To provide equestrians with an all day event in the form of a cross country horse race - experiencing nature and scenery in some of the most beautiful trails and interesting terrains that the United States has to offer.
To provide EXTENSIVE veterinarian control for each entrant to continually evaluate your horse's mental and physical condition and to ensure that the well being of your horse is NEVER compromised.
Begging your pardon. SEVEN HOURS is hardly "all day". And, if you are RACING or even RIDING your horse over "interesting terrains", that equine's well being is being compromised.
I don't understand why Tonya felt the need to do something like this. It's almost like an AERC ride but with a lot more $$ involved.
My boyfriend was a pro team roper. He got a kick out of me buying awards for my rides because I was thinking about what a rider would want and could use and didn't cost me more than I'd make. He was used to paying $2000 entry fees for the championships and getting a $50,000 return plus the belt buckles, saddles and horse trailers. A can of WD 40 hardly seems worth the thought I was giving it.
There's something else I'd like to point out. There has been a point made about other elite equine sports offering big $$. May I point out that racing an equine over 50 or 100 miles is worlds apart from an equine putting you in the sweet spot to rope a calf or take a jump? We're asking our horses to put us in a sweet spot for hours and miles at a time. That's a big chance to take.
Do what you want. I don't have $2500 to enter a ride or any horses I don't care about. In short, I'm a big sissy and not up for the gamble it would be. Each to his own.
