Consider this your personal invitation to the AERC National Championship ride in Idaho on August 23 and 25.

Anyone who has never attended an AERC National Championship ride should think about going as it promises to be a fun-filled event. This year's ride is managed by Stephanie Teeter on the beautiful trails near Oreana, Idaho, where she and her husband John have managed many rides in the past.

The ride will be a gala event, with vendors and clinics, food, music and dancing, but most important, the horses, some of the best in the country! This ride will have some of the best endurance horses in our organization. Not only will have some of the fastest horses in endurance it, will also have the longevity endurance horses -- some that have been going year after year and mile after mile.

This ride brings in all kinds of riders. Some will be going to win their respective weight divisions while others will be going to top 10, but all will be doing the best they can do on that particular day.

The 55-mile national championship ride will go off on Thursday, September 23, in the early dawn. The best condition judging will take place shortly after the ride. Everyone should try to watch to see how good these horses look after 55 tough miles. Later in the evening a big dinner and the awards ceremony will take place.

On Friday there will be a day of relaxing, a day where you can shop for tack from the vendors or take in the local sights, while horses will be vetting in and getting things ready to go on the 100-mile national championship. A balance shoeing and trimming clinic will also take place with three excellent farriers instructing, so you will not want to miss it.

The 100-mile ride will be held on Saturday, September 25, and is being touted as two rides in one -- the first half will be 55 miles of technical mountain terrain with some serious climbs and the second part of the ride will be on flat desert trails.

Stephanie writes on the NC website: "Ride the Owyhee Mountain trails leaving camp at first light and climbing to 6500 feet elevation for a scenic view of the Idaho, Nevada and Oregon high country. . . . After refreshments at camp, continue the challenge on the Owyhee desert trail, in the cool of the night, by the light of the full moon."

The best condition judging will take place early on Sunday morning and is normally very well attended with everyone cheering for their favorites. A great breakfast is planned that morning, followed by the awards ceremony.

Stephanie seems to have everything under control with a great veterinary crew lined up, headed by Mike Foss, DVM.

If you want a great vacation combined with great ride management, excellent trails and a gala event, you will want to head to Idaho later this month!

For information about this year's national championship rides, visit www.endurance.net/aercnc.