As many of our followers know, Max and I have been managing endurance rides for about 20 years. Max does much of the “heavy lifting” during these events. I’ve had a full time job for most of my life, so getting time off to help, other than the weekends can be challenging. Max takes this “job” very seriously. We’ve worked hard, along with our volunteers and friends, to make this a successful, must do ride. This usually involves Max, alone, putting in about 80 man hours himself, prepping everything from the water tanks we use, to organizing the ribbons, hefting tables, tanks, and boxes of all the things. I take care of putting the trails together, and then with Carol Giles’ help, we go work on those trails, marking, putting water out, setting up the vet check areas, doing all the things that make a successful ride. Our primary goal each year is to be able to collect enough entry fees to make a sizeable donation to the Mary & Anna Memorial Youth Fund. This fund enables junior riders, in any endurance/distance riding organization to compete for free.
The Mary & Anna Memorial Ride is near and dear to our hearts. We took this ride over in 2018, managing it for the Equine Distance Riders Association. In 2020, we sanctioned the ride with the American Endurance Ride Conference, and have kept it an AERC ride ever since. We enjoy riders who’ve traveled from as far away as British Columbia, Utah, Nevada, Montana and California, as well as Washington and of course, all over Oregon. We’ve worked hard, communicating with the federal land stewards, the private landowners, and local businesses, to keep this ride in good standing with them.
All this to say, Max is tired. He turned 70 in 2023 and would like to focus more on riding rides while he still can, fishing off our kayaks and working his thriving firewood business, based here in Central Oregon. (He states he doesn’t like that I’ve said this, but admits they’re his words. It’s the truth!)
We envision like minded people to have our desire to keep this ride going, and to continue donating proceeds to the Youth Fund. We’re willing to mentor potential new managers through this season, with the idea of handing it off at the close of the National Championships we’re hosting in August of 2024. We’ve had a 5 year permits, with the USFS and the BLM, that are due to expire at the end of 2024. Max is willing to initiate the process of renewal, if someone is seriously interested in taking the ride over. You are welcome to contact us with your questions about the ride, and the process of managing it.
~ The Mary & Anna Memorial Ride ~ 