.
..	Owyhee High Country I, II & III September 3,4,5 Come join us for another Owyhee Ride! Labor Day weekend, ride one day, or ride all three! Great trails and many amenities including: Dinners (provided with entry), Happy Hour, hot showers, and corrals for rent. Gourmet Food in the Owyhees Pamela Saintjohn's 2003 Ride Review. Some photos from 2003 The Trail: Each day's trail will be different. All days loop out of the Oreana Ranch basecamp. Day 1 - 30/50: New trail, into the foothills below Silver City. Day 2 - 35/55: the most challenging, 55 milers ride into the mountains through Juniper and Fir forests, around Toy Mountain (highest elevation 6500 ft) and then back to camp through Browns Creek canyon. Vet check in the forest and on the ridge above Browns Creek canyon. 35 milers ride up to the ridge above Browns Creek canyon, then back to camp. Day 3 - 30/50: easy day with vet checks in camp. There will be rocky sections every day, pads or easyboots recommended. Minimal sand. The Weather: Average daily temperatures are in the mid 80's. Can be hot, will be dry. If you're not used to desert riding, bring light cotton clothes and drink drink drink. Base Camp: will be a large field on our ranch outside of Oreana, Idaho. Elevation 3000 feet. Horse water will be provided. Metal corrals available for $10 (reservation only, limited supply). NOTICE: Dinners Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights Dinner & Awards: Dinners will be prepared Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. One dinner is provided with each ride entry and extra meals may be purchased by non-riders. Directions: From I-84 West (Oregon) take exit 35 (Nampa Blvd, Hwy 55, Marsing), turn south off ramp onto Nampa Blvd. (towards Nampa). Turn left on 3rd St. and then follow signs to Hwy 45 to Murphy and Silver City. Turn Right onto Hwy 45 (12th) and continue through Nampa to the Snake River. Hwy 45 becomes Hwy 78 after crossing the Snake River. Go LEFT on Hwy 78 towards Murphy and Grandview. Stay on Hwy 78 approx. 23 miles. Turn right on Oreana Loop Rd. (past mile marker 42) Take first right past trailer houses onto gravel road (about 1.5 mi. from turnoff onto Oreana Loop Rd) Continue 4.5 miles to camp. Driving time from Nampa is about 1 hour. From I-84 East (Utah/Wyoming) Take Exit 112 at Hammett. Follow signs to Hwy 78 West, towards Bruneau and Grandview. Continue west on 78 past Bruneau and Grandview (approx 50 miles), turn Left (south) onto paved road, just past mile marker 43. Take first right past trailer houses onto gravel road (about 1.5 mi. from turnoff onto Oreana Loop Rd) Continue 4.5 miles to camp. From Hwy 95 (Nevada, California) Turn right (East)off of 95 to Marsing (Hwy 55)Follow signs to Hwy 78 (to Murphy). (do not cross Snake River). Follow 78 east along the Snake River, past Murphy. Turn right on Oreana Loop Rd. (past mile marker 42) Take first right past trailer houses onto gravel road (about 1.5 mi. from turnoff onto Oreana Loop Rd) Continue 4.5 miles to camp. Pre-registration discount Registration Form Corrals available for rent, reservation required, limited supply. Contact: Ride managers: Steph Teeter and John Teeter 15401 Bates Creek Rd Oreana, ID 83650. Email: steph@endurance.net 208.834.2788 ...day after day of sun, sand, wind, rock, rivers, mountains, canyons, bandits, lizards and snakes... are you tough? first three days of the Owyhee Tough Sucker Award All EIGHT days of Owyhee Endurance Rides. Same rider, any horse. first three days of the Owyhee Not-Quite-As-Tough Sucker Award All SIX days of Owyhee Limited Distance Rides. Same rider, any horse.	..
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Gourmet food doesn’t instantly come to mind when one thinks of Idaho..nor, necessarily is it the highest on the list of 'benefits' when one plans an endurance ride. Everyone who joined in the fun at the Owyhee High Country I, II, III Ride over the Memorial Day weekend (Aug 30, 31, Sept 1) will equate that ride with good food.

Bill Basham, Chef extraordinaire and Natural Horseman and owner of Full Circle Ranch, made an impact on the ride by whipping up his daily specials. Tired but jubilant riders were greeted each night with the salivating scent of the barbeque du jour.

Saturday night the open barbeque pit offered up roasted port tenderloins accompanied with a bucket of white sauce laced with Jack Daniels, Dijon and blue cheese, a fresh salad with tomatoes, snap peas, and spring onions with a side of burnt sugar pecans , fire roasted peppers, and a kettle of rice pilaf . Cheesecake with a berry sauce was dessert.

The ride site, the Oreana, Idaho, ranch of John & Stephanie Teeter, featured many amenities that are not found at all endurance ride. Top on the list would be John’s pretty good hot showers, a large turn-out area, a large level field for camping, and a fun, relaxed atmosphere. It is a measure of the nature of the region that many neighbors came to help, filled in at the bar, marked trail, opened and closed cattle gates, delivered water to the many water stops and ferried in horses and riders that were pulled. The ride start at 7 am and 7:30 was almost a sleep in. There were many ride prizes, plenty of wine, and did I mention the food?

Each day the ride trail started at the ranch on Bates creek and traveled through the desert sagebrush onto different loops that might follow the old stagecoach road to Toy Mountain at 5875 ft. elevation, or remain on the valley floor. Once on top of Toy Mountain, you can see for 100 miles in any direction and you can ride through most of that. The terrain at the higher levels is populated with evergreens, and even in late summer, at the higher elevations, we could see the brilliant orange desert paintbrush, as well as myriadother high desert blooming plants. The ride trail also crossed into a small portion of the 120,000 acres owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with it’s several bands of wild horses estimated at 150 strong.

The Teeter’s had been kind enough to offer me a horse for a day, and I was happy to get acquainted with many of the riders whose names I often see who hail from the Northwest region. Thirty-eight riders completed day one of the 50-mile loop that was led for most of the day by the same riders. First in for a tied finish with a ride time of 5:14 was Tom Noll from Meridian, Idaho, riding Frank, and Jennifer Knoetgen (550 AERC miles) from Arlee, Montana, riding FF Affirm. A long distance runner, Noll took up endurance riding about a year ago and has been hard to stop. He and Frank now have just less than 500 AERC miles but just came off a win at the July 100-mile Big Horn ride in Wyoming, where they received the BC award. Frank looked so good on Day 1 that he was the Best Condition horse. Veteran rider (5,100+ AERC miles) Leighsa Rosendaul, had traveled from Oregon and finished with AM Sands of Time 16 minutes off the lead. Just a literal minute later, Dean Hoalst, from Walla Walla, Washington, rode in on LDJ Phantum.

I see Harriet Aiken officiating at many rides, and was pleased to see that she also got to participate. She finished Day I in 11th place on BNB Kandu. Local rider, Karen Steenhof (13,335 AERC miles), rode WSR Spellbinder, and Pat Super, from Ashland, Oregon finished 17th on Engleita. Who hasn’t heard of Karen Bumgarner (19,180 AERC miles) from Parma, Idaho? She finished 22nd on Rushcreek Faroan. Other riders who traveled from California for the ride were newlyweds, Peggy and Bob Eaton from Carmel, and Forest Tancer from Sebastopol.

My mount was Benji, a 7 year old Morab owned by the Teeter’s and found for them by their neighboring rancher, endurance horse trainer and sales agents, Carol and Rick Brand of Lost Juniper Ranch. I rode and learned a lot about the area from local riders Linda Black riding Rafzairi, Roz Cusak riding Bosu Darley, and Regina Rose, riding the huge black Belgian/Arab mare, Gypsy (Belgian on the outside, Arab on the inside). The land was open and beautiful, and I am happy to say the vets’ declared at the end of our 50-mile ride, that unlike me, Benji looked as if he hadn’t gone anywhere that day.

On the 55-mile loop on Day II, thirty-three riders completed the ride. Three riders shared the finish time of 5:58 for 1st: Hoalst, Noll and Rosendaul, but it was Noll’s horse, Frank, who again received BC.

Early finishers were teased with the scent of a wood-smoked beef brisket (smoked for 24 hours) as they came off their ride. This was served with a homemade sweet pepper barbeque sauce, the base of which began with several pounds of chopped bacon. Other sides were fire roasted sweet pepper salad, and homegrown tomato salad with a basil and rice wine vinaigrette (when was the last time you heard vinaigrette in the same breath with endurance ride?).

Day III , the 50 mile ride started at 7:30 am and finished 20 intrepid souls with Patty Barfield from Ontario, Oregon, coming in 1st riding Jack with a ride time of 5:57 alongside veteran rider, Al Paulo from Weiser, Idaho, (12, 360+ AERC miles) on Gulastras Sundown. 3rd, only 7 minutes later, was local rider, Sally Tarbet, from Meridian, Idaho, on Johnny, finishing at the same time as Tom Noll on Frank, who, once again, earned Best Condition.

Day III, food had become a topic on the ride. After they cleaned up at the showers, riders were enthralled to that the evening menu featured giant prawn and vegetables kabobs grilled with an apricot and ginger glaze and served with an orange ginger beurre blanc (butter sauce - you knew that), Caesar salad, and roasted jalapenos with balsamic vinegar and spiced pecans. I can only say, Heavenly.

Head ride veterinarian from Potlatch, Idaho, was Sarah Metcalf. She said that the rocks caused some lameness, but was pleased at the way the riders were managing their mounts. The temperature was in the 80’s during the day - hot enough on the climbs that everyone drank plenty of water, but cool enough at night to give a good night’s sleep.

The veterinary staff and ride management judged the Best Conditioned horse for the multi-day to be BHR Heza Pizzazz owned by Terry Ross. He was picked over Noll’s Frank for the overall award as the get away horse. He was carrying more weight and looked like the horse on which you could get away.

The Teeter’s have introduced a Tough Sucker Award for the rider (any horse) who finishes all 8 days of their two multi-day rides, including 5 days of the Canyon Lands ride and 3 days of the High Country. There were 12 riders who achieved this award. Each day also featured a 30-mile ride that completed 12-18 riders over much of the same trail. The Not Quite As Tough Sucker award was awarded to 9 riders (any horse) that finished all 6 days of the Limited Distance rides.

John Teeter summed up the ride. The weather was great, the trail was a bit rocky, the food was excellent, and all of the help left happy. Steph Teeter said, The shrimp kabobs with an orange sauce... a coup de grace!