Ok, it’s time for a more detailed introduction. You need to get to know my horse and me as we head out on this ambitious journey to make an endurance horse out of Riyah.

Me:

I’ve had horses for a lot of years now. I rode as a kid on our ponies, fell off a lot, did silly stunts and fell off some more. I began riding as an adult twelve years ago, took a lot of lessons and now I don’t fall off as often! Go figure!

I have a wonderful, sweet, clever, loyal, kind gelding who I absolutely adore. I have evented him, done jumpers, and trail ridden him everywhere. He can do it all, but he is NOT a distance horse and is quick to tell me so. Five mile trail rides are great in his opinion; he can do ten if we must, but no more than that please. I’m a great believer in letting horses do what they enjoy rather than forcing them into a sport they don’t get into. Keno loves to do a great variety of things, but distance is not one of them.

A few years ago I bought a twelve-year-old arab/quarter cross mare originally intending her to be a trail horse for my husband. Sort of. Well, long story short—he doesn’t really get into riding, so rather than let Gypsy stand around, I began riding her. Low and behold I discovered that this little mare was full of GO! She excelled at long rides! She was strong. She was sound. And she was very determined. Within a year I had decided to take Gypsy to an endurance ride and see what she could do.

I had played with the idea of doing endurance for a couple of years, but didn’t know anyone involved in the sport. Undaunted, I did some research, conditioned my horse and myself, and entered the Hell’s Kitchen Canyon ride in Gunnison, UT in May 2008. Wow! That little horse had gears I had never felt before! She had a blast! I was amazed and immediately hooked on a new and very challenging sport. (Read more about endurance by going to aerc.org.)

Gypsy and I completed three twenty-five mile rides before attempting a 50-miler. She was forward, relaxed, competitive, trail wise, and an easy camper and traveler. At the age of 15, with less than a year in the sport, I took her to California to ride in the Tevis Cup-the biggest, baddest, granddaddy of all endurance rides---100 miles over the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains in 24 grueling hours. I had supreme faith in my horse. It was the ultimate endurance test and Gypsy passed with flying colors! She was amazing--tough and determined and stoic the entire way. It was by far the hardest thing we had ever done.

I try to balance my horse activities with the rest of my life. I know at times horses seem to take over, but I love to spend time with my husband and grown daughters as well. I love to play with my grandsons. I also have my art. I make glass and tile mosaic, mostly horse-themed. I also work as the librarian at the local elementary school part time.

The Horse:

Riyah (a.k.a. Glory Al-Riyah) (f.k.a. Bobbie) is a sweet 14.2H bay mare. She has two white socks and a star and a small snip. She has lots of mane and forelock which she likes to toss for dramatic emphasis. She really is a beautiful horse. Her grandsire is Ralvon Pilgrim, an Arab stallion who won Supreme Champion of All Breeds at the Royal Victoria Horse Show in London, England.

She was foaled at the BYU horse project in July 2004. Somehow she slipped through the cracks and ended up starved and neglected in someone’s field. She was finally rescued by a generous lady named Wendy, who brought her to my good friend Judy’s ranch for some recovery time in a lush green pasture with proper care and a knowledgeable eye to watch over her. She stayed there for three years, and I got to know her since I was Judy's chore girl when she went out of town. Judy moved south last fall, and Riyah needed an new owner. She needed to get on with her life, so she joined mine. We are in this adventure together.