World Championship Endurance Ri

KRIS OETTER of North Van- couver topped the Canadian Mountain Bike Championships at Cypress Bowl Sunday, finishing first overall in the expert men’s

category. More than 150 of North America’s top mountain bike

riders —- among them Oetter — competed in the two-day event, which saw riders tackling a hill climb, downhill and cross-coun- try/criterium at the local ski area’s course.

Oetter, 25, won the hill climb

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ide.

TWO-DAY CYPRESS BOWL EVENT

and the downhill in the expert men's category.

Oetter, Ken Nolan and Peter Lawrence maintained first, se- cond and third placings throughout those race categories and into the overall standings.

In the 9¥2-kilometre hill climb, times were 50:07, 51:15 and 52:09: over the saine course, the downhill saw the top times L: ‘ng 20:17, 20:42 and 20:52.

Downhillers suffered a few spills, but there were no notable injuries.

NEWS photo Neli Lucente NORTH VANCOUVER'’S Shari MacFarlane and Sir Prize...tackling the

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13 - Wednesday, Sevtember 21, 1988 - North Shore News

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ENDURANCE RIDE Vancouver horse rider

competes against the best

NORTH VANCOUVER’S Shari MacFarlane will start her day Saturday carrying a pouch filled with fruit, trail mix, horseshoes, water bot- tles and a flashlight.

BARRI

Reporter

On that day she will set out at 6:30 a.m, to tackle the World Championship Endurance Ride, a horse race that will see her go without sleep for as long as 24 hours and travel through some of the most beautiful country in the U.S.

“I'm going to try for a top-20 position, which would be a little better than the middle of the field,’ said MacFarlane, 34, the first Canadian to finish a similar endurance horse race in Oregon last month.

“But there’s so many things that can happen out there.”’

Winding up the championships was the cross-country/criterium with Geoff Lidal first in 1:54:48, Eric Crowe second in 1:56:10 and Jim Sullivan third in) 1:58:19. Cetter’s fifth finish gave him enough overall points for first spot.

The champions go to the World Championships at Mam- moth Mountain in California next fall; next is a Squamish- to-Whistler race this coming weekend.

Arabian Front

Riding 13-year-old gelding Sir Prize in the

Royal, Vir., t00-mile race, Mac- Farlane will be up against top competitors from 16 countries.

On the course, the North Van- couver rider will be watching her horse carefully, as strategy and

Tis a very objective thing — you either finish or you don’t.”’

pacing are important elements of the race.

With veterinary checks along the route, horses are required to rest for a specified period that starts only when heartrates come down to a certain level; pushing a horse too hard means a longer wait be- fore the rest starts.

‘dvs a very objective thing — you either finish or you don’t,’

she said of the race that will take her through the Shenandoah Valley, along the Blue Ridge Mountains and into the Massanut- ten Ranges.

“It’s not up to a judge in a show ring.”’

Depending on weather condi- tions and terrain, she can expect to finish with a time anywhere from 16 to 21 hours; three hours later — after vets have checked the horses — results will be official.

While an activity that includes nou sleep, little food and often- inclement weather may not seem much of a hobby to most people, MacFarlane’s rewards go beyond the obvious.

“It’s a oneness with the horse,’” she explained, ‘‘lt’s all the time and training you've put in — it just seems to come together.’”

An experienced long-distance tider, she started endurance racing two years ago, marking the recent Purina Endurance Race of Cham- pions in Sedalia, Ore., as her first 100-mile event.

NEWS photos Neil Lucente

MOUNTAIN BIKE riders from all over North America came to Cypress Bowl last weekend for the Canadian Mountain Bike Cham- pionships. Alex Seal (above) tried as quickly as possible to fix his third flat tire of the race. Some riders watked, some rode (left) in the com- petition criterium. North Vancouver’s Kris Oetter was the overall

winner.

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