Appaloosa Horse Club Announces Inaugural National Championship Endurance Ride

Equestrian News Release
Moscow, Idaho - The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) is proud to announce its inaugural 50-mile National Championship Endurance Ride scheduled for June 3, 2006, in Palmyra, Wisconsin. The event is being hosted by and held in conjunction with an Appaloosa Distance Riding Association (ApDRA) ride, and will follow the guidelines and rules set forth by the American Endurance Ride Conference.

Horses and riders have until May 30, 2006, to qualify. Youth riders 16 and under as of January 1, 2006, do not need to qualify for the ride, but they are required to ride with a sponsor.

In order to qualify for the ride, an Appaloosa must be regular- or CPO-registered with the ApHC, and the owner must be a current ApHC member in good standing. Both the horse and rider must have completed 100 lifetime distance miles, although mileage accrued does not have to be from the rider/horse combination that is registering for the ride. The 100 distance miles can be accumulated from endurance and/or competitive trail rides of 25 miles distance or greater. However, 50 of the 100 miles must be from a successfully completed 50-mile endurance ride.

Qualified riders must dual-register both with the ApHC and with the ApDRA to enter the ride. The ApHC registration fee is $35 if registered by April 30, 2006, and a late registration fee of $75 will apply if registering from May 1 -through June 2. Applications for the ride can be downloaded at http://www.appaloosa.com. Contact Dawn Joy Haas with the ApDRA at (262) 495-8105 for ApDRA registration requirements.

The first Appaloosa to successfully complete the ride will be titled an ApHC National Champion and will receive a National Endurance Ride Championship trophy. The champion will also receive a buckle sponsored by JB Tack of Jefferson, Wisconsin.

The George Hatley Best Condition trophy will be awarded to the horse judged by the vet to be in the best condition at the end of the race. Only the first 10 Appaloosas to successfully complete the ride within two hours of the winning Appaloosa's time will be considered for this award. The name of the horse earning the award will be added to the trophy, which the award winner will keep for a one-year period. The remaining top 10 finishers will each receive an award ribbon. Western Cattle Company of Peru, Illinois, is also sponsoring a buckle for the best-condition award.

The Heart of Illinois Spring Get Out Show is sponsoring a belt buckle in memory of Louis Busch, to be awarded to the first youth finishing successfully.

All riders will enjoy a dinner on Friday evening, June 2, provided by several generous individuals, and will receive a bag of feed and a T-shirt provided by Nutrena. The ApHC would like to express appreciation to the sponsors of the ride and all the individuals who have put forth time and money to ensure the ride will be successful and enjoyable.

For additional information on the ride, please contact the ApHC Trail Department at (208) 882-5578 ext. 221 or trailrides@appaloosa.com.