Cariboo Gold Rush Express

By Joanne Macaluso | Photos Monika Paterson Photography

The Cariboo Gold Rush Express Endurance event held July 1 and 2 was a great success! For the second year in a row, the ride was held at the Monical Arena, a beautiful facility located just north of 100 Mile House. The event showcased the rolling hills, lakes and creeks that the Cariboo is famous for and on both days, riders, horses, vets and volunteers were greeted with sunshine.

We were honoured to welcome back our veterinary judges from last year. Dr. Glenn Sinclair hails from Manitoba and has judged events around the globe. Our “very own” Dr. Stefanie Krumsiek from Williams Lake rounded out the talented judging team. Riders came from all over BC, from as far as Fort St. John in the north and Vancouver Island to the south. We also welcomed two riders from Alberta and two from Oregon, USA.

There were 17 riders entered for the 50 mile on day one with 23 riders in the 25 mile distance. A total of 9 juniors participated (the youngest at just 8 years old)! Many riders were reaching milestones such as their first 25 mile event or first 50 miler.

Day two entries totalled 5 in the 50 mile distance and 10 in the 25 mile distance; however, the talk of the day was the introductory/fun ride with 19 entries! The introductory ride is not a competition. Rather, riders and their equines receive a pre- and post-ride vet check and this year, had a choice of an 8 mile loop or 17 mile loop to ride at their own controlled pace. The purpose of the fun ride is to provide riders with a taste of “what to expect” at an endurance event including pacing, how to care for their equines, (and themselves), how to present to the veterinarian, etc. Nine of the intro riders were brand new to endurance and after their ride, many declared that they were “hooked” and would love to pursue the sport further.

Most of the endurance events in BC offer introductory rides… please visit erabc.com for upcoming events and join us for some fun. The Cariboo Gold Rush Express team would like to thank all the participants and tireless volunteers, along with our sponsors, whose contributions helped make our event run so well. Success depends on many!

Results July 1:

50 MILE:

1st - Nick McDonald (Kamairo)

2nd - Mackenzie Lee (riding her first 50 mile event) (Maverick)

3rd - Whitney Medley (FV Canadian Dreamer)

4th - Jennifer Grace (The Flag is Up)

25 MILE:

1st - Amy Krazizky (Fantastic Mr. Fox)

2nd - Megan Ducharme (Tesh)

3rd - Daniela Wettstein (Paco)

4th - Shawnee Venables (Excalibur)

Results July 2

50 MILE:

1st - Nick McDonald (KO Can't Touch This)

2nd - Junior Rider Saylor Mayor (Monte Karlo)

3rd - Debbie Powell (FV Aura Dreamscape)

4th - Stephany Dean (Zanthia)

25 MILE:

1st - Marlene Moss (Double Exposure PW)

2nd - Daniela Wettstein (Marty)

3rd - Stace Moss (Double Bey Latte)

4th - Junior Rider Aryanna Langan