Re: RC: The December New Millennium issue of Arabian Horse WorldMagazine

[Merryben@aol.com]

Here's what I sent to the AHR.  Some of it was changed in the article that 
was published and more was added.  Sorry I don't have the attachments.  
Remember, I had to do this in two days and fed ex it to AHR......Maryben

TOP TEN ENDURANCE HORSES


1.  R. O. GRAND SULTAN+/  

Number one would have to be R. O. Grand Sultan+// as the greatest endurance 
horse of all time.  [see attached]

2.  WITEZARIF
 
    Witezarif was one of the first of the great endurance horses.  Before we 
knew about electrolytes and various other things which are now basic in 
endurance, Witezarif had won the Tevis outright 5 times and tied for first 
another time.  He had a career mileage of 5,044 miles.  "The Old Horse" as 
owner Donna Fitzgerald called him was euthanized a few years ago at a ripe 
old age.

3.  HCC GAZAL+/ owned by Bob & Julie Suhr.

HCC Gazal+/ (#137807) was sired by *Hal Gazal, national Top Ten Halter 
Champion.  His dam was Lawlifa,  a Hyannis Cattle Company  Lawseyn daughter 
out of .Ghalifa.     Gazal won and received Best Condition Awards on rides of 
50, 100 and 250 mile muiltiday rides.  He completed all but 4 of the 148 
rides in which he was entered  during his 10 years of competition. Most of 
his completion's were in  the top ten.  He received the Haggin Cup for the 
horse among the top ten in the most superior physical condition at the end of 
the Tevis Cup Ride three times which is a record that still stands.  He at 
one time held the record for the most completions in multi-day rides, He was 
California  State Endurance Champion and won the Best Condition Award on the 
prestigious Race of Champions. He won his IAHA Supreme Legion of Honor Award 
in 1986.

Gazal is well known for his beauty..  He was campaigned in California, New 
Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming for a total of 7,932 AERC Miles.  He 
also completed two Tevis Cup Rides and one Race of Champions which were not 
sanctioned by the AERC. for a total of 8,232 endurance miles. He is  23 years 
young and in retirement at his California home.



4.  RUSHCREEK LAD+/

    Sired by Rushcreek Greely out of Rushcreek Dixie, Lad started his career 
as a cow horse at the Rushcreek Cattle Company in Lisko Nebraska, and is seen 
cutting cattle in the video Drinkers of the Wind.  He was then bought by 
Trilby Pederson and came to California where he lived until his death.  Lad 
was the first horse to win both point and mileage national championships in 
the same year.   His total lifetime mileage was an incredible 21,045, the 
most of any horse in the history of the AERC.  However, he did not stop with 
cutting and endurance.  Lad was also shown in the Arabian Costume class at 
the Cow Palace in San Francisco and did quite well there.

5.  BANDIT

    Bandit was a 1/2 Arab 1/2 Quarter Horse, sired by Raskala, who was a 
Haggin Cup winner, and owned by Smokey Killen.  He did the Great American 
Horse Race from New York to California in 1976 and was the only horse to go 
the whole way on his own four legs, without being trailered once.  He had 
over 18,000 "official" endurance miles.  Remember, in those days they did not 
count Tevis or The Great American Horse Race which was more than 2,000 miles. 
 Bandit died peacefully at the ripe old age of 28 in Carmel, California, 
where is he buried.

6.  SIERRA FADWAH+/
    
    [See attached]

7   AA OMNER

    At one point in his life AA Omner was diagnosed with a large inoperable 
tumor and his owner was told he would die.  No one told him that.  After 
dedicated care from his owner, Bev Gray, he complete 8,845 lifetime miles.  
After his recovery he went on to be the horse that "owned" The Outlaw Trail 
by winning that ride several times.





8   AMIR NEZRAFF+

    Amir Nezraff was sired by Zandraff.  He was a National Champion,  
National BC once or twice  and only missed first in 3 rides for his first 2 
or 3 years.  He was the national champion in 1983, finishing 1290 miles with 
one second, one third and the rest firsts.  He also took 14 Best Condition 
awards in 18 races.  When he went out West for ROC, he was colicky about 2 
days before the race and still finished 4th.  He would seem to just loaf 
along until 3rd leg and then kick into gear and leave everyone.

9   CAPRISON

    Caprison, owned by Louise Riedel, was a tough, feisty little grey horse 
with an "attitude," who was  bred at Friendship Farms in Illinois.  He was by 
Geym, who was a Raffles son.  His endurance career started in 1971 at the age 
of 6, and when he retired in 1985 he had completed 5300 miles.  (Back then, 
especially in the Midwest, there were lots fewer rides to attend.)  He was 
25th in the overall AERC standings in 1973 . In  1976 and 1977 he was 8th 
overall; in 1978  6th;  in 1979  25th; and in 1980  16th.  (These placings 
were all prior to weight divisions). He completed the Tevis in 23rd place in 
1977, and in 1979 was inducted into the AERC Hall of Fame.  He died at the 
age of 28, still in excellent condition up until the last few months. 

10  PIERAZ "CASH"  [You 


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=