AZERC- Desert Gem II
Saturday,March 7, 2026
AERC Sanctioned 50 & 25 Mile Rides (Limited to 12 Rigs)
Entry opens Monday, February 9, 2026.
This ride has special requirements. Please read all the information below carefully.
Ride Manager: Ashley Wingert, 760-209-3008 Email: echorider@msn.com
Ride Secretary: Sue Marriott
Assistant Manager: Lancette Koerner
Head Vet: Mark Anderson, DVM
Thank you for your interest in attending the Desert Gem-II hosted by the Arizona Endurance Riders Club at the beautiful Usery Mountain Park, in Mesa, Arizona. This is the follow-up to the first Desert Gem ride in December, which was the first endurance ride allowed to be held in Usery Mountain Park. That ride was successful, and the park is graciously permitting us to hold a second event there. To ensure our continued access, it is imperative that our group leave a positive impression on all we meet in the park.
Basecamp Location: Usery Mountain Regional Park at 3939 N Usery Pass Rd, Mesa Arizona 85207.
The exact camping location will be sent in the electronic rider packet.
Weather: Average high/low temperature 76°F/47 °F
Sunrise/Sunset: 6:48 AM / 6:28 PM
Cell/Internet service: There is cell service in camp and along the routes through the park.
Rules and Regulations: The ride will be conducted in accordance with AERC rules. Go to www.aerc.org for the details. It is your responsibility to know the rules. We do not allow ties.
Limited # of Rigs: We are currently limited to 12 rigs due to the size of the lot.
Ride Entry, Camping Fee & Payment: The entry fee for adults is $140, junior & young riders are $70. The camping fee is $25 per rig, per night. We encourage everyone to stay Saturday to enjoy a relaxing night at the park. All entrants must be registered by March 4, 2026. Cutoff to receive a t-shirt for completion is February 24, 2026. There is no onsite entry. Entries will be accepted in the order they are received. See entry link below. The entry will close once the limit has been reached and we will start a waitlist. Please email your request to be added to the waitlist to echorider@msn.com.
Cancellation Policy: Ride entry cancellations received on or before 5 pm, Monday, February 23, 2026, will receive a refund less a $25 administration fee. No refunds for cancellations after 5 pm, Monday, February 23, 2026. Ride management must be notified of cancellation. Refunds will be processed after the ride.
Camping: Due to the limited space, tying your horse to the trailer or using high ties is best but small portable pens are allowed as space permits. Electric pens/wire fences are NOT permitted. There is a water spigot for filling your water but it might be more convenient to bring your own as you will need to haul to your site. There are 3 porta-potties in the campground. If possible, please trailer pool to allow more riders to attend the ride.
Camping Fees/Additional Vehicles: Overnight camping fees will be paid directly to ride management. Camping fees are $25/vehicle per night. If a rider or crew is driving in separately from the trailer rig, they will
also have to pay the $25/night charge. Day access (no camping) is $10/vehicle. Riders who have crew
planning to come in for the day can pay for their crew access ahead of time in the entry form.
Trail: The ride will take place within the well-defined Usery Mountain Park Trail system. The 50’s will have 4-12 mile (approx) loops back to camp, the 25’s will have two. The park is multi-use, you are likely to encounter hikers with dogs and kids as well as bike riders. It is imperative that you slow down to a reasonable speed for the situation as you pass by others and be courteous to all you meet. There is a wide variety of vegetation throughout the park, including cholla cactus. Be prepared to remove cactus should your horse pick one up along the way. A large wide tooth comb and tweezers work well. The footing varies from nice smooth granite trails to rocky and sandy. Some sort of hoof protection is strongly recommended. The maximum elevation gain is about 1100 feet.
Navigation: The routes for this ride will NOT be marked with ribbons. You will use the app “Ride With GPS” on your smart phone to navigate all the routes. All riders are REQUIRED to use Ride With GPS and must record their ride and be prepared to share the recorded ride upon request. If you are NOT comfortable using Ride With GPS to navigate the routes, this ride may not be suitable for you.
Water, Manure, Trash: Please bag manure and trash and haul it to a designated location. If your horse digs, fill the holes before you leave. The grounds must be left spotless, please do your part.
Dogs: Well-behaved dogs are allowed but must be on leash or contained at all times. Please respect others by cleaning up after your dog, keeping them on a leash, out of other campsites, and out of the check-in and vetting areas. Park regulations require that dogs are on leash and/or contained at all times. Do not jeopardize the future of this ride by violating park rules and allowing your dog to run around off-leash. Violations of this rule will run the risk of disqualification from the ride.
Ride Packet: The ride packet will be sent electronically about a week ahead of the ride. The packet will include information about using Ride With GPS, the RWGPS Event Link and the PDF files for you to print the maps and cue sheets for your routes. For RWGPS to work properly without cell service, all routes must be downloaded for offline use and it is best to do this prior to leaving home to ensure connectivity. If printing the maps and cue sheets is a hardship, contact Ashley by 5 pm Wednesday, March 4th and a packet will be prepared for you to pick up at check-in/Vet-in.
Check-in/Vet-In: Pick up your vet card and vet in on Friday from 1:00 to 5:30.
Ride Meeting: Ride meeting will be at 6:30 pm on Friday, March 3. If you are unable to attend for any reason, please contact Ashley.
Vet Checks: All vet checks are in camp. Please be respectful of the vets. Their word is final in all matters pertaining to the safety and welfare of the horse.
Meals:
Potluck: Our traditional AZERC potluck will be on Friday, March 3 at 6:00pm. Bring something yummy to share, as well as any necessary serving utensils. Ride management will provide paper goods & plastic wear.
Lunch: Lunch will be provided for all riders on Saturday; additional lunches for crew can be ordered for $10 per person. We are unable to accommodate any special dietary requirements.
Awards: A participation award will be given to all who start the ride, and completion award given to all finishers. First place, Best Condition, and Turtle for both distances will be awarded, in addition to junior & youth awards.
Ride Photographer: Alicia Toedter will be our ride photographer. All riders will receive one digital ride photo as a participation award. Please support Alicia and order additional photos from her to capture your fun ride memories! Photos will be available within several days after the ride and can be viewed at https://aliciatoedter.pixieset.com/.
P&R, Vet Check, Pulse & Trot, Finish & BC: AZERC has purchased top of the line handheld heart rate monitors that will be used for P&R. Once you have crossed the finish line during and at the end of the ride, the horse must reach the pulse criteria within the allowed 30 minutes. After pulse criteria is met, any mandatory hold times begin. You may take your horse to the vet anytime during your hold;however most riders choose to take the horse directly to the vet after reaching pulse criteria, then complete the mandatory hold.
50-mile riders will have a pulse and trot after about 36 miles. The same criteria as the P&R applies, but there is no mandatory hold.
The winner of the 50-mile ride is determined by who crosses the finish line first, so long as the horse reaches pulse criteria within 30 minutes and passes the post-ride veterinary inspection. The winner of the 25-mile ride is the first horse to reach pulse criteria after crossing the finish line and passing the post-ride veterinary inspection.
For either distance, if you finish in the top 10 and wish to show for Best Condition, you will need to take your horse to the head vet 10 minutes after crossing the finish line for a CRI (Cardiac Recovery Index); you will then go to the scale to get weighed with all of the tack your horse carried. Your weight will be recorded by the vet secretary for use in calculating Best Condition. You will bring your horse back to the head vet 1 hour after crossing the finish line for the final vet examination.
Tentative Schedule of Events:
Friday March 6, 2026
10:00 AM Base camp Opens
1:00 to 5:30 Rider Check-In/Vet In
6:00 pm Potluck dinner
6:30 pm Ride Meeting
Saturday March 7, 2026
6:30 am 50 Mile Ride Start (6:30pm finish)
7:00 am 25 Mile Ride Start (2:00pm finish)
6:30 pm Awards Presentation (See management for your award if you leave before the presentation)
Sunday March 8, 2026
12:00 PM Base camp closes and must be left spotless!
Thank you in advance for doing your part.
To sign up for this ride click the link below:
https://form.jotform.com/260316549791060