Horse Events Are Right in Your Backyard

Going to a a major horse events may require a monumental investment in fuel just to load up and pull your horse across the state of California to an event. Don't sell your horse and trailer! Look right here in Tuolumne County.

Endurance Rides

Last April, a neighbor invited me to go to an endurance ride (as a volunteer) just to see what it was like. The venue was an area of Tuolumne County called Buck Meadows, just outside of Groveland, CA.

What's an endurance ride? Most horses participating in the race were Arabians, known for larger lung capacities than most other breeds. Depending upon the course, each horse and rider cover a 25 or 50 mile course. It's not really a race to see who has the shortest elapsed time. It's more about finishing the race with your horse in the best physical condition.

Most events have a system for scoring. This event begins and ends with "vet checks" of the horse, from head to tail, including gait. Riders get minimal attention. It really is all about the horses. It was an impressive site to behold. Volunteers, like myself, are used to mark trails, help setup the headquarters, assist with vet checks, and "other duties as assigned". The event was well organized and I personally met riders from S.California, the Bay area, and Nevada.

There are other similar endurance horse events in our area. Another is typically held in July in Mariposa, CA. The "seasoned" organizers and participants really made being there a terrific experience. As they say, "there's more where that came from" in the near future.

Want more? Check out these other local activities:

Local horse events include Toms Stagecoach and Carriage Operation

Teamsters Belong on the Sonora Pass Wagon Train