We spent some time out at the Outback Station (25 miles east of La Pine, OR, off Highway 31), finalizing our loops for the ride this year.
Ordinarily this isn’t a tough task, but taking on the Pioneer Ride meant we needed to figure out loops that were a little different each day, so our riders weren’t looking at the same old thing every day. I think we did pretty good! Jessica Cobbley is my gosh darn hero for being able to put on a three day ride AND a 100 miler on the same weekend. We aspire to her greatness.
Meals for our riders, crews and volunteers this year will be offered by Mrs Smallz Artisan Creations, out of La Pine. We’re pretty excited about having a food truck at the ride! Cyndi, who owns the truck has assured me she’ll have some vegetarian offerings as well. They will have drinks as well. Sodas, water, coffee, espresso drinks, Italian sodas and Gatorade. Please plan to support them as much as possible!
We’re currently working on the GPS tracks. We’ve turned them over to Jala for submission the Ride with GPS page for PNER Members. David Lewis has graciously offered to lead our education segment of the ride. He has good working knowledge of the various smart phone apps and trackers out there. He also knows how to get these things to talk to your phone, your smart watch, and all the things. We appreciate his time and effort! If you would like the tracks sent you, please send me an email: endrncrider@gmail.com
We are working to have the PNER Blood Analyzer at this ride. This is a wonderful opportunity to see what your horse’s normal values are, and then see what they look like after the ride. It also comes in handy to help diagnose issues during the ride, if there’s a problem. I’ll post more on that when I get confirmation that we’ll get to have it at the ride.
Our Veterinarians: Dr Cassee Terry, Dr Shannon Findley and Dr Lindsay Fisher will be our ride veterinarians. Please treat them respectfully and kindly. They are part of the backbone of our sport. They cannot do diagnostic work-ups at the ride. If a treatment is necessary, you will be expected to enter into a private treaty agreement with the veterinarian. This means, you’ll be paying your bill. This is an awesome group of vets, we’re lucky to have them!
We will again have members of the Nunn/Sampson Families present at the ride. We’re so fortunate to have them helping us out! They are also a big part of the backbone of this ride.
Max will be attempting to ride the 100 miler on Saturday, so we’ll have Frank Nunn and Richard Boatman (Sharalyn’s awesome sweetie!) helping out on water duty.
If you’re planning to ride the 75 or 100 miler on Saturday, rest assured, the trails will be marked well with lights. Since the moon is in a waning phase, please carry a light in your pack, or wear a headlamp on your helmet.
HELMETS! Please don’t forget that helmets are required when you’re mounted on a horse anytime at this ride. No exceptions without a doctor’s note.
If you have registration questions/comments, please contact Shawna Bowin, our Ride Secretary. Her email is: sabowin@yahoo.com
If you have other questions, please contact Darlene Merlich, endrncrider@gmail.com.
Remember, if you haven’t paid for your entry, please just plan to do so at ridecamp, with check or cash. This is Carol Giles, our Ride Money Queen’s preference.
That’s enough for now, you’ll be overwhelmed with information otherwise. Stay tuned for more posts this week as we finish the GPS tracks and Rider Packets.
Stay tuned!
~Darlene & Max and our Merry Band of most awesome Ride Organizers ever!
Mary & Anna Memorial Ride, home of the 2024 AERC National Championships! 