Explore new lands - or at least new roads.

When
September 1, 2012

Where
Unknown.

Starting Location
To Be Determined

Start Time
will be 7 AM. Meet at 6:45

Course Description:
The course this year will follow lightly trafficed paved roads, very lightly trafficed paved Forest Service roads with a few patches of poor pavement and sections of dirt and gravel. The longest section being about 1/8 th of a mile. There is a long stretch of road which will have a moderate level of traffic on it at the time of day riders will be there, but it shouldn't be too crowded.

The terrain will be mountainous and the scenary is stunning with views of volcanoes, forests, meadows and rivers.

Catagories
All catagories are based on teams of 2 people and 2 people only. There will be no additional drivers or crew.
Catagories include:
Two Man Team
Two Woman Team
Two Person Team (mixed)

Registration
This race is sanctioned by OBRA and all racers must be OBRA members. Annual ($25) or day ($5) OBRA licenses available at the race. 

Entry Fee
$30 per team
To Register Click Here

Prizes
First place will receive a dinner (meal) for two (the team) at Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom in Hood River, OR (the Finish Line).

History of the sport

In pioneer times if two people found themselves with one horse, one person would walk while the other rode ahead on the horse. After a few miles the rider would tie the horse to a tree and continue on foot. The person who began walking would catch up to the horse, mount it, and ride past the second person. Again the horse would be tied, and the relay begun again. This gave each person achance to rest as they rode and some time for the horse to rest as it stood waiting for the next rider.

A couple of centuries later (1971 to be exact), a San Francisco Bay area Levi Strauss executive became intrigued by the concept and co-opted it as a promotional event for the jeans-maker with the Levi Ride. While it had its rough moments, a sport was born. This unusual equestrian event combines the skill of horsemanship, the endurance of long-distance running, and the strength of teamwork. The object is to get all three team members (two humans and one horse) across a cross-country course that typically ranges from 5 - 20 miles but can be as long as 40 miles

All teams start off at the same time with one team member running while the other is mounted on horseback. The rider covers as much distance as they think their partner can run (or walk) and still keep up a decent pace. At that strategic point the rider stops, dismounts, ties the horse to a tree or fence post, and continues down the trail on foot. The team member who started on foot gets to the horse, climbs on and rides to catch their partner up ahead. When they get to their running team member they can either stop and exchange in a "flying tie" or ride further up the trail and tie the horse and then continue running.

When, where, and how a team exchanges is up to them, and this is where the strategy lies. Every trail runner has their strengths and weaknesses, and the same is true for horses. Factor all the strengths and weaknesses of two runners and one horse, along with weather conditions and the topography of the course, and you can understand why Ride & Tie is as much mental as physical.

Now, imagine this same race with people on bicycles instead of on foot and a motorized vehicle instead of a horse, and you have the Lewis & Clark Ride-n-Tie.