November 2024

As I sat reflecting on this past summer and what the season entailed, I was struck by how proud I am of Manitoba’s representation of endurance as a sport.

For the first time in 6 years, we had the opportunity to send a team to represent Manitoba at Equestrian Canada’s Western Canada Regional Endurance Challenge. When we first heard that this event was being planned, we didn’t think we had Manitoba riders interested in attending. Then the season started and we ended up having seven riders qualify! As a club, we were able to send a squad of 5 riders and chef d’equipe to represent Manitoba.

I was fortunate enough to ride on team Manitoba. The competition was steep and we knew we wouldn’t be the fastest horses and riders in the field, but every Manitoba rider rode their own ride and pursued the goal of finishing. Manitoba rode conservatively, but every horse finished strong and due to this we were able to bring home a bronze finish for the team. And Manitoba was the only province to have a 100% completion rate.

Over and over, I see this strategy in our club; riders putting the clean finish and the health and well-being of their horses above pursuing a certain placing. As a club, I have witnessed us truly taking to heart the motto that “to finish is to win”, and it makes me proud to be a part of this sport. If there’s one thing I can say about our Manitoba endurance riders, it’s that we ride with integrity, and I think that’s something to be proud of.

We put on 5 rides this year, including a pop-up ride in Birds Hill Park. All were well-attended and most saw new riders trying the sport out. We saw many different breeds and riders of all ages on the trails.

Of course, none of these rides would have been possible without our volunteers, ride managers and trail markers. We had a few new people take on trail marking and show interest in ride managing–this is fantastic! Moving forward, I would love to see more people take on some of these roles. Many hands make light work, and that’s an area we can continue to grow to keep our club healthy and strong.

As we turn our attention to the future, and close the chapter of our 2024 season, I’m excited to see what we can accomplish in 2025. One thing I would love is to see us host an intro to endurance clinic and offer more mentorships for people interested in the sport.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making such a successful season–volunteering, riding, planning rides, sponsoring junior riders, and mentoring and inviting new riders into sport. We have a truly welcoming and hard-working club and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.

Thank you to all our board members who served this year–Andy, Tricia, Wendy, and Suzanne, and to our past presidents and past board members who have offered advice and help and tackled so many tasks over the year. It takes a village, and Distance Riders of Manitoba is a pretty fantastic village to be a part of.

Christine