Pitting Racers Against Riders in Prescott

A Bar Bet Pays Off

Prescott race pits riders against runners

by Wynne Brown photograph by Kerrick James

In the clear cold October first dawn, I'm warm enough in jeans and Polartec jacket-yet I feel oddly naked.

All around me runners, riders and horses in a multicolored, multilegged mass simultaneously pace, jog or jig. But here I am at Prescott Valley's 23rd annual Man Against Horse Race-with no horse. I rode this event in 2004, but this year I'll be translating the miles of mountain trail into words instead of sweat, aches, thirst and exhilaration. Even so, I can feel the adrenaline surge when ride manager Ron Barrett bellows: "The trail is now open for competition."

Not many bar bets last a quarter of a century, but today's event started with a seemingly foolish 1880s wager in Prescott's historic Palace Bar that a human could outrun a horse on a 60-mile trail.

The route has changed, but the race remains. Originally, mixed five-person teams covered 60 miles from Williams to Verde in two days. The first full team across the finish line won. But now ultrarunners and endurance riders compete as individuals in the 25or 50-mile divisions. The 25-mile contestants must finish in less than six hours, while 50-mile competitors have 12 hours. There's also a 12mile ride and run-just for fun.

Originally, mixed five-person teams covered 60 miles from Williams to Verde in two days. The first full team across the finish line won. But now ultrarunners and endurance riders compete as individuals in the 25or 50-mile divisions. The 25-mile contestants must finish in less than six hours, while 50-mile competitors have 12 hours. There's also a 12mile ride and run-just for fun.

Longer than a 26.2-mile marathon, ultraruns can cover 100 miles in a single day. The Man Against Horse Race is one of only two events left where runners and riders compete on the same course. So pedestrians and equestrians regard one another with bemused amazement, but cheer one another along as the day goes on.

of only two events left where runners and riders compete on the same course. So pedestrians and equestrians regard one another with bemused amazement, but cheer one another along as the day goes on.

The 50-mile loop course begins on flat ranch roads, follows washes and trails into Prescott National Forest, climbs 1,800 feet over Mingus Mountain, peaks at 7,600 feet, then careens down Yaeger Canyon back to base camp. As a rider on one narrow section of trail, I well remember seeing nothing... below my right stirrup. Best to gaze instead at the Colorado Plateau, Sedona, and the distant San Francisco Peaks while appreciating the four sure-footed hoofs under me. The 100-mile-a-day routes of competitive endurance riding demand strict rules to protect the horses. That includes "vet checks" every 12 to 15 miles, with a 30to 60-minute stop so that veterinarians can pull the mostly Arabian horses for medical reasons. That enforced rest stop for the horses gives the human runners their one faint hope of beating their fourlegged foes.

The first runner to conquer the mountain and cross the finish line was Paul Bonnet, a history teacher and soccer coach from Phoenix.

On the hoofed side, aptly named mare Fit Asa Fiddle, ridden by local veterinarian Tandi Gaul, won the race and the coveted Best Condition award.

Over time, the race has become a community event. Barrett said proceeds in 2004 “bought 260 25-pound turkeys from Youngs Farm, which provided holiday meals for every food bank in town.” Youngs Farm also supplies food for the 250 competitors at the awards dinner, York Motors provides race headquarters and Creative Touch Interiors and Fain Ranch and Mingus Springs Ranch provide additional support. Yavapai Jeep Posse volunteers man the 19 checkpoints with food and drinks.

So back to the bet. Who's the fastest, horse or human?

The fastest runners always finish first, since the riders' time includes 75 minutes of required rest stops. Not counting the rest stops, the horses usually win-but not always. In 2001, Dennis Poolheco, a Hopi Tewa Indian, finished in a record six hours and 33 minutes, beating the lead horse by three minutes.

How can humans outrun horses? Rocks-especially on treacherous downhill stretches where riders slow down to spare their horses' legs.

But in truth, it's not really man against horse. In fact, it's flesh and blood versus rocks and heat.

And on any given day, it's anyone's bet which will win. All Wynne Brown of Tucson has completed more than 3,300 endurance-riding miles, including the 50mile 2004 Man Against Horse Race. She's hoping to ride it again this year. In her nonequestrian life, she's a K-12 curricular materials developer and author of More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Arizona Women and Falcon Guide to Trail Riding Arizona, both from Globe Pequot Press.

Kerrick James says he never felt like such a wimp as he did watching these great athletes ascend the Mingus Mountain switchbacks with 25-plus miles to go. He lives in Mesa.

when you go

Location: 7 miles northeast of Prescott Valley. Getting There: From Phoenix, take Interstate 17 to Cordes Junction, then State Route 69 north to Fain Road. Turn right onto Fain Road and drive 7 miles to State Route 89A, turn right and go 3 miles. Past the Yavapai County Fairgrounds entrance, look for a dirt road turnoff posted as “Man v Horse.” Go through the gate (remembering to leave it open or closed as you found it) to the base camp a mile down the dirt road near a windmill.

Travel Advisory: This year's race will be held on October 7.

Additional Information: (928) 636-2028; www.endurance.net.

grand canyon

Star Tracks Just after midnight, as October 1 begins on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the photographer's open exposure captures both his brief campfire and four hours' worth of stars tracking across the night sky. The lights on the horizon are Tuba City, 60 miles away. PAUL GILL