Endurance riding is one phase of the rapidly growing distance riding sports. It is popular world wide. With their natural stamina and quick recoveries, Arabians and Arabian crosses are in premier breed for this discipline. An endurance ride is a cross country ride of 50 miles or more. The classic distance is 100 miles. A 50 mile ride must be completed within 12 hours, including mandatory veterinary checks, rest times, and called holds. The 100 milers are allowed 24 hours. There is no minimum time limit. Horses must be a full 60 months of age to be allowed to enter a ride. Thre is also a division called Limited Distance for those who prefer shorter distances, usually 25 – 30 miles. Riders are allowed 6 hours to complete 25 miles and horses must be at least 48 months of age to be allowed to enter a ride. The course traverses whatever the local terrain offers and is marked so that all riders follow the same trail. These events are strictly controlled by qualified veterinarians who monitor the horses before, during, and after the ride. Any horse who is lame or shows signs of excessive fatigue is disqualified from further competition for that day. Prizes are awarded for fastest completion, as long as the horse is ‘fit to continue’. Endurance rides are governed by the American Endurance Ride Conference (www.aerc.org). The AERC motto is ‘to finish is to win’. Toward that end, all horse/rider teams who complete the designated distance within the allotted time and are ‘fit to continue’ receive a special completion award, regardless of placing. There are numerous endurance events throughout Region 8. We also have a Regional Championship and AHA sponsors an annual National Championship. These rides offer separate Champion, Reserve, and Top Five/Top Ten for Arabians and Half Arabian/ Anglo Arabians. Achievement Awards points are available for enrollees at all open AERC rides. Some rides are also approved for Breeders Sweepstakes points.