Not Just Another Ride

The Carolina Challenge has become a tradition for the Palm Family and the horses of Three Palms Arabians. Held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, it has always been the favorite ride of the season. Perhaps it is because the Carolina Challenge was Gunnar's initiation into endurance riding. Or maybe it is because family friends Martha and David Lucas host the ride at their lovely farm, Whitehaven Plantation. But whatever the reason, it always proves to be a day filled with fun and excitement.

It all began in 2002 when Gunnar decided that he would like to try the sport of endurance riding. Timeless Dezign (Zedann x *Fatmaa), one of Three Palms Arabians' star athletes, was placed into training at Whitehaven. On the weekends, Gunnar would travel from Connecticut to the farm and train with her. After only three months of conditioning, for both horse and rider, the day of reckoning had finally arrived. At the end of the ride, it was decided that this sport had enough thrills and spills (literally) to keep Gunnar interested in the sport. The Three Palms Arabians team of Gunnar and Dezign made a good showing in their first ride and finished fifth out of fifty-three riders in the thirty mile ride.

From that fateful day in November, Gunnar has been hooked on endurance riding. He has participated in five Carolina Challenge rides since 2002. In 2005, Gunnar and Dezign took top honors in the thirty mile ride after finishing in the second place position the year before.

Since that time, Dezign has been retired to the breeding barn and Gunnar has two endurance horses instead of just one, Citadel Batal (*Simeon Shai x Matrabbs Melody) and JF Ibn Serenada (*Ibn Safinaz x Ansata Serenada) better known as Kacim.

It was decided that both horses would run in the 2007 Carolina Challenge 30. Therefore, Gunnar would need to find someone with enough experience to ride a horse they had never seen and the desire to go the distance of thirty miles.

Savannah Palm was considered but she is a junior and even though she has helped condition Batal for rides, she didn't think she was up to the pace that her father had planned for this ride.

So where do you find an experienced, talented rider that is willing to try a new sport? The most logical answer is Pony Club. Savannah has been a member of Pony Club for five years and it was only natural that friend and fellow pony clubber, Eliza Culbertson came to mind. Being the experienced horseperson and brave soul that Eliza is, she agreed to ride Batal at the Carolina Challenge.

In many ways, Eliza's introduction to endurance riding was similar to Gunnar's. Like that fateful day five years ago, it was a beautiful autumn day. The sky was clear and sunny with the temperature mild. You couldn't have ordered better weather for a ride, especially your first ride. As Gunnar and Eliza waited for the ride to begin, they calmly walked their horses at the starting point. When the timer shouted "GO" and the riders were underway, Gunnar and Eliza were out in front of the pack.

Patricia and Savannah Palm were crewing that day for the team. After seeing Gunnar and Eliza off, they returned to their staged rest area to prepare for their team's arrival. It was an hour or so into the ride when word came back to the ride camp that a rider was down. Since Gunnar has a history of becoming unseated, it was only natural to think that the rider could be Gunnar. It wasn't long after that the team came hustling into camp. It was then found out that the downed rider wasn't Gunnar but Eliza. However, there is more to this story. Eliza had experienced two falls during the first loop and Gunnar one. As Gunnar said, "It was a tough first loop." But fortunately, neither one were injured and after a forty minute rest period both were off to complete the last thirteen miles of the ride.

As they say, all's well that ends well. At least, for Eliza that would be the case. Eliza and Batal finished their first endurance ride in two hours twenty seven minutes and placed third which was only one minute behind the winner. Seconds separated second and third place. Their finish was thirty-nine minutes faster than Gunnar's ride with Dezign five years previous and three minutes faster than their win in 2005.

Gunnar and Kacim wouldn't have as good a result. After finishing the thirty miles, Kacim was unable to complete the final vet check due to lameness.

A lot of credit is due this courageous young woman. As the motto of the American Endurance Ride Conference states, To Finish Is To Win. Eliza Culbertson is definitely a winner!