Team 94 - Life is Better on Friday

My name is Karen Moore and I live in West Michigan. I'm very blessed to have beautiful trails right by our house.

 I have a six-year-old Rocky Mountain gelding named Riddles Rockin Friday. I've had Friday since he was two. We've camped and ridden in six different states so far and are always looking forward to our next adventure together.

I love meeting new people and hearing about their riding adventures. I look forward to reading everyone's blogs. Happy Trails!

Team 88 - MaruFarms *

My name is RuthAnn Gossett and I live by Stella Ne. My favorite ride is a Palomino Paint that I call Honey. I do have another horse by the name of Maxi who is a black and white Paint that my friend rides. I like to trail ride at Rock Creek Station (whom I help with St Judes with the people from NuStar Energy), as well as Indian Caves. I ride near my home quite a bit as well. I'm looking forward to doing some rides with the Platte River Riders this year. I have in the past helped Shannon Chastain hang ribbons for special distance rides.
RuthAnn Gossett - Marufarms
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2013 / 106.01 Miles / 72nd Place

Team 82 - Bugsy

Hi, I'm Cyd, and this is Bugsy. Bugsy only had his very first trail ride January 1st, 2014, which was when our photo was taken. He is a four year old Arabian gelding. We love our local trails on the Mendocino Coast, CA. For more of his adventures and pictures visit www.bugsygrowsup.blogspot.com. We hope to ride endurance when we have the training and conditioning for such things, in the meantime just happy to be out learning new things :) Happy trails!

Team 76 - Rocky Mountain High

I am a 50 something woman living on the Front Range, finding my way back into horses after a hiatus of 20 plus years. My companion is Thee Ashke, Straight Egyptian Arabian, rescued from Amarillo, TX and nursed back to health. We are learning dressage together, riding trail together, have our sights on some showing, some Working Eq, some CTR and just plain being together. The Distance Derby sounds like a perfect fit for our expected journey this year.

Team 129 - MustangsRUs *

I have been riding as long as I can remember, and owned horses for about 30 years.  Dakota is my mustang gelding, and I also ride my quarter horse mare Cassie.  

My daughter just moved to Arkansas to work at a tiger sanctuary so I it is going to be a little different riding this summer without her.  

My husband and I live just west of Pleasant Dale.

Team 124 - Newtson *

  I am a soon to be retired school teacher from central Nebraska, whose greatest passion is riding. Trail riding to be exact.  My husband and I and our good friends spend alot of quality time traveling to different places, (in state and out state) to ride new and old favorite trails. 

Of course I must also introduce my riding partner, Hoo Ha. He is a 12 year old gelding of unknown parentage. I have owned him since he was a fuzzy 4 month old orphan. We have put in alot of miles together.  We have several other horses on our farm, but Hoo Ha is my favorite. He has quite the personality.  

We also have two Corgies and a terrier cross mutt who love to tag along on home rides.  They don't get to travel with us, because they know their job is to stay home and act as guard dogs when we are away. That I say with tongue in cheek, but they sure think that is their job.
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2013 / 557.04 Miles / 30th Place

Team 122 - Cindy C *

Hi my name is Cindy Copley I live near Aurora, Nebraska. I have 4 horses and 2 minis. I sort of retired last October so I plan on doing a lot of riding this year. I hope to get to some places I have wanted to ride and never made it, make some new friends on the way and meet up with some old ones:) I also want to get my minis broke to drive and get some miles in that way. See you on the trail!
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2013 / 138.09 Miles / 68th Place

Team 120 - Long Distance Rider *

Hi all!  Connie Hoge - "Long Distance Rider" - Arlington, Washington.   This will be my second year in the Distance Derby.  I enjoy blogging @ http://hogehomestead.blogspot.com/  - when I'm not in the saddle  :-)
I’ll be riding my American Warmblood mare – Farah, who we’ve owned since she was five & is coming eight this year.  As my only mount, in last season’s Derby – we finished fourth place!  Opinionated, ornery & full of energy – she’s always up for whatever we do.  (Last year I signed up too late for my January miles to count, so this season – I’m ready!)  ☺   We're hoping to attend a couple endurance rides, maybe some CMO competitions & whatever else looks like fun.  Mostly though - we just like being out there - enjoying the scenery, trails, country & company of good friends~
I'm fine, I'm Ridin~
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2013 / 1423.61 Miles / 4th Place

Team 109 - Moonlight Mustangs *

My name is April Sanders.  I live in the cute little town of LeRoy, KS.  Horses (mustangs) are my all time passion.  I ride every spare moment and when not riding I am training my other mustangs.

When I heard about this DD 2013 of recording my miles and time in the saddle, I knew I needed to sign up.  My goal is to ride and have fun recording the actually miles I ride.

Nevada is my 16yo mustang mare who will be my main mount.  We have ridden many trails, competed in rides, rode parades, and rode with a mounted drill team.  Learning and trusting each other has been a rewarding adventure.  My husbands 9yo gelding will get a few rides as well and I have a little mustang pony under saddle training.  I look forward to getting a few rides in on her this summer.

Nevada and I love our weekend camping, trailriding and especially the moonlight rides with our friends.  Those moonlight rides are awesome and I always wear a helmet during those night rides for safety.

In 2012 there was a "Ride to Remember" to help raise funds for a veteran's therapuetic riding center in NM, and we continued the ride for the whole month of November.  For 30 days I rode a horse to honor our veterans.  Nevada and I even rode our 5 miles into town to cast our vote.

I love riding my mustang Nevada Girl and look forward to recording how many miles we can actually ride together.  The Moonlight Mustangs, 48 and doing great.

April Sanders with Mustang Nevada Girl
"God does not promise an easy Journey,
just a safe place to land"

Team 119 - Hoppin Kate' nFlash *

HIi, my name is Kaitlyn, and my team includes my geldings Hoppy, Flash, and Carter. I ride two of my horses in the dusters and all three in the Page County Fair/State Fair. With one more horse I hope to beat last year and ride farther. So I'm excited to see how this year goes. :)
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2013 / 837.02 Miles / 18th Place

Team 118 - Blue Sky *

My name is Eloise and my horse is Benjamin an 10 yr old Arabian. I am hoping to do my first endurance ride with my Mom, Team 118,  this year.
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2013 / 153.47 Miles / 66th Place

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Team 117 - Apple Treat *

My name is Crystal, I love spending hours with my horses and riding for miles and miles....

We have 4 horses.  My gentle TB  lead mare Kitty Kate, Benjamin my daughter's horse (that I steal from her when she is in school) : )), my sweet Anglo-Arabian Luna and Baby Ozzie our 3 1/2 year old Arabian.

I enjoy competing or just camping and riding with friends.  Happy trails.
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2013 / 1156.50 Miles / 8th Place

Team 96 - Ridin' Rescues

My name is Colleen Hamer and I live in Blair Nebraska.  I have been riding horses for over 45 years.  I tried to retire from full time horse training but I got drug back into it when I saw a need to help unwanted rescue horses.   I now train horses for the Star Equine Rehabilitation Program which is a part of the Nebraska Humane Society.   I own 2 horses of my own, Smore and Ringo who I enjoy riding on trails, chasing cows, participating in clinics and occasionally riding in trail courses. 

Team 104 - Shawnee *

My name is Keith Kibler and I am team 104 "Shawnee".  My wife and I live on a small farm in deep Southern Illinois by the Shawnee National Forest. We raise, train, sell and compete gaited horses in endurance. I come from a back ground of human long distance competition and use those training protocols with gps watches, and heart rate monitors to prepare gaited horses for 30,50 and 100 mile endurance competition.
  We currently have twhs, mfts and twh and std bred cross.  One of our twh mares, Kate, is the first twh to take 1st or Best Condition in a 100 mile 24 hour event. She is the little grey I am riding in the picture. Sandy and I have a very good time training with each other and competing against each other. She is so little it is not fair and our horses are always asking me to lose weight. Shoot, I keep getting lighter saddles but I guess that is not enough.
  I am a mentor with the aerc (the endurance association) and have the pleasure of writing for Trailblazer Magazine.  If any of you would like information on endurance, please ask me.
Keith Kibler

http://shawneesunrisefarm.net/
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2013 / 1501.28 Miles / 3rd Place

Team 102 - Grace *

Team Grace from Michigan includes a 9 year old Fjord Quarter Cross named Idunn Grace (pronounced E dun) and rider Heather Grace. Occasionally our Australian Shepard, Wilson joins us on trail too.

We are grateful for every day we get to spend hanging out, doing ground work, in the saddle or driving!

2012 was our first year together as this is my first horse so we tracked our progress together through FaceBook & hours on our calendar. 2013 was our first Distance Derby year riding 1067.75 Miles & we are hooked! 

The Derby really is that extra push to make your pony even more of a priority & all that riding improved our partnership so much we learned to confidently ride out SOLO & learned to drive. Those skills probably would not have developed so quickly without the Derby's encouragement!

Can't wait to see what 2014 brings!

Wishing all fellow riders a safe, mutually respectful & joyful 2014 with your equine partners!
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2013 / 1067.75 Miles / 9th Place