Biltmore Challenge

Name: Beverly Brock
Weight Division:LW
Home: Asheville, NC
How many hours away from Biltmore? 30 minutes When will you arrive? Taking Friday off of work to prepare

Help us identify you: Horse is a bay, no protective boots, english huntseat saddle, hunter green bridle

Background info: How many 100's have you done? this is my first 100 Total Mileage: 275

Why do the 100? Because Stagg Newman said I should, and when it comes to endurance riding, I do whatever he and Cheryl tell me to do ;)

Your background with horses: I started riding horses when I was 8 years old. I grew up riding hunter/jumpers. I also spent a year of my childhood riding with a group of crazy trail riders in a small town outside of Sacramento, CA. We moved to Salt Lake City, UT and I went back to hunter/jumpers and the show ring. My experience in Northern California in 1978, is what brought me to endurance 25 years later when my husband and I moved from Atlanta to Asheville.

Profession: Trust Administrator for Boys, Arnold Trust Company

Horse's name: Jayel Super
Owner:Stagg Newman
Age: 15
Breed: Arabian Bloodlines: Zambizy, Jayel Surpirze
Sex:Gelding
Height: 15 hands. He gets taller throughout the race. I can't explain it, I just know it is harder to get on him after 40 miles?
Weight: 925

Miles: Started competing when he was 4 (ctr), endurance at 5.Miles -- depends CTR or Endurance. Not sure about either. I do know he received his AERC 2000 this year. He has done many 3-day 100 CTRs, too. Composite miles is tracked by ECTRA, but doesn't apparently exist on line.
Years competing: 9
Type of saddle: huntseat
Pad: Sheepskin
Shoes: steel all around. May have front fill in pads. Will have clips on his rear, may on the front. He will be shod 2 May.Size 1.

When we left Atlanta 3 years ago, I had not been on a horse for over 10 years. Moving to a smaller community gave me the opportunity to explore riding again. I really didn't want to go back to the hunter/jumper world and I goggled endurance riding. AERC's website came up and I clicked on the mentor link. Stagg and Cheryl Newman were listed as mentors in the area, and I contacted them. The rest is history. My husband started a business in Asheville 4 years ago and we have 2 sons in elementary school. This doesn't leave much time for Mommy to buy her own horse. Stagg and Cheryl have been a huge blessing for me. I help them condition and ride their "kids" and they have given me the opportunity to ride again. In addition, my human kids have been bitten by the horse bug, and I plan to put them in riding lessons this summer to see if they are truly interested. I do hope to have my own horse in the next several years and I LOVE endurance. The community of horse people in endurance is such a wonderful contrast to the show world, and I can't imagine doing anything different.

As you know Super does not have any handicaps, however I have Multiple Sclerosis. I am fortunate to have a mild case of the disease and endurance riding has been a wonderful form of therapy and motivation for me. People, including my husband, ask why would you want to ride a horse for 50 or 100 miles? My answer is always, "Because I can." My disease is very unpredictable, and while my prognosis is good, I might not physically be able to do this one day. I was also blessed to have ridden Ramegwa Drubin in several of endurance rides, including his last ride at Sand Hill in Patrick, SC. I tell Stagg and Cheryl they are my mentors, but really Drubin and Super are ;) Drubin was such a special horse for so many reasons, and I will always treasure my time with him.

I don't have any lucky Cheetah panties like Lynne Kennely, but I my goal for the 100 is to complete with a sound happy horse, have fun and be able to at least hobble into the office Monday morning!

Labels: biography rider