Antelope Island - Chase Endurance

Horse-canada.com - Full Story

Chase Endurance | April 19, 2016

The finish line was in sight and Doc knew it was time to overtake these two gentlemen and their horses, but we were still on a single track trail and passing was dangerous with the boulders lining the sides. They knew I was close as they kept looking back over their shoulders seeing how much more ground Doc and I had made up over the last 12 miles...

Jill and I arrived at Antelope Island Endurance Ride Camp in the late afternoon of Friday, April 8th. Jill was leasing a sharp looking gelding going by the nickname Pinky from Christoph Schork at Global Endurance Training Center in Utah. I was teamed up once again on Doc who is owned and trained by Elroy Karius in Kelowna.

As we both were going to be riding in different equipment, we saddled up our respective horses to get stirrups set, figure out any possible rub spots and loosen up the horses from their travels. Pinky was hot and ready to race. Jill was finding him to be quite the handful and wondered if he would be a good fit for her riding by herself in the 25 mile limited distance ride. Elroy and I saddled up and rode up and down the road past the start line to get the horses accustomed to riding in a group. Pinky calmed down significantly if we rode on either side of Jill but it looked like he might be a bit too much to handle safely if she rode alone.

After we untacked, we met to discuss our game plan for Saturday. Elroy and I were registered to do the two day 100 mile ride, however, there were only two or three other riders registered. I’m still figuring out the points system with the AERC, but we would receive more points if we rode in just the two 50 mile rides separately as they had more entrants. That also gave us some leeway should something happen and we weren’t able to continue on day two. Jill decided that she had more than enough horse and registered to do the 50 mile with us and joined the Canadians...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/chase-endurance/antelope-island/

The Mongol Derby Girls Ride in Iceland

Equitrekking.com - Full Story

April 9, 2016
by Sarah Cuthbertson

From bling'd out bridles to shaggy steeds, Canadian endurance rider Sarah Cuthbertson rides in Iceland!

If you have been following for a while, you probably already know that this year’s adventure for me was to go to Iceland and ride. I was doing this with veterans from the Mongol Derby of 2014 – obviously a talented crop of riders. This was arranged by Anita, who rode the Derby and offered this as a reunion for our quirky and adventurous group of friends.

It did start somewhat similarily to the Mongol Derby actually. We were picked up in busses and just wouldn't shut up for the drive out of the city. However, this time we were past the getting to know you phase, and into the “what have you done for the last 12 months phase”. We did have a few pit stops along the way – one for some food (which I desperately needed for a pickmeup thanks to flying in on the redeye that morning) and the next for the tack shop. You can imagine how exciting things got when we entered in there!

We got to “basecamp” as I will call it for now, which was a beautiful spot at the base of mountains and just across the road, a beautiful lake. Again, like the Derby, we selected our saddles, bridles and packs, and waited eagerly for our horses to be brought in.

Then in came the horses – semi mongolian style: meaning a four-wheeler rounded them into a small pen for capture (if in Mongolia, this would have read Motorcycle). The horses, contained by nothing more than a string around them, nipped, kicked, squealed and ran around like they had something to prove. Several were hard to catch and we wondered if we were in for more wild shenanigans like in Mongolia (of course, we were prepared for this).

I will save you wondering, and say right off the bat… NO. Despite the horses’ antics in the herd, once they were caught, the horses became puppy dogs. Their attitudes toward the humans (once tack was on) was far superior to the Mongolian horses, and even every horse I know at home. They were the snuggliest, cutest, most badass teddybears I have ever had the privilege to ride...

Read more here:
http://www.equitrekking.com/articles/entry/the-mongol-derby-girls-ride-in-iceland/?mc_cid=cb85515f6b&mc_eid=290b655fe3

Whiskeytown 2016: The Ride - Aurora Grohman

Redheadedendurance Blog - Full Story

Kenny and I pulled out Friday morning with an easy 2 hour drive to ride camp ahead of us, and rain forecast for ride day. Our buddy W and her stallion Aqua and co followed us up to ride camp where we got cozy in the limited parking quarters. Fortunately I was literally surrounded by friends on all sides and those I didn’t know were very friendly, too. Don’t let endurance Facebook forums scare you away if you’re new to the sport, there’s a lot of great people actually out doing it.

After a great vet-in, lots of boot help for folks, a delicious steak and garlic bread (thanks W and fam!) and Kenny leg stretcher walks sprinkled in between, it was bed time in no time.

Kenny continued to eat mash and hay, mostly drink at the troughs on walks, splash idly in his water bucket at the trailer, dot the landscape with poo (retrieved!), and pee his brains out–no really, our little camp was a urine festival by the end. His one and only sin in this, his first camping and AERC event, was a tendency to call when his neighbors left for walks, or if I walked him by his old pasture mate, T’s mare, who was *very* happy to holler back. A pretty minor offense and he certainly wasn’t yelling endlessly.

Ride start was 6:30 AM and the 50s and LDs all started together due to single track scheduling farther down the line. T and I, having ridden a 19 mile training ride together a few weeks previously so comfortable in our horses’ pacing together, waited 15 minutes after ride start and strolled out of camp on loose reins at a walk–YES!!...

Read more here:
https://redheadedendurance.com/2016/04/13/whiskeytown-2016-the-ride/

Tevis: This is What Stitches Me into the Fabric of the World, by Hilary Haynie

Krinvan Wordpress - Full Article

by Hillary Haynie
April 7 2016

It was 5 a.m., August 1st, 2015. 200 horses and their riders stood in the quiet darkness of the Tahoe National Forest. The adrenaline kicking in, and the butterflies stirring in my stomach, were settled by the calmness of my partner “Karl.” Only 100 miles of the world’s toughest terrain in front of us and a year of training behind. This was the moment. “Let’s do this!” I said.

200 horse and rider teams took off down a winding and treacherous trail, and the dust became so thick that even my bandana did not keep it out of my mouth. The first 13 miles of climbing straight up Squaw to Watson Monument, meant that the year of physical training for myself and my horse was about to be tested. The sound of steel against hard rocks, and the motion of a large and obedient steed under my saddle, rocked me into a peaceful lullaby state.

We reached the top of our first huge climb at almost 12,000 feet. As I took a firmer hold of my reins, I looked back over my shoulder to see our accomplishment of the last 13 miles. Clouds were gathering and the sun poked tiny holes in the sky, magnifying the beauty of the landscape. The terrain was rugged and isolated, but I felt the presence of God in that moment. The moment I realized I was taking a once wild and free animal, strapping leather to its back, and asking him to travel 100 miles over rocks and through streams and down canyons. He was more than willing...

Read more here:
https://krinvan.wordpress.com/2016/04/07/this-is-what-stitches-me-into-the-fabric-of-the-world-by-hilary-haynie/

Am I Cursed? - Chase Endurance

Horse Canada Blog - Full Story

Chase Endurance | April 5, 2016

All of a sudden Doc disappeared from beneath me and I felt myself falling forward over his neck. I only had enough time to close my eyes before my face hit the ground.

I’ll back up to the beginning of the day. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 2nd to feed the horses and myself. Today, I would be riding Elroy Karius’s best horse Jolly Holiday (aka Doc) in the 50 mile Coyote Ridge Endurance Ride in Coulee City, WA. My friend Crystal would be riding my little Arab, Jamison, in the 25 mile. Jamison has only been to four other endurance rides, so he’s still a little tense about camping out at all the different ride sites. I noticed that Jamison hadn’t eaten very much nor did he drink his water, even though I had given him his electrolytes last night.

The ride site was coming alive as the 75 mile riders headed out on trail at 6:30 a.m. as the sun was peeking over the horizon. Elroy was blasting his favourite Billy Idol tunes although, at first, I thought it was the kids a couple of trucks down with the blaring radio. Elroy was riding Diamond Reo today and both looked ready to tackle the day.

We spent about 30 minutes walking the horses around camp, turning circles to get their muscles warm and relaxed. At 7:30 a.m. the trail was open and we started about mid pack down the trail over the wide open and rolling pasture land. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and it really reminded me why I love this sport so much...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/chase-endurance/am-i-cursed/