How it began…
The Grizzly Mountain Endurance Ride began in 1999, managed by Linda Tribby and Sara Miller, with tons of help from their husbands, Dennis and Roger. They managed the ride together for several years, before Linda and Dennis Tribby took the ride on solely and continued to manage it until the end of 2016.
In 2017, Max and Darlene Merlich took over the ride and ran it successfully through 2022, with considerable help from Carol Giles, Sharalyn Hay and Richard Boatman and many others.
In 2023, Max and Darlene handed off the ride to Charleen Farrell, of Oregon 100 fame, and her sidekick, Carlene Benson, along with Becky Osborne and LuAnn De Young.
As of 2026, the ride has been handed off to Jennifer Butler, granddaughter of Anna Sampson, who helped Linda with the ride for many years. Jennifer comes with an amazing team of helpers, and a sense of adventure!
Held between Madras, OR, and Prineville, OR; the ride is largely held on public land. You can expect to see numerous juniper trees, sagebrush, and plentiful range grass.
One can expect moderate elevation changes at the Grizzly Ride, with intermittent rock. Hoof boots or shoes are highly recommended. This is not a “barefoot” friendly ride. There are places with excellent footing, with places mixed in that are not kind to barefoot horses.
One of the first rides of each endurance season, Grizzly Mtn attracts more than a few riders and their “springy” horses. The weather has been up and down over the years, but it tends to be “warmish” and sometimes breezy. There have been years that strayed either direction of that! Some will recall the year that Roger Miller towed several rigs into ride camp, and one year when the porta potties blew over! The weather didn’t deter the riders then and it doesn’t now.
Grizzly Mtn Ride 