2026 Old Selam Pioneer - Jamethiel Morse

WeAreOnTheLoose blog - Full Story

September 12, 2026
by Jamethiel Morse

Strap on in for this one, all arms and legs inside the ride please, this is a bit of a doozy! I’ve never done a Pioneer ride before, and technically I still haven’t, but I may well be hooked now. I did end up riding three days in a row, but I only snagged one completion…and our first ever Best Condition!!!!

The Old Selam Pioneer ride is held over three days in the mountains north of Boise, just east of Idaho City. The haul from Canby to Centerville is at the bare edge of what I’ll ask Tarma to do in one day, and I only tried it because we’ve already done it once this year, in the opposite direction heading home from our big spring trip. 85% of the haul is all on I84, so fairly straightforward cruising with plenty of easy rest stops. I always unload Tarma at least once if she’s hauling more than 6 hours, which I did hauling over just outside Baker City and hauling home outside La Grande. It gives me a chance to get some wet mash into her, let her stretch her legs, pee, and get her head down. This does require a bit of equine calculus; can I trust her to load back up? I do and she does, but it’s something to consider.

My original plan was to haul over Thursday, have a rest day Friday, ride a 50 on Saturday and a 25 on Sunday, then haul home on Monday, Labor Day. In hindsight, I think I should have kept to this schedule. I had won at the PNER convention to have an experienced 100 miler rider crew for me, and as they were riding the 100 on Sunday and were not arriving to camp until Friday night I moved my schedule up a day. I think if the weather Thursday night hadn’t been cold and rainy, we might have done out better. But part of endurance is dealing with the variables handed to you, and doing your best.

My plan for the 50 miler was to push us a bit in multiple ways; I wanted to go out with the group and see how Tarma’s emotional state handled a crowded start; I wanted to get our moving average up a bit; and I wanted a lot of hills! I got all three in spades. Our region boasts the Blakely family, who regularly top 10 Tevis and train and sell FEI level horses. They happened to be riding the Friday 50 miler, and Tarma tried to convince me she could keep up with them for like, half a mile before I pulled her back in. She was NOT thrilled with this and the first three miles were rough, I couldn’t get her to walk or anything less than a power trot for love or money and there was a pretty dang steep climb that she just threw herself at. Again in hindsight, I should have changed our warm up plan; normally I walk out the first mile but that only works if we aren’t caught up in the group. Next time I will mount up more like 15-20 minutes before the trail opens and walk around a bit more.

We did manage to find a bubble (and get passed by one of my favorite photographers, Merri Melde, on her big Standardbred Hillbillie Willie, who recognized us! How cool!) but somewhere in the starting mad scramble Tarma managed to toss off that damn left front shoe. Fudge. I only really noticed it when I hopped off to pee and electrolyte her at mile 8, after some amazing road cruising with the sun rising over the foggy valley. What a view we had! We managed to finish all the rest of our miles with a Renegade on that hoof without further issues…or mostly.

The first loop of this 50 miler was 23 miles, making for our first two loop 50. This might have been another factor to our pull. We slid into camp our normal way, with me jumping off just outside camp, loosening her cinch and dropping her bit. I did have the Polar heart rate monitor for this ride, and I loved riding with it! It gave me such a clear idea of where she was and how long her recoveries from different levels of effort are. It also backed up that I do know her pretty well; at our final hold I was able to tell the vet, “She’s probably about 62-64” without looking at the Polar…and she was at 62!

Anyway, back to the 50. We walked into camp, she vetted right through as she normally does…but in the 100 yards or so back to our trailer I began to get a bad feeling. At the trailer she didn’t dive into her food per usual, and she wanted to roll, even with her tack and blanket thrown over the saddle on. She was standing with her right rear leg out behind her, not wanting to put full weight on it. OH NO. Bad vibes! I strip her tack and put her cooler on, and her eyes get that internal look that horses get when something isn’t quite right. She curls up on the ground, but thankfully she wasn’t thrashing, groaning, sweaty or looking at her belly, she just looked like standing was too much effort...

Read the rest here:
https://weareontheloose.com/2026/09/12/ride-report-old-selam-pioneer/

2026 The Great Alaskan Endurance Race - Pam Haynes

The Great Alaskan Endurance Race on Endurance.net

Welcome to the inaugural Great Alaskan Endurance Race!

Pam Haynes will be regaling us with dispatches from this spectacular event. Stories will be added as she dispatches. Follow along here (stories go from bottom up) or on our Endurance.net page! http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2026TheGreatAlaskanEnduranceRace

---

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!

by Pam Haynes
August 19 2026

ONCE UPON A TIME . . . One of our Venerated Endurance Elders (who lives in an undisclosed and very isolated location and who has one of the lowest AERC numbers still in active use) (also known as Regina Rose of Bates Creek, Owyhee County, Idaho fame) asked me if I would like to go to ALASKA in August 2026 and help at the Very First Endurance Ride EVER in Alaska. Hmmm, let me think about it, HELL YES!!!

Flash forward to the present time (August 19, 2026) and it is now nearly time for the Great Alaskan Adventure to begin. Regina has lined up a seasoned crew from Idaho to help at the ride, with Regina acting as secretary/advisor and me (Pam Haynes) acting as timer. Nance and Bruce Worman will also be joining our little motley crew to work in whatever capacity might be needed (and Nance would not be adverse to a catch ride).

Follow along with us as we make our way north, from the blazing heat and endless smoke of southwest Idaho, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where the average daily temperature might hit mid 70s, with nighttime temps in the mid 50s, and where the sun shines brightly most of the day (and night).

Pictures will be posted irregularly here https://photos.app.goo.gl/4HMXh7np6ZXkdhV2A (or look for a link from endurance.net), along with reports of our Great Alaskan Adventure.

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!!!

Pam Haynes

2026 Tevis Cup - Rebecca Lengtat

www.endurance.net/international/USA/2026TevisCup/

By Rebecca Lengtat
August 5 2026

My heart is so full as I think about our Tevis ride. 100 miles, in 24 hours in the Sierra Nevadas, Crazy? We were blessed every step of the way. God was with us. We have amazing friends, family, and horses. That any horse can get through this ride is surprising to me. It was truly hard. It was rock after rock and hill after hill. It never let up. There are very few places to make up time. In that way, it is brutal. It is like the hard parts of every endurance ride we have done all thrown together in one. Most of the trail seemed to be narrow trail with sheer drop offs. I can't say for sure, because I didn't see it in the light, but it seems like 80% of the night riding was narrow trail along cliffs as well. The river crossing was so much fun. It was way deeper than I expected, and on my 14 hand horse, it felt like he was only occasionally touching ground as he launched forward, practically swimming. Both of the girls said that they wanted to do Tevis again just to do that river crossing. I admit crossing a deep river at night, in a lane of glow sticks, was pretty cool. The best part about this ride was the harmony between our team of horses and riders. Many people told us it was a bad idea for the four of us to try to ride the ride together. Some said it was not really possible. But we knew others had done it, and we felt it was the best thing for us. At chicken hawk, we even picked up an extra junior, making us a team of five. Many thought that was a bad decision too, but on my part I knew God was in control. As we went down the trail toward the end we discussed the fact that we felt our horses enjoyed going together in a familiar herd. For these horses had done many rides together. Our thought was that there were two adults there to hopefully get the girls through the ride, but it ended up being so much more than that. It was a blessing to all of us. There was no friction, there was no irritation, it was a good day all around. I was proud of each rider and their attitudes. That really was a miracle in itself. This ride should have been full of tension and stress but it really was not for us. It is true we were very much chasing cutoffs. Our crew, family and friends told us how stressed they were watching us chasing these cutoffs. Out on the trail, however, we did not really feel it. We talked about it and kept an eye on it and we reminded each other that we needed to keep moving, but we knew the timeline, we knew where we were, we knew we were cutting it close, but our horses were doing an impressive job of pulsing down quickly. We wished that we had gone faster in the beginning, but we were confident that we could get it done. Honestly, when we talked about it, we could think of very few places we could have gone much faster than we had gone. I will tell a story with more detail later but there were many places that we had to ride faster than we normally would have in those trail conditions. The two Canyons were steep. Very steep. We ended up needing to trot a lot of the second Canyon to have any dream of making the cutoff time. My horse is a panter and I can hear him breathing. I could hear the horse behind me panting just as hard. It was hot. The heat was not bothering me but of course it was hard on my hard-working horse. I honestly thought there was no way that all four horses would pulse down after climbing that Canyon at a trot. It was so nice to climb out of that Canyon and see my son Roark standing there with bags of ice water to dump on our horses. I am very glad that he was there. We then had another mile and a half though that we had to do to get to the vet check. Ideally we would have walked it but we didn't have time. The horses looked and acted l8ke they felt well though, so we had hope. Surprisingly they all pulsed in quickly at chicken hawk.

The night riding was amazing. We all loved it. We knew going into it we were prepared for it. Our horses had all done plenty of night riding, and had proved themselves to be good at it. But never had we ridden at night along Cliff sides with drop offs like we did that night. Roriana and Rowdy led most of the ride. All of the horses in our group are confident enough to lead, and would have gotten us through, but Rowdy seems to excel at it so we let him lead. It was very dark before the moon came up. I turned my headlamp on the red light, looked over the side of the cliff, and then decided maybe it was best to just keep it off. My horse could see in the dark and he was doing a great job, I perhaps did not need to see in the dark. Even at a steady trot the miles seem to go very slowly in the dark. The last one and a half miles to make cut off into Cal2 seemed to take forever. But to ride into it was beautiful.

Then on to Francisco's. That was an odd one. Our mileage on our GPS did not seem to be matching up with where we thought Francisco's was supposed to be. We got around the corner and thought we should see it and we could see nothing. I think this was the only time we were seriously concerned about cutoffs. We saw something, in the distance, that we thought must be it, but it was way too far in a distance. So we trotted, through the dark, on questionable ground, and somehow we made it.

We were of course warned that we were cutting it close but we only had a couple of miles to get to the river. We knew, after we got to the river, that Roriana and Rowdy and my horse Vision had seen the rest of the trail. Lucy Trumbull was kind enough to ride my horse and take Roriana out on that trail a couple weeks before Tevis. Roriana has always had a special ability to remember the details of the trail. I knew once we hit that trail she would fly where she could. We loved the river. They had it lit up like a runway down to the river and through the river. Again I was surprised at how deep it was, but it was refreshing and very fun to cross. I understand why it was the girl's favorite part. It might have been mine as well.

We truly flew any place we could once we were across the river. All day Roriana and Rowdy had proved that they belonged there. They are an amazing team. They both really have a gift for the details of a trail. Rowdy is a true Mustang who very rarely trips. Normally she has to be very careful to ride at a speed that my horse can handle. This was the point though for them to truly shine. They had to ride fast and my horse would just have to deal with it. Remember, it is dark, and we can't see a thing. It was our only chance however to make cut off. We got into lower quarry with just minutes to spare. Four of our horses sped through the vet check but one was hanging. It was decided at that point that I would ride ahead with Roriana and our extra Junior. We hated to leave our friends, but we were only 6 miles from the finish and it was the only thing that made sense at that point.

We were able to relax a little after we crossed Highway 49. We knew we had enough time to make it. We knew our horses would pulse down when we got there. We rode at a good pace until we hit a long line of horses. Yes our time was cutting it close, but we were going to make it so we settled in behind them. Honestly, that last mile was long. Roriana knew where the finish line was, but I did not. I kept expecting that I should see it or hear it. Once we did see it, it was an amazing sight. What a blessing we had made it. We were greeted by our family and crew. Our extra Junior was reunited with her family who are praising God for her finish. Rory and Roark walked with us to McCann Stadium to do our final Victory lap. I rode the final victory lap together with my daughter. It was surreal. What a blessing. What a privilege. I am so thankful that we did this ride. We were so happy too to see one of our friends do her victory lap just minutes after us. Her horse had to canter parts of that final trail, alone, in the dark with no headlamp, to make it, but she did. There was not a perfect ending to this ride for us but still, it was a blessing. Vision looked so good at the end. The vet told us that Rowdy looked amazing and had great metabolics, but he was hoof sore and off in his front end. It was sad but Roriana handled it so well. She is determined to try again.

I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father for our safety. I am so thankful for the friends we rode with. My heart is full. I can’t think of better people to ride with. We mesh so well, and are so like minded, in our approach to riding endurance. It is like we were of one mind. I have so much respect for them and so thankful to them. I am so glad that we decided to ride this ride together.

I am so thankful for our crew that came down from Oregon to help us with this ride. Darlene, Siri, and Loretta were amazing. They knew things we had no clue about. I am certain we couldn't have done it without them.

I am so thankful that Rory and Roark were there to support us and crew for us. They both know us and they know our horses. They're both physically fit and able to take on the burden of running around and carrying things. I was so thankful that they both were there. I haven't spent this much time with my adult son in years and it was a special gift in and of itself.

We had SO MUCH support from friends and family. So many people were following us and rooting for us. So many nice things were said about our family. It makes our hearts full and so thankful. THANK YOU!!!

I talk so much about Rowdy and how special he is. His partnership with Roriana is like no other. You have all heard it so now I'm going to brag on my horse for a minute. SCA Vision is so special. I chose him. We were buying another horse, SCA Pursuit, from a breeder in Manitoba, Canada, Carl Fudge. His daughter, Ashley , sent me a video of Pursuit out in the field. But there was another horse, a little gray, that kept hogging the camera. I pointed that horse out to Rory and said, "I want that one." Rory made Carl an offer, and Carl very much wanted Vision to go to an endurance home, so he agreed. I am so thankful that he did. Vision has been special from the beginning. He is so calm, so willing, so safe, so easy. You hardly have to think about him, he is so easy. Because of his short stature he is easy to overlook in a crowd of horses but if you pause, and really look, you will see a beautiful and incredible horse. He is well built, he is so kind, and he is so willing. He has no desire to be a fast horse, but he is consistent, brave, reliable, and he has the heart to not quit on you. Most of all he is SAFE. What a special guy he is. We love this horse and are so thankful for him. He was a blessing to us all. I honestly never had a desire to do Tevis myself. It was Roriana's dream. It seemed impossible though.

Who would ride with her? It would not have been me, had it not been for this special little horse coming into our lives. This was the first horse I have owned that I was ready to say yes to Tevis with. He proved himself this weekend. Pause a moment and give him a second look. SCA Vision is small but mighty. He is a 100 mile horse! He is a mighty TEVIS horse!

2026 Tom Quilty - Jay Randle, Splendacrest Arabians

July 8 2026
By Jay Randle, Splendacrest Arabians

The Americans Have Landed!

I've always blamed America.

Not for anything political, mind you. Simply because, after living there for ten wonderful years during the 1980s and 90s, I've never quite managed to shake it off.

I left Australia as a young woman, came home years later with an American accent that thankfully disappeared, a suitcase full of stories, and a lifetime's worth of friendships. Those friendships have followed me into endurance riding.

Over the years, several Splendacrest Squad riders have travelled to the United States to compete and train, and in return we've welcomed a steady procession of overseas riders to our little corner of Queensland. Somewhere along the way I found myself speaking at a few American Endurance Ride Conference conventions, making more friends, and apparently acquiring a reputation for producing horses that looked after their riders. So when word spread that Splendacrest might have horses available for the 2026 Tom Quilty, my inbox became surprisingly international.

Apparently Australians weren't the only ones mad enough to want to ride 160 kilometres through the Queensland bush.

Holly Meets her Pilot...

The first enquiry came from Holly Corcoran. Now, Holly is no beginner. She's one of those riders who quietly accumulates miles without feeling the need to tell everyone how clever she is. Exactly the sort of person you want sitting on one of your best horses.

That horse was Falcon. Officially known as De-Sharvarll El Dakar. Around our place he's simply Falcon. If Falcon were human, he'd probably be a retired airline captain. Calm. Professional. Unflappable.

He has absolutely no interest in unnecessary drama. He simply turns up, does the job, recovers as though someone has secretly plugged him into a charger, and politely waits for his next assignment.

With thousands of kilometres behind him, Falcon has seen just about everything endurance can throw at a horse. So pairing him with Holly felt less like matchmaking and more like introducing two old professionals who'd somehow never met. As it turned out, they got along beautifully.

Holly also arrived with reinforcements. Her daughter Kelly, who inconveniently for horses is also a veterinarian, and Kelly's partner Jake joined the expedition as crew. I pointed them towards their glamping tents. Yes... Glamping.

If you've never been to a Tom Quilty, you should know that "glamping" is a wonderfully optimistic term. It's still camping. It's simply camping where the canvas is nicer.

I'd booked seven of the tents for our international guests so they could stay close to our camp and, more importantly, close enough that I could find them whenever another small crisis appeared.

Enter Tilly...

The next American was Lori Oleson from California. I'd never actually met Lori before. I knew of her reputation, though. She and her husband are heavily involved in endurance on America's west coast, and Lori also serves on the Board of Directors of the legendary Tevis Cup.

In other words... She knew what she was doing. Good. Because I had exactly the horse for her.

Beersheva Djeishah. Known universally as Tilly. Now, describing Tilly as "opinionated" would be rather like describing a cyclone as "a bit breezy." Tilly has opinions. Lots of them. Usually expressed at considerable volume.

She firmly believes that humans exist primarily to inconvenience horses, and she's prepared to argue that point whenever necessary.

I warned Lori. "Tilly can be... difficult." Lori just smiled. "I like difficult mares." Well, that was promising.

Lori arrived at Splendacrest the day before we left for Imbil, giving horse and rider the chance to become acquainted before asking them to spend 160 kilometres together. By the end of the ride she was completely smitten. The feeling appeared to be mutual. As a bonus, Tilly even behaved herself well enough to claim third place in the Led Mare class at the Arabian Horse Show. Clearly she'd decided that international visitors reflected well on her.

Clara Finds Her Cowgirl

Then there was Julie Bittick from Montana. I'd first heard Julie's name after she'd completed the Gaucho Derby in South America.

Anyone who voluntarily signs up for something called the Gaucho Derby clearly isn't afraid of a challenge. That made matching her with Splendacrest Clara remarkably easy. Clara is the complete opposite of Tilly. She's compact, tough, sensible and completely devoid of ego.

If Clara were employed anywhere outside endurance riding, she'd probably run a country post office. Nothing rattles her. Nothing surprises her. She simply keeps turning up and quietly getting the job done.

Julie and Clara clicked almost immediately. Julie's husband Cody came along as crew and, before long, they'd become part of our camp family.

That's one of the wonderful things about endurance. People can arrive as complete strangers on Wednesday.....and by Sunday it feels as though you've known them for years.

Then Came Shazaam...

Finally came Nicole Wertz. I'd deliberately kept one horse in reserve.

Shazaam.

Originally he was supposed to carry my great friend Samantha Yates around the Tom Quilty. Sadly, Sam's cancer treatment meant she couldn't be there. That left one very talented chestnut gelding temporarily unemployed.

Now... Shazaam is sixteen hands of athletic brilliance wrapped around the personality of an overconfident teenage boy. He knows he's handsome. He knows he's fast. He suspects everyone has come to admire him.

And, to be fair.....they usually have. He's also a chestnut. Need I say more?

Nicole contacted me looking for a ride. I knew her credentials immediately. A Tevis Board member. Selected for the United States World Championship team. An accomplished horsewoman.

More importantly... She laughed when I warned her about Shazaam.

"He's got attitude." "I like attitude." That settled it. Some partnerships simply make sense. Watching Nicole and Shazaam together over the following days was enormous fun. She appreciated his personality. He appreciated having an audience.

By the end of the Tom Quilty they'd finished 12th Middleweight, and I rather suspect Shazaam considered that entirely appropriate. Probably because, in his mind, first place should always belong to him.

2026 Mary and Anna Memorial ride - Tami Rougeau

June 25 2026
By Tami Rougeau

Team Red Adventure 6

One of the big goals for this year was to get back to doing 100s with Makena. After a very minor setback in 2024 we took our time getting things correct. A minor issue kept creeping in so we spent a lot of time with our vet Shane Miller, DVM making a plan and using all the resources we had available including shockwave, PEMF, Red Lights, body work and slow methodical work. The biggest key was changing my hoof management program. We teamed up with a new farrier friend, Bryan Smith, and after many long conversations, review of vet x-rays and opinion he started doing the girls feet for me. It made a huge difference getting her feet to work with her conformation which is not bad but even 1 degree off can make a difference with these athletic horses. No horse is perfect; they all have something that just needs to be managed. So Bryan worked his magic and I put her in EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofware EasyShoe’s full time. Mostly we use Speeds but at times the terrain has dictated Ones. We glue on our own shoes and use EasyCare HoofLox products exclusively.

2025 was spent working on all of this and slowly bringing Makena along and keeping a close eye on her trimming. She has been doing fantastically at all the rides she has done and is finally getting to really do her thing. We went to Caballo with the intention of giving her a good test and making sure she was really strong and ready to take the next step.

After Caballo I knew she was ready to get back on the 100-mile trail. But which one? There are not very many 100s left so planning for 100s takes some calendar management. I looked at the calendar and there was the Mary and Anna Ride staring back at me. My nemesis ride, my Achilles heel the one that just always wins. I talked to my friends and finally penciled it in. No ink as gremlins love ink and are attracted to it. So, I quietly started to plan. Then my besties Gina Hall and Sheryl Scott announced they would be joining me and crewing for me. Darlene Merlich and Max Merlich gave me great encouragement. Then I get a message from Suzanne Hayes– YES THAT SUZIE HAYES!!! I have known Suzie for a few years and have always just been in awe of her, her horses, her horsemanship and her calm way of mentoring. She asked if I was going to Mary and Anna and if I would be interested in riding with her on the 50 with her newer horse. What about the 100? Oh yes, she would be doing 100 on Ace as well. In my mind the 50 was on Day 1 and the 100 on Day 2. Man was I wrong, it was the other way around. I told her that was crazy I can’t do that! And she says it will be fine; we are going to get done early. WE?? I was going to share trail with Suzie! Dreams come true. I was not sure Makena and I would be able to do it, but we agreed to start out together and let the day play out

Makena could not have been happier! We had a nice easy start and picked up a good trot. It was heaven! I have never maintained that sort of speed for so long. Steady, relaxed and floating down the trail. Makena relaxed and just cruised along with Ace. About halfway around the second loop I felt Makena slowing down and wanting to get back down to her steady 8-9 mph pace. Being worried that something was brewing we told Suzie to carry on. We got into the vet check, and she trotted out fine so I decided we would continue on in our comfort zone. We had such a solid start we had plenty of day to get it all done. For the next 70-ish miles we were all by ourselves. It is way easier on Makena to be on her own so we are not trying to adjust to someone else’s pace if they can’t do her big walk (which we have all decided is some sort of gaited horse thing because it is definitely not just a fast walk)

Makena took great care of herself all day, focusing on eating and drinking. There was plenty of tasty grass on the trail and she took advantage of it. Needless to say she had great gut sounds all day. This trail is just spectacular. It is forest dirt, not really sand, with hardly any rocks. There is also not much in the way of elevation (740 feet I think). The best part is that it is a true 100 and not one inch short. The scenery is something else with volcanic rock formations scattered about, landmarks like Hole in the Ground, Fort Rock and others nearby there is a lot to look at to cover the miles. There is just the right amount of trees to give some shade but not so much that you feel walled in.

At every vet check our amazing crew of Gina and Sheryl were there waiting for us and they worked like the ultimate NASCAR team. I never had to worry about what needed to be done. They were quick with water to cool her off and strip her tack so that we could get pulsed and to the vet quickly. No wasted time. Even with short holds Makena got to use our hold time to eat and rest. The same went for me but I did not do as well in the eating department as she did. I am very much if it is in front of me I will eat it so I usually grab what is in the front of the fridge. Sheryl spent the whole week prior making amazing food for the trip and I really enjoyed it. She is an amazing cook and does everything very healthy.

At the last hold Makena did not want to pulse down and it was very stressful. I was so happy that I had spent so much time getting advice from Suzie the days leading up to the ride. What a blessing to have her all to myself for 2 days. She is such a wealth of knowledge. So we followed her advice and gave more CMPK than usual and that was the trick. Makena pulsed down and we passed the vet check, no problem. I took a few extra minutes to let her eat a bit more and to get ready to head into the last loop with daylight fading quickly. Leaving for the last loop with daylight left was a new treat for us. We left a few minutes late but that was fine with me. Only 10ish miles to go and loads of time to just enjoy the last of this wonderful trail. We had done this loop earlier which is nice to have as a last loop. Horses truly remember where they have been before. Makena knew this was the last loop and set a very nice, relaxed pace covering the miles smoothly. About halfway around the loop we caught up to the riders who had been behind us all day. Since we took a little longer at the hold they had left ahead of us. We waited for a good place to pass and moved on.

Shortly after passing them, we had to go by a large campsite. Probably due to the late hour their dogs were out being dogs. We had no issue but just as we were well past, I heard a commotion and a scream. One of the dogs bolted out and went for one of the horses behind us. We stopped and yelled to see if everyone was OK. Of course, my hearing aides had died so all I could hear was not clear. We waited until we saw they were moving our way and then continued on. One rider did respond to our call out, but I could not hear them clearly so kept asking if they were OK. They must have thought I was crazy to keep asking if they were OK. When I noticed their head lamps moving our way I decided that they were indeed OK. Scary to say the least but all was well, so we moved out.

Before I knew it we were at the finish. Makena pulsed much better and we headed to the vet. To say that my stomach was in a knot is an understatement. We had such a wonderful day, learned so much and grew our partnership…but it was not over and I knew the gremlins were still present. Other riders have shared with me their jinxed rides so I know it happens but I really wanted to break this jinx because I really love this ride and my PNER ride family.

We reported to the veterinarian and did our trot out first. Makena looked great. My dear friend Darlene immediately gave me a hug and said the jinx was broken, LOL, I had to tell her it was not over until the vet said so, I was so stressed. We all stood there as our vet did his job meticulously looking over Makena and making sure she was fit to continue. After what seemed like forever he announced our completion. Not sure he was ready for the celebration of screams, hugs and maybe a tear of joy. I know he was not prepared for the huge hug and thank you he received from me. Always thank your vet but maybe not send them to a chiropractor, LOL.

We took Makena back to the trailer and promptly set to pampering her, washing her legs, brushing and massaging her. Sheryl was a gem again making sure every inch of her was cleaned up, legs iced and wrapped. I think I maybe sort of helped but mostly I remember Sheryl putting a blanket on me as I sat in awe of my amazing partner. Then it was shower and bed as there was a 50-mile ride on our agenda for the next day.

We had conquered the curse of the Mary and Anna 100, but those gremlins were not done with me. When the alarm when off it seemed a little ridiculous, but I was excited to share more trail with Suzie and to get another day with Penelope. I had learned so much the day prior I was excited to learn more and really give Penelope a good challenge playing babysitter to Suzie and her rescue horse. He is huge and so lovely. He and Penelope would be a great team for the day.

I got up and went to light the stove for tea and the next thing I knew Gina was over me calling my name. I had passed out cold standing at the stove. When I tried to get up it happened again. How I went from I feel good to I can’t stand up was confounding. It felt like the trailer was rolling over and over and over again. This was a whole new experience for me.

Suzie came over and told me to get dressed and saddle up. After some serious contemplation we all decided that going out was not in anyone's best interest, especially Penelope’s. Suzie came back over and got a good look at me and agreed, I would not be joining her on this day. I laid back down, drank 3 or 4 electrolyte mixes, ride manager Carol Giles and Darlene checked on me and I just prayed for this horrible feeling to pass and for the trailer to stop rolling. Gina and Sheryl took care of the horses and started getting camp cleaned up.

A little while later I felt good enough to get up and start moving around thanks to some Zofran and all of the electrolytes. Sheryl and Gina headed home, and I continued the clean up with a thought of possibly heading to my parents place a few hours away in John Day. Suzie came in and I helped her out at the vet checks. This is one amazing woman; she did the 100 the day before and now was doing a 50. She always looks fresh and cheery, very focused on taking care of the horse and still being pleasant to everyone around her.

Suzie has been one of the people I admire for many years. Watching and listening from afar she has always been one of those riders that we should all aspire to be. It is not always sunshine and roses with endurance. Sometimes we all must take the hard knocks the trail gremlins throw at us. How we deal with the knocks says a lot about our character. Suzie shared a few stores of her knocks over the years. This is a rider who has done it all, ridden to the highest levels around the world and knows what it takes. Suzie took responsibility for her mistakes with grace and good humor. That is character that is respected and should be emulated. It was a good lesson for me among so many other things I learned on this special weekend.

As I cleaned up and repacked the trailer, doted on the girls and Ace with loads of scratches and treats, I reflected on our 100-mile accomplishment and my failure to rally for the 50. The past 2 years have been spent building a more solid foundation for Makena and I. The strategy has worked. It was not something we came up with on our own. It was built from the advice of many mentors over many years. The same goes for Penelope. Every encounter is a learning experience if you let it. Every day I am in awe of the horses that have carried me to this point. They were all capable of so much more than I was able to ask, they taught me so much and here we are now, thanks to the lessons we learned. I opted for an early to bed and a good nights sleep and left on Monday for John Day to see the folks for a few day. The girls were very happy to get back to green pasture at Berry Creek Ranch. It was really great spending a few relaxing days with Mom and Dad and visiting friends.

Photos are thanks for my wonderful friends Sheryl and Gina who took such good care of us all day. I could not have done this without their support. thanks to the stellar PNER family who puts on a top notch ride. To the vets who were so supportive and kind, Bryan Smith for getting Makena's feet in perfect form; Shane Miller for always keeping my horses going; Stephanie Kniestedt for exceptional body work and Mickey Doyle for wonderful chiropractic care.

So, Mary and Anna Memorial Ride is in the books. We finished 4th overall and 2nd featherweight in about 14-15-ish hours – my fastest 100 time ever!!! Thank you Suzie for making me step up and let Makena do her thing. I learned so much and she was so happy all day. I can’t wait for the next one!

2026 Old Dominion 100 - Hanna Bartnick

By Hanna Bartnick
Photo by Becky Pearman
June 16 2026

The short version is that my 18 year old, 14.1 hand mustang mare is a total freaking beast and we finished that gnarly ride with 4 minutes to spare, coming in 11th out of the 17 that started in the National Championship 100.

Every time I think of this past weekend, I still get teary eyed. Aspen and I ventured up to the AERC National Championship to try our hand at the Old Dominion 100, also known as the Beast of the East. For those that don’t know, it’s a grueling, rock filled trail up and down big mountains in the heat. The 100 is a point to point race where your crew travels and meets you at most of the vet checks and you eventually circle back to the starting point.

I won’t lie - I wasn’t even remotely excited for the ride the week leading up to it. Every time I checked the weather forecast it was looking hotter and hotter and I was totally dreading it. I even thought about scratching my entry as heat is typically hard on these heavier bodied mustangs and I also don’t do great in it. But Charlesey and I had been planning to ride it together for some time and I couldn’t let her down so I gave Aspen a body clip and reluctantly packed all my crap in the crewing truck.

A few days before the ride I glued on Aspen’s composite shoes like I’ve done many times and promptly found the back two in her field the next morning and a front one looking a bit suspicious. I’m thinking bad glue cause I took hours on my prep work. So I figured I’d just ride her in renegades at that point and see how far the front two shoes lasted, but once I got to ride camp my dedicated crew member Rachel Land encouraged me to have the ride farrier throw a set of steel shoes on her with leather pads instead. Best advice ever because the amazing farrier Shane put those things on tight and they never shifted an inch the entire ride - a massive feat.

It was uncomfortably hot on Friday but Saturday was going to be several degrees cooler with less humidity. So with a fresh set of shoes on and Aspen looking good, I got my last bit of organizing done and got some restless sleep. 4:15 AM rolled around quick and Charlesey and I rode off at 5:30 AM. The first loop has a big ol climb and lots of rocks. The humidity was high but the horses vetted in well at Bird Haven. The second loop has a climb from hell and a trail called stegosaurus ridge because it’s literally nothing but rocks, but we made it through that as well with a very conservative pace and some cussing. Unfortunately Charlesey’s mare was off at the second vet check so I sadly had to go out alone in the heat in last place with the next folks ahead of me by nearly 20 minutes. I was also going to have to push to meet the next cut off time. I thought to myself, well, I’ll be riding the next 70ish miles alone now - nothing new for me - and we’ll just see what happens.

To my surprise, I caught up with Amy Stone & Madison Johnston near the very end of loop 3. I had been asking Aspen to maintain a big working trot the entire loop, even up the long uphills, so when we got into the vet check with 14 minutes to meet pulse time, I was a bit worried. But she came right down and vetted through great. Rachel was being a crew machine for Aspen and I and even had my truck all decorated up. It was adorable. I iced my feet that hold, Tracy rubbed my shoulders, and lots of folks asked if I needed anything. The endurance community is really amazing, and I felt that extra hard on this 100.

So off we went on loop 4. It was beginning to cool off and Aspen was feeling great and I was starting to really have fun. Rachel said I needed to speed up and that I could make some time up on this next loop. I caught up again with Amy and Madison and we rode into Waites Run together making good time. Vetted through that fine, then we ended up catching several more riders who I ended up leap frogging with quite a bit. Aspen and I got a quick bite at the hospitality spot where lots of horses were. I decided to let everyone go out ahead of me because I wanted to ride my own ride and set my usual turtle pace without her getting caught up with the other horses. So we headed out from there alone and made it to Big 92 vet check with some time to spare. Aspen looked great, I was starting to feel giddy, and Rachel was being a magical crew fairy as usual.

We left out last and alone again for a quick trot down to Laurel Run vet check and ended up riding with Jaime Hope most of that stretch. Vet check easily passed, Aspen’s shoes were still in place, and I’m absolutely thrilled and ecstatic but getting tired at this point. Jamie and I rode into Bird Haven together having a pretty good ol time even though I had to get off to pee like 5 times!! Ugh. I’m completely exhausted by this point, my headlamp is making the shadows dance as I trot along, and I’m totally hallucinating animals and creepy figures in the trees for that entire loop. But we make it to Bird Haven and the vet says Aspen looks great! So I drink some tea and off we go for the last 6 miles to the finish.

I’m hallucinating worse at this point and completely paranoid that I’ll find a rock in the dark and lame up my horse in this last little stretch. So I tell Jaime to go on ahead and I do what I do best: turtle pace! I pretty much walked that entire last 6 miles and we crossed the finish line at 5:26 AM - just 4 minutes to spare. I knew my friends were going to be terrified I wouldn’t make it but I knew exactly where I was that whole loop so they were just going to have to sweat a little lol. Charlesey, Rachel and I had a good little cry as I trotted through those finish line lights while folks cheered me on. My adrenaline spiked then and I’ve been on cloud 9 ever since. I trotted Aspen out for the final vet check and we were told all done!! Aspen then gets pulled aside for drug testing and I’m so tired that I could barely remember my address

So yeah. Old Dominion 100, which I swore I’d never do again if I finished it, is by far the funnest ride I’ve ever done and I hope to be able to do it for many years to come. There are so many people I want to thank - ride management, the vets, the numerous volunteers who helped me many times, the amazing ride farriers, the cooks, Rachel for being my main crew and her wealth of knowledge, Charlesey for riding with me and always encouraging me, Tracy, Jeff, & Chuck for your extra help, Jennifer for driving me home, Becky for your photos, all the riders who I shared trail with, and my partner Justin for tending to the farmstead while I was away. Im sure I’m forgetting folks but know you are loved and appreciated. I adore this endurance community and I had one hell of a party up there on the mountains!

2026 Canyon Rims - Tami Rougeau

By Tami Rougeau

May 15 2026

Team Red Adventure #5 2026 Part 1

It has been a very busy last few weeks but finally getting a few quiet moments to put together the story for Adventure 5 – Canyon Rims 2026.

On Wednesday morning we did a leisurely pack up and got ready to head to the ride. Since it was only a short 3–4-hour drive and it was predicted to be windy, we were in no rush. We so enjoyed our time with Julie, but we knew we would be seeing her again at the ride in a few days. We headed out to blue skies and sunshine. After a quick stop by Annie and Dave’s place we were on our way to camp.

When we arrived, there were just a couple of trailers already there and we were met by Cory and Mickey. All smiles and welcomes from this hard-working management family. I just love the energy of their ride camps. I quickly set up camp using the trailer as the wind block for the girl’s coral. It really was windy and the sand was ever present. The girls did not seem to mind as much as the humans did. Even with the wind it is still nice to be in camp and settled with a full day of rest before the ride begins. It also gives time to visit and catch up with friends. Not on Wednesday though. That evening we sheltered in place in the trailer; the girls tucked up to the trailer and happily enjoyed their hay. It made for a delightful early evening for us all.

Thursday the wind abated, clear blue skies were the theme and perfect low 60’s temps. The day was spent preparing everything we would need for the next three days. This means preparing all of the lunch and dinner meals for both horses, making sure hay bags were all set, mixing up electrolytes and packing a crew bag for the middle day when we get to have an away check. The girls got a good grooming as well. It was a fun and productive day. More trailers arriving and people setting up and seeing old friends setting up for the great weekend ahead. The girls thoroughly relaxed to the point of taking turns napping in the warm sun and soft sand.

Before we knew it, it was time for the ride meeting. Mickey and her gang do an over-the-top job of organizing all of the days and distances. Maps were handed out and trails described. Then it was time for bed. The sun was not setting until after 8pm, still which is so nice. We were all set for the next day with no set plans to pair up with anyone in particular. The focus this year for Penelope was to master higher paces. She has been adapting to this really well with her 7-8 mph trot smoothing out. I was so happy with her performance at Cuyama I figured we would just continue and she could do a little more solo time.

Pen was totally easy going out in the morning just behind the hot shoes and moved out nicely without any drama. We settled into a nice pace and quickly paired up with Suzie Jones from New Mexico. Suzie has been at this sport for a long time and is a wealth of knowledge and experience. Our red mares paired up nicely enjoying each other’s company. Penelope does not challenge for taking lead. She will take the lead willingly but if the other horse wants it, she is happy to oblige. The first loop went by quickly enjoying some of the most breathtaking views, riding along the rims and down in the canyons. The footing could not have been more perfect. We had learned about slick rock last year at Moab. Penelope remembered and navigated it all like a pro. There was plenty of green grass and she made a point not to miss any of it.

We enjoyed a nice hour break and headed out for loop 2. More spectacular views, excellent footing and so many good stories. This day just few by. Of course, there had to be some red horse shenanigans when both mares decided that grey tumble weeds were the scariest things around. Seriously, how many tumble weeds have you seen? It became quite the game for them both challenging both our riding skills and sense of humor. We cruised in nicely midafternoon and the mares looked great. Suzie’s plan had been to ride days 1 and 3 but the forecast for Sunday was not looking good. She decided to maybe just do the 30 on day 2.

On Friday Julie arrived with her friend Scarlett who would be doing the 50 the next day while Julie did the 30. We decided that we would try starting out and see how the day went. Scarlett is relatively new and looking for the balance between family and horses. She is doing it really well from what I can tell. We had a great time with the mares pacing nicely together. We made it to the out vet check trotting in. Out of curiosity I took Pen to the pulse taker quickly after getting a drink just to see where she was at. Already down and dropping. This big mare is amazing. We spent the hour chatting and taking care of the horses. Then we were off for the last loop. These rides with so much beauty make the day pass by far too quickly. We enjoyed our day sharing stories and talking about life. What a great day ending far too soon midafternoon. We got our team finish photo and celebrated the day. We spent some time visiting our Colorado friends then ride meeting and off to bed at another decent hour. Penelope looked like she had not done anything.

Stay tuned for Day 3!

Team Red Adventure 5 – Part 2

Sunday had been a question mark for us all week due to the predicted wet weather. Throughout Saturday the prediction improved and when I got up things looked pretty good, so I decided to give it a go. After riding Moab last year in the rain, I had no desire to do it again. Mickey was there, all smiles and good vibes, so off we went a little behind the small pack of riders. We eventually caught up to Adrienne Dymesich from Wisconsin. We met last year when we stayed at her place on our way home from Michigan. What a treat to share the trail and catch up.

About an hour or so into the ride the heavens opened and the rain started. It only lasted for about 20 minutes, just when we began to get soaked the rain stopped and the sun came out. We were dry and warm in no time. The horses navigated the trail expertly. Adrienne Dymesich rides a gated Morgan so at times our pace was a little different, but the girls always got back together. After a few misty rain events and some seriously over the top views that were enhanced with the rain we were back in camp for the hour hold.

Penelope did her job of consuming every bit of food and water then taking a nap. Since the rain had slowed us just a bit I was highly motivated to get out on time and set a solid pace. There were dark clouds around us but none that looked terribly threatening. Not long into the loop the biggest thunder clap I had ever heard exploded right over the top of us. Pen did not even flinch or break stride she just kept moving. Somehow we got out of camp without Adrienne, I figured she was ahead of us and doing the same thing. With the dark cloud and thunder over the top of us there was great motivation to get off the plateau. About that time a person stepped out from behind a tree and surprised both of us. It was Maya Lopez Grasse whom we had met previously at another ride. She was out for a run and was looking for lightning. I told her I had not seen any yet, only thunder and we all carried on. I am pretty sure she rode the day prior so total beast points for going on a long run the day after riding. Go Maya!

Just as the hail began to pelt us we headed down into the canyon. Pea size hail pelting off and feeling like little needles was less than pleasant but Pen handled it like a pro. When we got to the long section of slick rock I chose to dismount and walk, no sense taking a chance for either of us. When we were about halfway down the canyon a protected spot appeared and I tried to get Pen to shelter there for a few minutes to let it all pass. She was having none of that and insisted we press on. Thankfully it only lasted a short while longer. When we hit the main road Tegan and Ross were there in the truck checking on riders. They offered blankets, water etc but I said we were good. I guess they were really looking for Adrienne who left behind me for some reason. We continued on and low and behold Maya popped out of the trees again. We had a good laugh and she took a few pics of us then we were off to the lollipop. We ran into another rider who was just finishing that section, I think she was having an exciting ride. Pen cruised through and we were on the home stretch.

About a mile from camp the trail makes a sweeping left turn and heads straight to camp. At this point we were joined by 10 antelopes. We slowed down and Pen checked them out with a few of them darting away ahead of us. The rest of them stood and watched us. If we moved forward, they moved forward. If we stopped, they stopped. They would not leave! I yelled and Pen snorted and they just kept playing the mirror game. I was a little nervous to let Pen trot away for fear they would copycat that move and dart around us. So, for 40 minutes we slowly made our way to the curve with the antelope trilling at us and mimicking our every move. I thought we would never make that turn. As cool as it was to play with the antelope it was also frustrating because we were ready to be done with our little adventure. Adding 40 minutes of play time at the end seems a little over the top endurance.

We arrived in camp to Mickey Smith and her family with their warm smiles. Adrienne was there as well to my surprise. Apparently, her horse had a small interference spot that was nagging at them and they were not able to make good time with the hail and rain so they had turned back. Glad they were safe and still not out there. We got our photos together and went to see Cathy. She deemed Penelope in great shape and congratulated us on our three days. I really love our endurance vets who cheer us on, celebrate with us and help us take the best care we can of our beloved partners.

We got to the trailer and set to work taking care of Pen with lots of grooming, a Beemer session and leg wrapping while she enjoyed another wet mash and yummy alfalfa. At this point in the ride I love spending this time with my girls and reflecting on our weekend. Pen felt great, like she could just keep going. She has now mastered the long steady 7-8 mph trot, takes great care of herself, watches where her feet are going (most of the time unless there is food involved) and stays connected to me. What an amazing mare on an amazing and challenging trail. For this ride we used EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Easyshoe One with Vettec CS pour in on the front and Easyshoe Speed on the hind. These worked great on all of the slick rock. When we took the shoes off a few weeks later her feet looked great.

Awards that evening were really special with lots of stories and laughs. The group was of course smaller with many people leaving camp on Saturday. It was so much fun. I took a little time to chat with Mickey about the weekend and how she and her team were feeling. Watching this team work so seamlessly taking care of every little detail is wonderful. We are very much looking forward to the fall Moab Ride being held the 9-11th of October. Not only will there be three days of riding there will also be a 100-mile event. Choices, choices…. but that is a few adventures down the line. Time to head home so the next adventure can begin…

2026 Caballo Sin Nombre - Tami Rougeau

April 22 2026

By Tami Rougeau

Team Red hit the road last week for New Mexico and the Caballo Sin Nombre ride near Aztec New Mexico. This was an XP Ride hosted by Annie and the Duck. It was Makena's weekend this time since Penelope had done Cuyama, With the weather in Reno becoming more like winter we were more than ready to head out to warmer climates,

On Monday life seemed to just take over and I was still recovering from the gnat attack at Derby the previous weekend so we did not leave until early Tuesday. Since we like to arrive a day early to give the girls a day to rest and recover we were going to have to suck it up and make it in 2 days. Turns out it was not that bad. We overnighted in Hinkley on Tuesday. They have really done some good work on the rodeo area and it is a nice quiet, clean area to overnight.

We arrived in camp on Wednesday evening well before dark and got ourselves all set up. We got to park next to our friend Julie Figg and do a little catching up. Julie had been there for a couple of days marking trail for the ride. On Thursday we did a little ride and Julie showed me some of the area. It was so nice to get a small preview. Makena was totally full of herself and ready to go...ugh fit horses LOL. When we got back our friend Kerry Redente arrived with Val. Always a great time to share camp with them. Both girls really like Val and the feeling is mutual.

Thursday night we had a nice ride meeting, downloaded our GPS tracks for the next day and made sure our map and vet card were in the saddle for the next day. The nice thing about getting in a day early is that we have time to set everything up for the three days. This makes every day very easy and all I have to do each day is put away what was used making clean up easy on the last day.

Friday we started out with Julie for the first few miles but Makena was just too much so we broke off and did our own thing. The trails are amazing here. They are so perfect with little to no rocks. There is plenty of slick rock but if you know how to cross it is not a problem. Makena marched out this trail like she knew it and we picked off several riders throughout the day. This days trails were mostly single track with just enough road mixed in to keep things interesting. We love technical single track that makes you and the horse really think about what you are doing and where to ribbons are. We had so much fun!!! All of that fun meant that I had to be on my game and although I really enjoyed the scenery I have very little opportunity for photos today. We cruised in easily achieving a top ten placing for the day. We finished with plenty of time to clean up and get ready for the next day.

Saturday Makena and I started out a couple of minutes behind everyone else. I was hoping for a slightly more relaxed day where I could actually take a few photos.

Makena had other plans and as as the miles went by we passed one rider after another. Did I mention how amazing the footing is here? How about the wildflowers? The Indian Paintbrush was getting started and oh boy is it the most vibrant scarlet red I have ever seen. It seems like everything was just starting to open up. Once we had passed several others Makena finally settled down to a steady roar and I was at least able to grab a few photos. I really wanted to video the single tracks but every time we hit these fun trails she just got the zoomies and off we went. We spent the day by ourselves again. It was fun to be on our own but we sure missed our riding buddies. Once again we cruised in to another top ten finish and she had so much left in the tank.

Day three is always hard as the tired sets in and you really just want to stay in bed and enjoy a nice cup of tea - the reward tomorrow for digging in today. I was actually up early and ready to go early too so figured we might as well go out with the group and see how that worked out. Within a mile we were on our own cruising down these amazing trails and enjoying the absolute beauty of the area. I have to say that being able to enjoy these remote historic areas with Makena reinforced just how blessed we are that there are still people out there willing to do the work to put on these rides.

Sunday The Duck played a bad joke on us and had us come back through camp off loop 1 onto loop 3. By about 20ish miles we were caught by Kayti Curtis and a very nice new rider named Michelle. Makena finally decided that she was ready for a friend and Nono was the chosen one. We had a good laugh reminding each other that is was Day 3/Loop 1....Day 3 Loop 3....Day 3 Loop 2. It kept us on our toes paying attention to the pie plates and GPS. Nono and Makena went really well together taking turns leading on the single tracks and side by side on the roads. In no time we were cruising in to camp for another top ten finish. Makena still had energy to spare and looked great. I am so proud of this little spitfire.

We had the best three days with the best footing, views, wildflowers, water, trail marking and the best ride camp vibe. It is always fun to ride with new people and hang out with friends. We got all cleaned up and settled for the evening while most of the riders packed up and headed out. It made for a small final awards meeting but for the 8 of us there it was the most fun. We all had dinner together and enjoyed loads of story telling.

This is when the icing hit the cake on an amazing weekend. Makena earned Fastest Overall Time for the three days and tied for Overall Best Condition with Phyllis Bartholomew who has been at this multi day event gig for a long time and her horse always looks so amazing. What an honor to share this coveted award with someone that I admire. Phyllis and her husband Otis actually spent a lot of time in the area and located many more miles of single track so that we had hardly any roads. When it comes to XP rides everyone pitches in somehow to make the weekend great for everyone. My only regret was not getting enough photos....

On Monday we packed up and headed to Durango to stay with my friend Julie Figg at her amazingly beautiful place. The girls got to be turned out in a huge pasture which was just the best for them. Hanging out with Julie again was great fun and very relaxing. Before we knew it Wednesday arrived and we had to pack up for the next adventure.

Stay tuned for Team Red Adventure 5 2026!!!!

2025 Virginia City 100 - Emily Farmer

By Emily Farmer
September 22 2025

Naji is officially a 100 mile mare. I suppose that technically makes me a 100 mile rider, as I managed to hang on for that length of time! What follows is almost as long of a read, as the ride was a ride!

On Saturday we attempted the Virginia City 100, a historic 100 mile endurance ride held by the Nevada All-State Trail Riders, which starts and ends in Virginia City, NV. This ride was hard. I can honestly say that both the first and last 50 miles taken independently were each probably harder than any other 50 mile ride we've done so far. The unrelenting rocks and elevation changes made this ride especially unforgettable, and ultimately took a tole on Naji's shoes in a way that I could not have imagined.

We started off strong for the first 50 miles, riding with Amrita Oleary and her powerful Poet, and Peggy Murphy and her hard as nails mare. Lucy Chaplin Trumbull and Annette McGyver provided exceptional, experienced crewing support through the entire ride, and Naji pulsed down shortly after arrival at each Vet check and ate and drank with gusto.

We arrived back at camp at 50 miles and Naji was looking great apart from a mild soreness on her right back/loin area. While she ate and drank and relaxed, we switched over all my saddle bags over to a different saddle and pad, to attempt to correct the discomfort that was developing. She had also lost the DIM support material in both front shoes, so I pulled what remained and refilled under all 4 pads with Silpack soft to prevent any more little rocks from getting in the back. I felt that Naji was going to have a rough go mentally leaving camp at 50 miles, as she was probably expecting to be done at that distance. For these reasons I decided to stay a little longer at this Vet check, and let Amrita and Peggy go on ahead. I didn't want Naji to get caught up trying to go too fast and burn herself out given how much we had left to do. I started out on my own, still in third place, and immediately went the wrong way, back up loop 1!! OOPS! Got back on track only to find that the trail was pretty intense in both elevation and rocky footing, and Naji was a little checked-out mentally. She still had good energy, but all she wanted to do was eat. Every tuft of dry brittle desert grass became a snack. We moved along despite the difficulties and actually caught up to Amrita and Peggy at the Jumbo aid station around 60 miles in. We commiserated about the difficulty of the trail, that our horses were in "march" mode, and after allowing her some time to rest and eat, I decided to go on together with them in the hopes it would perk her up a little. That it did, but only for a short time before we started climbing Mount Davidson.

On our way up the mountain Naji got into a slow, casual, steady trot around 5 mph, which she was able to maintain most of the way up with some breaks to walk. Amrita and Peggy pulled ahead and went on their way. The way back down was so steep and rocky that I dismounted and jogged/walked for probably a good mile or so. This was beneficial for my knees and body in general, although I did slip and fall on loose rocks several times while Naji looked on, wondering what my problem was! This was a long, slow, descent and I will admit, I was starting to wonder what the heck we were doing out here.

Lucy and Annette met me where the trail crossed the road near Geiger Summit and Naji TANKED up. She drank and drank and drank and hoovered hay. They also tried to get food and liquids into me, but I was more resistant. I did get in some of the hot chocolate they made, and forced myself to eat another Gu, but I was starting to get nauseated and feeling a bit low. We spent a good bit of time here and both left feeling perked up. Arrived back at camp in dark-twilight at 7:50. Still in 3rd place but with a group of 3 other riders right with us that had caught up on the descent to camp.

This was a 45 minute tack-off hold. Despite the rough nature of loop 2, Naji was still doing well both metabolically and soundness wise. She pulsed in great and apart from B on gut sounds, she got straight A's on the rest of her vet card, including that sore spot on her back, which had resolved with the saddle change. Her shoes were, however, looking VERY rough and I had some concerns. I had applied Easycare Race on the front, which has an exposed aluminum shoe in the bottom and Easycare Speed Metal on the hind, which has an aluminum shoe embedded within composite. I've used this same shoe combo repeatedly, and did the 60 mile at the 20 Mule Team ride with a similar set up that had already been in wear for 3 weeks at the time of the ride, so this was a testament to just how rocky and difficult this ride had been so far. Both front shoes showed severe wear, with the heals of the aluminum shoe worn down flat as a pancake. The rear shoes had the composite material worn off at the toes and the metal within was exposed and starting to wear. There was not much I could do at this stage of the game other than hope they would last. I do carry 2 spare boots, in the event a shoe comes off.

We started out on loop 3 and Naji was a little hesitant to go out into the night, but feeling perked up and pretty energetic. It was now completely dark (new moon in 1 day) and I rode with my red headlamp on to preserve her night vision and I let Naji pick the route. We were leap frogging the group of 3 riders that had come in with us at the end of loop two, and she was motoring along pretty well. About 5 miles in to loop 3 she became more hesitant and she felt a bit off. The group of 3 riders went ahead (Suzanne Hayes with 2 others) and I slowed down (moving to 6th) assuming Naji was probably just pooping out. A few miles later, around 8 miles in, she became noticeably off. I peered down in the darkness to see the heal portion of the glue-on cuff of one front shoe sticking out oddly to the side. Got off and discovered complete failure and breakage of the entire lateral side of the aluminum shoe on the front left. The cuff was still adhered to the hoof at the top, and the entire medial cuff was still on. Upon inspection of the front right, I found similar breakage of the metal at both the medial and lateral toe, but both cuffs were still very tightly adhered to the hoof wall and the bits of metal shoe had not displaced, being still stuck to the pad beneath them. I decided I would try to wrap tape around both shoes to hold the pieces together under the hoof.

Unfortunately, the cuffs had not separated from the hoof wall, making it difficult to actually remove the shoe the rest of the way so that I could apply my back up boots. The boots will not fit over the shoes if they are still attached. We continued with the tape job, mostly walking, slowly trotting for another 2 miles, when she felt off again and I looked down and found it had disintegrated. At this time I decided we were not going to make it with the one badly broken shoe, I had to remove it and apply the boot. I got out my handy Leatherman tool (thanks Richard Myers) and filed away enough glue so that I could use the pliers to pry the cuffs off. Got the boot on OK. Thought about doing the same to the other shoe but it was still REALLY on there, and the metal bits were not displaced, so I wrapped some more tape on and away we went slowly walking/trotting, sound again. At this point, I will admit, I was quite down. I thought frequently about calling Lucy and Annette and asking them to pick me up along a road somewhere. I thought about bed, about sitting in a chair, about laying flat on the motionless ground. Many dark thoughts came and went. Two more riders came upon me in the dark and passed, pushing me to 8th. I was around 92 miles. I told myself I could walk the entire way to finish and still complete in time, and that pushed me on. At mile 94 I arrived at the Long meadow vet check, tape still intact on one, boot on the other. She vetted in sound. I asked a volunteer if anyone had duct tape and amazingly someone did, so I wrapped some duct tape around the electrical tape. Melissa Montgomery and two other riders with her came in to the vet check shortly thereafter and passed within a few minutes of leaving, pushing me out of the top 10. I started this ride just hoping to complete it. Being in the top 10 would have been icing on the cake, but I had mentally returned to priority #1, which was completion with a healthy horse.

I continued with some slow trotting on the flat sandy sections and walking in others. I could tell Naji was irritated by the 1 boot and the mobility of the bits of the other shoe. Around mile 97 we had made it to Sign Hill and two more riders (Jeremy Reynolds and another) came up. In true endurance family fashion, Jeremy tried to assist with my shoe issue! He had a larger size Easyboot which he tried to apply over the broken metal shoe but unfortunately it still wasn't large enough to fasten securely with the shoe and cuffs in place. I asked them to go ahead, we were in "limp" mode and I did not want to slow them down. The 2 miles down off of Sign Hill are steep and rocky. I got off and walked on foot, slid and fell a few more times. I continued on foot for 2 miles until about 100 yards from the finish line where I remounted. I wanted to cross that line riding. We finished at 1:42 am with a ride time of 17 hrs 27 minutes. Despite the issues we had faced, Naji vetted in amazingly and we still finished in 13th. She got A's for all categories apart from B on her back, which had become a little sore again around the loins.

I learned so many things on this ride. Naji learned so many things. Her incredible strength and stamina has amazed me once again. She could outrun the four horses of the apocalypse. A huge thank you to my incredible crew Lucy and Annette. Although he could not be at this ride, my enjoyment of this sport would not be possible without the immense support and great efforts of Chris Farmer. And last but not least, the ride management and volunteers who did an amazing job putting this ride together. What an experience!

Great Britain: Michaelchurch: Testing the Waters Before Red Dragon - Bella Fricker

Bellafricker.co.uk - Full Story

Michaelchurch: a prep for Great Britain's Red Dragon, with Relentless rain, Riding through actual clouds with zero visibility, Slippery sheep-grazed moorland tracks, Freezing cold, lost three times, and watching my horse’s legs disappear underneath him — twice.

September 9 2025
by Bella Fricker

As I’m sure you know by now, my big aim this season is to take Chip to Red Dragon at the end of September. It’s one of the UK’s most iconic endurance rides, set in the Welsh hills, and it’s got a reputation for being both stunning and seriously tough. The kind of ride that will either give you the best memories of your season or completely humble you.

Living just north of Milton Keynes, my daily reality couldn’t be further removed from those Welsh mountains. My training options are flat grassy headlands, a few purpose-built woodchip tracks, and that’s about it. No long climbs, no moorland, no technical descents. Nothing that prepares you for Red Dragon terrain.

So after completing the 64km CER at Avon Valley last month, I knew I had the slow conditioning miles in the tank — but the hills? We desperately needed them. I managed a few trips out for hill sessions, but the big focus was on Michaelchurch, a September Endurance GB ride in the Black Mountains. Three weeks before Red Dragon. Perfect timing...

Read more here:
https://www.bellafricker.co.uk/post/ride-report-michaelchurch-testing-the-waters-before-red-dragon

2025 Tevis Cup - Jay Mero

www.endurance.net/international/USA/2025TevisCup

by Jay Mero DVM
July 15 2025

“Learn By Doing” to borrow the University of Cal Poly’s famous quote - was the theme for our Tevis 2025 weekend. My best mare Lena bruised her right rear foot on a training ride exactly two weeks before Tevis. It was my fault as we had been training hard and I’d let her shoes get too worn in the last week or two lead up, trying to get her closer to her Tevis shoeing date. I still made a big effort trying to help her with some injections and special shoes, but we just didn’t have enough time. We also have been struggling with Clip’s LR foot since Febuary, also trying every bit of magic I could pull out of a hat to keep her sound. The whole scenario with both mares was just really ridiculous as many know we’ve struggled for years with their front feet. Always their front feet, till this year.

So when it became obvious Lena was out and Clip was a question mark, there wasn’t much left in the yard for me to pick from. Lucky for me our first homebred, race bred Arab mare Arrya was the solution. Arrya is the daughter of my first race bred Arab mare Jet Setting Sandrita, who has finished Tevis, and a tough, tough race stallion named Ibn Okba, out of the famous Okba. Arrya had been training right along with her big sisters and had gotten to rides earlier this year including a 3 day and a 2 day back to back stints. But I don’t usually bring a horse to a 100 miler until another year of training and many more endurance rides are under their belt. In addition Tevis is a whole other beast and horses really need to be well trained, seasoned and responsive to all the rider’s aids to increase the odds of finishing healthy and safely. We were sorely lacking in that catagory.

Let’s just say the mare likely experienced 6-12 months of training and schooling in one compressed 24 hour period. I fretted over the start, as I knew we’d need to first stand still in what I call a tin can alley after we walk down to the start a little over a mile from ride camp. We wait another 5-8 minutes packed into said tin can before we are released to start. Anyone who’s ridden a young horse can appreciate patience is not one of their virtues. Then we’d have to navigate lots of single tract with drop offs and horses galloping by us, most often not safely, as soon as they got a sliver of trail to go by. We tried to start with Clip and Reyna for support but then I just sent them on ahead. I’m not really sure how we survived the beginning as I had to have a thousand discussions with Arrya about how fast we were in fact going to go, and no not as fast as she wanted to. She opted to express her displeasure at me controlling her pace with throwing her head side to side, often taking her entire front end with her, sometimes perilously close to the edges, whenever I asked her for contact and to slow down. I’ll be truthful it was pretty bad and I definitely spent those first 12 miles questioning my life choices.

At High Camp about 3/4 of the way up Squaw, we stopped for water, to give electrolytes, and for me to see how she’d recover her heart rate after 12 miles of impressive fretting and drama and most of the time her heart rate being way too high. She shocked me by recovering in Lena and Clip like speed. So off we went again surviving the boulder field and rock water falls of Granite Chief with only a few meltdowns when I wouldn’t let her follow horses in front of her too closely. We finally got some open trail on the way to Cougar Rock and I started to get my horse “back” again. I’d said all along no way was I doing Cougar Rock with a baby horse. But as we got to the rock all alone, a friend taking pictures there asked what I was going do and I said “no no not with a baby, no no, Oh heck let’s try it!” And up we went. And yes we had a moment near the top Arrya was not too sure. She stopped. Tried to go left. Tried to go right. Tried to turn around and finally I got her to just stop a moment and think - and then she hopped up and over and we were gone! Whoop whoop! I was pretty proud of her in that moment! At that moment I thought we got this! We can do this, as long as I caredully monitored her “tank” all day and made sure I left enough in it to keep going.

The learn by doing phrase happened at the first big hold, Robinson Flat, when she wouldnt eat much, too upset with all the commotion and then Clip and Reyna leaving. They were going to go a lot faster all day. I told my kids Arrya would either figure it out as the day worn on and start eating and drinking or we were gonna be done. At that moment none of us knew how it would go.

Let’s just say this post is already way too long to share all the highs and great moments Arrya and I had together. She did indeed get it done - in spectacular fashion, finishing in 12 th place, very sound, ears up, perky, and with plenty of gas left in that tank! This baby horse had never been ridden in the dark (no head lamp) or crossed a river that we had to just about swim across because she’s a little short, nor had she ever had to continue on all alone for hours in the dark with no other horses to support her. I’m in awe of what this “little engine that could” got done on Saturday and will likely accomplish in her up and coming endurance career. She’s going to get a longer than usual rest period now, given I asked a lot of her so early in her training. But we are so excited in our family for this little mare.

To finish up the darn rear foot thing got Reyna and Clip around 60 plus miles, they had to stop at ForestHill but not before Reyna had proven she could race the Tevis trail all on her own, getting herself all the way into 4th to 5 th place before they had to stop! I was very proud of Reyna. We had the whole family back together again to help crew, which I’m so grateful for, they were amazing. And I am so thankful for the wonderful volunteers that helped me at every stop, cooling my mare, helping to hold her and bringing her mash and hay (Arrya did decide later in the day I must have been starving her) as she started ravenously eating and drinking from every tank and puddle. Amazing how 100 miles of that trail will teach a horse SO much about life. LOL

Thank you also to all of the vets, and ride management and my fellow Tevis Board members for making this ride happen. Thank you to our farrier Justin Loewen and to Buzz Arnold for being the taxi driver and getting the rig out of Robie Park. Tevis truly is magical, it doesn’t matter if you are riding to race it or to just experience the trail to see what you and your horse can do together. There is no other ride like this! Finally congrats to my good friend John Perry for winning the Haggin Cup with his mare Diva. Very well deserved, Diva looked fabulous. John and Reyna rode together quite the bit of the day and I was so relieved she had a good friend and rider to lean on.