Karen’s Musings & Endurance Ride Stuff

I went to the Reno Film Festival today and saw Arabian Silk.  The film was well received at it’s premiere with lots of endurance riders attending!  Christine Lazzarini and her crew did a fantastic job on this documentary about endurance riding.  You can tell they poured their hearts into this project and created something that is both entertaining and inspiring.

The film started with some history on the sport of endurance riding, which is the fastest growing equestrian sport!  They introduced Wendell Robie and explained about his vehicle accident where he nearly died and then how the Tevis Cup finally got started – a 100 mile one day endurance horse race from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, Ca.  All because of a bet!  (you have to see the movie to learn more)

Jerry Zebrak is shown explaining about how it takes a special kind of person to want to be an endurance rider – you know, the kind of person that enjoys pain and discomfort for extended periods of time!!  Basically if you are a normal well adjusted person who likes your creature comforts you are probably not going to want to be an endurance rider.

In addition to the history about the sport and details on how rides take place the film told a story about and by Roger, one of Jerry’s first endurance horses.   Jerry’s horses have completed more than 30,000 miles of AERC rides to date.

Ride footage goes mostly between the Virginia City 100 and the Tevis Cup with a segment about the first 100 mile endurance ride in Japan – a ride in which one of Jerry’s (sold) horses completes in 2nd place with Ann Hall riding.  They explained the difference between FEI racing and AERC’s “To Finish is to Win” motto (though if you aren’t an endurance rider you probably wouldn’t get what FEI endurance is).  I would have rather they showed more details on the challenges and difficulty of trail on either Tevis or VC, than to see the trail and map details on the ride in Japan.

Arabian Silk does a good job of showing the bonds that are formed between horse and rider as well as the challenge endurance riding offers.  It becomes obvious as you watch the film that riding 100 mile endurance events is a tough endeavor that takes a lot of dedication and passion — as Jerry states in one section after he rides 75 miles on a 100 why not stop, go eat, rest, shower and get cleaned and rested up because nobody else cares if he does the next 25 miles or not.  But he does.  He doesn’t have to say that, but you know it…

As in real life, the story is full of success and failures along the way – it’s not a perfect ride.  Sort of what you’d expect especially if you’ve been involved in endurance riding for any length of time.  You know that there is both good and bad and it’s through some of the more challenging or difficult times that the real bonds and friendships with our horses and fellow riders are formed.

There are parts that will make you laugh.  Especially the brutally honest parts.  Anybody that has spent much time around horses will definitely find the humor in it.  There are parts that may also make you shed a tear or two, though only in a good way because it would be hard to sit through this and not be touched in some way.

If you’re in the West Region of AERC you’ll no doubt recognize many if not all of the faces in the film.  The film is going to be shown at more film festivals across the country and hopefully will be picked up to be shown natinally and internationally.  If I find out more about when or where people can see it I’ll post it in my blog.  The AERC really needs to get copies to either sell or to show at the convention!  I think every endurance rider or equestrian will enjoy it.

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