By Mary Howell On Oct. 8 and 10, the Old Dominion Endurance Rides Inc. hosted the 50- and 100-mile American Endurance Ride Conference National Championship rides for the third time, using the same trails used for the organization's venerable 100-mile ride, which has been held in Virginia each June for more than 40 years. Sixteen-year-old Bryna Stevenson of Newton,...
By Mary Howell
On Oct. 8 and 10, the Old Dominion Endurance Rides Inc. hosted the 50- and 100-mile American Endurance Ride Conference National Championship rides for the third time, using the same trails used for the organization's venerable 100-mile ride, which has been held in Virginia each June for more than 40 years.
Sixteen-year-old Bryna Stevenson of Newton, N.J., was on Whispersteams Atropine (Maddie), the $500 mare her family purchased four years earlier, while Carol Federighi of Takoma Park, Md., was aboard Lily Creek Stetson, a Shagya Arabian gelding bred by her fiance's mother. The two had swapped the lead throughout the day, with Federighi's mount pulsing a bit faster at several holds, but Stevenson's mount soon catching up on trail.
"I was impressed by Bryna's exquisite balance and horsemanship," said Federighi, who explained that she'd assured Stevenson that if they could stay together on trail, she wouldn't challenge the teenager in a race-off to the finish.
At 10:24 p.m., the two galloped in together, with Stevenson crossing the finish line as first in the featherweight division in a ride time of 12:14:57, four seconds ahead of Federighi, who placed as first lightweight. It was the second 100-mile win for Stevenson and Maddie, as she surprised the endurance world by winning the Old Dominion 100 in 2014, as a 14-year-old, the youngest ever to win that race.
A little over an hour later, Sara Schick of Chesapeake, Va., and Lynne Gilbert of Raphine, Va., finished together, both on Asgard Arabians. Schick placed third on Legalas, the horse she won in the OD's 2006 fund-raising raffle.
Despite the best efforts of her crew and being triple blanketed, Gilbert's horse Mercuric was pulled at the finish for a hind end cramp. Endurance riding's rules are explicit about the horse being "fit to continue" to get a completion.
Rounding out the top 10 were Godwin, of Laytonsville, Md., on PL Mercury; Ann Mebane of Star Tannery, Va., on HH Saba Shams; Pam Karner, DVM, of Ithaca, N.Y., on Clunk; Jennifer Poling of Moatsville, W.V., Prado CF; Tom Hagis of Fries, Va. (first middleweight), on Ali Mostafa; Nancy Sluys of Westfield, N.C., on FYF InZane+, and Trisha Juerling of Broad Run, Va., on Busy.
Veteran ride managers Joe Selden and Nancy Smart headed up a virtual army of experienced staff who were vital to the success of the championship event. Organized by volunteer coordinator Claire Godwin, DVM, volunteers staffed the multiple vet checks on the point-to-point trail. Among them were experienced Old Dominion drag riders and ham radio operators who provided a crucial safety net for this remote area with its spotty mobile phone coverage and limited vehicle access.
Despite several periods of heavy rain on Friday evening, the 100-mile riders awoke early Saturday to starry skies and cool temperatures. Less than two hours after the 27 starters also got underway at 7 a.m., a rush of front-runners arrived at the Bird Haven vet check at the 15.7 mile mark within seconds of each other.
This fast pace continued past Laurel Run, with five horse-and-rider teams arriving together at the 45.6 mile Bucktail hold. The pace slowed around noon, as horses negotiated technical single-track trail along the mountain ridge marking the Virginia/West Virginia state line, giving riders time to enjoy the spectacle of the sun illuminating the fall foliage in the surrounding mountains.
By the Wates Run "gate and go" hold at the 51.1 mile mark, the course had begun to take its toll, with two horses pulled there. But the pace didn't slacken for the front-runners, even as darkness took hold.
At the end 18 riders and horses would finish the 100-mile race. Stevenson's Maddie earned the best condition award and tied for high veterinary score.
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Two days earlier, the 50-mile championship had also dawned cool and clear. The perfect fall weather contributed to a 79 percent completion rate, with 33 out of 42 completing the ride.
Finishing 10th were Holly Corcoran and Poete, who traveled from Stroudsburg, Pa., for the championships.
For the first time, both a 25-mile limited distance open ride and a ride-and-tie event were held in conjunction with the AERC National Championship, on the day between the 50- and 100-mile competitions. A total of 44 limited distance riders and nine ride-and-tie teams added both revenue and more spectators to the event.
AERC's 2016 national championship will be held Sept. 8 and 10 on the riding trails of Antelope Island State Park, which lies within the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
For more information about endurance riding, or to request a free information packet, contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, California, at 866-271-2372, e-mail aerc@foothill.net, or visit www.aerc.org
ALSO: Learn more about endurance riding
About the Old Dominion Rides, Inc.
Formed in 1973 as a 501c(3) nonprofit to promote and support the sport of endurance riding, the Old Dominion offers three AERC-sanctioned rides as well as several ride-and-tie events each year, but takes seriously its mission to preserve trails and educate riders "in the enjoyment, safety and well-being of the working endurance horses" by offering regular clinics and training rides.
The Old Dominion previously hosted the 1988 AERC National Championship in Front Royal and 2006 AERC National Championship in Fort Valley. In 2008, loss of those trails from development led the organization to move its 100-mile ride south and west to Orkney Springs, with nearly all of its trails now within the George Washington National Forest, in Virginia and West Virginia.
Since then, "Dozens of volunteers have worked countless hours to develop our new trail system and vet check locations, as well as improve our base camp along Happy Valley Road," explained Jack Weber, an Old Dominion board member who managed the ride's base camp and emceed the national championship award ceremonies.
Weber credits OD board member Virginia Ingram for the base camp's cheerful and beautiful landscaping. She and her son and daughter installed footbridges across the creek dividing the meals tent from the vetting, vendor and camping areas. Bright flowerbeds and Halloween-themed decorations, with lights woven through tree limbs and along paths, adding a festive flair to the event.
The Old Dominion looks forward to welcoming endurance riders to its beautiful base camp for many years to come.
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