Tell us about your horse. When/how did you come to get him/her?  I got Port in 1989 in Cottonwood, CA at Shirays Arabians who were selling all 40 horses they had. Port was a stallion and was the first horse sold.

What is your horses breeding?    Port Bask
Sex:  Gelding
DOB:   5-19-83
Horse height:  15 hh
Approx. Weight:  900
Color:  Bay
Shoe size:  1
Easyboot size:  0

Why did you decide to purchase this horse (or if you didn't purchase, why did you choose to use this horse in endurance)?   Because he had never been ridden before and he looked awesome.

Did you do endurance with any other horses before this horse?  Yes

How many different horses have you ridden in this sport?  Several, including mules.

Do you participate in any other horse sports or activities?   Pleasure riding.

How many years have you been involved with horses?  50 years  In endurance?  Since 1984

What got you interested in endurance riding? What was it that kept you interested?   The Tevis and Virginia City buckles, all the different country to ride in and all the people you meet.

How old was your horse when first started? First ride?   6 years – Fort Churchill 50.

How many rides did you do the first, second, and third ride seasons?   1st = 2 50's, 2nd = 7 50's, 1-100, 3rd = 5 50's, 4 100's, 1 2-day 100.

What mileage distance did you start with?  My first ride was a 100 – Tevis, in 1984. Port's first ride was a 50.

How long till you top tenned or 'raced'?  I top tenned 1st ride on Port and got BC, t hen waited a few years to do that again.

How much time off do you give between ride seasons?  2 or 3 months.

If you have done 100's, how much time off do you give after doing one? What is your schedule in the month leading up to the ride?   Usually a month – a 50 somewhere before the 100 and lots of slow mountain training rides.

If you have done multidays, how much time off do you give after doing one? What is your schedule in the month leading up to the ride?   Two or three weeks, usually a 50 and training rides of around 20 miles.

What kind of tack do you use?   Browns traditional Orthoflex saddle, mechanical hackamore.

What kind of shoes do you use on your horse?  Easyboots over my shoes, which are the wide web half rounds.

What kind of problems have you encountered?   none

What was the worst or most severe injury your horse has had?  Abscess in foot.

How did you work thru it?  Time off.

Describe the best ride you ever had on your horse?  They are all really great rides.

Describe the worst day you ever had with your horse?  When he bucked me off and ran a mile to US 395 and crossed, stopping traffic in both directions. He waited for me on the other side shaking and scared to death.

What was your most humbling experience?  Finishing 2nd to Wanda Myers.

What lessons have you learned along the way that you feel are the most important?   Keeping your horse going slow with lots of walking, especially in the mountains.

Where does your horse live?  At home in a 2 to 15 acre pasture.

What kind of environment did your horse spend the first few years of its life in?  In a very small corral.

What are your horse's strengths? Weaknesses?  His ability to out recover most horses early in the day. He has poor recoveries later in the day.

What advice do you have for new riders?  Go slow and learn from others before you race.

Looking back, what would you do differently?  Tried to figure out his later day recovery problem.

What do you feel you did right?  Started him slow.

What was your highest goal for your horse? Did you achieve it?   To finish all the rides we started. Almost.

Describe your horse's personality? How is it like or unlike yours?  He's a showoff and grabs people's attention by nodding his head and crossing his front legs while walking and he bucks all the time. My personality is more shy and quiet.

What kinds of rides do you enjoy the most?  Multidays and 100's.

Describe your electrolyte protocol.  I usually electrolyte the night before, morning of, during, and after the ride.

Is there anything special about your nutrition program you attribute to your success?  Free choice hay, using the Select products and green grass on pasture.

Are there any major changes you've made to your nutrition program (i.e., changed from one hay to another, added something special) that you feel made a noticeable improvement or solved a problem?  Giving oat hay during the ride.

What kind of supplements (if any) do you use?  I use all of the Select The Best products.

Do you give any kind of joint products?  Yes, Select Power Flex complete joint support in liquid or pellet form.

How far do you usually travel to rides?  1000 miles at the most.

Do you go to many rides outside of your region?  Yes

Name three people involved in the sport of endurance that you look up to, and why?   Dave Nicholson because he emphasizes that the rider take care of their horse, other vets are saying this now but the Duck has been saying this for years.

The other people are all the vets, riders, ride managers, and crews and anyone involved putting the rides together to make it a success.

Did you have a mentor or first trail partner?   My dad. He was a mustanger in the 20's, 30's, and 40's until it was outlawed in 1949. He taught me everything about taking care of your horse. My dad said he rode anywhere from 20 to 50 miles a day for 30 years straight. As a mustanger they would catch mustangs one day and use those mustangs to catch more mustangs the very next day.

In choosing your next horse, what would you look for?   Another Porta Kol.

From day one Port has always wanted to buck and when he doesn't I encourage him to buck and then he does. I've come off about 10 times and he has never hurt me except my feelings for coming off in front of people. He has been ridden by only 5 other people, a couple of foreign riders, Connie Creech, Gina Hall and the Duck's daughter Calina, who Port tried to buck off after he completed a 1st place fast 50. I don't now how Calina stayed on for six or seven jumps.

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