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Avery Translates Global Lessons to the Podium
FEI.org - Full Article
06 November 2025
Stacey Stearns
Sometimes success begins by turning a different corner. For young American Endurance talent Avery Betz-Conway, that turn came two years ago in a qualifying ride, when a fellow rider fell. While others kept going, she stopped to check that both horse and rider were all right. The decision cost her time that day, but it would ultimately open a door that led all the way to the Pan American podium in Campinas (BRA).
“We stayed in touch while qualifying for the World Championships,” the 19-year-old said. “This year, his family leased a horse to me for the Pan Ams. If I hadn’t stopped to check on him during that ride, I would never have been able to compete at the Pan American Games.”
That spirit of comradeship paid off spectacularly in July, when Avery won an Individual bronze medal on Zendaya Rach at the FEI Endurance Pan American Championship for Young Riders & Juniors 2025 – the first medal for USA Endurance in more than a decade...
Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/endurance/avery-betz-conway-usa-pan-am-bronze
Cry HAVOC!: (Mostly) True Tales of a Life with Horses - C S Marks
Cry HAVOC!: (Mostly) True Tales of a Life with Horses
by C.S. Marks
October 9, 2025
“I felt like I was there.
“Thoroughly enjoyable read.”
“I could almost hear the author’s voice.”
“An immersive and captivating collection of short stories.”
An intriguing romp through the (mis)adventures of horsewoman, author, professor, and endurance-rider-of-no-consequence C.S. Marks, Cry Havoc! is guaranteed to make you smile at least once. Retold to the best of her recollection, full of humor and occasional outright wackiness, there’s an experience for everyone. If you’re an endurance rider, these stories may recall tales of your own. If you’re a horse enthusiast in other disciplines, you will soon understand why many long-distance riders are considered certifiable. And if you’re new to the world of horses, you’ll understand a lot more about them, but more than that, just read the book for fun. Because it is.
2025 Trick or Trot photos by Steve Bradley
2025 Trick or Trot Endurance ride photos in Idaho by Steve Bradley:
https://stevesphoto.smugmug.com/2025-Endurance-Rides/Holloween-D1
Endurance Future Part Two
WeAreOnTheLoose.com - Full Article
by Jamethiel Morse
November 1 2025
Part One, Endurance: Where are the ribbons? is here.
Life got a bit lifey and delayed the second installment of musing about the future of the sport of endurance. We left off talking about the culture of endurance, and it affects the growth (or decline) of the sport. One of the thornier issues I didn’t touch on is the heated debate over what constitutes “real endurance”. There’s a camp of folks that firmly believes that calling anything under a 50 mile ride endurance is doing a disservice to the true ethos of the sport. Some say only 100 mile rides are true endurance, and anything less is “just” training towards that ultimate goal.
This debate comes up like clockwork, to the detriment of our sport I think. Folks should be welcome to share the trails and this horsemanship journey called endurance with us, no matter if their goal is to rack up 100 milers or if completing one LD takes all their effort and time. Crunching current numbers shows that most folks (especially those that “pay a ride managers bills”) are actually “Limited Distance Riders”, between 25 and 35 miles. I myself view 50s as a comfortable middle: I get more bang for my buck than an LD, both in terms of time on the trail and a challenge completed, but I don’t have to stay awake and functional for a full 24 hours to complete 100 miles. Honestly, I also don’t have to push my mare and myself hard enough during training to be 100 miler fit and ready. The leap from comfortably turtling 50s, as my mare and I do, to completing a 100 miler is just as exponential as getting her to the starting line of our first LD was...
Read the rest here:
https://weareontheloose.com/2025/11/01/endurance-future-part-two/
2025 Camp Far West - Bill Gore
2025 Camp Far West Endurance ride photos in California by Bill
Gore:
https://williamgorephotography.smugmug.com/
History beckons UAE in maiden Asian Youth Games endurance event
October 27 2025
The UAE will look to make equestrian history in Bahrain by becoming the first nation to win an Asian Youth Games endurance gold.
The 2025 edition of the Games is ongoing in the Bahraini capital of Manama, with endurance marking its debut on the Games schedule with the first-ever competition at Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir on 30 October.
The UAE launches a five-pronged attack on the event with the squad featuring Essa Rashed Al Mazrouei, Ahmad Abdulrahman Al Bastaki, Ali Abdulla Al Falasi, Humaid Fahad Al Kaabi and Khalifa Rashed Al Ameemi, hoping to strike gold in both the individual and team competitions.
The UAE are widely considered one of the heavyweights of the sport and all eyes are bound to be on the Emirati contingent, who will start among the favourites.
Speaking on the team’s departure, Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Equestrian Club, emphasised that the UAE Team has prepared meticulously for the Games and will look to make the nation proud in Bahrain.
Sheikh Rashed said: “We are proud of the UAE team’s dedication, discipline, and passion — qualities that have already made the nation proud. Their journey of perseverance and teamwork stands as an inspiration. As they compete on the global stage, we’re confident their efforts will deliver great results and further elevate the UAE’s name in excellence and achievements.”
General Manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, Ahmed Rashed Al Kaabi added: “We are fully prepared for the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain with high spirits and strong determination. Our athletes embody the UAE’s commitment to excellence through their dedication, focus, and teamwork. We are confident they will deliver outstanding performances that reflect our nation’s values of perseverance, unity, and sportsmanship — making the UAE proud and honouring our flag.”
The UAE will look to make equestrian history in Bahrain by becoming the first nation to win an Asian Youth Games endurance gold.
The 2025 edition of the Games is ongoing in the Bahraini capital of Manama, with endurance marking its debut on the Games schedule with the first-ever competition at Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir on 30 October.
The UAE launches a five-pronged attack on the event with the squad featuring Essa Rashed Al Mazrouei, Ahmad Abdulrahman Al Bastaki, Ali Abdulla Al Falasi, Humaid Fahad Al Kaabi and Khalifa Rashed Al Ameemi, hoping to strike gold in both the individual and team competitions.
The UAE are widely considered one of the heavyweights of the sport and all eyes are bound to be on the Emirati contingent, who will start among the favourites.
Speaking on the team’s departure, Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Equestrian Club, emphasised that the UAE Team has prepared meticulously for the Games and will look to make the nation proud in Bahrain.
Sheikh Rashed said: “We are proud of the UAE team’s dedication, discipline, and passion — qualities that have already made the nation proud. Their journey of perseverance and teamwork stands as an inspiration. As they compete on the global stage, we’re confident their efforts will deliver great results and further elevate the UAE’s name in excellence and achievements.”
General Manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, Ahmed Rashed Al Kaabi added: “We are fully prepared for the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain with high spirits and strong determination. Our athletes embody the UAE’s commitment to excellence through their dedication, focus, and teamwork. We are confident they will deliver outstanding performances that reflect our nation’s values of perseverance, unity, and sportsmanship — making the UAE proud and honouring our flag.”
No-Blood Rule Petition Attracts 17,000+ Supporters
HorseSport.com - Full Article
By: Dressur-Studien | Fair zum Pferd | October 28, 2025
To date, over 17,000 supporters have joined an international petition opposing the planned weakening of the so-called No-Blood Rule in equestrian sport.
Background
At the upcoming General Assembly of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) on November 5, 2025, in Hong Kong, a proposal will be voted on that would mean blood on a horse would no longer automatically lead to disqualification. According to the plan submitted by the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), a simple warning could suffice in the future – or, in cases where a horse has, for example, bitten its tongue, the blood could simply be wiped away before the rider continues competing.
The petition calls for this proposed relaxation to be stopped and for the existing principle – “Blood on the horse = competition over” – to remain in place. Any visible blood, regardless of whether it is caused by the rider, by equipment, or by accident, must always result in immediate elimination – to protect the horse and to maintain trust in the sport.
Furthermore, the petition demands that existing exemptions from the No-Blood Rule in other disciplines – such as driving, eventing, and endurance – be revoked. The principle must apply universally: no tolerance for blood on the horse...
Read more or listen here:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/no-blood-rule-petition-attracts-17000-supporters/
2025 Sand Hills Stampede photos by Becky Pearman
2025 Sand Hills Stampede Endurance ride photos in South Carolina by
Becky Pearman:
https://beckypearman.smugmug.com/Other/Endurance-2025/Sand-Hills-Stampede
2025 October's Horses in the Morning Endurance Podcast
HorseRadioNetwork.com - Listen
Teaching Horse Camping, Rain Gear, Virginia City 100 for October 14, 2025 by The Arabian Horse Association – HORSES IN THE MORNING
Horse Radio Network
October 14, 2025
In this endurance episode Karen guides us through training for camping at endurance rides. Plus we talk rain gear with Distance Depot and meet the winner of the Virginia City 100, Amrita OLeary. Listen in...
https://www.horseradionetwork.com/2025/10/teaching-horse-camping-rain-gear-virginia-city-100-for-october-14-2025-by-the-arabian-horse-association-horses-in-the-morning-2/
Southwest Wyoming’s wild horses will keep roaming, for now
David Dudley photo
WyomingPublicMedia.org - Full Article
Wyoming Public Radio | By Caitlin Tan
Published September 18, 2025
Thousands of wild horses will continue to roam the sprawling sagebrush sea to the northeast and south of Rock Springs.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is punting its planned roundup of all of the roughly 3,000 horses in the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin areas, as well as the northwest section of Adobe Town. This comes after a summer of back and forth amid litigation.
The BLM planned to start gathering the animals in July to appease private landowners in the area. But that got delayed until the end of August. Then October. And now, the summer of next year.
The BLM didn’t say specifically why they’re delaying, but there’s ongoing litigation from wild horse advocates...
Read more here:
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/natural-resources-energy/2025-09-18/southwest-wyomings-wild-horses-will-keep-roaming-for-now
2025 Hunting for Bigfoot photos by Hanna Bartnick
2025 Hunting for Bigfoot Endurance ride photos in Mississippi by Hanna
Bartnick, Feral Photography:
https://feralphotography.net/album/bigfoot-endurance-ride/
2025 Red Rock Rumble photos by Bill Gore
2025 Red Rock Rumble Endurance ride photos in Nevada by Bill Gore:
https://williamgorephotography.smugmug.com/2025-Endurance-Rides/Red-Rock-Rumble-2025/Bill-Gore
France’s Léa Clerissi is Riding High on Determination
FEI.org - Full Story
21 October 2025
Stacey Stearns
The teenager is determined to learn from every experience...
At just 15 years old, France’s Léa Clerissi has already ridden her way into the international spotlight.
During her first season at FEI level in 2024, she completed 12 competitions, qualified at the 3* level with seven different horses, and ended the year ranked in both the FEI and France’s standings. Her rapid rise earned her a coveted place on France’s team for the FEI Endurance European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors 2024 in Arborea (ITA), where the French won Team silver.
“My most rewarding memory is, of course, last year’s European Championship – they taught me so much,” Léa said. “What I love most about Endurance is the bond we develop with the horse, and all the beautiful landscapes we get to see.”
For 2025, Léa set her sights on qualifying for both the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses in Jullianges (FRA) and the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders & Juniors in Buftea (ROU), an ambitious goal that few achieve. But, as Endurance teaches every rider, not every season follows the plan...
Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/endurance/france-lea-clerissi-riding-high-determination
Great Britain: Horses and runners compete in cross-country challenge
BBC.com - Full Article
October 18 2025
Jonathan Holmes • Quantock Hills
Two horses have beaten around 100 runners in a 23 mile (37km) race across Somerset's Quantock Hills.
The Man v Horse endurance race, which was first held more than 40 years ago in Powys, Wales, saw the crowd of runners given a head start of only 15 minutes.
Only four competitors have ever beaten a horse in the history of the race, with the last Somerset event ending in a tie between a human and a horse at three hours and 11 minutes...
Read more here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wlqp4v500o
Pope Leo gifted with “Proton” a purebred Arabian horse
CatholicWorldReport.com - Full Article
By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú for CNA
October 15, 2025
ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 15, 2025 / 14:35 pm
Before the general audience on Oct. 15, Pope Leo XIV was gifted with a 12-year-old purebred Arabian horse named Proton.
The white horse is a gift from Michalski Stables in Kołobrzeg-Budzistowo, and will reside in Castel Gandolfo, home to the Vatican’s equestrian center. Several purebred Spanish horses are also kept at the facility located within the papal complex.
The horse belongs to one of the oldest and most esteemed equine breeds in the world, known for its elegance and endurance.
According to the Vatican, the Pole Andrzej Michalski, president of the Michalski horse farm, offered the beautiful specimen to the Holy Father, recalling that during his time as a missionary in Peru, Pope Leo XIV frequently rode horses...
Read more here:
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2025/10/15/pope-leo-gifted-with-proton-a-purebred-arabian-horse/
Three Weeks And 600 Miles: Robert Redford’s True Adventure On The Outlaw Trail
CowboyStateDaily.com - Full Article
Robert Redford’s love of the West, Wyoming and their notorious outlaws was well-known. It led him in 1976 to retrace 600 miles of The Outlaw Trail on horseback, by car and by boat over three weeks for National Geographic magazine.
Jackie Dorothy
September 28, 2025
National Geographic asked actor Robert Redford in 1976 to follow in the footsteps of the Wild West's greatest outlaws in a three-week adventure on horseback, by car, and by boat.
It apparently didn't take much convincing because Redford was already in love with the almost too-wild-to-be-true history of the West and Wyoming.
“We tend to view the Western outlaw, rightly or not, as a romantic figure,” Redford later wrote for the magazine. “I know I'm guilty of it, and for years I have been fascinated by that part of the West that offered sanctuary and escape routes to hundreds of colorful, lawless men.”
The Lure Of The Wild West
Before his 1976 trek along a 600-mile stretch of The Outlaw Trail, Redford was already familiar with the wide-open spaces of Wyoming...
Read more here:
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/09/28/three-weeks-and-600-miles-robert-redfords-true-adventure-on-the-outlaw-trail/
Solving The Riddle Of Thumps: Electrolytes, Alfalfa Both Play Starring Roles
Benoit Photo
PaulickReport.com - Full Article
Electrolyte imbalances and diet may both play a role in the condition that affected Skippylongstocking in this year's Charles Town Classic.
Bobbie Jo Lieberman
Oct 6, 2025
When Skippylongstocking headed postward for the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in late August, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had plenty of reasons to believe his 6-year-old bay star would capture his third consecutive running of the $1 million, 1 1/8-mile event. Conditions were ideal for the earner of over $3.6 million, affectionately known around the barn as “Skippy.”
West Virginia’s cooler evening weather was a welcome change from the heat and humidity of Joseph’s home base in southern Florida. Skippy, reports Joseph, is an easy horse to be around, but he knows when it’s time to run.
“He walks like he’s in charge—he gets pumped up in the paddock,” said Joseph. “He can be a handful for his groom.”
With Jose Ortiz aboard, Skippy broke well from post position four and went straight for the lead on the rail, carving out fast but comfortable fractions on the half-mile track. He looked strong until right around the half-mile pole, when he inexplicably began to lose momentum and rapidly backed up through the field until he was last on the final turn, only to be eased under the wire.
What happened? Did Skippy go to the lead too quickly? His fans on social media were concerned for his welfare, suggesting perhaps the veteran campaigner had simply grown weary of racing.
Cooling out back at the barn, the reason for his poor performance became clear—Skippy had suffered from a metabolic condition known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter, better known as the thumps. Thumps occur when the horse’s usually distinct respiration and heart rate are in synch, causing a sound akin to human hiccups...
Read more here:
https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/solving-the-riddle-of-thumps-electrolytes-alfalfa-both-play-starring-roles-
2025 September's Horses in the Morning Endurance Podcast
HorseRadioNetwork.com - Listen
Endurance: Packing for Vet Check and AHA Endurance Champ Nicole Wertz for September 9, 2025 by Arabian Horse Association
by Horse Radio Network | Sep 9, 2025 | Horses in the Morning
In this endurance episode Karen guides you through what to pack and not pack for a vet check. 2025 AHA Endurance Championship winner Nicole Wertz tells us all about her amazing ride to the Championship and we learn about the new Garmin Blaze Equine HRM. Listen in...
Listen here:
https://www.horseradionetwork.com/2025/09/endurance-packing-for-vet-check-and-aha-endurance-champ-nicole-wertz-for-september-9-2025/