THE 28th ANNUAL GOLD COUNTRY 50/30 MILE ENDURANCE RIDES

Saturday, July 5th, 2008

PLEASE NOTE, THE RIDE IS LIMITED TO 140 ENTRANTS

Ride Manager: Cherryl Holbrook (530) 272-9222

AERC Sanctioning: The Gold Country Endurance Ride is sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference. Several times during the ride there will be veterinary checks to minimize the risk of stress and/or injury. Equines will be monitored for physical reactions including lameness, pulse/respiration recovery and dehydration. Those not meeting the parameters will be pulled from the ride. The first horse to finish in satisfactory physical condition is the overall winner. Due to the strenuous nature of this sport, drugs of any kind are prohibited in all equines participating in any ride. The ride is open to all breeds of horses and mules. Ride management will provide equal opportunities, treatment and judgment to all competitors.

Directions: From Auburn, take Hwy 49 to Cool. Turn left at Hwy 193 and proceed to the town of Georgetown. Turn left at the stop sign in downtown Georgetown. Follow this road for approximately 5-1/4 miles and watch for the turn-off to the left to Dru Barner Park. Follow the ribbons to base camp which is approximately 1.5 miles down a paved road. If you get to Camp Virner, you passed the turn-off and need to go back about ½ mile.

Base Camp: Dru Barner Equestrian Park -- located just a few miles from Camp Virner which is on Wentworth Springs Road above Georgetown. The base camp is a beautiful, heavily wooded forest. The elevation is around 3000 feet.  There have been roads cut into the forest and there are plenty of graveled places to park rigs.   There is plenty of water for the horses, but riders need to bring in their own drinking water.  We ask that all hay and manure be scattered and all personal garbage be taken with you.

Trail: The 30 and 50-mile rides are both “moderate” rides. Both consist of a few tough climbs, with a combination of trail and back forest roads. The 30-mile ride is a loop with a few vet checks out on the trail. The vet checks are not accessible to crews, but the club will provide plenty of food and drinks for horses and riders.   The 50-mile ride is a 30-mile loop back to base camp for lunch and then a 20-mile loop after lunch.  The terrain is very good footing with beautiful high sierra views, wooded forests, and running creeks.

Awards:  Awards are participation awards and will be given to everyone when they pick up their rider packet.    In addition, there will be awards for: Fastest Time, Best Condition, Weight Divisions and Tail End for the 50-mile ride.  The 30-mile ride is not a race and no placement awards will be issued.

Pre-Ride Vet Check: Beginning at 3:00pm on Friday, July 4^th. All horses must be examined and numbered before starting the ride. Pre-Ride Meeting will be held at 8:00pm on Friday evening, the ride veterinarians will set and announce the pulse/respiration criteria.  The ride manager will make other announcements at this time including last minute changes and cut-off times.

Entry Fees: 50-Mile Ride -  $85 (Juniors - $42.50)    30-Mile Ride - $70 (Juniors - $35)  (An additional fee of $15 will be collected if you are not a member of the American Endurance Ride Conference.  Please check with Ride Management before mailing your entry). Your check must accompany your application to ensure a place in the ride. Add $10 if your entry is post-marked after June 27^th .  

 NOTE: The U.S. Forest Service has instituted a fee program for the park, which will be used to maintain the park.  The fee schedule is $8 per night.  Please stop at the kiosk at the entrance to pay for your campsite.

REFUND RULES: 1) A full refund will be made if Ride Management is notified by 8:00pm Wednesday, July 2^nd.   Cancellations after this date will be subject to a $10 fee being withheld from the refund amount.  2) “No shows” will forfeit the entire entry fee.  3) $10 will be withheld if your horse does not pass the pre-ride vet check.

All entry fees include the California State Drug Testing Fee, AERC Sanctioning Fee, a participation award, routine veterinary examinations before and during the ride, and a dinner ticket. Should a horse require special emergency treatment, payment is the responsibility of the rider and will be handled individually by the attending physician. Farrier services will be available before and during the ride and payment is the responsibility of the rider.

Rules:

1.     Equines must be at least 60 months old for the 50-mile ride and 48 months old for the 30-mile ride. Mares in foal will not be permitted.

2.     There will be no ties.

3.      Junior Riders:

   A.    A Junior Rider sixteen (16) years or older may enter the 30 or 50 mile ride without a sponsor (must be 16 years old as of December 1st, in the year of competition).

   B.    A Junior rider under sixteen (16) years of age on December 1st, in the year of competition, may enter the 30 or 50 mile ride with a sponsor who is entered in the ride and agrees to remain with the Junior Rider throughout the ride. A sponsor is an adult over eighteen (18) years of age and must carry the Junior Rider’s vet card.  Change in a sponsor must be reported to and approved by Ride Management at the checkpoint. The Junior Rider must be within one minute of the sponsor at all times. If you are a Junior Rider and are 14 calendar years or older and have ridden 500 AERC sanctioned miles, you may petition to AERC to ride without a sponsor.

   C.    A sponsored or unsponsored Junior Rider must wear a safety helmet approved by AHSA, PCA, ANSI or Snell Z 90.4.

Gold Country Endurance Riders strongly recommends that every rider wear a helmet.

4.     Abuse of the equine or the use of stimulants and/or painkillers is prohibited. All horses are subject to saliva, urine or blood tests. Any horse tested for drugs and found to be POSITIVE will be disqualified.

5.     No substances of any type may be injected by needle into the horse during the day of the ride.

6.     The same horse and rider must pass all vet checks and stay on the marked trail in order to qualify for awards. The responsibility for reporting in and out of vet checks rests with the rider.

7.     All equines must be presented for pre-ride veterinary inspection beginning at 3:00pm on Friday, July 13^th. Early morning vet-in will be available. Opinions of the veterinarians are final regarding the health of the horse.

8      The 50-mile ride must be completed in twelve (12) hours and the 30-mile ride must be completed in seven and a quarter (7¼) hours. Equines must be at the starting line and prepared to begin the ride at the appointed times.

9.     Violation of any of these rules will subject the horse and rider to immediate disqualification.