It was weather fit for neither man nor beast. But, it was not going to stand in the way of the determined horse-and-rider combinations that made their way to the Kentucky Cup Endurance –the official test event for the discipline of endurance riding and the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The day promised two international-level competitions consisting of a 75-mile and a 100-mile race through Bluegrass farmland. But, that would change halfway through the event for those combinations competing in the 100-mile marathon. The footing began to lose its integrity and become excessively slippery for the horses, and they began sliding on the turf. For safety reasons, a decision was made by the organizers to shorten the 100-mile and turn it into a second 75-mile contest. Safety is a very important word in an equestrian’s vocabulary.

As the day started, there was excitement among the many support teams that assist in the challenge of safely managing the horse through the race and the 23 countries gathered from around the world at the Kentucky Horse Park. In the pre-dawn hours, the work began.

Pouring rain and 40-degree temperatures currently face those riders on the trail that includes a 20-mile lap through farms and across busy roadways (state and local police are ensuring stopped traffic). With safety paramount, each lap is followed by a mandatory check-in (or “vet check”) where the rider will dismount. What follows is an examination of the horse by a team of veterinarians and support staff to ensure proper temperature, heartbeat and respiration rates, plus a full metabolic profile. Once the horse is trotted to confirm soundness and deemed fit to continue, the horse is cleared, the rider mounts and the race goes on. But finishing first in endurance doesn’t necessarily ensure a win. Upon completion of the grueling test, the horse must once again be checked. Only once proper health is established is the result official and the winner crowned