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Reis
Wins Gold At Pan American Endurance Championship |
Trout
Lake, WA - - Cia Reis from the USA East squad rode Catch A Wave
to the Gold Medal and also won Best Condition at the 2003 Pan American
Endurance Championship at Trout Lake, WA. Team Gold was won by the
USA Pacific North squad of Sharon Westergard (MCM Phantazem "Taz"),
Pat Murray (CR Flash Gordon), Michele Roush (PR Tallymark), and
Cassandra Schuler (ELD Triton).
Reis
finished in a very quick time of 9:14.13, an average of 17.35 km.
(10.78 miles) per hour. USA Pacfic South rider Heather Reynolds,
defending PAC gold medallist, won the Silver Medal in 9:37:40 on
Aleclipse, a 7-year-old Arabian gelding loaned to her by Becky Hart.
Another USA East rider, Vicki Crance, won the Bronze Medal with
RA Jestic Diamond. The East dominated the top ten placings with
four of their riders, but came in fourth in the team standings when
team riders Meg Sleeper (Shyrocco Troilus) and Valerie Kanavy (Emphatic/Shahdon)
were pulled. Team Silver was won by the USA Pacific North squad
while Canada West, the only team to finish all four team riders,
won the Bronze Medal.
Reis,
of Pennsdale, PA, arrived at the PAC site two week previous to the
race and had ridden much of the trail in that time, but said she
was surprised at how difficult the ride was. However, she and "Wave"
negotiated the last 13 mile loop in 53 minutes, just as the sun
was setting. She said, "It was as if he knew that this was
his last leg and I just let him go."
The
leading international rider was Leonard Liesens of Belgium riding
Great Santini, a 15-year-old Arabian gelding owned by Stephanie
and John Teeter. They placed 33rd out of the 50 finishers, coming
in at a time of 12:48:19. The race started with 89 entries and ended
with a completion rate of 54%.
Several
of the riders, who represented nine countries, noted that the up-and-down
trails through the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest, with its many
curves and turns and a considerable amount of single track, were
a stiff challenge for their horses.
Visit
www.endurance.net/2003pac
for complete race results.
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