OUTSTANDING ENDURANCE STATISTICS

New (quite impressive) numbers are as follows:

TOTAL RECORDED MILES: 56,251

OVERALL RIDES ENTERED/COMPLETED:
1,586 / 1,319

BEST CONDITIONED: 85

NUMBER OF TOP 10 FINISHES: 612

(Data compiled from AERC National Office)

Ssamiam - winner of the 2011 Qatar International Cup 120km. See more about Sam below at WEG.

Photos of Charles Granger with BREAKING NEWZ (5 year old gelding by Patriot Missle+/ out of TC Break Dancer, by Wiking; bred by Cre Run)...

Alisija writes "a match made in Heaven! Thank you CRE RUN!!!"

"Hi All,

Awesome Wolf now knows what a mountain is. He finished the grueling 55 mile ride with all A’s and a CRI of 52/52. He has done everything we asked of him this year and will get some time off for now."

Bob and Teri

Awesome Wolf is a 2005 gelding by NIVOUR DE CARDONNE out of Awesome Gal by Asjah Ibn Faleh. He was bred by Cre Run Farm and is owned by Bob Walsh and ridden by Teri Carroll.

"Thought you might like an update on how Dream's 2012 endurance season is progressing. We started the season with a top 10 finish at Rabbit Run, followed by both a top 10 finish and Best Conditioned at No Frills (her second year in a row for BC there!) Next came a 4th place finish in the Old Dominion 100. Most recently, we placed 2nd and got Best Conditioned at Ride Between the Rivers. The attached photo (taken by Becky Pearman) is from that ride. Dream is always ready for the next challenge and I can't wait for the rest of our season." - Dawn Engle

Wirtual Dream is a 2000 grey mare by SAM TIKI out of Wikings Dream, by Wiking. She was bred by Cre Run Farm.

Owner Bob Walsh proudly reports that Sheik Sheik Sheik and Awesome Wolf competed at the 2 day 50 in Huntingdon, Pa. Sheik was ridden by Teri Carroll and Wolf by Clarisse Capize from France. Three weeks later, Sheik ran in the Old Dominion 100 with Teri finishing 13th.

Awesome Wolf is by Nivour De Cardonne and out of Awesome Gal by Asjah Ibn Faleh. Sheik Sheik Sheik is by Samsheik out of C R Dasire by Moniet El Nafis.

Both these outstanding athletes were bred by Cre Run.

Prince Sam is Cover Boy on Endurance News

Photo from Cover Endurance News, May 2012 issue: Karen Bell (rider) of North Carolina is on her way to a top ten finish at last September's Canter Over the Mountain ride with her now-10-year-old Arabian gelding Prince Sam. Karen and Sam finished the 50-mile ride, held in West Virginia, in 9:51. Karen has 1,515 endurance and 515 LD miles; Sam has 1,250/55. Photo by Peter DeMott, www.photosbypdemott.com.

We congratulate Karen and Prince Sam for their great finishes and continued sucess in 2012: Far Out Forest 50 Miles 2/18/12 - SE Region - tied for 9th place 08:29 85/55

Prince Sam is bred by Cre Run - He is by the supreme endurance sire Sam Tiki+ and out of Monarchs Princess.

Finderzkeepers is a 5 year old gelding by Nivour De Cardonne out of Dream Keeper by Tiki Tork Ku. He was bred by Cre Run.

"We did our first 50 at Broxton Bridge. He scored all A's with an A- in gut sound after the last loop. He drank and ate well and behaved well on the trail. His heart rate scores were great. He went out solo on his last loop, never hesitated. He has done two more 50's and I am working on qualifying him for the AERC Nationals in September. He completed the Camp Osborn Pow Wow on 2/11/2012. Then he came in 13th at the Sandhills Spring Fling on 4/14/2012. We had a trailer incident on the the way to the last ride and he sat in the trailer for 4 hrs. with banging air compressor noise and truck breaks releasing steam while at the service center. He never pawed or acted up at all. I really could not believe it at his young age. I am very pleased with his performance... Will keep you updated." ~ Bonni Hannah

Maximum Heat, bred by Cre Run Farm, is a 2002 gelding by Makzan and out of Hilarius. He was fourth at Tevis this year, ridden by his owner Dayna Weary who gives much credit to Michele Roush DVM and also to her friend Carol Fontana.

"...it should be noted that Max and Michele Roush DVM are the real stars here. When we have family or friends come over to ride, we put them on Max. He always travels straight, never spooks and you can practically bring him to a stop with verbal commands. Bruce and I love everything about Max, but above all things his mind." ~ Dayna Weary

At 75 years young, Emily Richardson is still very active in equestrian sports. She completed the AERC 50-mile course on Crimson Sage (MHF Eclipse x Capri El Csage) in 40th place, with a ride time of 7 hours. Emily, who resides in northern Virginia, said, "I was foxhunting (which she still does three or four days a week) and started doing distance riding witht he three-day CTR (competitive trail riding) in 1962. Consequently, I met Matthew MacKay Smith at the CTR and I remember asking him, "Why are you doing this instead of endurance?" i don´t think I talked to anyone else at that ride but Matthew and his wife Winkie! I was hooked! So he started me out in endurance at the Old Dominion Ride with my Thoroughbred hunter. I did quite well then, but I wanted an Arabian," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "By then, I was divorced, living in Washington, D.C., where I worked. I got my first Arabian from John R. 'Doc' Aldred, Rollingwood Farm, and boarded him at Madeira School in Leesburg. I had my hands full with this horse, but persisted, and then finally sold him and rode some of Lori Shifflett´s and Valerie Kanavy´s horses, as I´d known Val since she lived in Pennsylvania doing ECTRA (Eastern Competitive Trail Ride Association). it was 11 years ago that Lori called me and told me to come down to Cre Run Farm and buy this chestnut just off the track. That was Crimson Sage, who is now 17. Sage is a tough, brave horse who has a very high opinion of himself!

"My goal is always to come home with a sound horse to go again, whatever the sport," she said. "I had the good fortune in that my former husband, Aubrey Downs, is a wonderful horseman and gave me, with Valerie and Lori, a deep appreciation of training horses with long, slow, steady work. I don´t race and rarely know where I am in a ride until it is over. I have three good Arabians now. Two of them I hunt regularly on and with one of those I do endurance as well, and I do solely endurance with Sage."

As for her age, Richardson said, "I don´t think about my age as my friends keep me young as a history professor I´m surrounded by college students!"

About endurance, she said, "I always enjoy helping friends and bringing along new horses and riders in the sport - a sport that teaches you life skills. I worked with Quaker Peace and Service in the war zone in Sri Lanka providing food, medical supplies, and training women in basic health education and emergency treatment for about 18 months, and later, worked in Bosnia several times (over a couple of years) for US/AID delivering food and medical supplies into the war zone. I also worked in Sarajevo as a Western country representative in their elections. Endurance riding enabled me to get through very difficult times that, like endurance, required a steady mind and confidence. When friends ask me which sport I prefer, my answer is endurance! You get to ride, be with good friends, and see spectacular scenery for 50 miles and more! Why wouldn´t it be my favorite sport?"

July 29 Lexington, KY~ 120km CEI4* divisions saw Team USA take home the Gold medal with a collective ride time of 25:25:31. In the CEI2* class, the Team Gold medal was awarded to Team USA Northeast A, with a collective ride time of 25 :40 :57. Twenty-nine riders from Canada, Columbia, Germany, Mexico, Spain and the USA competed in the ride over trails through the Lexington, Kentucky countryside, much of which was also used at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, Kentucky.

Individually in the CEI2*, the Gold medal was awarded to Sophia Bashir from Team USA Central and Dazed And Amazed! Photo left. Dazed And Amazed is a grey gelding by Tron Ku Tu out of BW Amazing Grace, and was purchased by Lori Shifflett from Cre Run.

Congratulations to all the Junior and Young Riders in this exciting event. Read full story here.

"I first saw Wirtual Dream through a microscope in 1999—she was one of Cre Run’s first embryo transfers. Seven years later, she re-entered my life when I met her current owner, Tim Miller of Sami Hills Farm. Since then, Dreams and I have shared many miles of trail together, including our first 100, 10 top tens, 2 BCs, and 1 win. We placed 7th in the Lightweight division of AERC's Northeast region in ’08. Dreams then contracted Lyme disease, which sidelined us in ’09. Our 2010 season has shown us that she is back to form, recently finishing second in the Moonlight in Vermont 50. Dreams is the perfect blending of her mother’s determination and her father’s mellow personality. I am now her proud co-owner and cannot wait to see where else our journey brings us!"

Dawn Engle & Wirtual Dream.

Wirtual Dream is a 2000 grey mare by Sam Tiki out of Wikings Dream, by Wiking.

Sheik Sheik Sheik was ridden by Daryl Downs for owner Robert Walsh.

"Sheik is one of the strongest Arabian horses I have ever ridden, " said Daryl. "When Bob Walsh asked if I would do Old Dominion on him, I jumped at the idea! I look forward to doing more miles with Sheik, as we continue to learn more about each other."

Congratulations everyone!

"Mister K is an 8 year old gelding sired by Sam Tiki. He had 71 starts on the racetrack and won over $80,000. Retired totally sound and is now turning into an awesome endurance horse. He just did his first ride a 50 at Freeze R' Burn and got 2nd place in a very competative field. I was very impressed by his performance."

Cameron Holzer, www.charabianhorses.net

photo, Cameron & Mister K

"Ibn Ecclipse has competed in the NATRC (North American Trail Riders Conference) competitive trail riding. This is long distance competition at a pace that is timed, and the horse has a score card (and so does the rider) that judges their fitness, trail ability and manners, and recovery. It differences from AERC endurance riding because it is not always the first one to finish that wins. Since he was 7 years of age, he has competed in over 20 rides and has placed first in 9 of them and second in 6, and has won 2 Sweepstakes for overall points. He also won a year end NATRC Region 1 award for 2nd place overall, plus won the Arabian Horse Association High Point Champion for Competitive Trail in the National Division.

Ibn Ecclipse contines to amaze me with his energy, love, and enduring 'horseanality'."

Patricia Anderson

photo, Patricia & Ibn Eclipse