The 2009 AERC National Championship Rides will be held next month on September 11 and 13 in northeastern California, about two hours northwest of Lake Tahoe and just 30 minutes from Lassen National Park. The drive to the area is beautiful. Once you arrive you will soon find out this is not your average endurance ride. It is more like a family reunion with riders from across the U.S., Canada and sometimes even a few members from foreign countries who ride in AERC-sanctioned rides enough to have qualified.

The ride will use existing but rarely used roads and single track trails on the beautiful Plumas and Lassen national forests and on private forestlands. Elevations range from 3500 to 6500 feet. Crews have easy access at both camp and away vet checks.

The 100-mile ride will take place on Friday, September 11, but you will want to arrive early to see old friends as well as meet new ones. On Saturday, you may want to attend some educational clinics full of nutritional and hoof care information with Hall of Fame speakers. You will also be entertained with miniature horse carriage demonstrations.

On Sunday the 50-mile AERC National Championship Ride will take place.

If you have not attended a national championship lately, you need to go check this one out, you will be glad you did. Riders who like to ride any speed -- fast or slow or in-between -- love to attend the national championship rides just to take in all the scenery and join in all the festivities.

This will be a first-class ride with catered meals throughout the weekend and vendors with products that all of us would want to purchase. Ride management has gone all-out in seeking sponsors and donations and will provide you with a wonderful ride, well-marked trails, great vets and some of the best volunteers to help you throughout the ride.

Qualifications for the 50-mile ride: Horse and rider must have 300 lifetime endurance miles together as a team.

Qualifications for the 100-mile ride: Horse and rider must have 500 endurance miles, of which at least one ride must be a one-day 100-mile ride. Rider and horse teams that have ridden 1,000 miles as a team qualify for either distance.

Whether you can attend or not, you may want to support the ride with a purchase of a $100 raffle ticket to try to win Rushcreek Thor, a 4-year-old gelding that is ready to begin his endurance career, donated by Rushcreek Arabians of Lisco, Nebraska. The proceeds will go to the Rotary Club and to help defray the expenses of the ride.

This year's AERC National Championship Ride is being managed by Kassandra DiMaggio and hosted by the Patriots Day Endurance Rides and the Rotary Club of Greenville, California.

It is not too late to enter! For more information, visit www.patriotsdayride.com or call 530-284-7787.