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2024 Tevis Cup Preview
July 2 2024By Merri Melde-Endurance.net
With 17 days remaining until the 68th running of the Tevis Cup, 147 riders are pre-entered to take on the 100 miles from Tahoe to Auburn on July 20.
These include previous Tevis winners Gabriela Blakeley and LLC Pyros Choice (2022), Sanoma Blakeley (2019), Karen Donley (2016), Hal Hall (1974, 1977, 1990), Jeremy Reynolds (2004, 2007, 2011, 2021), and Heather Reynolds (2003, 2014, 2018).
Previous Haggin Cup winners include Hal Hall (1972, 1978, 2002), Heather Reynolds (1999, 2003), Jeremy Reynolds (2004, 2011, 2017), Michele Rowe (2005), Melissa Ribley (2009), Jay Mero and Ozark Kaolena SWA (Lena) (2021), Christoph Schork (2022), and MM Cody the mustang (2018).
Gabriela Blakeley and Heather Reynolds will be going for their 10th Tevis buckle, Robert Ribley will be going for his 20th buckle, and Hal Hall will be riding for his 33rd buckle!...
Read the rest here
2024 Wild West photos by William Gore
2024 Wild West Endurance ride photos in California by William Gore
Photography:
https://williamgorephotography.smugmug.com/Endurance-Rides-2024/Wild-West-2024
Australia: A big step forward
NoosaToday.com.au - Full Article
30/06/2024
ERLE LEVEY
The Gympie-South Burnett Region is making a name for itself in endurance riding. ERLE LEVEY takes a look at the latest events and the impact it is having on the community as well as the horse-riding fraternity.
“It was a technical track but there were so many smiling faces among the volunteers to help us on the course.’’
Endurance horse riding in the Gympie-South Burnett region is taking a big step forward this season with new events being added to the calendar as well as hosting the state championships.
The Biggenden Endurance Ride at the weekend provided competitors with the chance to improve both their stamina and that of their horses.
Yet it also showed what country towns are capable of in hosting such events, and a reminder of the importance the support of people and businesses in the community provide.
It underlines how the charm of our towns and the beauty of the Australian bush provide the basis for such events that capture the imagination.
First Wondai and now Kilkivan have been added to the 2024 calendar. Both are in September and follow the Queensland State Championships to be held at Widgee in July.
The events provide for a lead-up to the 2024 Tom Quilty Gold Cup to be held in South Australia...
Read more here:
https://noosatoday.com.au/news/30-06-2024/a-big-step-forward/
Confessions of a Tevis Volunteer (Or: Why I Keep Coming Back)
MostlyBeautifulThings.com Blog - Full Story
August 9, 2014
By Elizabeth Speth
The annual Western States Trail Ride, popularly called the Tevis Cup, is a grueling 24-hour horseback ride over 100 miles of exceptionally beautiful and punishing terrain. Sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference, it is a horse-centric event, designed around the safety and well-being of the animal.
It’s an amateur race against the clock, no cash prizes, only a coveted buckle. Started in 1955, it is considered the founding event in endurance racing, and is still known as the most difficult. Over the years, it has evolved into something that requires nearly a thousand people to make sure up to 200 riders and their horses make the journey safely.
The psychology of the riders — why would they do such a thing? — is the subject of another blog. They are a breed apart. The training of their magnificent steeds for such a trial is also another discussion entirely.
All I’m qualified to address is the volunteerism aspect of this. For a large handful of years — I’m fuzzy on the exact number out of sheer fatigue — my husband and I have braved miles of rocky, narrow roads to report for duty in the early afternoon at the rugged Francisco’s outpost, at Mile 86. We remain there until the pre-dawn hours of the morning, sometimes pulling out as the sky begins to lighten. This is where we put the exhausted horses and riders back together, hydrate, refresh and encourage them, and send them on to the last part of their journey. This is where we marvel at the freshness of the front-runners, who breeze in and out and look as though they are in the middle of a leisurely ten-mile trail ride. All of them have come from the high peaks near Lake Tahoe, and will end their journey in Auburn, CA, if they make it that far...
Read more here:
https://mostlybeautifulthings.com/2014/08/09/confessions-of-a-tevis-volunteer-or-why-i-keep-coming-back/
Mongolia Trek on Horseback for Charity
HorseIllustrated.com - Full Article
By Merri Melde - June 19, 2024
Seventeen intrepid riders from five foreign countries gathered in Ulaanbataar for the ultimate horse riding trek: 3,600 kilometers (just over 2,200 miles) across Mongolia in 84 days. The idea, developed by Julie Veloo, combined ultimate adventure with fundraising for the Veloo Foundation, serving underprivileged people in Mongolia. The trek for horse and riders across Mongolia began at the end of April, 2022.
Gobi Gallop
Just 12 years ago, however, Veloo had never been astride a horse. She tried it for the first time at age 50 when she and her husband, Chelvan Veloo, first moved to Mongolia.
“I was already learning the language,” says Julie. “I realized if I was going to understand this culture and history, I was going to have to sit on a horse. I thought, ‘If these kids can do it, how hard can it be?’ Twenty-however-many times of falling off later—it can be hard! But I was determined to ride.”
Her persistence paid off, and by 2013, she and a group of six friends rode 707 kilometers for fun across the Gobi Desert over nine days, in what officially became known as the inaugural Gobi Gallop...
Read the rest here:
https://www.horseillustrated.com/mongolia-horseback-trek-for-charity
Woodville rider Lucy Allomes enjoys success with NZ team in Australasia endurance event
NZHerald.co.nz - Full Article
By Leanne Warr
25 Jun, 2024
When Lucy Allomes found out that an endurance event in Australia was going to include a New Zealand team, she thought it would be good experience for her.
Her team claimed third place overall in the Australasia Regional Endurance championship, held in Queensland.
She says she had to apply to join the team and found out she had been chosen at the end of April.
Having to fundraise to pay for her trip over to Queensland was a bit of a struggle, as she was also at Lincoln University, where she is studying Agricultural Science.
The Woodville resident, who began participating in endurance riding in 2017, left Christchurch for Australia at the end of May, travelling to Inglewood in Queensland for the competition...
Read more here:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/tararua-news/woodville-rider-lucy-allomes-enjoys-success-with-nz-team-in-australasia-endurance-event/VACZ34MWLBFO5J5H423BEEOWEM/
Oman: Five riders from Royal Cavalry qualify for World Endurance Cup France 2024
23 June 2024
By: Times News Service
Muscat: Five riders from the Royal Cavalry have qualified for the World Endurance Cup France 2024. They will represent the Sultanate of Oman at the upcoming World Cup.
Hussein bin Ali Al Farsi, riding the Royal Cavalry's horse 'Fanshdouh', excelled in the French "Compiegne" race which was organised by the International Equestrian Federation for a distance of 140 km, with the participation of male and female knights from various countries of the world.
Last April, Hussein Al-Farsi, on horseback, 'Fenshdouh', passed the stages of the French “Saumur” race, which was organised by the International Equestrian Federation, for a distance of 160 km.
He also qualified for the World Endurance Cup, which will be held in September in France.
Those who have qualified for the World Endurance Cup in France 2024 are: Mahmoud bin Marhoon Al-Fawri, riding the horse “Dalila”, Hisham bin Saleh Al-Farsi, riding the horse “Balxima”, and the jockey Ahmed bin Salem Al-Hamdani, riding the horse “Kasba” and the knight Saleh bin Salem Al-Balushi, riding the horse “Stik”...
Read more here:
https://timesofoman.com/article/147011-five-riders-from-royal-cavalry-qualify-for-world-endurance-cup-france-2024
2024 Northeast Endurance Team Challenge photos by Becky Pearman
2024 Leatherwood Mountain Challenge Endurance ride photos in North
Carolina by Jessica Jones, Unbridled Imagery:
https://www.unbridledimagery.com/sytist/events/endurance-races/2024-leatherwood/
2024 Northeast Endurance Team Challenge photos by Becky Pearman
2024 Northeast Endurance Team Challenge photos at Fair Hill Int’l,
Maryland, by Becky Pearman:https://beckypearman.smugmug.com/Other/Endurance-2024/NE-Team-Challenge-Fairhill-International
2024 Old Dominion photos by Becky Pearman
2024 Old Dominion Endurance ride photos in Virginia by
Becky Pearman:
https://beckypearman.smugmug.com/Other/Endurance-2024/Old-Dominion
Want to learn the skills you need to take on the Mongol Derby?
Equestrianists.com
The Mongol Derby Academy 2024 will take place from 25th July 2024 to 31st July 2024.
The Mongol Derby Academy is designed to give you the skills you need to compete in and complete the Mongol Derby. It’s primarily aimed at riders who are interested in finding out more about the Mongol Derby and testing their skills. Bob Long, winner of the 2019 Mongol Derby, completed the Academy, an experience that could have given him the edge.
The ultimate in training experiences, the Mongol Derby Academy takes place over seven days in the Mongolian Steppe. You will learn about each major aspect of the famous race, partaking in a long distance ride equivalent to a couple of legs of the race itself and culminating in the Mongol Derby Herder Trials, a phenomenal celebration of traditional horsemanship in Mongolia. The camp stands alone as a unique equine experience for anyone who wants to experience Mongolian culture, the incredible semi-wild horses and training legs of the race in a controlled environment.
This is a comprehensive but massively enjoyable training course, designed to give you everything you need to be ready to tackle the Mongol Derby. The course is designed as an introduction to the fundamentals of the Mongol Derby. You will learn how to change horses efficiently at horse stations while going through Mongol Derby vet checks, you’ll know what to expect on the first leg, and gain an understanding of the terrain, the horses, and the culture. You'll go through extensive navigational training using a Garmin GPS, going over everything from how to read and use a topographical map, to understanding how to operate the GPS itself. Once through the Academy, you will be prepared to take on the race itself.
For more details, see:
https://equestrianists.com/guides/mongol-derby-academy/
Hillbillie Willie and the Sleeping Giant
June 22 2024by Merri Melde
Sleeping Giant, the new Montana ride, is only around 8 hours from Oreana, so we loaded up Regina’s trailer with 3 horses and headed there on Thursday. Of course, “8 hours” is by car when you’re on a mission, and our adventuresome trip took 11 hours.
But when we pulled into Ridecamp in a field of yellow flowers on a private ranch north of Helena next to the Missouri River where the Nez Perce people lived and roamed, and where Lewis and Clark once floated by, it was worth the journey. The scenery is gorgeous, just the kind of country that makes you want to jump on a horse and ride into. I’d never ridden in Montana before so I couldn’t wait to hit these trails. “Sleeping Giant” comes from the mountain ridge above ridecamp, which resembles a giant sleeping on his back.
Hillbillie Willie was of course traveling with his BFF DWA Barack, and his frenemy DWA Papillon, and after his unexpected wacko antics at Eagle Canyon this year, I wasn’t sure quite how he was going to behave at the ride. We’d be doing the 50-miler on day 1 (and possibly day 2) and one of his buddies would do a 25 each day. Willie and I practiced leaving them at times to walk around camp on Friday, and he seemed to handle it well. Maybe Saturday’s start wouldn’t be so bad!
I was hoping for that perfect spot at the start of day 1’s 50, not too many people strung out ahead of us, not too many people behind, not too fast, not too slow. Who could I ride with that might match Willie’s pace? Willie was pretty calm as we warmed up before the start (yay!), and I ended up talking with Teresa from Minnesota aboard her seasoned 18-year-old gelding Aaz. “You want to ride together?” She asked. I said “Sure!” but with the caveat I always add, “We can try,” because I just don’t know anymore if my horse is going to be on crack or not, and if he is, my plans are out the window.
We let the fast riders go out first, and walked out the gate (!), before settling into a trot. Willie was amped and a bit bumpy, but not crazy (yay!). And with a calm influencer ahead of him, Willie settled into his fast trot, pulling, but not pulling my arms out of their sockets. In fact, he only pulled for 32 minutes (yes I looked) before he settled into hard work, and it did help that we soon headed uphill, up and up and up...
Read the rest here
Montana’s Inaugural Sleeping Giant Endurance Ride: Just Wow!
By Merri Melde-Endurance.net
June 19 2024
With the termination of the long-running Fort Howes Endurance ride near Ashland, Montana, that left a big hole and a huge hoofprint to fill in the ride calendar for Montana.
Enter Endurance riding families Cindi Weist of Choteau, Ann Depizzol of Helena, and Vonnie and David Brown of Great Falls. They all lamented the loss of Endurance rides in Montana.
Cindi regularly drove through Gates of the Mountains, along the Missouri River just north of Helena. “I kept thinking, I wish I can ride these trails, it's looking so wonderful. This would be a good place for an Endurance ride.”
Ann remembers hearing about her mom riding in the Governor’s Cup in the 1990s on the Sieben Ranch, owned by the Baucus family.
“I drive past that area all the time and have friends of the land owners,” Ann said. “Ava (my daughter) rode the Sieben Ranch years ago as they are very generous with their land and horse riding.
“Anne Perkins [another Endurance rider from Helena] is good friends with Cathy Campbell, one of the land owners, and made the introduction to Vonnie and Dave, and they talked with Cathy, and it all started there! We met with Cathy last fall and she loved the idea…as our trails needed to expand, the Baucus’s got involved and agreed also!...”
Read the rest here
Wales: ‘We raced the last mile’: cob pips Arab to triumph in this year’s Man V Horse race
Yourhorse.co.uk - Full Story
Natalie Clark
17 June 2024
A black cob triumphed in this year’s epic Man V Horse race, Georgina Silk and her father Peter’s Branny completing the 24-mile race in a time of 2hrs 37mins. Every year hundreds of people flock to Llanwrtyd Wells — one of the smallest towns in Britain — where 1,100 runners took on 60 horses this time and battled to be the quickest to complete the Welsh track.
“Branny is a cob, so she isn’t fast but she does keep going at a consistent speed whatever the terrain. Another rider caught me up towards the end on an Arab who was so much faster, but Branny kept cantering downhill and we stayed ahead. We raced the last mile, which was exhilarating,” said Georgina, a mother-of-one who hadn’t ridden for six months prior to lining up on the start line...
Read more here:
https://www.yourhorse.co.uk/hacking/man-v-horse-race/
2024 Sleeping Giant photos by David Hollenback
2024 Sleeping Giant Endurance ride photos in Montana by David
Hollenback:
https://davidhollenback.zenfolio.com/f6769029
2024 Trout Lake photos by David Honan
2024 Trout Lake Endurance ride photos in Washington by David Honan:
https://davehonan.smugmug.com/2024-Endurance-Rides
Montana: Endurance horse riders take on Sleeping Giant
KRTV.com - Full Article and video
By: Tommy Lynch
Posted at 7:53 AM, Jun 16, 2024
GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS — The American Endurance Riders Conference (AERC) hosted the first Sleeping Giant Endurance Rides from June 14 through 16.
The AERC lost their last Montanan endurance ride last year. Instead of not hosting a ride in the state, they managed to gain access to the land near Sleeping Giant for the rides.
The Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area is a non-motorized recreation area located on the west side of the Missouri River and Holter Lake, about 30 miles north of Helena. The rock formation is a well-known landmark, readily visible from Helena.
“Your horse has to pass vet checks every certain mileage, for instance, 10 to 15 miles,” said Suzanne Hayes, one of the endurance riders, “They go through a vet check and the horse has to be recovered metabolically as well as look shiny and bright and ready to go on...”
Read more and see video here:
https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/endurance-horse-riders-take-on-sleeping-giant
2024 June's Horses in the Morning Endurance Podcast
Horsesinthemorning.com - Listen
Revisit: Living on the Road With Horses, Friesian Rocks the LD Rides: Endurance Day for Nov 10, 2020
Jun 11, 2024
Revisit: Michelle and her daughter Scout share how they are living full time on the road with their horses. Magali McGreevy is kicking butt with her Friesian Harlaam and she stops by to tell us all about it. Rump rugs, quarter sheets, or exercise rugs; whatever you call them we answer the questions you never thought to ask. Listen in...
https://horsesinthemorning.com/revisit-living-on-the-road-with-horses-friesian-rocks-the-ld-rides-endurance-day-for-nov-10-2020/