2009
California is among 39 states testing horses that might have been exposed to a highly contagious venereal disease of horses, contagious equine metritis (CEM).
California Department of Food and Agriculture veterinarians have quarantined 14 mares and are working with the USDA and regulatory veterinarians in other states to identify any additional exposed horses as this nationwide disease investigation unfolds. Following a course of negative cultures and treatment, the mares will be released from quarantine.
In mid-December 2008, a CEM-infected Quarter Horse stallion was detected in Kentucky during routine testing for international semen shipment. The USDA and Kentucky animal health authorities quickly initiated a disease investigation, leading to the identification of more exposed horses. To date, nine stallions have been confirmed to be infected: four in Kentucky, three in Indiana, one in Wisconsin, and one in Texas; and a total of 334 exposed stallions and mares in 39 states have been identified and placed under quarantine by state animal health authorities, pending test results.
CEM is considered a bacterial foreign animal disease and has only been detected in the United States on three previous occasions, in 1978 in Kentucky, 1979 in Missouri, and in 2006 in Wisconsin. In all instances, the disease was controlled and eliminated quickly. CEM is not known to affect humans or other livestock. It is spread between mares and stallions during mating or with infected semen used in artificial insemination. It can also be transmitted on contaminated breeding equipment. Stallions do not exhibit any clinical signs, but the infection may cause fertility problems in mares.
Additional national CEM information may be found on the USDA's Web site.
Press Release
January 17 2009
California is among 39 states testing horses that might have been exposed to a highly contagious venereal disease of horses, contagious equine metritis (CEM).
California Department of Food and Agriculture veterinarians have quarantined 14 mares and are working with the USDA and regulatory veterinarians in other states to identify any additional exposed horses as this nationwide disease investigation unfolds. Following a course of negative cultures and treatment, the mares will be released from quarantine.
In mid-December 2008, a CEM-infected Quarter Horse stallion was detected in Kentucky during routine testing for international semen shipment. The USDA and Kentucky animal health authorities quickly initiated a disease investigation, leading to the identification of more exposed horses. To date, nine stallions have been confirmed to be infected: four in Kentucky, three in Indiana, one in Wisconsin, and one in Texas; and a total of 334 exposed stallions and mares in 39 states have been identified and placed under quarantine by state animal health authorities, pending test results.
CEM is considered a bacterial foreign animal disease and has only been detected in the United States on three previous occasions, in 1978 in Kentucky, 1979 in Missouri, and in 2006 in Wisconsin. In all instances, the disease was controlled and eliminated quickly. CEM is not known to affect humans or other livestock. It is spread between mares and stallions during mating or with infected semen used in artificial insemination. It can also be transmitted on contaminated breeding equipment. Stallions do not exhibit any clinical signs, but the infection may cause fertility problems in mares.
Additional national CEM information may be found on the USDA's Web site.
Friday, January 16, 2009
AERC Annual Convention 2009
FEBRUARY 20 & 21, 2009
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
Endurance riders and equestrians interested in checking out the "ultimate distance riding sport" are invited to attend the American Endurance Ride Conference's 2009 convention at the Galt House Hotel Louisville, Kentucky on February 20 and 21.
"We are excited to have our convention in Louisville," said AERC Executive Director Kathleen Henkel. "There is no admission charge for the trade show and mini-clinics on the trade show floor, and we are hoping to attract many local riders who may be interested in finding out more about endurance riding."
Highlights of AERC's convention will include a trade show featuring vendors from across the country. Regional awards will be presented at an evening reception on February 20, and the convention will culminate with AERC's national awards the evening of February 21.
The trade show will be located in the Galt House's exhibit hall from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Vendors will display a variety of products for long-distance riders - everything from saddles to jewelry to horse trailers. One feature of interest to local riders is the popular Tack Swap; attendees are welcome to bring their used tack to sell at the show.
Also open to the public is the convention's annual Friday night dance, which begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets will be available at the convention for $10 per person.
Equine experts from across the U.S. will be featured at several seminar sessions as part of the convention's "Best Condition" theme.
Friday's seminar speakers are:
* Tom Sayvetz, MD, who will discuss pedigrees and performance, including gait efficiency, body and muscle types in horses, metabolic issues and weight-carrying capacity.
* Jim Moore, DVM, whose 3-D horse models and animations, currently used in veterinary schools worldwide, make understanding a horse's gastrointestinal tract much easier. He will discuss anatomical features that result in common causes of colic. Dr. Moore is a professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
* V.R. Maxwell, DVM, will present "Equine Degenerative Joint Disease in the Equine Athlete." Topics covered include healthy joints, the disease processes of degenerative joint disease and therapeutic options.
Saturday's seminar speakers are:
* Duane Barnett, DVM, a longtime AERC veterinarian, will discuss equine performance sports and drug rules. This important seminar focuses on principles and behavior that can be followed by endurance competitors to stay within the intent of AERC's drug rule.
* Laurie Lawrence, PhD, a professor of Equine Nutrition at the University of Kentucky, has authored more than 100 publications on equine nutrition. Her seminar will feature the importance of carbohydrates in the equine diet. Covered will be different types of carbohydrates, how they are digested and absorbed, and which are most important for endurance horses.
* A Veterinary Panel with Drs. Nick Kohut, Ken Marcella, Jeanette Mero and Melissa Ribley will instruct seminar attendees on the convention theme: Best Condition. One of endurance riding's most sought after awards, Best Condition requires speed and stamina from the equine, and this seminar will present ideas for getting and keeping your horse in best condition consideration.
Seminar prices are $45 per day ($25 for each additional family member) if purchased before February 6; the prices go up $10 after the pre-registration period. Seminars begin at 9:00 each day. Tickets are available at the door.
Veterinarians can take part in the seven-credit Continuing Education program on Thursday, February 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Galt House.
Convention registration can be made by phone to the AERC office at 866-271-2372. A complete convention overview and reservation forms are available online at www.aerc.org. The reservation line for the Galt House is 800-843-4258.
For information about AERC's upcoming convention or membership in AERC, visit aerc.org or phone toll-free 866-271-2372.
Contact: Troy Smith
endurancenews@foothill.net
866-271-2372, 530-823-2260
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
Endurance riders and equestrians interested in checking out the "ultimate distance riding sport" are invited to attend the American Endurance Ride Conference's 2009 convention at the Galt House Hotel Louisville, Kentucky on February 20 and 21.
"We are excited to have our convention in Louisville," said AERC Executive Director Kathleen Henkel. "There is no admission charge for the trade show and mini-clinics on the trade show floor, and we are hoping to attract many local riders who may be interested in finding out more about endurance riding."
Highlights of AERC's convention will include a trade show featuring vendors from across the country. Regional awards will be presented at an evening reception on February 20, and the convention will culminate with AERC's national awards the evening of February 21.
The trade show will be located in the Galt House's exhibit hall from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Vendors will display a variety of products for long-distance riders - everything from saddles to jewelry to horse trailers. One feature of interest to local riders is the popular Tack Swap; attendees are welcome to bring their used tack to sell at the show.
Also open to the public is the convention's annual Friday night dance, which begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets will be available at the convention for $10 per person.
Equine experts from across the U.S. will be featured at several seminar sessions as part of the convention's "Best Condition" theme.
Friday's seminar speakers are:
* Tom Sayvetz, MD, who will discuss pedigrees and performance, including gait efficiency, body and muscle types in horses, metabolic issues and weight-carrying capacity.
* Jim Moore, DVM, whose 3-D horse models and animations, currently used in veterinary schools worldwide, make understanding a horse's gastrointestinal tract much easier. He will discuss anatomical features that result in common causes of colic. Dr. Moore is a professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
* V.R. Maxwell, DVM, will present "Equine Degenerative Joint Disease in the Equine Athlete." Topics covered include healthy joints, the disease processes of degenerative joint disease and therapeutic options.
Saturday's seminar speakers are:
* Duane Barnett, DVM, a longtime AERC veterinarian, will discuss equine performance sports and drug rules. This important seminar focuses on principles and behavior that can be followed by endurance competitors to stay within the intent of AERC's drug rule.
* Laurie Lawrence, PhD, a professor of Equine Nutrition at the University of Kentucky, has authored more than 100 publications on equine nutrition. Her seminar will feature the importance of carbohydrates in the equine diet. Covered will be different types of carbohydrates, how they are digested and absorbed, and which are most important for endurance horses.
* A Veterinary Panel with Drs. Nick Kohut, Ken Marcella, Jeanette Mero and Melissa Ribley will instruct seminar attendees on the convention theme: Best Condition. One of endurance riding's most sought after awards, Best Condition requires speed and stamina from the equine, and this seminar will present ideas for getting and keeping your horse in best condition consideration.
Seminar prices are $45 per day ($25 for each additional family member) if purchased before February 6; the prices go up $10 after the pre-registration period. Seminars begin at 9:00 each day. Tickets are available at the door.
Veterinarians can take part in the seven-credit Continuing Education program on Thursday, February 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Galt House.
Convention registration can be made by phone to the AERC office at 866-271-2372. A complete convention overview and reservation forms are available online at www.aerc.org. The reservation line for the Galt House is 800-843-4258.
For information about AERC's upcoming convention or membership in AERC, visit aerc.org or phone toll-free 866-271-2372.
Contact: Troy Smith
endurancenews@foothill.net
866-271-2372, 530-823-2260
Widower's gift sped Refuge approval
Poconorecord.com - Full Article
Opinion - By RALPH "BUD" COOK
January 16, 2009
Thank you for the Record's excellent news coverage and strong editorial endorsement of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a milestone in land conservation not only in the Pocono region, but throughout the United States. Refuge funds will complement local and state funding for habitat conservation in the Cherry Valley area. The Refuge will use a willing-seller approach only, i.e., there will be no use of eminent domain by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Many, many local residents and community leaders worked together to bring a National Wildlife Refuge into the mix of conservation opportunities in Cherry Valley. The vast majority of these community-minded people worked inconspicuously, but diligently, to make the Refuge a reality. Their names would fill page after page of the Pocono Record, and it would be wonderful to publicly thank each one of them if space permitted.
I would like to single out one of these unsung heroes, John S. Potter Jr. of Snydersville. Mr. Potter made a major gift to The Nature Conservancy in memory of the late Margaret Price Potter (Maggy). The gift supported the study that looked at the feasibility of creating a new National Wildlife Refuge in the Cherry Valley area.
The Conservancy's efforts contributed to the scientific foundation of a report, issued Oct. 31 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which recommended moving forward with establishment of a Refuge, not far from where Maggy found joy in riding her beloved Arabian horses.
More...
Opinion - By RALPH "BUD" COOK
January 16, 2009
Thank you for the Record's excellent news coverage and strong editorial endorsement of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a milestone in land conservation not only in the Pocono region, but throughout the United States. Refuge funds will complement local and state funding for habitat conservation in the Cherry Valley area. The Refuge will use a willing-seller approach only, i.e., there will be no use of eminent domain by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Many, many local residents and community leaders worked together to bring a National Wildlife Refuge into the mix of conservation opportunities in Cherry Valley. The vast majority of these community-minded people worked inconspicuously, but diligently, to make the Refuge a reality. Their names would fill page after page of the Pocono Record, and it would be wonderful to publicly thank each one of them if space permitted.
I would like to single out one of these unsung heroes, John S. Potter Jr. of Snydersville. Mr. Potter made a major gift to The Nature Conservancy in memory of the late Margaret Price Potter (Maggy). The gift supported the study that looked at the feasibility of creating a new National Wildlife Refuge in the Cherry Valley area.
The Conservancy's efforts contributed to the scientific foundation of a report, issued Oct. 31 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which recommended moving forward with establishment of a Refuge, not far from where Maggy found joy in riding her beloved Arabian horses.
More...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
USEF News - January 2009
From Vonita Bowers,
Director of Endurance Discipline
USEF - United States Equestrian Federation
Director’s Update January 6, 2009
The Athlete Elections have been completed. The following are the Athletes elected to the Eligible Athletes Committee 2009-2012:
Kathy Brunjes
Carol Giles
Valerie Kanavy
Heather Reynolds
Jeremy Reynolds
Stephen Rojek
Michele Roush
Christoph Schork
Meg Sleeper
Marcia Smith
Stephanie Teeter
Three of these Committee members will be elected by the members to serve on the High Performance Committee as Athlete Representatives.
The AERCI’s Technical Committee Recommendations have been forwarded to Mr. O’ Connor for appointment.
The new FEI Rules for Endurance have been circulated and are on the USEF Endurance page and the FEI website www.horsesport.org . There are also three other documents that are companions to the rules document. Those are posted just below the rules on both websites.
The procedures for the 2009 Pan American Championships are in their final stages of approval. The competition is April 24-26 in Costa Azul, Uruguay. It is a 120km race, and the qualification is the same as that listed for the Junior/Young Rider World Championships on the FEI website. There is no Athlete funding available. This information has been circulated to members of the Rider Ranking List.
The North American Planning is moving forward. The 4* Competition has been dropped, since there is no nations qualifying in the new FEI Rules. The Team Challenge CEI3* is planned for October 14.
The Endurance Committees will meet at the USEF Convention Jan. 16. The meetings are open. The primary agenda items are Selectors and Vet Panel for 2009-2010, Discussion of the past World Championship, and discussion of the High Performance Program going forward. The new Athletes committee will be seated. The new Technical Committee is not seated until March. Any of those new Technical members are invited to sit in on meetings between now and March. In addition to the meetings, the Youth Convention will be going on, and the Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Trophy will be awarded to Valerie Kanavy at the Pegasus Awards Dinner Saturday, Jan 17th.
The AERC Convention meetings will be Sunday Afternoon from 1 to 5:00.
The Officials Course will be held beginning Sunday evening and continuing through Tuesday. For more information regarding the course, contact Mary Smith at msmith@usef.org.
Director of Endurance Discipline
USEF - United States Equestrian Federation
Director’s Update January 6, 2009
The Athlete Elections have been completed. The following are the Athletes elected to the Eligible Athletes Committee 2009-2012:
Kathy Brunjes
Carol Giles
Valerie Kanavy
Heather Reynolds
Jeremy Reynolds
Stephen Rojek
Michele Roush
Christoph Schork
Meg Sleeper
Marcia Smith
Stephanie Teeter
Three of these Committee members will be elected by the members to serve on the High Performance Committee as Athlete Representatives.
The AERCI’s Technical Committee Recommendations have been forwarded to Mr. O’ Connor for appointment.
The new FEI Rules for Endurance have been circulated and are on the USEF Endurance page and the FEI website www.horsesport.org . There are also three other documents that are companions to the rules document. Those are posted just below the rules on both websites.
The procedures for the 2009 Pan American Championships are in their final stages of approval. The competition is April 24-26 in Costa Azul, Uruguay. It is a 120km race, and the qualification is the same as that listed for the Junior/Young Rider World Championships on the FEI website. There is no Athlete funding available. This information has been circulated to members of the Rider Ranking List.
The North American Planning is moving forward. The 4* Competition has been dropped, since there is no nations qualifying in the new FEI Rules. The Team Challenge CEI3* is planned for October 14.
The Endurance Committees will meet at the USEF Convention Jan. 16. The meetings are open. The primary agenda items are Selectors and Vet Panel for 2009-2010, Discussion of the past World Championship, and discussion of the High Performance Program going forward. The new Athletes committee will be seated. The new Technical Committee is not seated until March. Any of those new Technical members are invited to sit in on meetings between now and March. In addition to the meetings, the Youth Convention will be going on, and the Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Trophy will be awarded to Valerie Kanavy at the Pegasus Awards Dinner Saturday, Jan 17th.
The AERC Convention meetings will be Sunday Afternoon from 1 to 5:00.
The Officials Course will be held beginning Sunday evening and continuing through Tuesday. For more information regarding the course, contact Mary Smith at msmith@usef.org.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Arizona: Wickenburg endurance ride slated for 8th year
Wickenburgsun.com
January 8, 2009
Once again it is time for the Land of the Sun Endurance ride, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24.
This will be the eighth year for this wonderful ride through the desert and surrounding areas of Wickenburg.
The ride consists of two rides -- one a 50-mile ride and the other a 25-mile ride. There are two loops of 25 miles each.
The entire trail is cleaned by members of the Wickenburg Horseman’s Association and friends. All of them volunteer their time and energy to help make this one of the more successful rides in Arizona.
Within a few days of the ride, the trails will start to be marked with a red and white striped ribbon attached to a clothespin. The trails will be unmarked within a few days after the ride. It takes of lot of work to do this, and it keeps riders who are going fast down the trail from getting lost.
The ride committee appreciates people leaving the ribbons on the trails. When the trail-marking ribbons are removed, it causes problems for the endurance riders.
For more information, to participate in the ride, or to help with the preparations, call Nancy Halsey at 684-3415.
January 8, 2009
Once again it is time for the Land of the Sun Endurance ride, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24.
This will be the eighth year for this wonderful ride through the desert and surrounding areas of Wickenburg.
The ride consists of two rides -- one a 50-mile ride and the other a 25-mile ride. There are two loops of 25 miles each.
The entire trail is cleaned by members of the Wickenburg Horseman’s Association and friends. All of them volunteer their time and energy to help make this one of the more successful rides in Arizona.
Within a few days of the ride, the trails will start to be marked with a red and white striped ribbon attached to a clothespin. The trails will be unmarked within a few days after the ride. It takes of lot of work to do this, and it keeps riders who are going fast down the trail from getting lost.
The ride committee appreciates people leaving the ribbons on the trails. When the trail-marking ribbons are removed, it causes problems for the endurance riders.
For more information, to participate in the ride, or to help with the preparations, call Nancy Halsey at 684-3415.
Australia: Microchipping
Australian Endurance Riders Association
At the recent AERA meeting the following motion was passed:
That as from 1st January 2010, all horses qualifying to endurance status must be microchipped to be eligible to compete.
The AERA Veterinary Panel made recommendations to AERA to have all horses microchipped, novice and endurance, including horses currently competing.
The AERA would like to encourage members to have all their horses microchipped irrespective of their status.
More information
At the recent AERA meeting the following motion was passed:
That as from 1st January 2010, all horses qualifying to endurance status must be microchipped to be eligible to compete.
The AERA Veterinary Panel made recommendations to AERA to have all horses microchipped, novice and endurance, including horses currently competing.
The AERA would like to encourage members to have all their horses microchipped irrespective of their status.
More information
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
AERC Election Results - Directors at Large
Congratulations to the following members
for being elected to the Director-at-Large positions
on the AERC Board of Directors.
John Crandell III
Randy Eiland
Kim Fuess
Roberta Harms
Laura Hayes
Susan Keil DVM
Mike Maul
Bruce Weary, D.C.
They will be installed in office at the Saturday meeting at the convention and serve for two years.
Mike Maul
AERC President
for being elected to the Director-at-Large positions
on the AERC Board of Directors.
John Crandell III
Randy Eiland
Kim Fuess
Roberta Harms
Laura Hayes
Susan Keil DVM
Mike Maul
Bruce Weary, D.C.
They will be installed in office at the Saturday meeting at the convention and serve for two years.
Mike Maul
AERC President
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Modern Mustangs and Mustangers Do the Distance
Original Article
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Compiled by Beverley J. Davis
It might seem like the accomplishments of Hidalgo and his kind are now a part of the past, something we only find in books and movies. But modern Mustangs and Mustangers are carrying on the old traditions and proving their mettle in this age of mechanized transportation and supersonic speeds. And in this world of flash and glamour, where the motto is bigger is better, the small Indian ponies of old, who carried the US mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, who followed the war trails with Quanah Parker and Chief Joseph, and taught the US cavalry that size had nothing to do with stamina and heart, are still hitting the trails and going the distance.
Finding a starting place for this journey is not an easy one, but since we must start somewhere, I’ll jump in with the tale Mal de Ojo and Indio Blanco. In the early 1970s, two young adventurers named Nathan and Elly Foote started out of Argentina with the intention of riding across North and South America on their Argentine Criollos, a breed closely related to the Spanish mustang. Unfortunately at the Texas border two of their horses died in quarantine due to a faulty drug administered by the USDA. It might have been the end of the journey, but Gilbert Jones, a Spanish mustang breeder from Oklahoma stepped up and offer them two of his horses, Mal de Ojo and Indio Blanco. Right away the mustangs proved themselves to be as tough and loyal as the horses that they had lost, carrying their new owners from the Rio Grande all the way to Alaska. Elly Foote said that these tough adventurers spent their last years in the green pastures of Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada. No doubt a well-earned reward.
In the world of competitive trail riding, there are two prominent organizations, The AERC, American Endurance Ride Conference, and the NATRC, North American Trail Ride Conference, both of which has regional rides and accumulates points accordingly.
[More ...]
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Compiled by Beverley J. Davis
It might seem like the accomplishments of Hidalgo and his kind are now a part of the past, something we only find in books and movies. But modern Mustangs and Mustangers are carrying on the old traditions and proving their mettle in this age of mechanized transportation and supersonic speeds. And in this world of flash and glamour, where the motto is bigger is better, the small Indian ponies of old, who carried the US mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, who followed the war trails with Quanah Parker and Chief Joseph, and taught the US cavalry that size had nothing to do with stamina and heart, are still hitting the trails and going the distance.
Finding a starting place for this journey is not an easy one, but since we must start somewhere, I’ll jump in with the tale Mal de Ojo and Indio Blanco. In the early 1970s, two young adventurers named Nathan and Elly Foote started out of Argentina with the intention of riding across North and South America on their Argentine Criollos, a breed closely related to the Spanish mustang. Unfortunately at the Texas border two of their horses died in quarantine due to a faulty drug administered by the USDA. It might have been the end of the journey, but Gilbert Jones, a Spanish mustang breeder from Oklahoma stepped up and offer them two of his horses, Mal de Ojo and Indio Blanco. Right away the mustangs proved themselves to be as tough and loyal as the horses that they had lost, carrying their new owners from the Rio Grande all the way to Alaska. Elly Foote said that these tough adventurers spent their last years in the green pastures of Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada. No doubt a well-earned reward.
In the world of competitive trail riding, there are two prominent organizations, The AERC, American Endurance Ride Conference, and the NATRC, North American Trail Ride Conference, both of which has regional rides and accumulates points accordingly.
[More ...]
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Canada launches CEM investigation, 4th stallion infected
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
January 1, 2009
Another Kentucky stallion has been found to be infected with contagious equine metritis as the outbreak extends its tentacles north into Canada.
Canada has confirmed that semen from one of the infected stallions was imported into the country and it has launched an inquiry.
In Kentucky, four stallions - three quarter horses and one paint - have been confirmed infected with the venereal disease.
Each of the four stallions stood the 2008 season at a breeding facility in Woodford County that specialises in stallion collection for artificial insemination.
Three of the four infected stallions remain at the original premises with the fourth at another Woodford County address.
More...
January 1, 2009
Another Kentucky stallion has been found to be infected with contagious equine metritis as the outbreak extends its tentacles north into Canada.
Canada has confirmed that semen from one of the infected stallions was imported into the country and it has launched an inquiry.
In Kentucky, four stallions - three quarter horses and one paint - have been confirmed infected with the venereal disease.
Each of the four stallions stood the 2008 season at a breeding facility in Woodford County that specialises in stallion collection for artificial insemination.
Three of the four infected stallions remain at the original premises with the fourth at another Woodford County address.
More...
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Ed Anderson's Thru-Ride on PCT
by Ed Anderson
On Sunday, August 17, 2008 Primo and I arrived at McKenzie Pass near Sisters, Oregon, to complete our 1350-mile thru-journey of the Pacific Crest Trail. We had started from the border of Mexico on April 19. We had traveled through state parks, county parks, a national park, several wilderness areas and national forests, BLM lands, and across easements through private lands.
This account is a very brief description of what I saw and what it is like to solo-ride your horse on the Pacific Crest Trail.
My best friend and dear companion on the trail was TLC Primo Eclipse, my registered Arabian endurance horse. I chose Primo for this trip because he is brave, strong, tough, has excellent feet, is very sure-footed, and is exceptionally agile. All of these qualities would prove crucial on the trail in the weeks and months to follow. Primo would go through places and situations where others might not.
Primo was the only horse in the spring of 2008 to head north from the border of Mexico. There were hundreds of hikers from as far away as Europe and New Zealand. When you travel alone with your horse over such long distances and pass over an around so many challenging obstacles, a very close bond developes. We became best friends. I was the other horse, he the other person. A mutual trust and a real sense if inter-dependance developed between us. Primo bravely faced horse-scary places like fast rushing streams to cross, sand slides, rock slides, down trees, horse-eating stumps and wierd-shaped boulders, tunnels, many types of bridges, the windmills in the Tehachipi area, moving shadows of windmill blades across the trail, and wide, sloped snow banks to cross. In May, we rode through a snow storm in the Angeles Crest - rain had unexpectedly turned into heavy snow. We pushed on to North Fork Ranger Station where the very helpful caretaker let me put Primo in a corral. He even gave him pellets and let me sleep in the barracks. What a luxury after all the snow. Primo would go on, even through a storm, if I asked him to. And he knew that I would not lead him into danger. If the situation looked risky or if it was impassable for us, we would turn back and find another way.
Thanks to the help we got from the Equestrian Center at Warner Springs Resort (they took good care of Primo and gave me a ride down), I was able to attend the annual "kick-off" party at Lake Moreno nearly 100 miles south of Warner Springs. This is a great event, attended by several hundred people, angels, aspiring thru-hikers, past hikers, wanna-be thru-hikers and many others. The atmosphere was friendly and I met many people. There were several informative programs, including a forum, demonstrations, vender exhibits, and a great slide show by Eric Ryback who, at 17, was the first person to thru-hike, in 1970, the Pacific Crest Trail. The BBQ dinner was special as was the breakfast on Sunday morning. It was at this event that I was to learn that I was the only person planning to thru-ride the PCT in 2008. I got a ride back to Warner Springs on Sunday morning, tacked up and packed Primo, and we headed north again. Since we got a late start that day, we only went seven miles and camped alone at a magical spot along Agua Caliente Creek where Indians had camped long ago. I discovered several Indian morters, and to my surprise and delight, one that still had the pestle in it! Primo was hobbled and grazing while I was taking a solar shower. When I dressed and looked for him he was gone. His tracks showed that he was heading back on the trail towards Warner Springs to visit his horse friends there. When I caught up with him I discovered that he had covered about 1/2 mile, hobbles and all. He had been living at Warner Springs for 2 days while I was at the Kickoff Party. From then on I was to always keep his bell on while he grazed and also kept an eye on him. He never wandered far again.
Some have asked me how riding the PCT is different from hiking it. Most think that riding a horse would be much easier. Riding solo on the PCT, compared to hiking it is a very different, and more challenging experience. The hikers can have it really easy because they have so many options. They can easily climb over or duck under downed trees. And slides and boulders are less of a concern for them. Their hiking poles are certainly a lot of help on slides or in snow. Hikers can carry thier water with them and can "dry camp' almost anywhere, while I needed to find camps with graze, water, and trees to highline Primo at night - so, we often camped alone. When the trail crosses a road the hikers often hitch-hike into a town or city and take a day off, a "0-day"'. They can check into a motel, take a shower, resupply at the supermarket, eat in restaurants, visit the laundromat, maybe take in a movie, make phone calls and even use the computers at the local library. A rider with his horse can do none of the above. Mine was much more of a wilderness journey - a journey with very little contact with towns and cities. I like it better that way.
The scenery along the PCT was varied and often spectacular. The grand forests, the individual trees, the wide variety of the millions of wildflowers, the wildlife, the hundreds of lakes and ponds, the impressive rock formations, the mountains and hills, and the very special horse-friend who was always there, all of these will remain fixed in my memories as long as I live.
Detours were sometimes necessary to get past obstacles or to avoid taking serious risks. We encountered hundreds of down trees during our journey. Detours, taken for various reasons, would take minutes to several hours and sometimes required that I cut trees and branches to clear a way through. I had brought along a folding saw with a very sharp blade 14 1/2" long that could cut from the tip. I could, if necessary, cut trees up to 16" in diameter. I made wedges out of wood. Once, a! 4" diameter tree blocked a narrow trail and had come to rest at a steep angle. The slope above and below the trail was also very steep. Backtracking there would have been difficult, so I decided to cut the tree. It took more than an hour to cut that tree .I had to be very careful not to get my blade pinched and to be sure that when the upper section did fall, there would be enough room for Primo to get past. Primo, tied about 25 feet away, watched. He knew that we would go forward.
Primo came to understand, and accept, that we lived on the PCT, and that there were no other horses. It was interesting that he would sometimes, after his evening graze, come over and "join up" with myself and a group of hikers while we were talking in camp - as though this group of people were other horses, his substitute "human herd".
Primo enjoyed the "smorgasbord' of horse-edible plants that he found along the trail. Once he decided which plants were good, he would spot something that he wanted to eat from 20 feet away and would stop abruptly when we got there. I would always let him graze along the trail because I could never be sure what the graze would be like up ahead or at the next camp. Graze at our camps varied. Often it was excellent or good. Other times it was fair, thin, or none at all, and I would feed Primo extra feed. Arabians are desert horses and can go longer without drinking than some other breeds, and since we were walking, there was very little sweating. So, if Primo had recently had a good drink, and we came to a beautiful meadow off the trail, with lots of graze and nearby trees, but no water, we would make camp.
During our journey we had to trailer around Mt. San Jacento and the Sierra Nevada because of the risks of trying to cross deep snow with a horse. 2008 was a year of hundreds of lighting-started fires in Northern California. There was a long wait in Sierra City. I hoped that the fires affecting the PCT would come under control, and that the closed sections would be reopened. I had become very discouraged because of the fires and smoke. I decided that it would be best to trailer around the closed sections and much of the smoke and then pick up the trail again at Burney Falls, California. I would ride from there to a planned exit at at McKenzie Pass near Sisters, Oregon. I had made a family commitment that I would return home by August 20, and we were to reach McKenzie Pass on August 17, where an endurance rider friend was to pick us up. She brought us down to her beautiful ranch in Sisters and another endurance rider friend trailered us to Ashland where I had left my rig. We made it home with a day to spare. Oregon had no fires going while we were there, and it was a really wonderful part of my trip to see blue skys and dramatic clouds while riding through its grand beauty of the several wilderness areas and Crater Lake National Park .
Some have asked how we resupplied and what Primo ate besides grass while we traveled. To supplement his graze I planned an average of six pounds of processed feed per day. This was sealed in Food-Saver bags without the vacuum so bags would be flexible for easier packing. I packed, three pounds in each bag, always including one five-pound bag that Primo could eat while I packed a resupply into the pommel bags and saddle bags. The air-tight seal of these feed bags prevented smells from attracting bears and other critters.
It was necessary to resupply many times during our journey. This took a lot of planning and I ended up relying on several different approches. The approach that I used most often, especially in Northern California and Oregon , was to drive ahead and hide or, most often, bury our caches near PCT trailheads or road crossings. All of our food was pre-packed in air-tight plastic bags as described above. I would bury a cache well away from the trail or trailhead. I would first carefully peel back the ground cover and then dig a shallow trench about three feet long, eight to ten inches deep and about ten inches wide. Primos food bags, and my main food bag (a 12 1/2" x 20" OPSAK with several Ziploc freezer bags containing different catagories of food), would be placed in along with exactly ten mothballs on top. Then the soil went in with the original ground cover on top, with leaves, pine needles, and branches over for camouflage. When we arrived at a cache, sometimes weeks later, I would, saving the original ground cover, dig up the cache with my digging trowel and recover the food bags and all ten moth balls for reuse in my "bear charms" (it would not be environmentally acceptable to leave them). I would then refill the hole and replace the ground cover and camoflage. My criteria was to leave that spot so that if a person were to pass by he would not notice that a hole had been there. What are bear charms? In parts of the Yukon cotton tobacco sacks with mothballs inside are known as "bear charms" To discourage bears I used them in camp around my main food sack (the OPSAK) and surrounding my tent. I would like to comment that no bear ever got into my caches or came into my camps.
The second method of resupply was directly from my well-stocked horse trailer. When we reached where I had left it parked. I would, leaving Primo in good care, drive my rig ahead, caching along the way. To return to Primo I would hitch a ride, take public transportation (if available), or get a pre-arranged ride back offered by an angel. I would have always obtained permission in advance to park the rig in a safe place.
The third approach to resupply required angels who would let me park my rig in a safe place on their property, or drop off my resupplies with them so I could pick them up when we passed through or near. Or, angels could meet us at pre-planned locations. This assumed that cell phone service was available. My wonderful wife, Jereen, met us several times while we passed through Southern California.
The following is my sincere thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, to all of those fellow endurance riders (members of the AERC - American Endurance Ride Conference), Back Country Horsemen, and other angels who helped in so many ways to make our journey possible. In this e-mail message I am including others who would want to know about our adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail. Next year I hope to return to McKenley Pass and continue north to Canada.
Ed Anderson aka "MendoRider" on the trail.
On Sunday, August 17, 2008 Primo and I arrived at McKenzie Pass near Sisters, Oregon, to complete our 1350-mile thru-journey of the Pacific Crest Trail. We had started from the border of Mexico on April 19. We had traveled through state parks, county parks, a national park, several wilderness areas and national forests, BLM lands, and across easements through private lands.
This account is a very brief description of what I saw and what it is like to solo-ride your horse on the Pacific Crest Trail.
My best friend and dear companion on the trail was TLC Primo Eclipse, my registered Arabian endurance horse. I chose Primo for this trip because he is brave, strong, tough, has excellent feet, is very sure-footed, and is exceptionally agile. All of these qualities would prove crucial on the trail in the weeks and months to follow. Primo would go through places and situations where others might not.
Primo was the only horse in the spring of 2008 to head north from the border of Mexico. There were hundreds of hikers from as far away as Europe and New Zealand. When you travel alone with your horse over such long distances and pass over an around so many challenging obstacles, a very close bond developes. We became best friends. I was the other horse, he the other person. A mutual trust and a real sense if inter-dependance developed between us. Primo bravely faced horse-scary places like fast rushing streams to cross, sand slides, rock slides, down trees, horse-eating stumps and wierd-shaped boulders, tunnels, many types of bridges, the windmills in the Tehachipi area, moving shadows of windmill blades across the trail, and wide, sloped snow banks to cross. In May, we rode through a snow storm in the Angeles Crest - rain had unexpectedly turned into heavy snow. We pushed on to North Fork Ranger Station where the very helpful caretaker let me put Primo in a corral. He even gave him pellets and let me sleep in the barracks. What a luxury after all the snow. Primo would go on, even through a storm, if I asked him to. And he knew that I would not lead him into danger. If the situation looked risky or if it was impassable for us, we would turn back and find another way.
Thanks to the help we got from the Equestrian Center at Warner Springs Resort (they took good care of Primo and gave me a ride down), I was able to attend the annual "kick-off" party at Lake Moreno nearly 100 miles south of Warner Springs. This is a great event, attended by several hundred people, angels, aspiring thru-hikers, past hikers, wanna-be thru-hikers and many others. The atmosphere was friendly and I met many people. There were several informative programs, including a forum, demonstrations, vender exhibits, and a great slide show by Eric Ryback who, at 17, was the first person to thru-hike, in 1970, the Pacific Crest Trail. The BBQ dinner was special as was the breakfast on Sunday morning. It was at this event that I was to learn that I was the only person planning to thru-ride the PCT in 2008. I got a ride back to Warner Springs on Sunday morning, tacked up and packed Primo, and we headed north again. Since we got a late start that day, we only went seven miles and camped alone at a magical spot along Agua Caliente Creek where Indians had camped long ago. I discovered several Indian morters, and to my surprise and delight, one that still had the pestle in it! Primo was hobbled and grazing while I was taking a solar shower. When I dressed and looked for him he was gone. His tracks showed that he was heading back on the trail towards Warner Springs to visit his horse friends there. When I caught up with him I discovered that he had covered about 1/2 mile, hobbles and all. He had been living at Warner Springs for 2 days while I was at the Kickoff Party. From then on I was to always keep his bell on while he grazed and also kept an eye on him. He never wandered far again.
Some have asked me how riding the PCT is different from hiking it. Most think that riding a horse would be much easier. Riding solo on the PCT, compared to hiking it is a very different, and more challenging experience. The hikers can have it really easy because they have so many options. They can easily climb over or duck under downed trees. And slides and boulders are less of a concern for them. Their hiking poles are certainly a lot of help on slides or in snow. Hikers can carry thier water with them and can "dry camp' almost anywhere, while I needed to find camps with graze, water, and trees to highline Primo at night - so, we often camped alone. When the trail crosses a road the hikers often hitch-hike into a town or city and take a day off, a "0-day"'. They can check into a motel, take a shower, resupply at the supermarket, eat in restaurants, visit the laundromat, maybe take in a movie, make phone calls and even use the computers at the local library. A rider with his horse can do none of the above. Mine was much more of a wilderness journey - a journey with very little contact with towns and cities. I like it better that way.
The scenery along the PCT was varied and often spectacular. The grand forests, the individual trees, the wide variety of the millions of wildflowers, the wildlife, the hundreds of lakes and ponds, the impressive rock formations, the mountains and hills, and the very special horse-friend who was always there, all of these will remain fixed in my memories as long as I live.
Detours were sometimes necessary to get past obstacles or to avoid taking serious risks. We encountered hundreds of down trees during our journey. Detours, taken for various reasons, would take minutes to several hours and sometimes required that I cut trees and branches to clear a way through. I had brought along a folding saw with a very sharp blade 14 1/2" long that could cut from the tip. I could, if necessary, cut trees up to 16" in diameter. I made wedges out of wood. Once, a! 4" diameter tree blocked a narrow trail and had come to rest at a steep angle. The slope above and below the trail was also very steep. Backtracking there would have been difficult, so I decided to cut the tree. It took more than an hour to cut that tree .I had to be very careful not to get my blade pinched and to be sure that when the upper section did fall, there would be enough room for Primo to get past. Primo, tied about 25 feet away, watched. He knew that we would go forward.
Primo came to understand, and accept, that we lived on the PCT, and that there were no other horses. It was interesting that he would sometimes, after his evening graze, come over and "join up" with myself and a group of hikers while we were talking in camp - as though this group of people were other horses, his substitute "human herd".
Primo enjoyed the "smorgasbord' of horse-edible plants that he found along the trail. Once he decided which plants were good, he would spot something that he wanted to eat from 20 feet away and would stop abruptly when we got there. I would always let him graze along the trail because I could never be sure what the graze would be like up ahead or at the next camp. Graze at our camps varied. Often it was excellent or good. Other times it was fair, thin, or none at all, and I would feed Primo extra feed. Arabians are desert horses and can go longer without drinking than some other breeds, and since we were walking, there was very little sweating. So, if Primo had recently had a good drink, and we came to a beautiful meadow off the trail, with lots of graze and nearby trees, but no water, we would make camp.
During our journey we had to trailer around Mt. San Jacento and the Sierra Nevada because of the risks of trying to cross deep snow with a horse. 2008 was a year of hundreds of lighting-started fires in Northern California. There was a long wait in Sierra City. I hoped that the fires affecting the PCT would come under control, and that the closed sections would be reopened. I had become very discouraged because of the fires and smoke. I decided that it would be best to trailer around the closed sections and much of the smoke and then pick up the trail again at Burney Falls, California. I would ride from there to a planned exit at at McKenzie Pass near Sisters, Oregon. I had made a family commitment that I would return home by August 20, and we were to reach McKenzie Pass on August 17, where an endurance rider friend was to pick us up. She brought us down to her beautiful ranch in Sisters and another endurance rider friend trailered us to Ashland where I had left my rig. We made it home with a day to spare. Oregon had no fires going while we were there, and it was a really wonderful part of my trip to see blue skys and dramatic clouds while riding through its grand beauty of the several wilderness areas and Crater Lake National Park .
Some have asked how we resupplied and what Primo ate besides grass while we traveled. To supplement his graze I planned an average of six pounds of processed feed per day. This was sealed in Food-Saver bags without the vacuum so bags would be flexible for easier packing. I packed, three pounds in each bag, always including one five-pound bag that Primo could eat while I packed a resupply into the pommel bags and saddle bags. The air-tight seal of these feed bags prevented smells from attracting bears and other critters.
It was necessary to resupply many times during our journey. This took a lot of planning and I ended up relying on several different approches. The approach that I used most often, especially in Northern California and Oregon , was to drive ahead and hide or, most often, bury our caches near PCT trailheads or road crossings. All of our food was pre-packed in air-tight plastic bags as described above. I would bury a cache well away from the trail or trailhead. I would first carefully peel back the ground cover and then dig a shallow trench about three feet long, eight to ten inches deep and about ten inches wide. Primos food bags, and my main food bag (a 12 1/2" x 20" OPSAK with several Ziploc freezer bags containing different catagories of food), would be placed in along with exactly ten mothballs on top. Then the soil went in with the original ground cover on top, with leaves, pine needles, and branches over for camouflage. When we arrived at a cache, sometimes weeks later, I would, saving the original ground cover, dig up the cache with my digging trowel and recover the food bags and all ten moth balls for reuse in my "bear charms" (it would not be environmentally acceptable to leave them). I would then refill the hole and replace the ground cover and camoflage. My criteria was to leave that spot so that if a person were to pass by he would not notice that a hole had been there. What are bear charms? In parts of the Yukon cotton tobacco sacks with mothballs inside are known as "bear charms" To discourage bears I used them in camp around my main food sack (the OPSAK) and surrounding my tent. I would like to comment that no bear ever got into my caches or came into my camps.
The second method of resupply was directly from my well-stocked horse trailer. When we reached where I had left it parked. I would, leaving Primo in good care, drive my rig ahead, caching along the way. To return to Primo I would hitch a ride, take public transportation (if available), or get a pre-arranged ride back offered by an angel. I would have always obtained permission in advance to park the rig in a safe place.
The third approach to resupply required angels who would let me park my rig in a safe place on their property, or drop off my resupplies with them so I could pick them up when we passed through or near. Or, angels could meet us at pre-planned locations. This assumed that cell phone service was available. My wonderful wife, Jereen, met us several times while we passed through Southern California.
The following is my sincere thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, to all of those fellow endurance riders (members of the AERC - American Endurance Ride Conference), Back Country Horsemen, and other angels who helped in so many ways to make our journey possible. In this e-mail message I am including others who would want to know about our adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail. Next year I hope to return to McKenley Pass and continue north to Canada.
Ed Anderson aka "MendoRider" on the trail.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Topanga Ride and Tie
Topanga Messenger Online
By Jessica Jacobs
My favorite sport brought me to Topanga and keeps me here.
I was living in Northern California and competing in Ride and Tie events. I was at the 2006 Championship in San Diego and asked a fellow competitor if she recommended any communities in Southern California where I might move and gave her my list of requirements: commuting distance to Hollywood, near the ocean, near running trails for me, my dog, and my horse, and why not make it a liberal community. The woman laughed, "You have no choice, you have to live in Topanga." That was Topanga resident Kirsten Seyforth and now two years later we have trained and competed in several races together along with fellow Topangan Jennifer Siegel.
From Left to Right: Brioso (horse), Melanie Weir, Jessica Jacobs, Jennifer Siegel, Kirsten Seyforth, and Hoolie (horse), saddle up for another Ride and Tie event. photo by RUFUS SCHNEIDER
Okay, what the heck is Ride and Tie?
Ride and Tie is an extreme sport that combines endurance horse riding with endurance running. One team consists of two people and a horse. One person starts off on the horse while the other begins running on foot. Obviously the guy on the horse goes faster so when he gets far enough ahead, he gets off and ties the horse to a tree and takes off running. Meanwhile, the other person catches up to the horse, unties it and rides until she catches her partner, at which point they switch again. This "leapfrog" continues for about 35 hilly miles and usually, you can't walk very well the next day. Got it? The sport was started by Bud Johns in the early 70s as a publicity stunt for Levi Strauss and continues to challenge men, women and children (of all ages and sizes) every year.
Topanga trails, both the state park and the Old Canyon trails, are perfectly suited for Ride and Tie.
Jennifer, Kirsten, my partner, Melanie, and I just finished a race at Tejon ranch (pictured). It was 34 gruelling miles but we came in 5th and 6th place. The 2009 Championship will take place in Humboldt next summer and we would love for more Topanga folks to join us. If you like to run or ride or both, check out www.rideandtie.org, or call Jessica at (310) 455-1987, and we will set up a training ride (you don't need to have your own horse)
By Jessica Jacobs
My favorite sport brought me to Topanga and keeps me here.
I was living in Northern California and competing in Ride and Tie events. I was at the 2006 Championship in San Diego and asked a fellow competitor if she recommended any communities in Southern California where I might move and gave her my list of requirements: commuting distance to Hollywood, near the ocean, near running trails for me, my dog, and my horse, and why not make it a liberal community. The woman laughed, "You have no choice, you have to live in Topanga." That was Topanga resident Kirsten Seyforth and now two years later we have trained and competed in several races together along with fellow Topangan Jennifer Siegel.
From Left to Right: Brioso (horse), Melanie Weir, Jessica Jacobs, Jennifer Siegel, Kirsten Seyforth, and Hoolie (horse), saddle up for another Ride and Tie event. photo by RUFUS SCHNEIDEROkay, what the heck is Ride and Tie?
Ride and Tie is an extreme sport that combines endurance horse riding with endurance running. One team consists of two people and a horse. One person starts off on the horse while the other begins running on foot. Obviously the guy on the horse goes faster so when he gets far enough ahead, he gets off and ties the horse to a tree and takes off running. Meanwhile, the other person catches up to the horse, unties it and rides until she catches her partner, at which point they switch again. This "leapfrog" continues for about 35 hilly miles and usually, you can't walk very well the next day. Got it? The sport was started by Bud Johns in the early 70s as a publicity stunt for Levi Strauss and continues to challenge men, women and children (of all ages and sizes) every year.
Topanga trails, both the state park and the Old Canyon trails, are perfectly suited for Ride and Tie.
Jennifer, Kirsten, my partner, Melanie, and I just finished a race at Tejon ranch (pictured). It was 34 gruelling miles but we came in 5th and 6th place. The 2009 Championship will take place in Humboldt next summer and we would love for more Topanga folks to join us. If you like to run or ride or both, check out www.rideandtie.org, or call Jessica at (310) 455-1987, and we will set up a training ride (you don't need to have your own horse)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Three Time Tevis Winners Now Barefoot and Riding in Renegades!
Renegade Hoofboots
2008 December 11
by renegadenews
Jeremy Reynolds using Renegade Glue-ons at Desert Gold won the two day hundred/two days of AERC 50’s and received AERC Best Condition on the first day and FEI Best Condition for the 2 day 100.
Jeremy’s horses have been barefoot for a year and he says that he will never go back to shoes since he now has horses sound now that he could never keep going at the speeds he and Heather ride.
Jeremy’s comments about Renegade boots: “They work”.
2008 AERC Ride Season Results:
Heather and Jeremy Reynolds 1,990 miles
Top tens: 20
Wins: 13
BC’s: 8
More...
2008 December 11
by renegadenews
Jeremy Reynolds using Renegade Glue-ons at Desert Gold won the two day hundred/two days of AERC 50’s and received AERC Best Condition on the first day and FEI Best Condition for the 2 day 100.
Jeremy’s horses have been barefoot for a year and he says that he will never go back to shoes since he now has horses sound now that he could never keep going at the speeds he and Heather ride.
Jeremy’s comments about Renegade boots: “They work”.
2008 AERC Ride Season Results:
Heather and Jeremy Reynolds 1,990 miles
Top tens: 20
Wins: 13
BC’s: 8
More...
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Great Britain: Star brings Nikki some enduring title success
Yorkshirepost.co.uk - Full Article
Published Date: 12 December 2008
By Jill Armstrong
It was a brilliant occasion for 12-year-old Nikki Brown when her pony Bleachgreen Star of India, otherwise known as Star, became the Endurance GB National novice champion for 2008.
Nikki, who lives near Whitby, was awarded the MIRA trophy for the champion novice horse or pony gaining the most points in graded rides of less than 45km in its first season of competition.
The presentation was made at the Endurance GB awards dinner held at Kegworth, Derbyshire.
Endurance riding is a growing competitive sport and riders covered more than 249,000km in rides organised by Endurance GB during the 2008 season.
More...
Published Date: 12 December 2008
By Jill Armstrong
It was a brilliant occasion for 12-year-old Nikki Brown when her pony Bleachgreen Star of India, otherwise known as Star, became the Endurance GB National novice champion for 2008.
Nikki, who lives near Whitby, was awarded the MIRA trophy for the champion novice horse or pony gaining the most points in graded rides of less than 45km in its first season of competition.
The presentation was made at the Endurance GB awards dinner held at Kegworth, Derbyshire.
Endurance riding is a growing competitive sport and riders covered more than 249,000km in rides organised by Endurance GB during the 2008 season.
More...
Friday, December 12, 2008
Horses and Invasive Weeds in Western USA
Are horses responsible for introducing noxious weeds onto trails and adjacent ecosytems in the western USA?
With the help of an AERC grant, Tom Gower of the Department of Ecology and Management, University of Wisconsin, begins to answer this question.
http://www.endurance.net/aerc/EnduranceNews_West_Weed_Study.pdf
Click here to download pdf file
With the help of an AERC grant, Tom Gower of the Department of Ecology and Management, University of Wisconsin, begins to answer this question.
http://www.endurance.net/aerc/EnduranceNews_West_Weed_Study.pdf
Click here to download pdf file
Thursday, December 11, 2008
FEI and AERC Rules Comparisons for 2009
AERC November Veterinary Newsletter contains an article written by Tom Timmons, DVM . Pages 8 and 9 of this document explain differences between the new 2009 FEI Rules for Endurance and the AERC Rules, and potential confusions for competitors and managers of dual sanctioned rides.
November Veterinary Newsletter (download pdf)
November Veterinary Newsletter (download pdf)
Terri Tinkham and Oliver Twist WIn 2008 XP Gold Medal Award
XPRides.com - Full story
Is that a Mustang??? Is that horse gaited??? What kinda horse is thaaaaat??? Well, no, yes and he’s a Tennessee Walker, Standardbred cross.
And, it is not just his appearance that baffles. To look at him you wouldn’t have a clue! Not only about his breed but that he just finished this year with 1925 Endurance miles; earning 2nd place in the AERC National Mileage Standings. Last year with 1120 miles, when we tied with Dave Rabe for 10th , I thought, “hey, we are really doing something” ! 2007 was our first year of doing serious 50 mile Endurance rides; in my three previous years in this sport, I was content to mostly ride LDs. But once you get hooked on the multi-day rides and especially the Duck rides, there is no going back ….. ever. I have become so addicted that I drove almost 14,000 miles last year to attend these rides.
More...
Is that a Mustang??? Is that horse gaited??? What kinda horse is thaaaaat??? Well, no, yes and he’s a Tennessee Walker, Standardbred cross.
And, it is not just his appearance that baffles. To look at him you wouldn’t have a clue! Not only about his breed but that he just finished this year with 1925 Endurance miles; earning 2nd place in the AERC National Mileage Standings. Last year with 1120 miles, when we tied with Dave Rabe for 10th , I thought, “hey, we are really doing something” ! 2007 was our first year of doing serious 50 mile Endurance rides; in my three previous years in this sport, I was content to mostly ride LDs. But once you get hooked on the multi-day rides and especially the Duck rides, there is no going back ….. ever. I have become so addicted that I drove almost 14,000 miles last year to attend these rides.
More...
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