Vicki Comrie-Moore and her horse Sarge have gone from strength to strength since they began endurance riding in 2019. Photo / Jenny Ling
Vicki Comrie-Moore and her horse Sarge have gone from strength to strength since they began endurance riding in 2019. Photo / Jenny Ling
They may have started their sport later in life, but Northland horsewoman Vicki Comrie-Moore and her gutsy little "desert horse" are racing to make up for lost time.
Since Comrie-Moore and her Arab gelding Sarge started endurance riding three years ago they have won several events and clocked up awhopping 500km at various rides around the country.
Comrie-Moore was in her late 40s and Sarge was 14 when the duo entered the epic equestrian sport where extreme distances are covered across stunning landscapes in the ultimate test of stamina and fitness.
"He [Sarge] had all this gas in the tank which he wanted to use," she said.
"He hadn't done any kilometers he just hacked around the farm.
"He's got a lot to give, and he absolutely loves it."
With a background in trackwork riding and showing Arabian horses "in hand" for nearly a decade, Comrie-Moore also breaks in young horses from her Oromāhoe farm.
She trains them up then sells them, mainly to people who use them for endurance riding.
The artist who also runs a dog grooming business always dreamed of taking up the sport, but the timing wasn't right – until recently.
Vicki Comrie-Moore and Sarge in race mode at the Distance Riding New Zealand national champs in May. Photo / Kerry Rowe
Sarge, her "companion cow horse", has taken to it like a duck to water.
"Ever since I started showing Arabians I wanted to give endurance a try," Comrie-Moore said.
"I did one 40km ride on JA Casablanca, my first Arabian, just to have him qualify, but then I had to sell him.
"But I was hooked then, I knew I wanted to do it, but my opportunity didn't come till 2019."
There are two types of distance riding events; ride to time (RTT) are where riders follow a marked trail with the goal of completing the course as close to the optimum time as possible.
Horses and riders must complete a number of qualifying RTT events before they can enter Enduro events.
Enduro events start at 40km and go through to 160km or even multi-day events reaching 240km. They are a race to cross the finish line, provided the horse passes the final vet check.
To ensure the health and welfare of the horse and the safety of riders, horses are monitored by vets throughout the ride at various checkpoints.
Sarge gets checked over by a veterinarian at the Makahiwi Challenge.
If the veterinarian deems the horse unfit to continue, for example, if the horse has a heart rate above 65 beats per minute which means it's not recovering well, it will be eliminated.
Comrie-Moore and Sarge's first ride was a 10km RTT event in Waiuku where Sarge qualified to go further.
"We didn't really know what we were doing as we were just beginning.
"I knew he had it in him, I knew he could do something like this, he was just full of energy."
Then the pair progressed to – and won – a 20km event at Atiu Creek west of Wellsford, completing the ride in one hour.
Sarge has since completed several 40km rides before stepping up to 80kms.
Last Easter he won the Makahiwi Challenge, covering 120km over three days, and earlier this year he won the 40km Waimeha Mandate cup event in the central North Island.
He also placed third in the 80km Distance Riding New Zealand championships in May, and is now well qualified to enter open rides.
Comrie-Moore said endurance riding is everything she hoped it would be.
"You get to see an amazing part of the country and ride on the most incredible farms thanks to the farmers that open them up for us.
"They're a great bunch of people, they're like family.
"It's a really good sport to get into.
"It's very relaxed in what you wear; there's no pomp and ceremony with endurance.
"The horses love it, and they're really well cared for and well vetted."
Vicki and Sarge get in some training on 90 Mile Beach in the Far North. Photo / Caitlin Linkhorn
As the distances are increased, horses must have a strict feed regime to keep their energy levels up and help them recover.
Consistent exercise is key, Comrie-Moore said, though it's about distance rather than speed.
"Saddle time is really important".
In preparation for a ride, Sarge is exercised several times a week, including on the beach, which makes the horse work harder and is a good substitute for hill work.
Comrie-Moore also has access to a couple of local farms.
"Hydration is super important for the horse, we use a boosting electrolyte supplement between loops for the horses to keep their hydration up."
Many riders use Arabians for endurance riding.
Native to the Middle East, they are known for their stamina and can run many miles if not galloping at full speed.
"They're intelligent, they have the most endurance and good lung capacity," Comrie-Moore said.
"They've got good hearts.
"They're desert horses, they do really well."
Comrie-Moore, a member of Distance Riding New Zealand, recently won a scholarship from the organisation which covers the fees for her rides this year.
Vicki Comrie-Moore with the Makahiwi Challenge cup she and Sarge won after completing the three-day, 120km event in Easter. Photo / Jenny Ling
She was also allocated a mentor to help her increase her distances.
With Sarge now aged nearly 17, Comrie-Moore hopes there's a few more years of endurance riding left in him.
She wants to do a couple of 120km rides on him, including at the DRNZ national champs in Taupo in May 2023, before giving him a break and picking up with Jewel, a 7-year-old Arabian mare.
For now, she's stoked with Sargy-boy's achievements.
"I'm so proud of him, he's exceeded my expectations. I knew he'd do it, but I didn't think he'd step up quite so quickly.
"He wants to go so much. He's the one who wants to carry on – I just go along for the ride."
