Verde Valley School‘s Endurance Equestrian team finished in a tie for 5th place in the February 5th Springdale Romp.
VVS equestrian program director, Caroline Diehl commented:
“They were devoted and were excited to have all of their hard work pay off with such a stellar finish. I was so impressed with the way the students handled their horses and worked as a team, especially in a sport that is usually an individual sport.”
The tightly bonded team elected to ride the race, and finish, as a team rather than individuals. Verde Valley students ride two hours daily five days a week and ride 20-35 miles on Saturdays as they prepare for competition.
For those new to equine endurance racing, the competition includes more than racing and winning. Caroline Diehl again:
“In endurance racing, the horses’ heart rates need to drop to 60 beats per minute or below and pass a veterinarian’s examination before officially ‘finishing’ the race…The vets were impressed that all of our horses dropped below that criteria in less than a minute of crossing the finish line. They remarked that our horses were the most fit of all the horses in the race, which is what we were striving for.”
All VVS horses were candidates for the “Best Condition” award, the most coveted award in endurance racing.
