PL Mercury, a 27-year-old Arabian gelding, and owner Claire Godwin, DVM, completed the endurance Triple Crown late last month when they finished 15th in the 100-mile American Endurance Ride Conference Championship ride held at the Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina.

“Merc” successfully completed three 100-mile rides this year—the 100-mile Old Dominion Ride, which took place in Virginia in June, the 100-mile Tevis Cup in July, when he became the oldest horse to complete the challenging ride through the California mountains, and the Biltmore Estate ride.

“It would have been really easy not to finish this one,” Godwin said. “The temperatures were in the 90s,” and the humidity was high, as well.

Of the 33 horses that started the 100-mile ride, only 16 finished. Holly Corcoran and Poete won the event with a ride time of 12 hours and 26 minutes. Merc finished with a ride time of 17 hours and 44 minutes, slower than his normal pace