TRAC
Riders head for the Pan Am Games in Trout Lake, Washington
Five
of the ten team-members who will be representing Canada West at the
Pan Am games in Endurance are Alberta riders and long-time TRAC
members. It has taken a great deal of commitment, training, competing and
efforts to make the team. Congratulations to everyone!
The Alberta
riders include: Susan Wensink and her Arab-Westphalian cross have been
competing for four years mainly in competitive trail. The nine-year old
gelding 'Rio's Amigo' and Wensink have been competing in endurance rides
since last year.
Kelvin Godin with his trusty and competitive
eighteen-year-old Arab Nero have returned after a near-career-ending incident
only 2 years ago where Nero suffered a severe shoulder bruise and Godin broke
his leg. The pair did their first 100 miler last year together and were 2002
TRAC Alberta Grand Champions.
Eve Comrie has been to the Pan Ams
previously in 2001 with a different horse. This year's mount is her twelve
year-old Arab mare, 'Zephyr'. Both horse and rider bring years of experience
to the team, they've been together for six years including competing in
Dubai.
Audrey Grieb and her homebred Arab gelding 'Special Delivery' will
be competing in their first International level ride outside of Canada.
Grieb and eleven year-old 'Special D', as he's called, were recently on
the Alberta team for TRAC. For the Grieb's it will be a special trip to take
the horse that combined the genes of their foundation mare and her mother
to make a top-notch endurance horse.
Christy Janzen is going as an
alternate rider. An experienced international competitor, Janzen will offer a
great deal of experience to the team. Janzen was also the first rider to take
fellow team-member Kelvin Godin's horse 'Nero' to a 100 miler and won the
ride as well as best conditioned horse.
Yes, distance riding in Alberta
is very much alive and well! Please watch for more details on these riders
and the team in both ERA and TRAC newsletters. For those who can't wait,
check out www.endurance.net <http://www.endurance.net> and click on
2003 PAC - live event coverage to the Pan Am results. The event goes
September 13. Let's make sure they can hear us cheer from
Alberta!!
TRAC wishes all of these horses and riders the very best.
Ride Hard and Have a GREAT TIME! We all want to hear ALL the stories around
the campfire when you return!
