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[RC] 34th Annual Ride & Tie World Championship Press Release - John Teeter[Check out: www.rideandtie.org ]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ride and Tie Association Doubles Novice Prize Money at 34th Ride & Tie World Championship February 16, 2004 - Los Altos, California - The Ride and Tie Association, the national sports organization dedicated to promoting the combined running and equine endurance sport of Ride & Tie, today announced it has doubled Pat's Purse, the novice incentive prize, to $1,000. The only qualification for Pat's Purse is that at least one human team member must have never won the Championship Ride & Tie race. Athletes and would be athletes, from dabblers to triathletes to adventure racers are all welcome to compete at the challenging World Championship taking place on the remote Mendocino Coast of California on June 26th 2004. This prize money was last won in 2001. At the 2003 World Championship event the closest qualified team for the doubled prize money was the third place father/son team of Paul and Brent Johnson. With fifteen World Championship completions, Paul teamed up with his son for Brent's first Ride & Tie, turning in an impressive result and the highest placing in the father's long career. Paul Johnson, of Moscow Idaho says, "My good running days are behind me. But a good horse and a younger partner make a big difference. The horse, Finally, carried us along so well ? everything clicked." Brent Johnson, currently studying communications at Portland State University in Oregon, said the most exciting part of the World Championship was the "controlled chaos" of the crowd coming in to the vet checks. "The crew was more excited than I was," he said. Regarding the course itself, Brent says, "Finally knew exactly what to do. I was really impressed with how smart she was." The first place team of Jim Howard, Dennis Rinde and equine Sirocco had a winning time of 3:37:01. The third place Johnson team completed the 35-mile course in 4:19:44. Howard currently holds six World Championship titles in Ride & Tie. RIDE & TIE NOVICE INCENTIVE PRIZE DOUBLED Pat Browning, a veteran Ride & Tie competitor, started offering Pat's Purse in an attempt to attract new competitors to challenge teams repeat winning the Championship. A review of the past thirty-three years shows the same names appearing at the top of the sport, for as long as a twenty-year stretch. Often billed as "the thinking athlete's sport" pure foot speed does not guarantee a win. The ability to adapt strategy to the changing conditions of the day can be vital. Teaming up with a canny, experienced partner is a popular option. The only team to claim Pat's Purse to date was novice William Emerson and veteran Chris Turney on a horse named Buddy in 2001. The Championship event moves to a new venue for 2004: the Mendocino Coast north of Fort Bragg, California. The 38-mile course is both rugged and spectacular, positioned between the Pacific Ocean and the Redwood forest. Race Director Lari Shea offers on-site clinics prior to the Championship, designed to develop horse skills and ride and tie technique. Details available on www.horse-vacation.com. The racecourse will be open a full week before the race, with primitive camping. About the Sport of Ride & Tie The sport of Ride & Tie combines trail running, endurance riding, and strategy. The goal is to get all three team members, two humans and one horse, across a 25 to 40 mile cross country course by alternating riding and running. Everyone starts out together. The rider, being faster, rides ahead and ties the horse to a tree, and then continues down the trail on foot. The team member who started out on foot gets to the horse, unties, mounts up and rides past the runner, ties the horse ? and this leapfrog continues the entire course. When, where, and how a team exchanges riding for running is almost entirely up to each team to develop their own strategy. About The Ride and Tie Association The Ride and Tie Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the sport of Ride & Tie and safe endurance horse management. Over 150 years old, Ride & Tie originated in the old West, where frontiersmen discovered two men could travel great distances at a fast pace without wearing down the horse if they traded off. Ride & Tie was invented as a sport and gained national attention in 1971 when Levi Strauss sponsored the first Levi's Ride & Tie. The Association offers a mentor program, partner matching, training videos, hosts practice Ride & Ties, and sanctions regional and national events. For more information about Ride & Tie, visit the web site at www.rideandtie.org or call (650) 949 2321. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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