1999 Pan American Championship

[Steph Teeter <step@fsr.com>]

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message forwarded for Myna Cryderman - mcryderman@techplus.com

The 99 PAC homepage is  http://www.endurance.net/manitoba/
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Greetings from Canada!

It's finally official. The 99 Pan Am Championship Endurance will be held in 
Manitoba, Canada on July 24th,1999 in conjunction with and in close 
proximity to the 99 Pan Am Games as a whole.  These Games are being held in 
Winnipeg, Manitoba from July 24th to Aug 9th ,1999. The media attention 
 these Games will attract will spill over to the  endurance PAC.  It is a 
  unique opportunity to showcase our sport to the World.

The ride site is located only 50 miles from the US/Canada border in the 
very center of the continent making travel distance about equal for all. 
 The daylight at this latitude and this time year are nearly 18 hours long. 
The weather usually moderately warm, between 75 and 85 with relatively low 
humidity. Terrain is rolling hills with a few moderately steep  but short 
climbs.  The footing is sandy with no rocks.  Most of the trails are two 
track and grassy with some  short sections of fairly deep loose sand.  All 
loops are back into camp for vet checks.  There will be approximately 85 
miles of trails  with the remainder being common in/out trails.

The pre-ride is being held this year on July 4th,1998.  It  is part of a 
three day (multi-day) ride the Great Northern Connection.  The 100 mile 
pre-ride has been sanctioned as an FEI qualifier ride.  Dr. Jerry Gillespie 
will be acting as the head vet.  An FEI Officials and Vets course will also 
be offered on July 2nd in conjunction with the ride. Dr. Gillespie will be 
the instructor.  This three day ride offers 25 and 50 mile events each day 
as well. The July 3rd  50 mile ride is also the Region 17 IAHA Championship 
ride. The first  two days can be ridden as a 2 day 100 or the 3 days can be 
ridden as a three day 150. The American dollar is worth over $1.40 here in 
Canada so that makes all your purchases 40% cheaper including your entry 
fees. All rides can be entered at the ride site with no penalty except the 
FEI qualifier pre-ride which is $250 Can ($185 US)  before June 1st and 
$300 ($220 US)after. Other  rides are  $50 Can ($37 US) for 50 miles and 
$30 ($22US) for 25 miles. There are different trails each day in each 
distance. With all vet checks in camp no pit crews are required.  Water is 
supplied out on the trail at least every 10 miles usually more often. The 
trails are not damaged by any amount of rain because they are sand based. 
All rides are sanctioned with AERC, UMECRA, EMDRA,DRM and the 100 miler is 
an FEI CN ride. All that is required to cross the Canadian border is a 
negative Coggins (within 6 months) and government certified health papers 
(within 30 days).  No veterinarian inspection is required at the border 
providing you have the  proper documentation. There are   two 24 hour ports 
of entry into Manitoba, one north of Grand Forks, North Dakota on I 29 and 
one north of Dunseith, North Dakota on Hwy 281 and 3. There are many other 
ports of entry but they are not open 24 hours.

Another interesting feature of this years ride is performance profiling by 
a group of equine reasearcher headed by Gayle Ecker, co-developer of 
Perform N' Win  electrolytes. This is tentatively scheduled to be part of 
the 100 mile pre-ride if there is enough interest amongst the riders. This 
consists of sweat and urine analysis to determine  specific electrolyte 
loss in individual horses with feedback coming quickly enough to alter your 
horse's electrolyte supplementation during the event.

The  ride camp will be open well ahead of the event and early camping is 
welcome.  There is plenty of room on grassy fields but there are no RV 
hookups.  There is a barn with attached house which has modern washrooms 
and a shower.  The closest  town with all necessary supplies in 10 miles 
from the ride  site.

This promises to be an interesting and exciting event and I invite one and 
all to come and enjoy our Canadian wilderness and hospitality.

Myna Cryderman
Box 657
Boissevain, Manitoba , R0K 0E0
CANADA,
Phone 204 - 534-2390
Email: mcryderman@techplus.com