With less than a week to go before the 2023 Caja del Rio Endurance Ride, ride preparations are well underway. Trail marking is in full swing, and the trails are looking beautiful! The recent rain has decreased the dust without leaving mud, and there is plenty of green desert grass along throughout the ride for horses to munch along the way. The views are, as always, spectacular.
Early Arrivals
Riders who wish may arrive in camp as early as they like. This is a public trailhead, with a vault toilet, but water tanks for horses will not be placed out until Thursday. There is a stock tank just down the trail past the stock corrals, on the left inside the wire corral, that will have water. Be aware that if you arrive before camp opens, you may be asked to move if you camp in the vetting area. If you have questions about this, please contact myself, the ride manager, Aura Jensen-Curtis, by email or phone/text. Please be aware that I will out on the trails much of this week, so there may be a delayed response.
Ride Camp Opening
Ride Camp will officially open Thursday afternoon, although check-in and vet-in will not begin until Friday.
Rider Check-ins & Vetting In
Rider check-ins will begin Friday at noon and will run until the ride meeting at 6:00 pm. If you need to arrive later, please contact ride management, as we should be able to accommodate you. The ride meeting will be held at 6:00 pm at the shaded veranda near the vault toilet. There be a new rider briefing immediately following the ride meeting. All new riders, especially our intro riders, are strongly encouraged to attend.
Late Arrivals
Ride start times and arrival cut-offs for Saturday, May 27, are as follows:
- 50-Mile Ride:
- Arrive no later than 6:00 am. You are strongly encouraged to sign-up online in advance to expedite the check-in process, even if you choose to pay when you arrive.
- Vet-in by 6:45 am
- You will need to be present at the start to give your number to the timer at the start time of 7:00 am, even if you choose to start late.
- 30-Mile Ride:
- Arrive no later than 6:30 am. You are strongly encouraged to sign-up online in advance to expedite the check-in process, even if you choose to pay when you arrive.
- Vet-in by 7:15 am
- You will need to be present at the start to give your number to the timer at the start time of 7:30 am, even if you choose to start late.
- 11-Mile Intro Ride:
- Arrive no later than 8:00 am. You are strongly encouraged to sign-up online in advance to expedite the check-in process, even if you choose to pay when you arrive. We have a lot of intro riders this year, so there may be a long line. Please arrive as early as possible!
- Vet-in by 8:30 am.
- We will not have a vet in camp after 9:00 am sharp, which means we cannot accommodate late arrivals! If you do not vet-in, you will not be allowed to start, as this is part of our ride insurance and sanctioning, and it is part of learning about what endurance riding is all about–the welfare of the horse!
- You will need to be present at the start to give your number to the timer at the start time of 10:30 am, even if you choose to start late.
- You will need to do a completion vet exam when you finish–this is part of the ride!
Caja del Rio Endurance Ride 