Overview:
Western North Carolina produced nearly ideal weather for long distance competition for the ride: temperatures peaking around the mid-70s, overcast, with the afternoon mountain shower to keep things cool. The rain helped the trails in that it kept the dust down and provided a more forgiving surface -- vs the extremely hard trails we had last year. But, as usual with rain in this part of the world, some slick spots developed.
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This year, for the first time, the Biltmore Challenge offered a 75-mile ride. Participation in the event was good, and the riders enthusiastic. A total of 157 horses started: 78 in the 50-mile ride; 34 in the new-this-year 75-mile ride; and 45 in the 100-mile ride. As you will see, the big news in the 100-mile ride is the outstanding performance of Valerie Kanavy on her Spectular Gold, sweeping AERC 100 win, AERC BC, FEI 100 win, FEI BC, and AHA Arab. CONGRATULATIONS! We had our third year of team competition at Biltmore this year, available to all riders. Teams consisted of between 3 and 4 riders with the best three times being considered to determine team placings. |
Valerie Kanavy and Spectacular Gold |
APEX (A Partnership for Endurance Xcellence) sponsored novice awards in each distance to the first three riders who complete a distance further than they have ever gone before. The awards were ever-useful polo shirts. Winners in the 50 were Nicole Abrams and Amy Sumrall and in the 75 were Bonni Hannah, Dorota Raciborska, and Valerie Weil. No self-nominated novices at the 100 mile distance completed.
AERC 50 Results:
78 horses and riders started the AERC 50-mile ride, with 61 completing the 50.5 mile course, a 78% completion rate (compared to 67% in 2008 and 73.6% in 2007). Completion awards were travel mugs sponsored by the Biltmore Equestrian Center and Blue Seal Feeds.
| The winner of the 50 was Bob Gielen on his horse, FC Galaxy, in a ride time of 4:25:29. They won a beautiful horse-design fleece quilt made and donated by Jane Graffam. To top it off, Best Conditioned was also won by Bob Gielen and FC Galaxy. The BC award was a $50 gift certificate donated by Amy Cieri of Cadence Farm. |  |
Nine minutes after Bob and second to finish was Kara Disbrow on Veinte Corona. They won a beautifully decorated box donated by Ann Pfeiffer. Third to finish, a second behind Kara, was Sudi Lenhart on Emerald Essence, winning a set of sponges donated by Anne Ayala.
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Louise Wilson won High Vet Score, and a Tacky Tack saddle pad donated by Shorty Grey of Shorty's Tack. The 50-mile ride had 4 Juniors competing, with Louise Wilson winning the Junior division on Betsey Knight's Bonafyed. The prize was an 8" x 10" portrait photograph taken at a ride of Louise's choice by Genie Stewart-Spears. |
The Middle of the Pack award was another TackyTack saddle pad, donated by Shorty Grey of Shorty's Saddles. That prize was won by Nicole Young on Piper. The Back of the Pack award, a copy of the book Dogwatching donated by Mr Yaguchi, went to Teresa Mae Finnerty on The Station Master.
Top ten awards were gym duffels, with a dramatic gold-on-black custom design, donated by BlueSeal feeds. Awards for placing between 11 and 20 were Dy's Liquid Bandage, donated by Advanced Biological Concepts.
Complete AERC 50-mile results are available here.
FEI 50 Results:
After a break of a year, Biltmore once again hosted an FEI competition. The new FEI ladder system has changed the attitude towards riding lower-distance FEI events, since in order to compete at the higher level events riders and horses must start with lower level FEI rides. So, for the first time, the FEI 50 had more than a small handful of entries. In fact, the senior FEI 50-mile division had 22 riders, with 16 completing (73%) and all pulls due to lameness. The Young Rider FEI 50-mile division had 5 riders with 100% completion.
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Eva de Paulis won the senior FEI 50-mile division, riding AD Finale, in a ride time of 5:12. She won an 8" x 10" portrait photograph taken at a ride of her choice by Genie Stewart-Spears. No Best Conditioned was awarded in the FEI senior division. |
| The FEI Young Rider division was won by Enrique Searle Martinez, riding Ceci Butler Stasiuk's DJB KD Fantasia in a ride time of 4:43. For First to Finish Young Rider, Enrique won a crew gear bag donated by Kristen Lacey at Distance Depot and a polo shirt donated by APEX. Enrique also won Best Conditioned in the Young Rider division, winning a $50 gift certificate donated by Amy Cieri of Cadence Farm. |  |
Summary FEI 50-mile results are available here for senior riders and here for young riders.
AHA 50 Results:
The 50-mile AHA local competition required explicit entry, AHA competition card for owner and rider, and Arab, Half Arab, or AngloArab registry. The competition drew 17 entries, 16 Arabs and 1 Half-Arab.
Eva de Paulis won the 50-mile Arabian competition riding AD Finale with a ride time of 5:12:35. The prize for first place Arab was a bling halter. Kelly Stoneburner took first place in the Half-Arab division on Julie Bullock's GDF Alexandra in a ride time of 7:27:52. Kelly won a useful briefcase.
Full results for the AHA 50 are available here.
Team 50 Results:
15 teams were assembled in the 50 to compete for awards offered for the top three teams. The first times of the fastest three riders out of three or four counted. While the primary sponsor of the team awards was Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, other prizes were donated by Biltmore Equestrian Center.
The first place team was "Team Longshot" consisting of Kara Disbrow, Scott Carroll, Teresa Carroll, and Sudi Lenhart. They were the clear winners with a combined best-three ride time of 16:23 (compare to last year's first place team winning time of 14:12). Their combined time won them medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, and gift certificates also donated by Teddy. The "Team Tennessee" team finished second with a combined best-three ride time of 17:33 posted by Eva de Paulis, Louise Wilson, Betsey Knight, and Susan Thompson. Their second place finish won them medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, and the book Animal Lover's Bedtime Stories (by Sue Grenall) donated by BEC. The third place overall team, "Three Men and a Hedgecock" consisted of Bob Gielen, Frank Murphy, Mike Bostic, and Sue Hedgecock, with a combined time of 17:54. They received medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, and framed Chinese paper cuts of horses.
34 horses and riders started the AERC 75-mile ride, with 22 completing the 74.4 mile course, a 65% completion rate. Completion awards were travel mugs sponsored by the Biltmore Equestrian Center and Blue Seal Feeds.
The winner of the 75 was Bonni Hannah on her horse, Rezus Respite, in a ride time of 7:06:45. They won a beautiful bas-relief tile made by Nan Jacobsohn of Wild Horses. Best Conditioned was also won by Bonni Hannah and Rezus Respite. The BC award was a $50 gift certificate donated by Amy Cieri of Cadence Farm. |
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Fifteen minutes later and second to finish was Ceci Butler-Stasiuk on Darolyn Butler's DJB Juniper. They won a beautifully decorated box donated by Ann Pfeiffer. Third to finish, thirty-five minutes further back, was Mary Farris on Thundering Overtime.
Dom Freeman won High Vet Score on Stagg Newman's Jayel Super, and a Tacky Tack saddle pad donated by Shorty Grey of Shorty's Tack.
The 75-mile ride had no Juniors completing.
The Middle of the Pack award was another TackyTack saddle pad, donated by Shorty Grey of Shorty's Saddles. That prize was won by Kim Orr on USA Carson's Gold. The Back of the Pack award, a copy of the book Dogwatching donated by Mr Yaguchi, went to Cate Peloquin on Maxtiki Pi.
Top ten awards were gym duffels, with a dramatic gold-on-black custom design, donated by BlueSeal feeds. Awards for placing between 11 and 20 were Dy's Liquid Bandage and Fortified ABC Plus 3-pound samples, all donated by Advanced Biological Concepts.
Complete AERC 75-mile results are available here.
The senior FEI 75-mile division had 18 riders, with 13 completing (72%) and all pulls due to lameness. The Young Rider FEI 75-mile division had no riders.
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Ceci Butler-Stasiuk won the senior FEI 75-mile division, riding Darolyn Butler's DJB Juniper, in a ride time of 7:21. She won a crew gear bag donated by Kristen Lacey of Distance Depot. |
| FEI Best Conditioned was awarded to Mary Farris and Thundering Overtime, winning a $50 gift certificate donated by Amy Cieri of Cadence Farm. |  |
Summary FEI 75-mile results are available here.
The 75-mile AHA local competition required explicit entry, AHA competition card for owner and rider, and Arab, Half Arab, or AngloArab registry. The competition drew 9 entries, 6 Arabs and 3 Half-Arabs.
Bonni Hannah won the 75-mile Arabian competition riding Rezus Respite with a ride time of 7:06:45. The prize for first place Arab was a Terry Hecker plate. Leigh Ann Pauley took first place in the Half-Arab division on her Blizzard Bey in a ride time of 8:04:37. Leigh Ann won a safety halter.
Full results for the AHA 75 are available here.
6 teams were assembled in the 75 to compete for awards offered for the top three teams. The first times of the fastest three riders out of three or four counted. While the primary sponsor of the team awards was Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, other prizes were donated by Biltmore Equestrian Center.
Three teams finished 3 or more riders. Neither of the first two of the finishing teams chose names (tsk, tsk). The first place team members were Cheryl Van Deusen, Barb Mathews, Mary Farris, and Kyoko Fukumori. Their total time was 25:50:04. Their combined time won them medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, and gift certificates also donated by Teddy. The second place team consisted of Kristin Waters Wise, Erin Foster, Valerie Weil, and Sarah Schick. Their total time was 30:00:30, good enough to win them medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, and the book Animal Lover's Bedtime Stories (by Sue Grenall) donated by BEC. The third place team, "Four Peas in a Pod", consisted of Skip Kemerer, Samantha Lewis, Cate Peloquin, and Lisa Delp with a combined riding time of 34:55:01, winning medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear.
45 horses and riders started the AERC 100-mile ride, with 29 completing the 98.3 mile course, a 64.4% completion rate. Completion awards were travel mugs sponsored by the Biltmore Equestrian Center and Blue Seal Feeds.
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The winner of the 100 was Valerie Kanavy on her horse, Spectacular Gold, in a ride time of 10:05:12. They won a maroon-with grey embroidery waterproof blanket donated by Mary Coleman of Country Aire Farm in memory of Maggy Price. Valerie and Spectacular Gold also won Best Conditioned. The BC award was a fabulous red bridle and rein set crafted by Amanda Taylor of Taylored Tack. Valerie completed her AERC sweep by winning High Vet Score and a Tacky Tack saddle pad donated by Shorty Grey of Shorty's Tack. |
| The 100-mile ride had one Junior competing and completing: McKenzie Canard on Jeannie Waldron's Pippi Longstocking in 15:37:18. McKenzie won an 8" x 10" portrait photograph taken at a ride of McKenzie's choice by Genie Stewart-Spears. |  |
Three minutes after Valerie Kanavy and second to finish was Farzad Faryadi on Hot Desert Knight. They won a beautifully decorated box donated by Ann Pfeiffer. Third to finish, twenty-eight minutes further back, was Nicki Meuten on Not Tonight.
The Middle of the Pack award was another TackyTack saddle pad, donated by Shorty Grey of Shorty's Saddles. That prize was won by Mary Howell on Megan Savory's Shashaani. The Back of the Pack award, a copy of the book Dogwatching donated by Mr Yaguchi and a glitzy turtle donated by Ann Pfeiffer and Trish Harrop, went to Shannon Loomis on her up-and-coming Morgan Quest for Star.
Top ten awards were gym duffels, with a dramatic gold-on-black custom design, donated by BlueSeal feeds. Awards for placing between 11 and 20 were Dy's Liquid Bandage and Pro-Bi samples, all donated by Advanced Biological Concepts.
Complete AERC 100-mile results are available here.
The senior FEI 100-mile division had 19 riders, with 15 completing (79%) and all pulls due to lameness. The Young Rider FEI 100-mile division had one rider who did not complete.
Valerie Kanavy won the senior FEI 100-mile division, riding Spectacular Gold, in a ride time of 10:05:12. She won a crew gear bag donated by Kristen Lacey of Distance Depot. FEI Best Conditioned was also awarded to Valerie, winning a $50 gift certificate donated by Amy Cieri of Cadence Farm.
Summary FEI 100-mile results are available here.
AHA 100 Results:
The 100-mile AHA local competition required explicit entry, AHA competition card for owner and rider, and Arab, Half Arab, or AngloArab registry. The competition drew 9 entries, all Arabs.
Valerie Kanavy and Spectacular Gold continued their sweep by winning the top Arab in the 100-mile ride. She won a Hadley bag with a horse imprint.
Full results for the AHA 100 are available here.
Team 100 Results:
9 teams were assembled in the 100 to compete for awards offered for the top three teams. The first times of the fastest three riders out of three or four counted. While the primary sponsor of the team awards was Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, other prizes were donated by Biltmore Equestrian Center.
The first place team was the quartet, "3 Furriners and a Yankee" with members Farzad Faryadi, Heather Hoyns, Megan Savory, and Mary Howell. Their total time was 33:43. Their combined time won them medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, and gift certificates also donated by Teddy. The second place team, "Snooz U Looz", consisted of Julie Jackson-Biegert, Valerie Kanavy, Ed Kidd, and Michelle Mattingley. Their total time was 33:55, good enough to win them medals donated by Teddy Lancaster of Running Bear, and the book Animal Lover's Bedtime Stories (by Sue Grenall) donated by BEC. The third place team were "Cougar Hits the Jackpot", with riders Daryl Downs, Gabriel van Arman, Steven Hay, and Claire Godwin, with a combined ride time of 35:27.
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