THIS WEEK'S FEATURED STORIES

2026 Canyon Rims - Tami Rougeau

By Tami Rougeau
May 15 2026

Team Red Adventure #5 2026 Part 1

It has been a very busy last few weeks but finally getting a few quiet moments to put together the story for Adventure 5 – Canyon Rims 2026.

On Wednesday morning we did a leisurely pack up and got ready to head to the ride. Since it was only a short 3–4-hour drive and it was predicted to be windy, we were in no rush. We so enjoyed our time with Julie, but we knew we would be seeing her again at the ride in a few days. We headed out to blue skies and sunshine. After a quick stop by Annie and Dave’s place we were on our way to camp.

When we arrived, there were just a couple of trailers already there and we were met by Cory and Mickey. All smiles and welcomes from this hard-working management family. I just love the energy of their ride camps. I quickly set up camp using the trailer as the wind block for the girl’s coral. It really was windy and the sand was ever present. The girls did not seem to mind as much as the humans did. Even with the wind it is still nice to be in camp and settled with a full day of rest before the ride begins. It also gives time to visit and catch up with friends. Not on Wednesday though. That evening we sheltered in place in the trailer; the girls tucked up to the trailer and happily enjoyed their hay. It made for a delightful early evening for us all.

Thursday the wind abated, clear blue skies were the theme and perfect low 60’s temps. The day was spent preparing everything we would need for the next three days. This means preparing all of the lunch and dinner meals for both horses, making sure hay bags were all set, mixing up electrolytes and packing a crew bag for the middle day when we get to have an away check. The girls got a good grooming as well. It was a fun and productive day. More trailers arriving and people setting up and seeing old friends setting up for the great weekend ahead. The girls thoroughly relaxed to the point of taking turns napping in the warm sun and soft sand.

Before we knew it, it was time for the ride meeting. Mickey and her gang do an over-the-top job of organizing all of the days and distances. Maps were handed out and trails described. Then it was time for bed. The sun was not setting until after 8pm, still which is so nice. We were all set for the next day with no set plans to pair up with anyone in particular. The focus this year for Penelope was to master higher paces. She has been adapting to this really well with her 7-8 mph trot smoothing out. I was so happy with her performance at Cuyama I figured we would just continue and she could do a little more solo time.

Pen was totally easy going out in the morning just behind the hot shoes and moved out nicely without any drama. We settled into a nice pace and quickly paired up with Suzie Jones from New Mexico. Suzie has been at this sport for a long time and is a wealth of knowledge and experience. Our red mares paired up nicely enjoying each other’s company. Penelope does not challenge for taking lead. She will take the lead willingly but if the other horse wants it, she is happy to oblige. The first loop went by quickly enjoying some of the most breathtaking views, riding along the rims and down in the canyons. The footing could not have been more perfect. We had learned about slick rock last year at Moab. Penelope remembered and navigated it all like a pro. There was plenty of green grass and she made a point not to miss any of it.

We enjoyed a nice hour break and headed out for loop 2. More spectacular views, excellent footing and so many good stories. This day just few by. Of course, there had to be some red horse shenanigans when both mares decided that grey tumble weeds were the scariest things around. Seriously, how many tumble weeds have you seen? It became quite the game for them both challenging both our riding skills and sense of humor. We cruised in nicely midafternoon and the mares looked great. Suzie’s plan had been to ride days 1 and 3 but the forecast for Sunday was not looking good. She decided to maybe just do the 30 on day 2.

On Friday Julie arrived with her friend Scarlett who would be doing the 50 the next day while Julie did the 30. We decided that we would try starting out and see how the day went. Scarlett is relatively new and looking for the balance between family and horses. She is doing it really well from what I can tell. We had a great time with the mares pacing nicely together. We made it to the out vet check trotting in. Out of curiosity I took Pen to the pulse taker quickly after getting a drink just to see where she was at. Already down and dropping. This big mare is amazing. We spent the hour chatting and taking care of the horses. Then we were off for the last loop. These rides with so much beauty make the day pass by far too quickly. We enjoyed our day sharing stories and talking about life. What a great day ending far too soon midafternoon. We got our team finish photo and celebrated the day. We spent some time visiting our Colorado friends then ride meeting and off to bed at another decent hour. Penelope looked like she had not done anything. Stay tuned for Day 3!

Team Red Adventure 5 – Part 2

Sunday had been a question mark for us all week due to the predicted wet weather. Throughout Saturday the prediction improved and when I got up things looked pretty good, so I decided to give it a go. After riding Moab last year in the rain, I had no desire to do it again. Mickey was there, all smiles and good vibes, so off we went a little behind the small pack of riders. We eventually caught up to Adrienne Dymesich from Wisconsin. We met last year when we stayed at her place on our way home from Michigan. What a treat to share the trail and catch up.

About an hour or so into the ride the heavens opened and the rain started. It only lasted for about 20 minutes, just when we began to get soaked the rain stopped and the sun came out. We were dry and warm in no time. The horses navigated the trail expertly. Adrienne Dymesich rides a gated Morgan so at times our pace was a little different, but the girls always got back together. After a few misty rain events and some seriously over the top views that were enhanced with the rain we were back in camp for the hour hold. Penelope did her job of consuming every bit of food and water then taking a nap. Since the rain had slowed us just a bit I was highly motivated to get out on time and set a solid pace. There were dark clouds around us but none that looked terribly threatening. Not long into the loop the biggest thunder clap I had ever heard exploded right over the top of us. Pen did not even flinch or break stride she just kept moving. Somehow we got out of camp without Adrienne, I figured she was ahead of us and doing the same thing. With the dark cloud and thunder over the top of us there was great motivation to get off the plateau. About that time a person stepped out from behind a tree and surprised both of us. It was Maya Lopez Grasse whom we had met previously at another ride. She was out for a run and was looking for lightning. I told her I had not seen any yet, only thunder and we all carried on. I am pretty sure she rode the day prior so total beast points for going on a long run the day after riding. Go Maya!

Just as the hail began to pelt us we headed down into the canyon. Pea size hail pelting off and feeling like little needles was less than pleasant but Pen handled it like a pro. When we got to the long section of slick rock I chose to dismount and walk, no sense taking a chance for either of us. When we were about halfway down the canyon a protected spot appeared and I tried to get Pen to shelter there for a few minutes to let it all pass. She was having none of that and insisted we press on. Thankfully it only lasted a short while longer. When we hit the main road Tegan and Ross were there in the truck checking on riders. They offered blankets, water etc but I said we were good. I guess they were really looking for Adrienne who left behind me for some reason. We continued on and low and behold Maya popped out of the trees again. We had a good laugh and she took a few pics of us then we were off to the lollipop. We ran into another rider who was just finishing that section, I think she was having an exciting ride. Pen cruised through and we were on the home stretch.

About a mile from camp the trail makes a sweeping left turn and heads straight to camp. At this point we were joined by 10 antelopes. We slowed down and Pen checked them out with a few of them darting away ahead of us. The rest of them stood and watched us. If we moved forward, they moved forward. If we stopped, they stopped. They would not leave! I yelled and Pen snorted and they just kept playing the mirror game. I was a little nervous to let Pen trot away for fear they would copycat that move and dart around us. So, for 40 minutes we slowly made our way to the curve with the antelope trilling at us and mimicking our every move. I thought we would never make that turn. As cool as it was to play with the antelope it was also frustrating because we were ready to be done with our little adventure. Adding 40 minutes of play time at the end seems a little over the top endurance.

We arrived in camp to Mickey Smith and her family with their warm smiles. Adrienne was there as well to my surprise. Apparently, her horse had a small interference spot that was nagging at them and they were not able to make good time with the hail and rain so they had turned back. Glad they were safe and still not out there. We got our photos together and went to see Cathy. She deemed Penelope in great shape and congratulated us on our three days. I really love our endurance vets who cheer us on, celebrate with us and help us take the best care we can of our beloved partners.

We got to the trailer and set to work taking care of Pen with lots of grooming, a Beemer session and leg wrapping while she enjoyed another wet mash and yummy alfalfa. At this point in the ride I love spending this time with my girls and reflecting on our weekend. Pen felt great, like she could just keep going. She has now mastered the long steady 7-8 mph trot, takes great care of herself, watches where her feet are going (most of the time unless there is food involved) and stays connected to me. What an amazing mare on an amazing and challenging trail. For this ride we used EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Easyshoe One with Vettec CS pour in on the front and Easyshoe Speed on the hind. These worked great on all of the slick rock. When we took the shoes off a few weeks later her feet looked great.

Awards that evening were really special with lots of stories and laughs. The group was of course smaller with many people leaving camp on Saturday. It was so much fun. I took a little time to chat with Mickey about the weekend and how she and her team were feeling. Watching this team work so seamlessly taking care of every little detail is wonderful. We are very much looking forward to the fall Moab Ride being held the 9-11th of October. Not only will there be three days of riding there will also be a 100-mile event. Choices, choices…. but that is a few adventures down the line. Time to head home so the next adventure can begin…

Endurance Racing? Pat Fitzgerald!

May 20 2026
By Merri Melde

Verne R. Albright published this short book, “Endurance Racing? Pat Fitzgerald!” in 1969 about endurance riding’s legend.

Robert and Linda Manley got permission from Albright to place the full contents of Albright’s book on the Wordpress website: https://patfitzgerald487771351.wordpress.com/

The book offers a glimpse into the endurance life, horses, stories, and quips by Pat Fitzgerald during his endurance heyday, and his approach to riding and training (and winning).

Many of his quotes and thoughts are applicable to today’s endurance riders, such as:

 • “There’s lot of luck to winning these rides, but if you do your homework your luck will be a lot better.”

 • “You have to ride your own race,” Pat reminds. “Don’t worry about what the other riders are doing. Just stick to your own methods.”

 • “I always ride alone,” he says, “so my horse and I don’t get dependent on anyone else. You learn to pay attention to your horse that way.”

The Fitzgeralds were heroes to Robert Manley, who has a few stories of his own to share.

“In February of 1967,” Robert says, “I was riding my half Thoroughbred gelding on one of the many old mining roads in the area when here came a guy who turned out to be Pat on his (1963) Tevis Cup winning gelding Ken (from Rushcreek). That moment was when I first heard about the ‘hundred miler’ ride [Tevis]. As a seven-year-old kid, I had finally learned to read by repeatedly puzzling my way through a book about a twelve-year-old Vermont girl training her horse for the 100 miles in three days Green Mountain Trail Ride, so I was all-ears for what Pat had to say.

“That year that Thoroughbred was slightly lame (and fully-out, of course) at Robinson Flat. The next year, Pat put me on what was to become the terrific endurance horse Quist (also from Rushcreek). That was an easy-to-get Tevis buckle for me. Two years  later, Quist and Pat finished second behind Witezarif and Donna as they won their first Tevis Cup.

“By the way, I was sort of present at the creation. Very early in the morning of a day in the spring of 1968 I was feeding Pat and Donna’s horses during their trip to Nebraska. Their pickup suddenly rolled in with two small horses on board. I asked Pat if the bay gelding was a yearling. He said, ‘No, he’s five years old.’ I must have at least smiled because Pat said, ‘You can laugh if you want to, but this is going to be a great endurance horse.’

“What he knew, of course, was that little bay had the same mom (Razifa) as the gelding Razlind, who had already finished second twice on the 100-miler with Donna. Pat also knew that, unlike Razlind, the little bay, Witezarif, was a paternal grandson of the immortal Witez II. Blood tells.” (Razifa was also the dam of El Karbaj and Law Thunder.)

“Donna really didn’t need a pit crew, but I was her entire pit crew on her second and third Tevis Cup winning rides. I hope I was helpful, but I certainly didn’t do anything special on my first pit crew attempt. As you probably know, Donna was a very quiet person. It wasn’t easy to know what, if anything, she wanted done. 

“The second time was similar except that Pat (who was in the ride himself) gave me very specific instructions as to what to do if Witezarif was having even a slight issue in his quarters and thighs. He specifically said that if it happened at all, it would probably be at Forest Hill. He equipped me with several containers of Bengay. He emphasized not worrying about wasting it. He wanted it poured on liberally and rubbed in vigorously. 

“Sure enough, Witezarif had that issue at Forest Hill. I did what I was told. (I later wondered if that was against the rules at that time. I don’t believe it was because Witezarif was one of the first horses into Forest Hill, and there were dozens of people there——including vets and ride-officials, of course. I don’t remember making any effort to hide what I was doing. Anyway, little Witezarif passed the Forest Hill vet check and all the checks after that—-and won that year’s Tevis Cup.”

Robert Manley has plenty more stories of his own, but he and Linda would love for more people to read Verne Albright’s book on their website,
https://patfitzgerald487771351.wordpress.com/

Verne Albright is also author of Horseback Across Three Americas, available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horseback-Across-Three-Americas-Albright/dp/1555719988/ref=sr_1_1?

*top photo of Pat and Ken in the Tevis Cup by Charles Barieau

Endurance Canada Endurance Year-End Awards Announced For 2025 Season

Sign up for The Great Alaskan Endurance Race - Alaska’s first AERC ride!

May 7 2026

Ready for the ultimate adventure?

The Great Alaskan Endurance Race, Alaska’s first sanctioned Endurance ride, will take place August 22 and 23 at Twin Bears Camp, Pleasant Valley, outside of Fairbanks, offering 25 and 50-mile rides each day.

“The Great Alaskan Endurance Race is an unparalleled test of strength and determination, set against the stunning backdrop of the Last Frontier. Participants from around the State and the Country come together to take on the challenge of a lifetime. Are you ready to push your limits and conquer the wild?”

Trail will cover a 25 mile loop up and down the ridge that protects the upper Chena river valley. Competitors can expect anything from swampy ground to rocky ascensions with roughly 4000 ft of elevation change. The wilderness scenery is spectacular, and you might encounter bears, wolves, or moose. Brenna said, “I think our little catch phrase is going to be, ‘Mountains and Moose and Bear, Oh My!’ on all of our T-shirts.”

It will be epic!

For more information, contact Brenna Gallagher-Phillips, 907-590-4459, (bsquaredbookkeeping@gmail.com)

https://www.greatalaskanendurancerace.com/

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