Hat Trick LA is an example of an endurance horse with ideal conformation for the sport. The 10-year-old Arabian gelding with 600 lifetime American Endurance Ride Conference miles "is standing a little uphill in this photo, so it looks like he's leaning forward. On flat ground, he is quite square," says Dr. Roush. "I cannot fault his conformation. I might wish for his legs to be a tad longer, but that's splitting hairs."

© Michelle Roush, DVM

Question: I really enjoy your monthly Conformation Clinic column. The information is very useful when I work with and care for sporthorses, but I’d also like to know what endurance horse conformation and qualities I should look for when selecting a mount. Can you offer any suggestions?

Answer: In endurance, beauty is as beauty does. Horse conformation traits rewarded in the show-hunter ring for their aesthetic value mean nothing in endurance if they don’t help the horse get down the trail. Arabians and part-­Arabians dominate the sport—for a variety of reasons I’ll explain later—but I’ve seen horses of all shapes and sizes succeed in the sport. Most of them prove the rule that “form is function”: Structurally correct horses are more likely to stay sound over the many miles of repetitive motion and concussion that the sport entails. Here are the most important structural qualities to look for.

1. Balance. All of the horse’s body parts should flow together. His weight should be evenly distributed from front to back and top to bottom. The hindquarters, for example, should not be disproportionately larger than the shoulders—or vice versa. Nor should the front end be higher or lower than the hind end. The bone thickness should be consistent throughout the horse, as well. A thick-bodied horse supported by toothpick legs is going to get in trouble.

2. Straightness. The legs are basically weight-bearing columns, which are strongest when they’re straight. Any extreme deviation from straightness causes torque in the joints and soft tissues, which can lead to lameness over time. However most minor deviations, such as mildly turned-out toes, rarely cause problems, particularly if the deviation is consistent throughout the entire leg. On the other hand, when a straight leg suddenly deviates at one joint—for example, turns out dramatically from the ankle down—this often becomes a point of weakness.

A horse who is over at the knee (the knee is in front of the alignment of the rest of the leg when observed from the side) is generally preferable to a horse who is calf-kneed (the knee is behind the alignment of the rest of the leg). The former is more of a blemish, whereas the latter is a weakness. A mild degree of cow hocks (the hocks are closer together than the rest of the hind legs when viewed from behind) also may not necessarily be a problem. Again, though, I would avoid any severe deviation from normal.

The sloping shoulder angle that riders idealize in other sports doesn’t seem to mean much in endurance, either. I’ve seen plenty of successful horses with ­upright shoulders.

3. Good feet. This is critical in endurance, not only because of the many miles we cover but because the footing is often rocky, hard and otherwise unpredictable. Good feet aren’t always easy to identify just by looking at them; some horses with hooves that common wisdom says would have foot problems turn out to be incredibly tough. In general, though, I look for concave soles, thick walls and heels that aren’t extremely high or low. A horse’s shoeing and soundness history is always the best predictor of his future but, in the absence of that, a knowledgeable farrier may be able to help you evaluate his hoof quality.

4. Other “defects.” Anything else that has been viewed traditionally as aesthetically undesirable but has no structural impact on the horse’s locomotion or soundness is generally acceptable in ­endurance. For example, a horse with an ugly head may be just as competitive as a prettier horse, so long as he breathes well through his nostrils and sees well in both daylight and dark (longer endurance races start and/or end in the dark). Ewe necks, long backs and “hunter’s bump”—a pronounced bump at the high point of the croup—are rarely problematic. Short backs, on the other hand, can cause saddle rubs, simply because the back edge of the saddle ends up so close to the croup.

5. Body type. Smaller, lighter-framed horses tend to excel in endurance, perhaps because of their higher-surface-area-to-body-mass ratio, which helps their body temperatures cool faster. The best endurance mounts stand about 15 hands. Those who excel in steep mountain races tend to have sturdy bodies with bulkier, more powerful muscles, whereas those winning the flatter, faster races—including international races—tend to be lighter with leaner, more streamlined muscles.

6. Movement. Watching a potential endurance horse in motion is critical. All of the above qualities can be evaluated in a horse standing still, but they won’t tell you what you most need to know: how efficiently and sustainably he travels down a trail. He must move fluidly and effortlessly, carrying himself in a natural, neutral balance. He should also possess a great deal of scope—the ability to lengthen and shorten his stride easily—which will help him cover more ground more efficiently.

Any dramatic deviation in the gaits, such as paddling or winging, not only wastes energy but also can lead to ­injury. Even excessive suspension in the gaits—a quality much sought after in other disciplines—can be a drawback, as it wastes too much energy pushing the horse up into the air rather than down the trail.

All of these recommendations ­address the ideal physical qualities of a good endurance horse. But there are many essential qualities that are harder to measure: stamina, heart, toughness and an uncanny sense of where to place his feet on the trail without tripping on rocks or roots. These qualities have been bred into Arabians for centuries, hence their great competitive success. But you can find them in horses of almost any breed. So keep an open mind—and enjoy horse hunting!

Dr. Michele Roush has recorded more than 13,000 lifetime miles on more than 50 horses in American Endurance Ride Conference-sanctioned events. She has won multiple regional championships and best-conditioned awards, including the Haggin Cup at the 2005 Western States Trail Ride (also known as the Tevis Cup). She was a member of the silver- and gold-medal teams in the 2001 and 2003 Pan American Endurance Championships, respectively, as well as the US team at the 2004 World Endurance Championship. In 2010, she was short-listed for the World Equestrian Games. Based in North San Juan, California, Dr. Roush also serves as a veterinary official at many major endurance competitions and has coached other riders to championships and personal-best performances.

This article originally appeared in the November 2011 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

On July 28, 2007, on the night of the full riding moon, 185 horse-and-rider teams gathered in dusty darkness, awaiting the 5:15 a.m. start of the 53rd Western States Trail Ride, also known as the Tevis Cup. Taking riders and their mounts through extremes of temperature and elevation, the Tevis is considered the most challenging endurance ride in the world.

The journey would begin under tall Truckee pines, gaining elevation steadily to High Camp near Squaw Valley, then progressing through the Granite Chief Wilderness to trace narrow trails penciled along precipices of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Horses and riders would slake their thirst, cool down and refuel at checkpoints whose names bore witness to the trail's toughness and rich history: Devil's Thumb, Dusty Corners, Last Chance, Deadwood. Although the first finishers would take their victory lap in Auburn's McCann Stadium before midnight, more than half the finishers would take nearly the entire 24 hours to cross the finish line and pass a final veterinary inspection to earn a silver buckle.

Among riders this year would be Matthew Mackay-Smith, DVM, 74, of White Post, Va., an avid endurance rider and EQUUS magazine's medical editor since the magazine was founded 30 years ago. He's a member of the endurance riding hall of fame with nearly 6,000 lifetime endurance miles and six Tevis completions. An early architect of equine sport science and an advocate of equine welfare, Mackay-Smith has earned Tevis buckles in each of four decades: the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. Away from the sport for six years and the Tevis for 12 years, Mackay-Smith wanted to take in the view from Cougar Rock one more time and ride through the night from Forest Hill to the finish to earn one more buckle in the '00s.

Riding an Anglo-Arabian named Fred, Mackay-Smith made history in 1995 by becoming the first man or woman to finish first on both the Tevis and its east-coast counterpart, the Old Dominion 100 near Front Royal, Va. Many thought the feat would never be matched, but last year John Crandell, of Capon Springs, W.V., atop a powerful, elegant, blaze-faced Arabian named Heraldic, not only won both rides but earned the coveted Best Condition award.

Growing up in an endurance-riding family from West River, Md., Crandell was just eight when Mackay-Smith was winning his first Old Dominion. He considers Mackay-Smith his mentor in the sport. Crandell is now considered one of the finest endurance riders in the world, and Heraldic remains undefeated in five 100-mile endurance starts.

Two trails converged at this year's Tevis: Mackay-Smith returning on an interior journey to see if he had one more Tevis completion in his bones, and Crandell returning as defending champion, seeking back-to-back Tevis Cups on different horses. Their mounts were superbly conditioned, both coming off wins in two tough Eastern endurance events, the Old Dominion 100 and the Michaux Madness 75. Their pacing and strategy ultimately reflected the riders' overarching concern for the well-being of their mounts. Each eschewed a "win at all costs" mentality, opening the door to rewards perhaps richer than either had imagined.

Friday, July 27, 2007, Tevis Eve
Mackay-Smith ventured west on a personal quest--a "voyage of inquiry," as he put it the evening before the ride. Resting on a cot under the pines as a nearly full, fat yellow moon came up, he said, "I'm in emotional territory I haven't investigated before." Since he finished first on both the Old Dominion 100 and the Tevis Cup in 1995, a progressive arthritic condition has bedeviled the otherwise ageless man, forcing him at 74 to flirt with the fringes of the end of his endurance career.

"As you slow down, the rest of the world seems to speed up," Mackay-Smith observed. "If you had said to me when I was here last, 'your next conceivable window [to ride Tevis] is gonna be 12 years from now,' I might very well have accepted that that was a nice way of saying, 'that's it, buddy.'"

Although he kept up another favorite equine activity, foxhunting, Mackay-Smith often reflected on whether his endurance days were over.

"It sneaks up on you," he noted. "Months turn into seasons and seasons turn into years. By the autumn of '04, I was unable to ride a horse sitting still or at the walk. I could manage a trot and gallop and jump fences, but I knew I had to get that hip done." In April 2005, he had a hip replacement.

Responding to pressure from its members, the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) has taken a giant step forward to ensure the safety of horses competing in sanctioned rides with the formation of an ad hoc horse-welfare committee.

The AERC's 2003 convention included two "Hot Topic" sessions that were widely attended by veterinarians, board members and riders. During the sessions, AERC Director John Parke of Solvang, California, presented a committee charter stating its official mission: Foster peer pressure and a culture of [horse] protection through noncoercive means.

In AERC-sanctioned rides, which generally range from 50 to 100 miles, participants follow a premarked trail and stop at designated rest points, where their horses are examined by a veterinarian to ensure that they are physically able to continue. If needed, horses receive veterinary care.

Despite these precautions, tragedies do occur, if rarely. Of the more than 20,000 entries at the roughly 700 AERC events held in 2002, seven horses are known to have died. But, says ride veterinarian Mike Jaffee, DVM, the number of competitors requiring treatment hasn't been documented. "We're just seeing a small part of the problem."

Research ("What went wrong?") and education ("How can we prevent what went wrong from happening again?") have been coupled in the AERC's new initiative to reduce the need for treatment and prevent equine fatalities occurring during or after endurance rides.

Procedures for collecting information during and after treatment are central to the new initiative. "We need a lot more data," says Stagg Newman, of Candler, N.C., who has completed over 30 one-day 100-milers with his horse, Ramegwa Drubin. "We might be able to correlate [a problem] with factors such as 'didn't recover well at the first vet check.'"

Possible lines of inquiry wound include, "Were they the frontrunners? Back of the packers? What were the ambient conditions? How far were they trailered?" suggests AERC member Laura Hayes of Frewsburg, N.Y.

Cautionary communiqué
The AERC's veterinary committee wasted little time following up on the board's action. Within one week of the convention, a "letter of caution" went out to the membership.

The fatalities occurring in 2002 involved both experienced and inexperienced horses and riders, and the causes included metabolic failure and colic as well as traumatic fractures caused by accidental missteps and falls, the letter stated.

"Improved rider awareness of the condition of horses during and after a ride is our best tool for preventing equine fatalities in the future," the mailing advised. Tucked into the envelope was a "Preventing Treatment" document written by Newman, based on the collective input of riders, veterinarians and board members over a several-month period.

The horsemanship guidelines for before, during and after a ride included riding to your plan, rather than to what other horses are doing; keeping your horse well hydrated, especially early in the ride; and not trailering home until your horse is adequately recovered and hydrated.

Echoing in the recommendations are reverberations from the two most widely publicized incidents involving endurance riding in 2002: the fatigue-related deaths of one Spanish and one Malaysian entry in the World Equestrian Games (WEG) 100-mile endurance competition held in Spain.

While noting that concern over equine welfare was already strong in the United States before the WEG tragedies, AERC president Mike Tomlinson, DVM commented, "The deaths of two horses has probably saved hundreds of horses' lives on a worldwide scale. It is a terrible thing that has awakened thousands of people around the world."

As for the AERC's latest initiative, Tomlinson added, "This [committee] is not a witch hunt or to lay blame. We care about how we can learn and prevent [fatalities and treatments] in the future."

Endurance rider Pat Farmer of Fortuna, Calif., expressed the horses-first mindset evident at the AERC convention. "Our representatives have done a terrific job channeling the emotion, intellect and spirit of a few thousand individualists into a new model of watchfulness for our horse partners," he says. "This was such an important start to addressing a painful but truly crucial issue."

In an effective protective effort for endurance sports, Farmer adds, no punitive measures will have to be taken because information and education of the human half of the talent pool will have helped protect horses from competitive harm.

This article first appeared in the July 2003 issue of EQUUS Magazine.

I would also like to suggest to those of you who are saying, "I could never do anything like that," you are probably wrong. It wasn't really that hard. This is not a case of false modesty, nor am I so great a "runner" that it was easy for me. It's a simple truth: it wasn't really that hard.

I must confess that before the event, when I thought about doing a 75 mile ride & tie in its entirety, I also thought I must be crazy. However, when I broke it down into its components (and being as analytically anal as I am, I even set up an excel spreadsheet to do the math for me), the whole thing became eminently doable.

I did not have to run 75 miles; I did not even have to run the 37.5 miles that was my share on the ground. If I had thought of it that way, it would seem impossible. I am not even marginally in condition to run 37.5 miles. Other than the long ties into the vet checks (which we deliberately planned so the horse would have plenty of time to eat, drink and recover) I was never on the ground for more than a mile at a time.

Other than a lovely trail down through the redwoods, so easy to jog down that there was no reason not to, I never actually RAN for more than a few hundred yards at a time -- well maybe a few other easy down grades, but not much, and certainly not anything that was difficult. Any time the running started to get even a little hard, I stopped running and walked instead. Actually, I stopped running BEFORE the running got even a little bit hard.

When even the walking was too much, I stopped and took a breather. While Carol and I probably did split the time on the ground equally, and I probably did cover about 37.5 miles on the ground, I spent about 1/3 of that distance actually running and not walking. So yes, I ran a total of about 12 miles. But that was over a period of about 14 1/2 hours. Running 12 miles over that amount of time suddenly becomes quite do-able, even if the rest of the time is spent riding a horse, walking, or eating at the vet check.

At the BC judging the next day, Melody Wong asked, "What do you do to condition for this?" To which I responded, "Well really, not all that much. I run for the train."

The way I condition for ride & tie is to jog at the times in my regular life when I would otherwise be walking. So, instead of walking down to turn on the horse water, I run. Instead of walking through Union Station from the subway to the train, I run, even if I am not late. I did do several shorter Ride & Ties before this one (and I can recommend that, just so you can work out the equipment requirements.)

We guessed it would take about 14 hours elapsed time, and reasonably speaking, since the horse had to cover the whole 75 miles herself, she wouldn't be able to do it in much less time than that. I plugged that number into my spreadsheet, figuring I would have to cover about half of it on the ground and would get to ride the other half. To finish in 14 hours I would have to average about 3.5 mph while on the ground and about 10 mph while on the horse.

Three and a half miles per hour? Hell, I can walk that fast. Ten mph on the horse? Understanding that is the average speed the horse needed to do WHILE it was being ridden, this too became something not all that difficult.

And if we both proceeded at those speeds, the horse would spend 6 1/2 hours standing around tied to a tree (or, considering the way we worked it, three of that 6 1/2 hours was standing around at the vet checks eating and drinking).

Despite the fact that I hate running (the only thing I like about running is stopping running), ride & tie is great fun. As I told Carol while we were on the course, "The whole event was very much like a long walk in the park interspersed with short bouts of jogging where the terrain was suited to it, further interspersed with the fun of zipping along on a great horse."

Admittedly, I was a bit stiff and sore the next day. But I bet I wasn't any stiffer or sorer than at least half of the other endurance riders who did the same course. Ever heard the old maxim, "A change is as good as a rest?" In a ride & tie you get to do lots of changing during the event so everybody (including the horse) gets lots of rest, despite the fact that it seems non-stop.

So, for all of you who say, "I could never do something like that," I can only say again, "Don't think like that. It really isn't as hard as you think."

I encourage endurance riders to try it, because there is one thing that I CAN say. The horses think that this is about as much fun as there is.

You know how people and their dogs tend to look similar? Is it something that happens over time, or did they start out that way? I keep mulling this over, trying to figure out if in a similar way, Alexandra North and her mare CV Butter Bea (*Procent x Beatrice) came together because of their complementary personalities, or if, over time they've grown to become more and more alike. After speaking with Alex, a CPA living in Carmel Valley, I have one strong impression: If you want something, go out and get it. If there's an obstacle, find a way around it (or over it, through it, under it).

Call her strong-willed, a go-getter, assertive, forthright, or even go so far as to call her stubborn--you may well be right. Am I talking about the horse or Alex? Either. Both. Here's a pair that knows what they want and how to get it. So, their methods may differ--Butter Bea is known for kicking the barn wall and chasing intruders from her space whereas Alex uses more diplomatic methods--but the result is the same: people step back and take notice.

Quit Endurance Riding? Never!
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1995, Alexandra North has never once considered that endurance riding would be out of the question. She had just finished her first 25-mile ride on her first Arabian, a little black stallion named Jamboree Mirage (Jamboree Caliber x Jamboree Prelude) whom she describes as "eye candy, and with a beautiful personality," when she found out. She'd been told that she shouldn't ride because part of her challenge with MS is a loss of balance and control of her legs--which certainly would make riding difficult. Or so you would think! Even though that first 25-mile ride was a bit more than she had bargained for, after a couple of weeks to mull it over, she knew she had to go back and do it again. She'd caught the endurance riding bug.

Despite the protestations of worried friends, she continued to ride. "I promised to take drugs for the balance and muscle problems and went happily along my way. I was weak and not very well, so I planned my rides around where I lived and where I could rest when I needed to," Alex explains. "I would lie on a picnic table with Jamboree Mirage's reins wrapped around my hands and sleep, and he'd just stand over me. I rode alone because he was a stallion and while he wasn't bad, I didn't want to deal with everyone being afraid of him. Anyway, nobody wanted to ride as long as I did. You know, they'd ride for half an hour and think they'd been somewhere!"

While the affection she has for Jamboree Mirage is undeniable, he really wasn't exactly the horse for her. "He was okay to 25 miles, and metabolically he was fabulous, but he didn't really like it. You'd get to the 50-milers and he was like 'Ick! This smacks too much of work!' I didn't feel like his heart was in it, and I didn't want to push him."

That's when a chance encounter led her to Clayton Valley Farms in Clayton, California, where in exchange for conditioning one of their horses for the track, they agreed to give her a horse. "Well, I didn't get my pick!" Alex laughs. "The first horse they gave me was a 9-year-old broodmare, completely untrained and unbroke and with no interest in being either of those things!" My Folly (Bask-O-Zel x Tamerocha) doesn't trust people --especially strangers, and isn't too keen on being saddled, but has turned out to be an excellent trail horse--easy to ride, smooth, and even-headed. And at her first 25-miler she won by 20 minutes, never breaking out of her steady trot.

"I loved Folly and thought she was going to be the horse," says Alex. "I didn't think she was going to burn up the road, but she would get me there comfortably. But around 1998 or 1999 the people at Clayton Valley called and said 'Such a horse we have for you! Folly's great, but you've gotta see Butter Bea.'"

Endurance Riding with Butter Bea
So Butter Bea traveled to Carmel Valley for a trial period of a couple of months. Stepping off the trailer, she didn't look very promising, as she was rather scraggly, covered in sticky black tarweed and nicks and scars. But trotting around the arena she was transformed. "Wow!" remembers Alex. "She moves with such power! I love to watch her muscles move. She's not a beautiful, typey Arab--she's big and rangy--but she's an incredible athlete."

Butter Bea was resistant at first--stubborn, and often rather nasty--as she's got a clear idea of the way things should be. But through time, she and Alex have worked out a way to get what they both want. "She is what she is," says Alex. "She's very clear about everything, 'I don't like this, don't like that person, don't like that piece of equipment.' When she doesn't like something she starts breaking things." Alex has incredible patience when it comes to Butter Bea, going to great lengths to find the solution to whatever is bothering her.

"She didn't want to get into the trailer and I thought 'How could this be? She's a racehorse!' Well, it turned out she didn't like my trailer. I had to winch her in with a rope around her behind every time. But when I took her to the first race in April of 1999 we used my fiancé's trailer, and she hopped right in. When I brought her back home and went to load her into my trailer again, she stood there and looked at the trailer, then looked at me and you could just hear her say 'You know, we discussed this; I'm not going in! I don't like this!' I got it. She wanted a slant-load, not a straight load. So I sold that trailer and got a new one and haven't had a peep out of her."

Then there was the problem with the breast collar, which she apparently didn't like. Butter Bea refused to climb any hills with the breast collar on, not a single step. And if she was prodded, she would lie down. After trying five different breast collars, Butter Bea finally found one she liked, and the problem was solved. Alex and Butter Bea quickly learned to communicate with each other and appreciate each other's needs. "She understands," says Alex. "I think that given the chance, most horses do. They really do know what you are feeling. The hours of endurance riding give you the chance to get so tuned into your animal out there in the middle of nowhere that you can feel their emotions." And they can feel yours, too. On more than one occasion, Butter Bea has given Alex the same consideration that Alex had given her.

"At one ride, I was out of remission and not feeling terribly well. My fiancé, Steve McCorkle, literally had to lift me onto her. My MS was so bad my legs weren't working. So I couldn't get off anywhere on the trail but at a vet check where I could get help getting back on. And I tell you, that horse knew. She didn't do anything bad. She focused on where she was going and taking care of me. She even rode with other people without any of her normal nasty snarling behavior. And we finished with the sixth fastest time for the three days."

Butter Bea has figured out that she loves her job, and she and Alex have formed a close partnership. "I really cherish the time we spend together. She really is a partner and a friend. In the night, when you're trotting along and the stars are out and you can hear the crickets ... sometimes, depending on whether we're walking or trotting I can hear her breathe. She breathes at a certain cadence when she's trotting along and her feet are muffled because of the Easy Boots ... there's something about it that's so ... Zen! I'm not a religious person, but you know, I find I can tune into that horse so well that I can breathe at the same rate, and there's just no other way to describe it ... it just feels so Zen! And that's the only place that I can do it.

"I know that it's good for my balance, for my health and for my muscle problems. I do take some herbal medications, go to a chiropractor regularly and an acupuncturist, but I truly believe that this sport and the horses have helped me get better. They're amazing that way."

The achievements of Alexandra North and CV Butter Bea are spectacular enough, if you consider the hurdles the pair had to cross in order to even make it to a ride. But it gets better: They not only made it, but they did well. If you look at their ride history starting in the 1999 season, you'll see 21 top-ten finishes, eight firsts and a couple of best conditioned awards as well. "I was there because I was having a good time. I rode with several people who had been doing it for years and had miles and miles learning from them. But I had my camera in my belt and I was like this Labrador puppy that was just sort of bounding along and they were like Border collies that were totally focused on their job," she says. "And here I am saying 'You wanna take a picture? You wanna play?' And we'd just happen to be in the top because I had a great horse!"

About three-quarters of the way through the 2002 season Alex became aware of the fact that their point standing in AERC was high, and they were in the running for the War Mare Award, an award given to the mare with the highest points in the nation. Points are calculated taking into consideration miles raced and placing within the race. "It was something I really wanted to win," said Alex. "Because this horse truly typifies that name. When you hear the words 'war mare,' you think Butter Bea, because she's tough -- tough-minded, competitive."

So Alex, ever the accountant, sat down with a calculator and a piece of paper to find out what she'd have to do to beat her closest competitor, Nicole Luck, who had won the award two years in a row. "I looked at what region she was in, what races she'd gone to in the past, and where she was likely to go this year. I called the managers of rides whose results hadn't been posted on the Internet yet to see where she'd placed. Then I calculated what her score was and what my score was, and looked at the calendar to see where I'd have to go to beat her."

This sent Alex and Butter Bea on an incredible journey, to a three-day 150-mile race in Nevada, and then a one-day 100-miler in Texas, then back to Nevada for a two-day 100-miler ... with just three weeks to do it all. No one knew just how close she was to winning the War Mare award, including Nicole, and Alex didn't tell a soul.

Talking a mile a minute, Alex rattled off the amazing story: "I left a day early to the first ride, headed toward Donner Pass into Nevada. This was about the time we had the first really bad storm of the season, and along the way I called my fiance and told him I needed to get groceries. 'Oh no! Keep going!' he said. 'The weather is right on you, you'll never make it through!' So I kept going and made it through the pass, down into Carson City where I stayed at the fairgrounds. It howled all night long! It was amazing that we made it through, because there was two feet of snow on the pass, and if I'd waited I wouldn't have made it! So I finished all three days of the ride -- and finished first all three days, which I needed to do in order to continue.

Sunday after the race I went back to Carson City and rested Monday, did laundry. Tuesday morning we loaded up at 5 a.m., drove to Palm Springs, next morning got up at six, drove to Tucson, Thursday morning got up at six, arrived at El Paso. Foamed on Butter Bea's Easy Boots (to make the boots stay on, and protect her feet better), vetted in Friday, raced a hundred miles, finished first, loaded back into the trailer, back to Palm Springs..." (Whew! Take a breath, there's more...) "We rested for six to eight days, and back into the trailer we go to Jean, Nevada, to do another three-day 150 miles. So I raced Friday, finished third; Saturday, finished first; and didn't race Sunday because Sunday lapsed into a new year for AERC.

"Each of those days I raced Nicole Luck, and she came in behind me. She had no idea that I was so close to beating her, because none of my previous races had been posted on the Internet yet. As far as what was on the computer, I wasn't even in the top ten. Nobody knew!" But this March Alexandra (without Butter Bea) traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to pick up their War Mare award, as well as a few other honors: First Middleweight in the West Region, First Overall in the West, and the Pioneer Award for most points earned in multi-day rides. And while there's no official award for it, she has the second highest points overall in the entire nation.

It was a huge amount of work, and quite an ordeal, but for Alexandra North, it's worth it. She's convinced that in order to stay in remission she needs a focus that isn't within the body. When she's focused on the next thing, when she's got a goal ahead of her, she's able to stay well. As proof, she explains: "When I did Tevis my first time, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, because that was the pinnacle. After Tevis, what else is there? But then I got sick and couldn't ride. After Tevis 2000 I couldn't do another race for the rest of the year."

Endurance Riding Plans for the Future
And so, what's she got in store for herself and Butter Bea for next year? Well, the Pan-American Championships, of course! Nominating to be on the team is no easy task, especially when not only did she need to prove that she and Butter Bea should be one of the 12 chosen for the team, but she needed to become an American citizen first! Here's where her determination and relentlessness comes through. Bound and determined to race at the Championships in September, and hopefully, race next year in the United Arab Emirates at the World Cup in December 2004, she decided to apply to be on the Canadian team (she's a Canadian citizen), since the process to become an American citizen can take months, even years. But after an ordeal concerning her eligibility because she lives in the U.S., she opted to focus her energies on being on the U.S. team. "So I contacted my congressman and got him and his office involved and I was able to get it all wrapped up in 53 days," says Alex.

"I really want to be on the team. If I wanted to race by myself, I would race by myself. It's been difficult, but I want to be a part of it. I would like to do these couple of things because I know it is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me. Butter Bea doesn't know any of this. She's blithely racing along, blissfully unaware of all the struggle that's going on."

As if all this weren't enough, she's also involved in a fund-raising effort for a grassroots program called the MS Quality of Life Project based in Carmel. "I was introduced to the president of the organization by a friend of mine," Alex says. "They needed some energy, and I said I couldn't do anything for the people one-on-one but I can raise money. So people sponsor me like a walkathon per mile or per event. All the money goes into the Quality of Life Project. It seems to be working."

Energy is one thing Alexandra seems to have plenty of. Her setting of goals, appreciating the small joys in life, has kept her healthy and absolutely bursting with life. "When I go to a board meeting or talk publicly people are like, 'I want whatever drug you're on.' But it's not anything I'm taking. It's the little stuff: riding in the stars at night, being able to breathe with your horse, the goals and focus of getting to the finish line.

"I'd like to direct my life away from the accounting and the pressure of tax season. I'd like to do some motivational speaking and books," she adds. "If my goal is to motivate people, I've gotta get them off the couch. And there are a lot of people suffering from various illnesses who have let it become their whole focus, it becomes their whole vocation. To reach out and touch someone, I feel I really need to accomplish something and it needs to be something big."

Knowing Alexandra, there's little doubt that she and Butter Bea will be able to do it. She's convinced (and quite convincing!) that if you want something badly enough, you need to set clear goals, and just do it.

The fatigue-related deaths of two endurance horses competing at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) last September are prompting a review of safety and monitoring procedures used in the international event.

Floyd, a 9-year-old gelding ridden by Malaysian competitor, Nik Isahak Wan Abdullah, died during the 100-mile endurance ride in Spain's Jerez de la Frontera, and another 9-year-old gelding, Sir Fire, ridden by Anna Maxenchs Serra of Spain, collapsed afterward. Necropsies found that both horses died of metabolic failure associated with fatigue.

As of late 2002, Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the governing body for the WEG, was gathering information, says Frits Sluyter, DVM, head of the organization's veterinary department, but the deaths were "probably [due to] a combination of several factors that were not optimal at the same time. There have been discussions about the qualifications of the horses and riders and the ride layout. We're looking at all of that."

For the WEG endurance event, the competitors had to maintain a minimum speed as they covered the 100-mile course, which traversed rolling farmland. Along the way, each horse and rider was required to stop for a predetermined period of time at four veterinary checks (called veterinary "gates" by the FEI), where the horse's pulse, respiratory rate and heart rate were monitored to determine whether he was fit to continue. A rainstorm the night before the ride turned the course into a quagmire, says Frazier, and to compensate event officials reduced the minimum speed from 13 kilometers per hour (eight miles per hour) to 10 kilometers per hour (six miles per hour) and lengthened the hold time at each of the first two gates from 30 minutes to 40 minutes.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates won last year's event aboard Bowman, finishing in about nine hours and 19 minutes, and 64 of the 150 competitors who started completed the course. However, the two deaths--the first to occur in endurance at a WEG--cast a pall over the proceedings and raised many serious questions. "The rider is ultimately responsible for the horse, however, the rider is not totally responsible," says Dane Frazier, DVM, who served as a foreign veterinary delegate for the WEG and is also a member of the FEI's endurance committee. "The organizing committee, the FEI, the ride officials and the veterinary commission all have responsibilities that have an impact on the safety and welfare of the horse." He adds that while several factors, including the tiring muddy ground and the speed set for the ride, are likely to have contributed to the deaths, the number of vet gates bears particular scrutiny. The four vet gates and a "trot-by" used at the WEG met the FEI's minimum requirements for a 160 kilometer (100-mile) ride, but, says Frazier, it is not unusual to require five to eight vet gates when competitors travel that distance.

"You have to look at every venue differently and adapt and plan accordingly to the circumstances and the physical terrain you have," says Frazier. "Most U.S. [American Endurance Ride Conference-sanctioned] rides have at least five vet gates, the Pan Am [Games] had eight... there's no magic number. Personally, with this one, I would have preferred to have more."

To learn more about the AERC's efforts to protect horses competing in long-distance rides, read Close-Up, "Knowledge is protection," in EQUUS 309, July 2003.

This article first appeared in the December 2002 issue of EQUUS magazine.

When an Egyptian friend of mine, Gamal Breesh, dropped the idea in front of me, I said, "No way." But then, after walking around with it for a couple of days, I began to warm to the idea: to compete in an 80km endurance race. In four weeks. In Egypt. On a strange horse.

Never mind that I'd never ridden in an endurance race before, or that I'd hardly been riding my own horse lately because a rainy December had made California's central coast trails too muddy. No, these details were not going to stand in my way. The ride appealed to me as a way to take a measure of myself as much as to sample a new life experience. At the very least, I figured there'd be stories to tell ... and I'll take any excuse to spend time in Egypt.

Still, I had a shopping list of worries. Was I fit enough? Was I a strong enough rider? Could I figure out how to get through the vet checks and holds? And another thing -- I don't just love the look of myself in breeches. But one nice thing about being the publisher of this magazine is that I have a lot of contacts. So I thought, why not ask a couple of experts for advice?

I started with Julie Suhr, who has 25,000 miles of endurance competition behind her. "What about the start?" I asked her. "I bet standing starts can be terrifying." "Everybody worries about the start," she said. That was comforting.

"What about my fitness level? "If you ride 20 miles when you're in Egypt without any problems, you're fine," she said. "First of all you're going to have a desire. A mental picture of what you want to do and so you'll go after it. I've always said the Tevis is a mental game. People aren't sure they can do it. Once you do it you KNOW you can, and you go back with all the confidence in the world."

I asked Julie about the 'must haves' to take along on the ride.

"Equifleece tubing to pad the English stirrup leathers. Or half chaps," she said. "And electrolytes to pour in your water bottle. They really help me when I start to drag. And moleskin for spots that are rubbing."

A few days later, an envelope arrived in the mail from Julie: some packets of Emergen-C and bandages.

Riding among the pyramids

Matthew Mackay-Smith, DVM, medical editor for EQUUS magazine and an avid endurance rider, had this to say: "A couple of things I see people run afoul of. One is, they try to ride the horse. You want to get yourself in a very comfortable position and just sort of mind the horse's speed as much as is needed, and let him decide where he's going to put his feet. People who are accustomed to equitating often get very tired.

"A lot of people get tired because their stirrups are too long. It makes them use their back muscles more and their back gets very tired. Most of the people I see who are getting tired are standing over the horse rather than sitting on the horse. Don't worry about getting up out of the saddle when going uphill. Just keep your weight balanced over his center as well as you can. Less work for you and the horse because you're right where he expected you to be instead of going off to some other place.

"Another thing that most people get bothered by is chafe. Most first-timers do well to put on about three very thin layers. The friction takes place between the layers of cloth. Many people wear two pairs of pantyhose and very light breeches.

"Drink before you go. Don't be afraid to get off and relieve yourself.

"Don't eat a lot of things that are likely to stir up your gut.

"Don't get tense. Relax, particularly in your shoulders and upper body. Just go with the motion. Ride one mile at a time. If the trail is marked with mileages, just ride to the next mileage marker. Or just ride to the top of that hill, and you ride along the ridge for a mile and a half and then you ride down the hill. It's over in no time. If you can ride five miles you can ride 50 miles. You can ride 100 miles in a day if you don't get tense.

"Pretend you're sitting in an armchair that is somewhat animated. If you're not reading a book, read the countryside. Don't get preoccupied with the trail; your horse will be paying a lot of attention to the trail. Enjoy the view. Identify the flora and the fauna as you go by. Don't take it too seriously."

Then I said to Matthew, "You really love endurance riding, don't you?"

"I love being on the back of a horse no matter what the excuse is," he said. And that pretty much summed up why I loved the idea of this ride. My rides at home are never long enough or fast enough. There's never enough time in the day or enough land to ride on. But on my biannual trips to Egypt I find both: a day and a horizon stretched out in front of me. Add to that Arabian horses and like-minded companions and it's as close to perfect happiness as I've ever known. The competition adds just the edge to spice things up a bit."

So off to the airport I went, duffel bag bulging with ride supplies. Of course the security guard goes through my bags -- I always seem to fit the profile -- and he says to me, "Looks like you've got everything but the horse."

"What was your first clue?"

"The electrolytes." Those new federal screeners are really on the ball.

I read Donna Snyder Smith's book, The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition, on the plane, and by the time I landed in Cairo 24 hours later, I was fully aware of how ill prepared I was.

Later that night I reached FB Stables in the village near the Great Pyramids of Giza. There, my friends Gamal and Karim Breesh greeted me and took me to meet my mount, Sanora. I stepped into her stall and my heart sank. She was small and thin, with an air of indifference about her. I doubted that she'd make it past the first 30km loop. But my friends were insistent, saying she'd top-tenned in the 130km international ride with ease under Karim. I decided to wait and see what the veterinarians thought of her in the pre-vetting, though I confess, part of me hoped she wouldn't pass, so nervous had I become about what lay before me.

Over the next three days I took easy get-acquainted rides on Sanora. She revealed herself to be willful and high-strung. But each day she listened a little more to me and I felt I could deal with whatever she threw at me. I loved her gaits -- she was so forward -- and she certainly didn't move like a small horse. I was further persuaded by Gamal's encouragement (there's nothing like hearing a friend who knows how you ride say, "You can do it and I'll be with you"), and his uncanny knack for matching the right horse to the rider's abilities.

Sanora hailed from Egypt's Nile delta region. A "baladi" horse -- meaning local-bred, mostly or all Arabian blood but not registered -- she was bred to be a dancing horse, but was too nervous so she was sold as a riding horse and eventually ended up at FB Stables. Her temperament made her unsuitable for most riders, so Karim took her on as an endurance horse.

The afternoon before the ride the veterinarians and ride organizers came to the village where several of the entries were stabled. There in the street crowded with donkey carts, camels, and taxis, the pre-vetting took place. I sat on a bench and watched the action, waiting for Sanora's turn. A groom brought her out and she stood calmly for the examination, oblivious to the chaos around her. A good sign, I thought. When the number was drawn on her hindquarters I knew there was no turning back. I would start.

At 5 a.m. the next morning we loaded the horses into the van and followed by car along the Mansoureya Canal at the edge of the desert. There was a faint light on the eastern horizon and I could just make out the silhouettes of date palms. At the ride base, where farmland and desert meet, horses and riders were milling around in the early morning mist, the full moon setting over the desert.

One by one, each of my worries resolved themselves. The start was as sane as 25 riders taking off at a gallop could be. But soon Sanora was really pulling on me. I knew I didn't belong with the front-runners, but Sanora believed she did. It was ten kilometers before I could slow her to a trot.

The course, laid out in a cloverleaf with three loops of 30, 27, and 23 kilometers, covered mostly flat terrain with some long and gentle elevation changes. For the most part the footing was firmly packed sand, inviting speed. And indeed, eight riders were pulled after the first loop.

Near the back of the pack I galloped along with Gamal, who was riding Sanora's stablemate Badaweya. The two mares were well matched, galloping together stride for stride. Every few kilometers we'd trot for a while, but it seemed the mares were more comfortable galloping. I marveled at how far they could go like that without tiring.

The miles went by and I hardly noticed -- I was awed by the landscape, the freshness of the horses, and how good it felt to be alive enjoying this day. Dark clouds filled the sky, and occasionally a shaft of sunlight would break through and illuminate a pyramid in the distance, turning it golden; lighting it on fire. At every turn of the course the views were spectacular as we headed toward the Dashur, Sakkara, or Abousir pyramids.

But Sanora was starting to worry me. She wasn't drinking. It was still cool and I noticed the other horses weren't drinking either. At the third water stop it seemed to me that she didn't know how to push the floating sponges out of the way so I hopped off to move them for her. She took a shallow sip, then wanted to get going, so much so that she didn't want to wait for me to get on. She and I had quite a discussion about that. "See if I get off again!" I told her.

At some point during that first 30km loop I felt my confidence building and I realized that it mattered a lot to me that we finish.

At the first vet check Sanora impressed me with her excellent recoveries and lively trot-outs. As a result, we were cleared to go three minutes before my friends. This panicked me because I really hadn't been paying attention to the course markers. Sanora calmly munched on fresh berseem clover while I nibbled on dates and pita bread and tried to relax until our time was up.

"Don't worry, we'll catch up to you," my friends said. But this wasn't much of a comfort as I cantered off alone onto the second loop. It wasn't long before I was overtaken by four riders on strong horses. Sanora wanted to go with them and this time I didn't argue with her. After a few kilometers she relaxed into a trot and in no time at all my friends caught up.

By now the sky was clearing, the air had warmed, and Sanora started drinking. All was well as Sanora settled into a strong trot alongside Badaweya. We moved easily through that spacious panorama, at one point galloping down a sand dune. It was like flying, or floating on clouds. I laughed out loud.

For 50 miles neither mare put a foot wrong or took a lame step. But on the final loop with just 7 kilometers to go, Sanora told me she was tired and I didn't have the heart to push her. I urged Gamal to go on without us--Sanora and I could do the rest alone. I babied her a little and we just walked along. It was pleasant then, to be alone in the desert enjoying the vastness, the quiet. I listened to Sanora's soft footfalls, and the sound of the wind moving gently over sand like a whisper. We passed a desert fox sunning herself outside her den, the black kites wheeling on the thermals overhead.

We climbed the last hill, bringing the thin ribbon of green into view; there was the ride base, and the end of ride. How could it be that I wanted to turn around and do it all over again? As we approached the finish line, I fished around in my pockets for my rider's card needed to clock in, wasting precious seconds, then to find out that I'd completed 43 seconds over the allotted time for the third loop (a minimum pace of 12km per hour). Strangely, I couldn't have cared less. To me it was a finish, and the day had been the biggest thrill of my life. Of the 25 riders who started just eight completed, so my unofficial seventh place brought a deep sense of satisfaction.

By the time the last rider came off the course it was dusk. There was a little awards ceremony of sorts, ribbons and plastic trophies to the top finishers (where the promised prize money went is another story). We loaded the horses and drove back to the village. The gang from FB sat out front of the stable, sipping mint tea and reliving the ride. Karim had finished third, Gamal sixth, and except for my failure to earn an official finish, everyone was quite pleased with the results. Better still, all three horses were in fine shape.

By the end of the evening I realized that my little gray mare had reminded me of something I tend to forget: that the outside of a horse doesn't tell you what's inside. I left with this too: we can never guess what we'll find when we say "yes" to challenges. After all, life is too short to say "no" to.

A couple of nights later, sitting with friends on the stable roof, Karim looked at me across the fire and said, "Mabrouk, madam." Congratulations. That was everything.

Denise Hearst is the Publisher of Arabian Horse World, a magazine devoted to the promotion of the Arabian horse -- through education and entertainment -- to new levels of appreciation and usefulness. For more information about Arabian Horse World, visit www.ahwmagazine.com.

March 29, 2003 -- Racing for over two hours at sub-six minute miles, tying over forty times and finishing with less than ten seconds between first and second place: that is Ride & Tie at its best! In Ride & Tie each team consists of two humans and a horse. No team has finished the race until all three team members cross the finish line.

Those who enjoy an exciting finish and a good battle of the sexes could take pleasure in the tight ten second difference between the first place man/man team of Doyle Egger, Curt Riffle and Majic, and the second place woman/woman team of Anne Langstaff and Rufus Schneider riding Justin. Both horses were in, and it was a matter of seeing which runner came in first: after swapping the lead at least a dozen times throughout the race, Riffle managed to cross the finish line before Schneider.

If the observer is more inclined to root for their "home team," this was also a great race between California's northern-based competitors, Egger and Riffle, and southern-based champs, Langstaff and Schneider. First place horse, Majic, also won Best Condition and although he did not actually run for any money, he did receive some well-deserved carrots and glory.

The third installment of the 2003 Shine and Shine Only (SASO) Ride & Tie proved to be a great finale to the three-part winter/spring series held annually in the coastal mountains of Northern California near San Jose. Unlike the February SASO event, which was cancelled because of rain, competitors woke up Saturday morning to an unseasonably warm spring day. Inspired by the lush green slopes covered with wildflowers, human and equine competitors alike gave it their all.

Twelve teams started the event including 9 on the 22 mile course and 3 on the 8 mile course. The warm spring day brought added challenge to competitors, particularly the equine athletes still sporting their hot winter coats. The Ride & Tie was held in conjunction with an equine endurance event sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC). Multi-event endurance competitions like SASO are becoming more common and promote camaraderie among the enthusiasts of distance trail sports. When asked about the multi-event day, SASO III Endurance Ride Manager, Becky Grand Hart, said "It works out well having the events together. Because the starts are staggered, there is minimal overlap and everyone benefits by sharing the marked trail and veterinary support."

For complete race results, a schedule of upcoming events, and advice on how you can get started in the sport of Ride & Tie, please visit the website at www.rideandtie or call the Ride and Tie Association at (650) 949-2321.

Three generations complete short course: Jeff Windeshausen, Shelby Craythorn, Rhonda Craythorn, Dave Posten

© Bill Gore

The course this year is 30+ miles, up and down the mountains. Each team consists of three athletes: two runner/riders and one horse. The human members of the team take turns riding the horse and running, switching back and forth between the two disciplines. The pace for the horse is to run in spurts, and rest at the tie-in between runs.

Ride & Tie is one of the most exhilarating extreme sports yet invented &mdash and it is addictive. Ted Ruprecht, age 74, is going for his 21st Championship, which will tie him with his wife, Joan. Doyle Eggers, a newcomer to the event, says Ride & Tie is fun and a "neat family of people. Double fun." When contemplating his first Championship, Doyle summed it up by saying "it's about finishing and still being vertical."

The race starts in an open field. I start on the horse. My partner is on the ground. I'm to ride just over one mile, and then tie. It will take my partner a few minutes to reach the horse, during which the horse rests. Even elite runners cannot match the speed and stamina of a well-conditioned horse. With the horse aiding both runners, by providing a rest between runs, and by reducing the average minutes per mile, runners feel like superheros able to tackle unbelievable distances at altitude.

Dave Howe and Elaine Ruprecht, the second-placed man/woman team

© Bill Gore

After a few miles the trail clears, teams spread out, and I'm back up on our horse, Findefar. I feel as if we are dancing, flying, weaving effortlessly through runners. "Coming up on your right! Passing on your right! Hi Melissa, on your left!" Runners point to the side the horse should pass on, wordless, sparing their breath for oxygen intake. Later, as horses overtake me on foot, I am grateful for the narrow trail. An excuse to step aside for a moment while the horses pass, and take a breather at seven thousand feet altitude. As we tackle the first of many endless climbs, one runner asks "Doesn't this hill ever end?" and another rejoins "Yes, I hear it ends at God."

Ride & Tie is exhilarating because of the attitude of the horse. There is nothing like the feeling of being on a team with this beautiful athlete. I suspect this is more exciting for the horse than endurance riding because of the pace. Horses are designed by nature to flee dangerous predators, but only need to flee for a short distance, a mile or so, and then return to grazing. This is exactly the rhythm of Ride & Tie, as the horse runs, ties, and then runs again.

The famed Cowman, Mary Tiscornia, and Con Wadsworth enjoy a moment of post-race comraderie

© Bill Gore

Less than two months before Ride & Tie I was riding this same horse on Tevis, the Western States Trail Ride: 100 miles over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Findefar was awesome at Tevis, but today I think he's having a whole lot more fun. He picks me out of a crowd as I shuffle up the trail, he greets me with an eager whinny. He can hardly wait as I fumble the untie. And he's back on the trail at a gallop as my right foot gropes for the stirrup.

Ride & Tie has become a family affair as enthusiasts can't resist introducing it to anyone who will try it. This year's World Championship winners, brothers Con and Todd Wadsworth, were back for their 5th title, followed closely by Jim Howard and Dennis Rinde 17 seconds later. Howard, who has five previous titles at this event, is already planning his strategy for next year. Con's wife and sixteen year old son won the short course event. Fathers ran with daughters, uncles with nieces, and a three-generation foursome of father, daughter and ten year old granddaughter teamed up with a friend to complete the short course. (Dave Posten; Rhonda Craythorn, Dave's daughter; and Shelby Craythorn, Dave's granddaughter)

After the race is over runners and crew are sprawled here and there in the shade: reliving and recounting every step of the race, every turn of the trail, every mistake and every second wasted. They are probably so sore they cannot walk upright. No matter. Next year's strategy is being planned out. I know what I need to do: speed work. I'm going to add speed work to my schedule. Just as soon as my toenails grow back.

For more information on Ride & Tie and complete results of the race, go to www.rideandtie.org.

Contact the Ride & Tie Association at 650-949-2321.

American Trail Horse Association
The American Trail Horse Association, (ATHA) is an Association dedicated to promoting of the American Trail Horse and, through education and registration, recognizing and acknowledging all trail horses, regardless of breed. Members can find information about registration, certification and the various programs available to members.

Australian Endurance Riders Association
Official Web site of the Australian Endurance Riders Association. Includes membership regulations, information about scheduled rides, rider rankings and informative section on getting started in the sport of endurance riding in Australia.

Endurance GB
Endurance GB is the governing body for the sport of Endurance (Competitive Long Distance) Riding Great Britain, formulating the rules and organising rides to cater for all levels of ability. Find listings of regional groups, a schedule of sanctioned rides and training rides, as well as information for people new to the sport.

Endurance Net
An excellent online resource for Endurance and Long Distance Riders. Find information about the AERC, a calendar of events, regional groups, reference articles and more.

National Association of Competitive Mounted Orienteering
A sort of treasure hunt on horseback, Competitive Mounted Orienteering (CMO) is the sport of covering from 5 to 15 miles on horseback in which the participants find 5 - 10 markers using a provided map and a compass. Find ride schedules and results, regional news, photos and more.

Scottish Endurance Riding Club
The Scottish Endurance Riding Club (SERC) promotes the sport of endurance riding and organizes training rides, as well as competitive rides throughout Scotland. Find information about regional branches, ride dates and membership information.

Tevis Cup Ride Home Page
The Western States Trail Ride - 100 Miles in One Day. This web site is full of information for competitors and helpers -- clickable trail maps, trivia, application forms and more.

UK Chasers
UK Chasers offer a number of cross country rides for their members, enabling them to ride in some of the loveliest countryside not normally available to the public.