2019 AERC National Championships

First-place overall and National Lightweight in the 100-mile championship were shared by Erin Lemmons, D.V.M., on the gelding Tuscarora John (Line Dancer x *Fawora) and Jeremy Reynolds on Anydaynow (Patriot Missle x Annatiki). Pictured on the left is Lemmons, a veterinarian in Stephenville, Texas, who commented on the event. “I knew Jeremy was also a lightweight, but I don’t think either of us was concerned with weight division placement. Jeremy is a top-notch endurance competitor, but he’s also the typical endurance rider — he’s always happy to share what he’s learned through the years. I enjoyed every minute riding with him.”

Tuscarora John, aka TJ, also earned Best Condition and High Vet Score. About TJ, she said, “His sire, Line Dancer, is one of the top Burning Sand sons to race on the track. TJ’s dam is *Fawora, who also produced Favoritt, another successful track horse. TJ himself is a stakes winner with more than 20 starts over a four-year track career.”

Jeremy Reynolds rode 17-year-old Anydaynow (Patriot Missle x Annatiki). Reynolds is quite fond of Anydaynow, whom he sold through CreRun to Barbara Hershberger in 2008. “He has an amazing work ethic,” stated Jeremy. “He likes to go — everyday he loves to go. I raced another Patriot Missle son, A Kutt Above (x Sahibers Diamond), in England. Every Patriot Missle offspring we’ve had were metabolically amazing athletes.”

2018 AERC National 50- and 100-Mile

C H A M P I O N S H I P S

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Story by Genie Stewart-Spears Photos by Becky Pearman

he AERC National 50- and 100-Mile Championships celebrate and honor the top riders in their respective weight divisions. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, was the site for the 2018 event, held on September 20-23.

Eight days prior, and just 50 miles away at Tyron, North Carolina, hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on the World Equestrian Games. The endurance event ended up being cancelled, mid-race, during the 100-mile CEI 4* international endurance race. The ride management of the AERC National Championships were on edge about how the hurricane would affect their event.

Cheryl and Stagg Newman, ride managers, kept everyone informed on their website.

“Hurricane Florence came through, threatening months of planning, moving us from a vow to a hope — we hoped we could do better than the WEG. Thankfully, Florence proved relatively benign. The French Broad River stayed in its banks, the ride venue dried out, and the ride proceeded on schedule. The weather cooperated pretty much — it was hot and humid, but rain-free.”

Each competitor has their own unique and interesting story about their ride, their life, and their horse. Only the weight-division winners are covered here, but each and every starter, whether they completed or not, have interesting stories to tell as well.

Arabian Horse World is a proud sponsor of AERC. A H W > 156 < 0 1 . 1 9

A H W > 157 < 0 1 . 1 9

2018

AERC National 50- and 100-Mile

C H A M P I O N S H I P S

Story by Genie Stewart-Spears Photos by Becky Pearman

Arabian Horse World is a proud sponsor of AERC. A H W > 156 < 0 1 . 1 9

First-place overall and National Lightweight in the 100-mile championship were shared by Erin Lemmons, D.V.M., on the gelding Tuscarora John (Line Dancer x *Fawora) and Jeremy Reynolds on Anydaynow (Patriot Missle x Annatiki). Pictured on the left is Lemmons, a veterinarian in Stephenville, Texas, who commented on the event. “I knew Jeremy was also a lightweight, but I don’t think either of us was concerned with weight division placement. Jeremy is a top-notch endurance competitor, but he’s also the typical endurance rider — he’s always happy to share what he’s learned through the years. I enjoyed every minute riding with him.”

Tuscarora John, aka TJ, also earned Best Condition and High Vet Score. About TJ, she said, “His sire, Line Dancer, is one of the top Burning Sand sons to race on the track. TJ’s dam is *Fawora, who also produced Favoritt, another successful track horse. TJ himself is a stakes winner with more than 20 starts over a four-year track career.”

Jeremy Reynolds rode 17-year-old Anydaynow (Patriot Missle x Annatiki). Reynolds is quite fond of Anydaynow, whom he sold through CreRun to Barbara Hershberger in 2008. “He has an amazing work ethic,” stated Jeremy. “He likes to go — everyday he loves to go. I raced another Patriot Missle son, A Kutt Above (x Sahibers Diamond), in England. Every Patriot Missle offspring we’ve had were metabolically amazing athletes.”

T

he AERC National 50- and 100-Mile Championships celebrate and honor the top riders in their respective weight divisions. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, was the site for the 2018 event, held on September 20-23.

Eight days prior, and just 50 miles away at Tyron, North Carolina, hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on the World Equestrian Games. The endurance event ended up being cancelled, mid-race, during the 100-mile CEI 4* international endurance race. The ride management of the AERC National Championships were on edge about how the hurricane would affect their event.

Cheryl and Stagg Newman, ride managers, kept everyone informed on their website.

“Hurricane Florence came through, threatening months of planning, moving us from a vow to a hope — we hoped we could do better than the WEG. Thankfully, Florence proved relatively benign. The French Broad River stayed in its banks, the ride venue dried out, and the ride proceeded on schedule. The weather cooperated pretty much — it was hot and humid, but rain-free.”

Each competitor has their own unique and interesting story about their ride, their life, and their horse. Only the weight-division winners are covered here, but each and every starter, whether they completed or not, have interesting stories to tell as well.

A H W > 157 < 0 1 . 1 9

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Third place to finish and first featherweight was Alisija Zabavska on 11-year-old Hidden Assetts (DA Adios x Hidden Treasure) in five hours 25 minutes.

Originally from Lithuania, Zabavska has over 6,500 endurance miles and “Ace,” as she called the gelding, has over 800 miles of competition. Training on predominately flat land in Texas, she prepared Ace and was proud of their accomplishment in mountainous terrain and competing against some of the best riders in the U.S.

50-Mile National Championship On Thursday, September 20, the 68 entries started the 50-mile course: 28 featherweights, 25 lightweights, two middleweights, four heavyweights and one junior competing. Of the 68, 50 entrants completed. (A separate but concurrently run open 50-mile competition added 24 more riders on the course.)

A TIE FOR THE OVERALL 50-MILE WIN AND LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION In a remarkable tie for first place, Erin Lemmons, D.V.M., 32, on Tuscarora John (Line Dancer x *Fawora) and Jeremy Reynolds, 38, on Anydaynow (Patriot Missle x Annatiki), CreRun bred, crossed the finish line together in 5 hours 20 minutes. Erin and Jeremy not only shared the overall win but also the Lightweight National Championship title.

(Ties aren’t out of the ordinary in U.S. and Canadian endurance competitions but generally not when championship titles are at stake.

There were actually five separate ties in this championship involving 13 riders. The only other championship tie was by two middleweight riders in 1999.)

“I caught Jeremy on the last loop, two or three miles out of camp,” explained Erin, a mixed-practice veterinarian in Stephenville, Texas.

“Both horses were still asking for a faster pace despite the increasing temperatures and already stifling humidity; however, Jeremy and I knew better, so we put our competitive natures aside and left the race for another day.

“I call him TJ,” said Lemmons about 12-year-old Tuscarora John. “I bought TJ in November of 2015 from Emmett Ross, former USEF chef d’equipe. I was looking for a horse that could compete in endurance at the international level. I knew within a few minutes of riding him that he could do it. Smooth, efficient gaits, competitive, and he A H W > 158 < 0 1 . 1 9

absolutely loves to go down the trail ... and keep going down the trail! He’s also the most sensitive horse I’ve ever owned. Not just in the saddle, but on the ground as well. I rarely have to ‘ask’ him to do anything; I merely have to think it and he’s already doing it!”

Jeremy Reynolds stated, “When she caught me, there was a third person hot on our heels.

I said if we can keep this pace there is no point in racing, and we can just tie. We didn’t want to slow down, but we didn’t want to take extra risks. When horses give you that much, there’s no reason to risk injury.”

Anydaynow’s owner, Barbara Hershberger, was overjoyed.

She said, “Tying for first place was more than okay. It was a statement. Putting the horses first, they both agreed to tie because they are great horsemen. Secondly, it was also great sportsmanship.”

Hershberger says this was the last competition for Anydaynow, her 17-year-old gelding. “He is officially retired. That was my plan. I am looking at him in the field right now, very muddy and very happy.”

Why wasn’t she competing on her horse? With 1,900 career miles, in 2015 Hershberger’s life

right: Jane Rodrigue and Al Shama Shaazon (Shaikh Soufian x SHR Shalisha) won the Middleweight Championship with their seventh-place finish in six hours 15 minutes. “Coming in from the second loop, a volunteer told me I was running in tenth place, which surprised me. On the second half of the last loop, Albert knew he was going home and picked up the pace. He felt fantastic, pinning his ears at other horses when they tried to pass him and insisting on leading. We hit the long stretch before the finish line with Gina Hagis riding Tiki Toro (*Nivour De Cardonne x Tiki Samantha). Albert and Tiki cantered in. Gina and Tiki came in just ahead of us (second-place featherweight), on the same minute.”

changed abruptly when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

As a result, she underwent two craniotomy surgeries and, after a personal struggle, she admitted she could not compete again.

However, not willing to give up the sport or the goals for “P” (short for Sweet Pea), as she calls the gelding, she turned him over to Jeremy Reynolds, Reynolds Racing, from whom she had purchased the gelding back in June 2008.

“I grew up across the road from Bazy Tankersly of Al-Marah Arabians when they were in Maryland,” says Hershberger. “I was a like a pesky little fly over there! I grew up with Arabians and never had any other breed.

I was on my Arabian in Pony Club when everyone was riding Thoroughbreds or Thoroughbred/ Quarter Horses. I fell in love with the breed and that was all there was for me.

“My goal when I bought P was to fulfill my lifelong dream of riding the Tevis. When I was no longer was able, Jeremy helped me reach that goal even though they were pulled at 94 miles. Although P didn’t finish, I experienced the Tevis ride through Jeremy, crewing for him and my horse. It was everything I could hope for.”

50-Mile Featherweight Champion

Finishing third-place overall, Alisija Zabavska, 42, on 11-year-old Hidden Assetts (DA Adios [by *Wiking] x Hidden Treasure [by RD Five Star]) won the featherweight championship in five hours 25 minutes. Better known as Ace, the gelding was purchased from CreRun Arabians by Zabavska six years ago.

“Winning the Lightweight Championship was a pleasant surprise for me,” said Zabavska, who has over 6,500 career miles. “The weather was hot and humid, with slippery and somewhat muddy sections on trail. This was Ace’s first mountainous endeavor. The goal was to cruise through and give him a good experience in very challenging terrain. Right from the start he felt great and didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the elevation and footing, despite the fact that we train on relatively flat trails.

“After two loops riding alongside the frontrunners and leaving on the last loop in the top three, I decided not to risk the featherweight win by being overly competitive in new terrain. Instead I waited at the first water stop for five minutes, to ensure that there were no horses influencing our pace. Upon our completion, I was pleased to find out that we maintained our speed perfectly. This successful accomplishment reinforces my disciplined training approach, as it confirms that a well-conditioned and managed horse is capable of peak performance in any terrain. I am extremely proud of Ace as he also showed me what a big heart he possesses.”

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50-Mile Middleweight Champion Virginian Jane Rodrigue, 52, and Al Shama Shaazon (Shaikh Soufian x SHR Shalisha), “Albert” for short, a nine-year-old gelding, won the middleweight championship with a seventh-place overall finish. Their course time was six hours and 15 minutes. Rodrigue has just over 800 career miles and Albert has almost 600 miles.

Sadly, Rodrigue’s father passed away a week before the national championships and she was reluctant to make the event.

“But Dana convinced me to ride, and After we crossed the I am so glad she did,” says Rodrigue. finish line, Dana, who “I decided to just ride and enjoy the day.” And, she added, “It is important was crewing for us, to note that riding Albert is not said she thought I was always easy; he is a bully and has his the first middleweight. own ideas about what we do, when I did the usual break- we do it, and how we do it. Normally it is at a much faster pace than I am into-tears thing. comfortable riding. In addition, he often concentrates on his competition more than on himself. This horse is a smart aleck, a pain in the a**, but I love him!

“It was very hot and humid that day, but Albert kept a consistent pace, moving out on the trail, and pulsing in at the vet checks nicely. After we crossed the finish line, Dana, who was crewing for us, said she thought I was the first middleweight. I did the usual break-into-tears thing.

“What Albert has accomplished this year is beyond all of my expectations. Completing these races with a happy, healthy horse has been my salvation in an otherwise long year. Albert is my wings!”

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Nine-year-old Madeline Isaacs (left) completed the 50-mile course in six hours 46 minutes on her grade horse Shasta, just ahead of her mother and sponsor, Karen Isaacs on FYF Sport (Stetson CD x Sundance), right.

Shasta is of unknown breeding and came from the Isaacs’ good friend and Ride & Tie partner, Beth Brinkley. “Beth bought her for her daughter to jump, and she had much success showing her in North Carolina,” says Karen.

“When her daughter moved on to a larger horse, Beth suggested we use the pony for Ride & Tie and possibly for Madeline to ride.

I wasn’t too sure because Shasta was very quick and agile for racing the clock around a jump course. Nor did I think this ability would transfer well to long distance riding. We decided to give her a try, and she has been the steadiest, most reliable and capable mount we could possibly hope for. She carried Madeline on her first LD ride at the age of seven, her first 50 at age eight and her first 100 this year at age nine. She also carried Beth and me to a second-place finish at the World Championship Ride & Tie in 2017.”

Junior Championship Madeline Isaacs completed in 13th place and earned the National Junior Championship title on her little mare, Shasta. Their course time was six hours 47 minutes.

It is only natural that Madeline Isaacs would become an endurance rider. Her father Thomas Isaacs has 5,400 career endurance miles and her mother Karen has over 12,000. “Madeline, now nine years old, has been a horse lover practically since birth,” Karen says. “She started riding when she was three and was four when she did her first competition, which was a four-mile Ride & Tie. She started off riding MC Shameless (MC Zoulou x Satan’s Supreme Starheart [ASHA]), our 16-hand retired endurance horse.

As Madeline gradually developed the ability to do longer training rides and competitions, we needed a sound but safe horse for her.

“Shasta, estimated to be in her late teens,” continued Karen, “is a plain white mare with a horse-sized body and sturdy pony legs. She is of unknown breeding and came from Oregon where she was a successful show jumper.

“We rode conservatively on the first loop,” recalled Karen. “The second loop included some elevation change along trails on the far side of the French Broad River, but we kept up a pretty steady trot and moved up into the top twenty. At the second vet check, my horse FYF Sport (Stetson CD x Sundance) outrecovered Shasta, which is a little unusual even though he is the Arabian. Shasta also had a diminished appetite. Madeline has a very competitive nature, but is learning to balance that with consideration for the well being and ability of her pony. So she was agreeable to a little slower pace on the last loop, and we finished well.”

Madeline, who now has over 700 career miles, is really proud of her pony and thinks she is awesome says her mother. “Shasta is certainly not flashy and is not at all affectionate, but Madeline overlooks those faults. The fact that she has never yet been pulled and that she takes good care of herself and her rider on the trail is of much more importance. As Madeline says, ‘At least we know Shasta won’t do anything stupid!’”

50-Mile Heavyweight Champion Virginian Don Meuten, D.V.M., 69, won the Heavyweight Championship on the 16-hand Anglo-Arab FYF Wolverine (Stetson CD x Molly) with a course time of seven hours 13 minutes. He tied with his wife Nicki, also a veterinarian, on FYF Dutch (LS Zane Grey x Lateef Zeda) and long-time friend Frances Ligler on Synuous (Momentus MG x Synbolika) for 18th place overall.

“After a year of misery, the Biltmore was targeted as our comeback for Nicki and me,” explained Meuten who has 6,910 career miles and whose wife Nicki has over 14,300. “One year earlier we had been accused of administering a banned substance (O-Desmethylvenlafaxine ODMV, a metabolite of Effexor) to our horse Dutch and were facing a provisional punishment of a two-year suspension and $15,000 fine. A 52page fax put our lives in turmoil. My initial explanation was simple.

There is a lab error. I worked in labs for 40 years. People and machines mess up. This must have been what happened in our case because we do not cheat. We race clean. Our horses have been tested multiple times in the past and were always negative.

But now our reputations were being destroyed. We are two veterinarians who abide by rules; Nicki with an active practice and I, a retired veterinarian from North Carolina State University. Now our friends in endurance and fellow veterinarians would question our integrity.

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After a year of woes, Don and Nicki Meuten were found innocent of charges of drugging a horse. The AERC National Championships was a great comeback to the sport they love. Don won the 50-Mile Heavyweight Championship in seven hours 13 minutes while tying with his wife Nicki and a long-time friend Frances Ligler for 18th place. Don was riding their homebred FYF Wolverine (Stetson CD x Molly), aka “Chuck.”

“One year later, after untold hours researching the literature on ODMV, consults with friends in research, pharmaceuticals, universities, a selfimposed ban of not going to endurance rides for either of us and all our horses, thousands of dollars in legal expenses, nearly giving up several times, following each step required, writing and rewriting our defense, we submitted our final report via legal channels with the request — make this final. No appeals.

We want it over one way or the other.

And finally the ruling — we were exonerated!” he said with relief.

Thus the AERC National Championship Ride was their happy comeback. “We just wanted to ride again, with friends. Nicki loves that ride on the Biltmore Estate. Thanks to her, our horses have won and earned Best Condition there, and ride managers Cheryl and Stagg Newman are the best,” he added.

“Nicki opted to ride with me, she on 14-year-old FYF Dutch and I on eight-year-old FYF Wolverine, aka The start, with ‘Chuck,’ both homebred horses. When he almost a hundred gets fired up or frustrated, his tail goes in circles and up comes his back and horses, brought rear end. However, they are the most out the wrong side rideable bucks Nicki and I have ever sat. of Chuck. He had “The start, with almost a hundred several ‘moments’ … horses, brought out the wrong side of Chuck. He had several ‘moments’ as we trotted en masse down the gravel road,” described Meuten. “Too many horses in front of him, too many horses beside him, he could not get close enough to his buddy Dutch. It was time for liftoff. After one buck and kick out, competitor Gina Hagis exclaimed, ‘Wow! Your horse just flipped you off! Does he do that often?’ Unfortunately, yes. But one of my sayings is, ‘stay on top, everything else is trick riding!’

“Dutch always pulsed down great,” he continued, “and Chuck was pulsing in the 50s, then the 40s. We were not with the frontrunners but were in a good position. I started thinking, maybe Chuck can do well in the heavyweight — Big Bubba — division. He felt great, bucks were over, and he was covering ground smoothly.

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“However, the day was getting hotter,” added Don, “and the humidity was dripping. On last two loops I got off him multiple times and walked up or down hills. It was time to prioritize, to take care of my buddy over having ‘race brain.’ At water troughs and big mud puddles, I got off and gave him sponge baths. You can get more water on faster by sponging from the ground. The key to the horses’ welfare was that they never stopped eating. We will stop on trail and see if they will eat, if yes, then we have a good indicator to keep pushing. Grass equals GI stimuli, and maintaining glucose, and that is a great relief for rider.

“The closer we got to the big field (finish line) the higher my hopes for winning the Heavyweight Championship,” Meuten said. “When I crossed the finish line and heard we were 19th, my ship sank. It was not until volunteer Nina Barnett asked, ‘Do you know where you finished?’ ‘Yes, 19th,’ I replied.

She said, ‘Well, yes, but you are first heavyweight.’ That made my day!”

left:

100-Mile Championship

Thirty-three competitors started the 100-mile championship course on September 22. There were 15 featherweights, 15 lightweights, one middleweight, two heavyweights and no juniors competing. Once again, it was a hot and humid day.

Sixteen completed.

FIRST OVERALL AND CHAMPION LIGHTWEIGHT First to finish was Holly Corcoran, 54, and Poete (*Bandjo De Falgas x Poetikka [by *Statistic]). Amazingly the pair completed the 100-miler two hours and 10 minutes ahead of the second place competitor!

Their course time was 12 hours 26 minutes. And if that wasn’t awesome enough, 11-year-old Poete also won the Best Condition and the High Vet Score Awards! Poete has 1,200 career miles and Corcoran has 4,200 miles.

“I rode Poete’s seven-year-old sister, Poetrie, in the National Championship 50 with a young rider, Hannah Weightman on my 16-yearold mare Authentika (*Statistic x BHR Ansyl), aka Rowan. We top tenned.

“Endurance is as much strategy as it is stamina,” said Holly. “If I let Poete ‘run out front’ on the first loop of the 100, he would either have metabolic problems or deplete the energy he needs to complete the ride. So I was continually tweaking my approach on how to compete him, how to properly pace him, and how to allow his competitiveness and athleticism to work in his favor. I decided to head out 15 minutes behind the rest of the ride. He would not even see or hear the start.

“So fifteen minutes after the start, I trotted past the start line heading down the road next to the river. He was in a big, beautiful, relaxed trot. As we neared the turn to go into the woods, we ran into other riders sooner than I expected because some had overshot the turn in the pre-dawn light and were backtracking. Thankfully it wasn’t yet single track and we were able to safely pass these riders as we kept the pace I had set for him.

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With a two hour and ten minute lead, Holly Corcoran and Poete (*Bandjo De Falgas x Poetikka by *Statistic) won the AERC 100-Mile Championship and the Lightweight Champion honor. Their course time was 12 hours 26 minutes. According to Holly, “Poete is an 11-year-old, and a pretty amazing 16-hand athlete. I acquired him as a four-year-old and put him under saddle.

He was really quite easy to train and was incredibly sweet. However, he turned into a fierce competitor, with a big personality that is better to negotiate with than to fight. He has been an amazing gift to me, in that I’ve always had complete faith in his athleticism but like many highly fit, talented horses, I had to manage him properly.

I am the only one to have ridden him in competition because he can be a challenge.

We’ve had an equal number of starts where he’s been a perfect gentleman keeping good pace, and others where he has been a fire-eating dragon wanting to fight me if he is behind other horses whom I do not want him to pass.”

“One thing Poete absolutely loves most in the world, besides apples, is passing other horses.

So that’s what we did for the rest of that loop. He was calm but set a good pace at a trot for several miles before I let him start to canter. We then trotted into the first hold, stripped him down, threw some water on him, and he was ready to present to the vets in two minutes. When we passed the vet exam, which is always a huge relief to me, my crew estimated I was off of the leaders by four minutes. Back on trail and after the bridge going over to the western trails, we were on a beautiful cantering trail. We continued to pass one rider after another.

“I believe we came into the second hold first,” she continued, “but there were horses right behind us. Poete turned around in a minute, but Meg Sleeper’s

right: With a second-place overall finish, and despite some down time due to shoeing issues during the race, Marcia Weilback and Zanthus Fury, (*Haffir El Rimal x Myaakko), aka “Zan,” earned the Featherweight Championship title. Their ride time was 14 hours 36 minutes.

Besides losing a shoe, Marcia said, “I had trouble on the second to last loop, when I started suffering from vertigo. I was out there by myself until four riders passed me about five miles into the loop. I tagged onto them for the remaining nine miles of that loop. When I came in for the last hold, my crew sprang into action. I was given something for the vertigo while they took great care of Zan and me. I felt much better going out on the last loop, and Zan was feeling stronger. When we trotted out of camp on the last loop, he was all business. We actually ran the last loop faster than we ran any other loop all day.”

horse did as well, so we left that hold together.

From there on, Meg and I rode the next three loops together. During that third loop, Alisija Zabavska on MSA Silver Gazal was with us most of the way, but I believe our horses out-pulsed her horse (or she was pulled) and, again, Meg and I headed out on trail together. At one hold, her horse out-pulsed Poete by a minute, and we had to canter to catch up. But at the fifth vet check, Meg’s horse came up slightly lame, and they were retired.

“Poete and I headed out into the last loop, going into the dark, on our own. I knew at that time we were about an hour or so in front of the next horse. The last two loops were the same except the last loop finishes in the field about a mile from camp. Poete felt absolutely wonderful. We trotted most of the way, but I had to slow him down in places where we were facing traffic as there was a big event taking place at the mansion and there were lines of cars on the road with their headlights blinding us.

“At 10:26 pm, Poete and I trotted across the finish line. True relief doesn’t happen until the final vet check. Part of the challenge at Biltmore is to keep the horse limbered that last mile walk into the vet check,” explained Holly. “Once there, my crew took a cursory heart rate, trotted him off once to make sure he was sound, and went in for the final vet-check. His pulse was 40/44BMP (pulse taken and then horse is trotted and pulse retaken), and all other metabolics were in fine shape. So with the final trot, he looked like he’d looked all day, they passed him as the winning horse. I was ecstatic and gave him a big hug but knew we had one more hurdle to pass: the Best Condition judging that took place an hour after passing the finish line. We let him devour everything in sight while we continued to clean him up for A H W > 164 < 0 1 . 1 9

presentation,” she said.

“At the appointed time, he went back in for the Best Condition judging where his heart rate was 36. The next day it was announced that he not only won the Best Condition Award but also got the High Vet Score Award,” she said with joy.

“The amazing thing about Poete is that he is such an athlete that he makes it look easy.

“Overall, I had a blast.

It was truly an amazing accomplishment against other very accomplished riders who have represented our country on world teams. It reinforced the faith I’ve had in him over the years of preparation and competition!”

100-Mile Featherweight Champion Featherweight Marcia Weilbach, 50, Dinklemann Arabians in Georgia, finished in second place but first featherweight in 14 hours 36 minutes. She was riding Zanthus Fury (*Haffir El Rimal x Myaakko) a 13-year-old gelding.

“I bought Zan in 2012 from Tom and Joyce Fritz who bred Arabian flat racing horses on Hickory Lane Farms in Michigan,” she said. “Zan had 685 endurance miles before the Nationals, and this was his second 100-mile completion. His first 100-miler was in November 2017, at Broxton, where he achieved a FEI COC qualifying time, placing fifth.

He was one of only two American horses to achieve a COC time, out of 30 100-mile entries.”

Marcia is a native of South Africa and works with Christo Dinklemann, and together they run Dinklemann Arabians in Georgia. “My background is in show jumping on Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods. I researched on the Internet to find a horse sport that I could afford to do. I had never even heard of endurance, but I wanted to give it a try.

“My goal for the Championship was to finish and gain the experience of a tough 100-miler. On the third loop, though, Zan lost a shoe. I had to walk some of the way because he was getting very foot sore without the shoe. In the vet check we were told to re-represent after we got the shoe back on.

Unfortunately, when Zan lost his shoe, he pulled a big chunk out of his hoof wall, and we could not put a normal shoe back on. Luckily we had some Easy Boots, but we had to make special wedges to put inside the boots, so his heel could be supported.

We left 45 minutes after our out time. I am sure if we hadn’t had the shoe malfunction we might have been able to shorten the time between Holly and myself, but, there is no doubt that it was Holly’s and Poete’s day.”

Weilbach wasn’t alone crossing the finish line, but there wasn’t a race off. “I met up with Wendy Mancini, also in the featherweight division, about four miles into the last 14-mile loop. She asked if I minded that she rode on with me. I said I would be happy for the company. I asked her about a mile from the finish if she wanted to race off, and she said no, that she was happy to come in behind

me because I had helped her and her horse to get through that last loop. We crossed the finish line with Wendy about two strides behind.”

About her horse, Weilbach says, “Zanthus has the heart of a lion, and loves to work. He always trots out of camp with eagerness. He dearly loves food and attention, and he has a very confident personality. A horse like Zanthus makes endurance a lot of fun.”

Heavyweight Champion Finishing in ninth-place overall, Guy Worthington, 59, riding 14-year-old PA Hi-Spirit (PA Hi-Noon x Alaja De Amadeus), won the 100-Mile National Heavyweight Championship. Their course time was 15 hours 50 minutes.

Guy had another “I was doing my own important agenda: thing, just trying to survive on the hot day,” his 78-year-old he said, and added, mother was riding “There wasn’t a lot of with him and he competition. Only two heavyweights were wanted her to top entered. The other one ten finish. got pulled after the first or second check. When I found out I was the only heavyweight in the running, I was just trying not to make any mistakes and to finish.”

Guy, who has accumulated 16,400 competition miles, had another important agenda. His 78-yearold mother was riding with him, and he wanted her to top ten finish. Jan Worthington, a featherweight rider, has a remarkable endurance career with 33,000 career miles that include 137 100-miler starts with 113 finishes of them.

“She is physically doing great. She does better than I do,” Guy laughed. “Often though, she does not know where we are. She gets confused about the trails and the markers. But she is very happy on a horse! Once she is on a horse and going, there’s no waiting for her! If she gets out front, I have to slow her down! We did split it up who leads; that gives the horse following a little rest.”

Jan and Dimitri KS (Baske Afire [by Afire Bey V] x Pearl of Wisdom) completed in eight place, just ahead of Guy by three seconds.

Spirit, as Guy calls his dark bay gelding, has 2,500

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above, left and right:

Guy Worthington and PA Hi-Spirit (PA Hi-Noon x Alaja de Amadeus) earned the 100-Mile Heavyweight title with a ninth-place finish in 15 hours 50 minutes. He is pictured here with his mother, veteran endurance rider Jan Worthington, who, at age 78, completed three seconds ahead of him riding Dimitriks (Baske Afire x Pearl of Wisdom). “A month later we rode the AHA Nationals in Henryville with same horses.” said Guy. “We finished top ten.”

miles and since 2009 has had 60 starts, 53 completions, and 19 Best Conditions, of which six starts and finishes were 100-milers.

“Spirit is my happy horse. He is always happy,” Guy stated. “In fact he’s the happiest horse I’ve ever ridden in my life. Get on him to ride 100 miles, he’s eager to go. At 75 miles he is still ‘let’s go!’

He is tall, 15.2 hands; he seems taller every time I get on him! He doesn’t wait for me to get on — he’s ready to go.

“I got him from mom and Grace Ramsey (JG Ranch in northern Illinois) but Joey Mattingley, Grace’s son and daughter-in-law Michelle picked him up at some farm near Chicago. He was neglected and not fed. His face was growing into the too-small halter. He was probably two or three years old.

They took him over to mom’s farm, and he got caught in a fence where his right rear leg

got cut up. I went over and looked at him and decided just to take him home and doctor him. He recovered with only scars to tell the story.”

About the championship ride, Guy says, “We kept to ourselves through the day except when we picked up Teresa Fett (lightweight) on the last loop. I didn’t know at that point if we’d all be in top ten, so I made sure mom went first. We were moving along. I think Teresa held back at the finish.

“It was an awesome ride, well-planned, and well-run.” Guy added.

“I just wish there were more competitors.”

Middleweight Champion To Finish Is To Win: There’s nothing wrong with being last especially when you can be first at the same time. That is what Cheryl Van Deusen, recent recipient of USEF’s Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Award in 2018 and 2017, did. She was the last 100-miler to complete the championship ride but the first-place middleweight. Her course time was 19 hours 25 minutes on 13-year-old EBS Regal Majjaan (Ebony Masterpiece x Dazzle Me Amara).

Cheryl has over 23,000 endurance miles. Her homebred EBS Regal Majjaan has over 3,000 miles, along with two AHA Reserve National Competitive Trail Ride Championships including one in October 2018.

Van Deusen took three horses to the National Championship, “One horse didn’t vet through for the limited distance ride (several rides were held in conjunction with the Nationals), so a rider from Australia needed a horse to be able to ride the limited distance (LD) on beautiful Biltmore Estates. I gave her my spare, Regal. He is one of my 100-mile horses with lots of energy although he was coming off rest.”

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Middleweight Champion Cheryl Van Deusen and EBS Regal Majjaan (Ebony Masterpiece x Dazzle Me Amara).

In the 50-mile Championship, Van Deusen finished ninth overall and Reserve Middleweight Champion on 11-year-old Nazeefs Flashy Rose (Nazeef x RC Rose), another of her homebred horses. “I found out during the last hold on the 50-miler that my 100-mile horse for Saturday was not 100 percent after being mistakenly reshod instead of Regal, who did need shoes! I could not believe that I was the only middleweight signed up for the 100-miler and my horse was not sound to start!

“My motto is ‘if you don’t start, you cannot finish’,” she stated. “So I vetted Regal in for the 100-miler just three hours after completion of LD. I then put pads on his front feet because the front left heal bulb had been bruised in the LD. The morning of the ride, it became obvious that it was a ‘dial it back’ ride with the ‘to finish is to win.‘” For Van Deusen, finishing was winning! Winning the Middleweight 100-mile Championship.

2018 AERC National Championship Results Top Ten Finishers — 50-Mile — 49 Completed Out of 68 PLACE

RIDER

PLACE

RIDER

1 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 10

DIVISION

Jeremy Reynolds Erin Lemmons Alisija Zabavska Marbeth Kollath Lisa C. Green Gina Hagis Jane Rodrigue Radu Ciubuc Cheryl Van Deusen Holly R. Corcoran Diane Rowley Hanna Weightman

L L F L L F M F M L F F

HORSE & PEDIGREE

Anydaynow (Patriot Missle x Annatiki) Tuscarora John (Line Dancer x *Fawora) Hidden Assetts (DA Adios x Hidden Treasure) MNX Shaidinn Tyib (Summerwood Shai x GF Shenandoa) LR April Breeze (Bold Soldier x Brown-R Missy) Tiki Toro (*Nivour De Cardonne x Tiki Samantha) Al Shama Shaazon (Shaikh Soufian x SHR Shalisha) Halim (The Prime Pazaz x Asaalah Falima) Nazeefs Flashy Rose (Nazeef x RC Rose) Poetrie (Syndicat x Poetikka) Docs Andy (Shalimar Alex x Shalimar Omaha) Authentika (*Statistic x BHR Ansyl)

TIME

05:20 05:20 BC 05:25 06:03 06:11 06:15 06:15 06:16 06:37 06:41 06:41 06:41

Top Ten Finishers — 100-Mile — 16 Completed Out of 33 1 2 3 4 5 5 5 8 9 10

Holly R. Corcoran Marcia Weilbach Wendy M. Mancini Margaret Clare Summers Kathy Broaddus Cindy LaRoy Young Sudi Lenhart Jan Worthington Guy Worthington Teresa A. Fett

DIVISION

L F F L L L F F H L

HORSE & PEDIGREE

Poete (*Bandjo De Falgas x Poetikka) Zanthus Fury (*Haffir El Rimal x Myaakko) Sterling LR Georgie Girl (Bold Soldier x GM Mystique) Fougueux (*Bandjo De Falgas x Fortryllika) KC Lucks Lil Buck (AS Rasheeks Kerry x grade mare) Wieago3 (La Ago x Wielisa) Dimitri KS (Baske Afire x Pearl of Wisdom) PA Hi-Spirit (PA Hi-Noon x Alaja De Amadeus) CR Mistiraaz (Tiraaz x Arasi)

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TIME

12:26 BC 14:36 14:36 14:57 14:58 14:58 14:58 15:50 15:50 15:50