French Broad Classic at Biltmore

rth Carolina is one of the most beautiful places in the United States to horseback ride particularly at Biltmore near the magnificent Appalachian Mountains. We felt a tremendous burden to make sure the Biltmore NATRC Ride would continue on for our NATRC friends. Our goal is to make this a very successful, fun, and enjoyable ride for individuals and family participants for years to come.. This is the site of the AERC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP & AHA DISTANCE NATIONALS in 2012. The Equestrian Center is on the estate, with more than 80 miles of groomed trails. The rider’s fee is only for the competition ride; all other Biltmore activities require additional tickets. If you extend your stay on the Estate, you will need to contact the Equestrian Center Office at 828-225-1454 and make arrangements. You will enter and exit the Estate through the front gate. Once on the property, there will be a three mile drive to the camp. The speed limit is very slow as this is a heavily visited area with vacationers, automobiles, and geese. Upon entering the property, approach the estate ticket gate. Management there will have been provided a list of the competitor’s names. Give them your name and proceed to the camp. Please follow the BEEC signs that will direct you to our camp. The Biltmore Equestrian Center is working very closely with our management to make sure the ride is very much a success for NATRC. Camping at Biltmore is primitive; there is no water or electrical hookups. The campsites are in a flat pasture with no trees. The Equestrian Center management requests horse washing be at your trailer with water you haul to the trailer. Water (portable city water) is available at spigots for buckets. Please keep in mind it is a rule that all generators be turned off at 10 pm and not started until 5 am. Smoking is not allowed outside your campsite and especially not on the trails. ASTM riding helmets are requested by management for all riders whenever mounted on horseback. An additional liability waiver will have to be signed by those who choose to ride without helmets. Junior riders are required to wear ASTM approved helmets. Open fires are not allowed by Biltmore, and dogs must be confined or on a leash. Horses are to be tied to the trailer by a stationary tie or sliding tether, by picket line, or by high tie attached to the trailer. If you are uncertain about tie-up arrangements and wish to have help with this, please contact ride management before the ride, and we will make arrangements to have someone assist you with this process. You will need to make sure you bring to the ride the appropriate equipment to tie your horses to the trailer. The terrain will be moderate hills and woods with roots and rocks. There will be creek crossings. Water will be available throughout the ride for the horses to drink. The ride divisions will be: A-Open, Novice / CP & Junior. B- Novice / CP / & Junior. The ride distance for open riders will be 52 miles, plus or minus, over two days. The ride distance for Novice and CP is for A - riders 32 miles, plus or minus, in two days. B -riders 16.1 miles in one day. Riders Fee’s are to be determined. Friday night dinner will be provided for all riders and volunteers. Saturday night will be potluck, so please bring a dish to share. Dinner will be under the tent. Please bring a chair. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days for the judges and volunteers. After dinner on Friday night, there will be a first time riders meeting for anyone who would like to attend. This will cover NATRC basics with a time for questions at the end of the meeting. First time riders -if you would like to have a mentor for the ride, please contact ride management before the ride, and we assign someone to you. The Veterinarian Judge for the ride will be Stephanie Ostrowski, and the Horsemanship Judge will be Kim Coward. We would like to invite everyone to vacation in June and join us for the Biltmore competition. Our goal for this ride is to make it very inviting for everyone who is participating and to teach excellent horsemanship and outstanding horse care. We look forward to seeing everyone in June. Ride Manager, Sherry Garnes - cell: 828-400-7402, e-mail: [email protected]
Ride Secretary: Charmaine DeRosa (828) 506-2427 email: [email protected]