Riding along the stream bank at the Flag Springs Conservation Area.
Sheila Dale, a rider from Oklahoma, on the second day of a Jo Tate ride. Horses coming in from an endurance ride must have their heart rates checked, then go into a 45-minute hold period to rest and let their heart rates return to normal before being allowed to continue. This horse heads off for its mandatory rest session.
E
ach spring, horse riding lovers gather in southwest Barry County for an experience that draws them close to nature and the camaraderie of fellow equestrian enthusiasts. The 25th annual Jo Tate Memorial Ride was held May 27-28 at the Flag Springs Conservation Area, west of Washburn. The ride included three separate 50-mile loops to provide significant variety for the participants. The event is named for endurance riding enthusiast Jo Tate, who died of cancer in 1988. Tate organized as many as 10 rides a year and was the first in the area to host winter rides. The ride continued in her name is one of only 10 rides sanctioned by the American
Endurance Ride conference that has been at the same location for more than 20 years, and the only endurance ride in Missouri currently held on state conservation land. For Jodi Hess-Schlup, who served as ride manager for the 25th year, all the years the event has been held at Flag Springs, the ride is more than an exercise... it’s an organizational task to gather friends. It’s more of a religious experience. It’s a chance to commune with nature in its most engaging form — untamed and open, space for all who want to be a part of it. Flag Springs is approximately 4,000 acres of conservation land with many of miles of trails. The terrain varies from hills to rocks, with a combination
of old logging roads with trails that connect them. Cliffs and overhangs provide habitat for eagles in the winter, ice forming on rocks, a meadow of orange poppies, spring flowers, mushrooms and an abundance of ponds and creek crossings. Horses especially enjoy the trails, seeming to always want to see what’s around the next corner. Many similar rides in other locations serve as fundraisers. Hess-Schlup said the local one is a bit small for that. Proceeds here go to the veterinarians who meticulously check the horses before and during the rides. She observed it takes up to four years to condition a horse to handle such an event. Endurance riding is different from casual recreational rides, providing dif-
The late Jo Tate, namesake of the local endurance ride, on her horse Zabella Blue. By Murray Bishoff
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