Category Endurance Horseback Riding at Deb Peter – Auburn-Cool Real Estate

What do the following events have in common:  24 Hours of Le Mans – Tour de France – Dakar Rally – Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race – Cannonball Run – 4 Deserts – Tevis Cup – Marathon des Sables – La Ruta de los Conquistadores – Vendee Globe?  They’ve all been voted TOP Ten Endurance Competitions by Time Inc.

The Divide is well represented in this year’s Tevis Cup 100 Miles in One Day Ride from Truckee to Auburn.  As of July 2nd, 10 competitors will be horseback riding over the Sierras and across the American River starting and finishing by the light of the moon.  They are:  Leigh Bacco and David Meanor from Cool; Loreley Stewart and Roger Yohe from Georgetown; Katherine Mason from Garden Valley; and Mark Engman, Joe Larkin, Potato Richardson, Trina Romo and Becky Spencer from Greenwood.  The start culminates years of conditioning and training to endure the mileage, trail conditions and weather changes throughout the day and night.  Good luck riders

On a whim recently, a friend and I accepted an invitation to watch Harness Racing at Cal Expo. As soon as we arrived, we were escorted into the pacer car which serves both as a starting gate and traveling announcer’s booth. It was that night that Conrad Briggs (from Georgetown) converted from a “hot shoe” endurance rider to a “want to be” Standardbred driver. His friend’s horse came from nearly last to first down the last stretch. What a finish! Conrad began his endurance riding career in 1994. In his relatively short career, he says he finished 85% of his roughly 100 races in the top ten. What attracted Conrad to endurance riding is not just the competitive challenge; it’s the challenge of solving issues, whether the source relates to nutrition, conditioning, shoeing or tack. After personal health concerns put a halt to endurance riding in 2005, Conrad worked his way back to good health and focusing on work as a general contractor. Now, he’s finding a new surge of adrenaline, studying the challenges that meet the Pacers and Trotters. It’s a story “from trail to track”. He’s hoping the lessons he’s learned tweaking the nutrition of the endurance horse translate directly to the track. From the Winner’s Circle, I’d say they do. Cal Expo is home to the only LIVE Harness Racing on the West Coast. Conrad says the stables house at least 300 horses at a time. The Thoroughbreds are on the track during the State Fair. But on September 25th, Harness Racing returns through December 19th, then starts again in January and runs through July. If you’re interested in joining a small group of Standardbred Pacer and Trotter fans to the track in the fall, contact Pam at 823-3142 or me at 392-0328. Oh yeah … Conrad reminded me that Mark Engemann’s Tevis mount is part Standardbred!

The 54th running of the Tevis Cup 100 Mile in One Day Ride is scheduled for August 1st. Crystal Costa of Cool, Richard & Loreley Stewart and Roger Yohe of Georgetown will be representing the Georgetown Divide. We may see additions to the list as the Ride date approaches. An entry must have previously completed 300 miles of AERC or NATRC sanctioned rides. Ride Veterinarians strongly advise horses be equally qualified. Horses must be at least 72 months old, and riders under 18 must be accompanied by an adult for the entire Ride. Along with the $295.00 entry fee, riders may have committed 2-3 years training a horse for an event of this caliber. It’s easy to forget this is a world-class event. If you intend to view the Ride, check out the very informative website beforehand, www.teviscup.org. You can also track riders during the race on the webcast. Riders start in Truckee at 5:15 AM and must complete the 100 miles by 5:15 the following day. For the best and most convenient viewing, attend either the Foresthill Mill site in the late afternoon or the McCann Stadium at the “finish”, late Saturday evening. If you miss the Ride, the awards ceremony starts at 1PM on Sunday at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn. Good luck Riders!