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Lost Light Films Brings Endurance Riding to the Big Screen with Chasing Dreams, Based on Tevis Cup Champion Sanoma Blakeley's Memoir
PR.com
Producers Jackie Ryan-Krichevsky and Alysha Haran develop the true story of Sanoma Blakeley, the youngest woman to win the 100-mile Tevis Cup, as their microbudget road-trip feature Ashes and Ink heads toward the festival circuit
Los Angeles, CA, October 22, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Lost Light Films, the independent production company of producers Jackie Ryan-Krichevsky and Alysha Haran, has optioned Chasing Dreams: The True Story of the Youngest Female Tevis Cup Champion, the 2023 memoir by endurance rider Sanoma Blakeley (Santa Monica Press). The feature adaptation is now in development.
In 2019, at 18, Blakeley won the Tevis Cup aboard RA Ares Bey, a horse known as Goober, finishing in 14 hours and 12 minutes. She became the youngest woman ever to win the ride. Blakeley had first completed Tevis in 2013 at age 12, the minimum age to enter. She grew up near Bend, Oregon, where her family runs Blakeley Endurance Stables.
The Tevis Cup, formally the Western States Trail Ride, is the oldest modern endurance ride. Since Wendell Robie first rode it in 1955, riders have crossed the Sierra Nevada from the Lake Tahoe area to Auburn, California: one rider, one horse, 100 miles, in a single day. Veterinarians check every horse roughly every ten miles, and any horse not fit to continue is pulled. About 11,500 riders have entered since 1955; just over 6,000 have finished.
"This incredible story immediately resonated with us when we first read it, and is the perfect story to highlight the sport of Endurance Riding” said Ryan-Krichevsky. Alysha Haran, an award-winning winning writer-director along with her producing work, will pen the script and direct the film.
Ashes and Ink nears completion
Chasing Dreams follows Lost Light Films' microbudget feature Ashes and Ink, directed by Haran and written by Haran. The film follows a grieving MFA student on a cross-country road trip. It stars Laura Piccoli, Barrett Doss, Lindsey Shaw and Laura Leighton. Ashes and Ink is completing post-production and will begin its festival run in the coming months.
“Working on Ashes and Ink taught us how to produce emotional content on a nimble footprint, and now we are excited to carry that aspect into a bigger true-story feature." said Haran.
About Lost Light Films
Lost Light Films is an independent production company founded by producers Jackie Ryan-Krichevsky and Alysha Haran. Ryan-Krichevsky is co-chair of the Producers Guild of America's Physical Production Committee. Alysha Haran is also Chief Operating Office of the Chula Vista Entertainment Company.
About Sanoma Blakeley
Sanoma Blakeley is an endurance rider, horse trainer and author based near Bend, Oregon. She began competing in endurance races at age seven and won the 2019 Tevis Cup at 18. Her writing has appeared in Endurance News, Tevis Forum and Arabian Horse Life Magazine.
More info at:
https://www.pr.com/press-release/982330
Southwest Idaho Endurance Riding group Raises Money for Local Fire District
By Merri Melde and Karen Steenhof
October 12, 2026
The Southwest Idaho Trail and Distance Riders (SWIT&DR) teamed up with the Boise Back Country Horsemen to sponsor a trail ride under the full harvest moon on September 26, 2026. The Moonlight Scramble raised $2505 for the Murphy Reynolds Wilson Fire District (MRW) in Owyhee County, Idaho. Each club kept $175 each to cover expenses.
MRW is the first responder for all structural fires, wildland fires, and medical emergencies in its rural desert area of Owyhee County. The MRW fire district is comprised of 330 square miles of desert and mountains making it the second largest fire district in Idaho. MRW is an entirely volunteer department that currently has four stations and 32 volunteers.
This is the fourth year that Endurance rider Karen Steenhof has organized a fundraising trail ride, sponsored by SWIT&DR, for MRW in the Murphy, Idaho area.
Karen explained, “Our first fundraising ride for MRW was September 23, 2023, in Con Shea Basin, near Murphy, where we followed historical paths, including the Oregon Trail and the Boise, Nampa & Owyhee railroad.
“We called it the ‘Guffey Scramble’ because of the butte called Guffey in the area. We had hoped to host the first ride in 2020, but covid and weeds got in the way. In 2022 when a flash flood cleared the weeds from the sand washes, the ride was back on the calendar for the fall of the next year. We had 95 riders in 2023. The MRW fundraising ride returned again in 2024 and 2025 to the Guffey trails.
This year’s fundraiser, the Moonlight Scramble, took place near Murphy at the Wilson Creek Trailhead, part of the Wilson Creek Travel Management Area managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Owyhee desert. Boise Backcountry Horsemen joined in sponsoring the ride. Volunteers from both groups and MRW helped with trail marking, registration, parking, refreshments, and monitoring riders on trail. Trails were marked with both ribbons and battery-powered LED lights, with options of 5- or 8-mile loops.
“One of the challenges of having a moonlight ride,” said Karen, “is that there must be a full (or nearly full) moon, when the sun sets at about the same time as the moon rises. And the ride needs to be on a Saturday night. The moon doesn’t always cooperate.
“This year the full moon fell on the last Saturday in September, so we decided to make the Moonlight ride the fundraiser for MRW.”
Most Americans are used to having a nearby fire station staffed by paid firefighters 24 hours a day in their neighborhoods. In the West, help can be a long way away. Merri said, “With the more dire droughts, hotter and longer summers, and extended fire seasons now, rural fire districts have become an integral part of the communities they serve, and are often the first responders to fires, particularly here in the West.
“In August, we lived 10 miles from the edge of the Big Grass Fire, which ultimately was the second largest wildfire in the US in 2026. It burned 578,637 acres in Oregon and Idaho. Without the immediate response of volunteer firefighters (and farmers and ranchers) from these rural districts, it would have become more catastrophic than it was. In addition to the Big Grass Fire, two smaller but closer fires erupted near Murphy that were quickly attacked by MRW and other local firefighters.”
MRW Fire Chief Chuck Cooley said, “To date this year we have responded to 42 calls on the fire side and about 100 on the EMS side. 25 of those were fire related. We didn’t deploy to the Big Grass Fire, but we did coordinate and maintain contact with Silver City in the event the fire reached that area.
“Your fundraisers benefit both fire and EMS. Fund raising and donations are the staple of MRW, since our tax base is very small.”
SWIT&DR is proud to be a part of the Endurance riding community that raises fund for the firefighting communities.
US Equestrian Announces U.S. Endurance Team for 2026 FEI Endurance World Championship
USEF.org
10/13/2026
Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the combinations named to the U.S. Endurance Team for the 2026 FEI Endurance World Championship in Butheeb, UAE on December 19, 2026, and the team will be led by Chef d'Equipe Jeffrey Stuart.
The following unranked athlete-and-horse combinations have been selected to the U.S. Endurance Team for the 2026 FEI Endurance World Championships and are listed in alphabetical order.
Heather Davis (The Plains, Va.) and SM Mi Anay, a 2015 Arabian mare (SM Mi Lord x Anay Fatima) owned by Haras Paso Manzanero
Heather Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.) and Supersonic Zell, a 2012 Arabian gelding (SW Zell x Just N Tyme) owned by Heather Reynolds, Jeremy Reynolds, and Zhaoyi Cheng
Kelsey Russell (Williston, Fla.) and Juno Im Gold, a 2015 Half-Arabian gelding (Flash Golden x LM Parys) owned by Valerie Kanavy
Meg Sleeper (Frenchtown, N.J.) and her own Belesema Sapphire, a 2012 Arabian mare (Belesemo Magic x Cal Flaming Emit)
Nicole Wertz (Auburn, Calif.) and her own Little Sammy SV, a 2015 Arabian gelding (Sammy V x Zans Little Wing)
Competition Information:
The 2026 FEI Endurance World Championship will take place in Butheeb, UAE and begin on Thursday, Dec. 17, with the opening ceremony (venue to be confirmed), followed by the first vet inspection on Friday, Dec. 18. The Championship will take place on Saturday, Dec. 19, beginning at 5:45 a.m. (Dec. 18 at 8:45/9:45 p.m. EST/EDT), and awards will be presented on Sunday, Dec. 20.
Event Website
More at: https://www.usef.org/media/press-releases/us-equestrian-announces-us-endurance-team-for-3
Rocío Echeverri McCandless appointed FEI Director Endurance
13 October 2026
Author: FEI Communications
The FEI has announced the appointment of Rocío Echeverri McCandless (CRC) as its new Director Endurance.
Rocío Echeverri McCandless brings extensive experience in equestrian sport, combining in-depth technical expertise in Endurance as an athlete, official and administrator with a strong background in sports governance and executive leadership.
Echeverri McCandless has competed internationally as an Endurance athlete, representing her native Costa Rica at several major events, including the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA). An accomplished Endurance Technical Delegate, Judge and Steward, she has officiated at international competitions across four continents at the highest level of the discipline, notably at FEI World Championships.
Her experience extends to other FEI disciplines, including Eventing and Dressage. She served as Chef d’Équipe of the Costa Rican Dressage team that won the bronze medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games 2023.
Rocío Echeverri McCandless has held several senior positions in sports governance at national, regional and international levels. She was President of the Costa Rican Equestrian Federation from 2016 to 2020 and subsequently served as its Secretary General until 2024. She was also a member of the Executive Board of the Costa Rican Olympic Committee from 2016 to 2024.
At FEI level, she served on the Endurance Technical Committee from 2015 to 2018. More recently, she was Deputy Chair of FEI Regional Group V, which includes 11 nations from Central America, from 2021 to 2025.
“We are delighted to welcome Rocío to the FEI team,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
“Rocío brings an exceptional combination of practical experience in Endurance, in-depth knowledge of the FEI regulatory framework and proven leadership skills. Her experience as an athlete, official and sports administrator gives her a comprehensive understanding of the discipline and the perspectives of its various stakeholders.
“We are confident that her expertise and commitment will be valuable assets as we continue to develop Endurance internationally, with horse welfare at the heart of our priorities.”
“I am honoured and excited to take on the role of FEI Director Endurance,” Echeverri McCandless said.
“Endurance has been an important part of my life for many years, and I have had the privilege of experiencing the discipline from different perspectives.
“I look forward to working closely with the FEI team, National Federations, athletes, officials, organisers and all those involved in Endurance. My priority will be to help advance the sport, while ensuring the highest standards of fairness and integrity remain central to everything we do.”
Rocío Echeverri McCandless holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the American University in Washington, D.C., and a Master's degree in Project Management from the Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional in San José (CRC). Earlier in her career, she worked as a diplomat at the Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington, D.C. (USA).
Alongside her involvement in equestrian sport, Rocío Echeverri McCandless has extensive professional management experience. Since 2006, she has been Executive Director of ProParques, a Costa Rican non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the country's national parks and other protected natural areas.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Echeverri McCandless will report to FEI Executive Director, Sport & Games, Áine Power. She will start in her new role at the beginning of 2027 with the exact date to be confirmed in due course.