[RC] IntNewsGroup: The World's Best Compete at Mt Adams - Lori & Rick Stewart
Media Contact: Jan Mansfield
604.657.3828
Email: januscom@xxxxxxx
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 2003
The World?s Best Endurance Riders
Compete at Mt. Adams
TROUT LAKE, WASHINGTON. On September 13, 2003, the Pan American
Endurance Championship (PAC) will be held in the Gifford-Pinchot National
Forest. The PAC is an international horse race where horse-and-rider teams from
over ten different countries compete across 160 kilometers (100 miles) of trails
in one day. The course winds through the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest and
private timber company lands on the southern flanks of Mt. Adams, a half-hour
north of the Columbia River Gorge.
Mt. Adams Endurance Riders have organized an endurance ride in
the Gifford-Pinchot for seven years, but it is the first time this group of six
endurance enthusiasts have hosted an event of this caliber. The organizing
committee was honored by the selection of their ride as the location for the
2003 Pan American Championship by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).
The FEI is the international governing body of equestrian sport recognized by
the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is the organization, which
establishes rules and regulations for the conduct of international
equestrian.
Top-ranked endurance riders have been selected to represent
their countries. Although countries from North and South America will be
featured (hence, Pan American), other countries intending to compete include
Germany, Japan, Denmark, Greece, and New Zealand among others.
"The Pan American Endurance Championship provides the only
North American opportunity for U.S. Endurance riders to gain valuable Fédération
Equestre Internationale (FEI) championship experience," says Mary M. Lutz,
Director of Endurance Activities for the United States Equestrian Team
(USET)."
"This year," adds Ms. Lutz "for the first time, the USET has
named the 2003 Pan American Endurance Championship as a USET Selection Trial for
the 2004 World Endurance Championship. This will enable the selectors to have a
unique opportunity to observe how well horses and riders function under the same
types of conditions they will encounter at a World Championship."
This is a wonderful chance to view a world-class endurance
competition close to home. The Organizing Committee encourages visitors to drop
by to see the race in progress (but please leave your horse at home, the event
is by selection only and all horses in camp must have proper vaccinations and
required FEI papers). Ride headquarters and trade show is located five miles
north of Trout Lake, Washington at the new Mt. Adams Horse Camp (follow signs
from Hwy 141).
Most competitors, horses, and crews will arrive Monday,
September 8 to establish camp, acclimate their horses, and pass through the
mandatory pre-ride vet checks. The opening ceremony will be held at 4pm on
Thursday.
The race officially starts at 5am Saturday September
13th; however, 100 miles is a long way. If you?re not an early riser
you?ll have plenty of opportunities to see the riders as they must pass through
five designated veterinary check points throughout the day to insure that the
horse is sound and fit to continue. Directions to the vet checks will be
available at the main camp. A trade show with over 20 vendors will also be
located at main camp. The first riders will cross the finish line late evening;
however, riders have until 5am Sunday morning to complete the course.
Local sponsors include the Hood River Chamber of Commerce and Kerrits. Other
contributors include Animal Tacker, Advanced Biological Concepts, Al Marah
Arabians, Bayer Corporation, Boz Saddles, Cool Down Under, www.endurance.net, Enterprise Rent-A- Car,
Go the Distance, Professional?s Choice, Joint Juice, Les Schwab, Mountain Valley
Enterprises, NutraMax, Pacific North Team, and Syd Hill Saddles. Please contact
Stephanie Irving at 509.395.2065 or sirving@xxxxxxxxx for sponsorship
information. For more information, check the website www.endurance.net/2003pac or contact
Chris Nielsen at 509.395.2204 or nielsen@xxxxxxxxx.
TENTATIVE Schedule of Events
Monday, September 8
9am-noon: First Vet Exam (Part I)
Tuesday, September 9
9am Trade show vendors set up.
7pm-8pm: First Vet Exam (Part II)
Thursday, September 11
8am-11am: Tour of trail for FEI officials and photographers
9am-11am: First Vet Exam (Part III, for last teams into camp)
Noon: all horse must have completed First Vet Exam
4pm: Opening ceremony
7pm: Welcome banquet. Dinner tickets available through PAC
office.
Friday, September 12
9am and 12:00 noon. First inspection (alphabetical order) for each country.
immediately followed by weigh-in, dress & tack inspection
Saturday, September 13
4:30am: Check-in at marshalling area
5am: Start of the Pan American Endurance Championship
Sunday, September 14
5am: PAC trail closes
9am: Best Condition judging for top ten finishers
3pm: Awards celebration and closing ceremony
4pm: Celebration barbecue. Dinner tickets available through PAC
office.
