I am a very experienced French rider currently looking for the opportunity to lease or rent a well-prepared endurance horse for the Tevis Cup. Endurance riding was actually part of my equestrian experience from a young age. Growing up in France, I participated in a number of endurance races with my mother, who was herself a long-distance endurance rider and completed the legendary 160 km (100-mile) Florac endurance race. Through her, I was introduced early on to the particular demands of endurance riding — pacing, conditioning, managing a horse over long distances, and above all putting the horse’s welfare first.
I have been riding and competing for most of my life. My primary competitive background is in dressage: I competed at Grand Prix level and was French National Champion in 1993 and 1995. Although dressage and endurance are very different disciplines, this background has given me extensive experience riding, training, and managing performance horses, as well as a strong understanding of horsemanship and horse welfare.
More recently, I returned to long-distance and adventure riding. In 2024, I competed in and completed the Gaucho Derby in Patagonia, Argentina — a 1,000 km multi-day wilderness horse race involving long hours in the saddle, difficult terrain, navigation, changing horses, and managing horses independently in remote conditions.
My next goal is the Tevis Cup. I fully appreciate that Tevis requires a very different kind of preparation and a horse specifically conditioned for the Sierra Nevada terrain. I am therefore looking for an experienced endurance owner or trainer who might have a suitable Tevis-ready horse available to lease/rent and, ideally, who could also help me prepare for the event and get to know the horse beforehand.
I am not looking simply to show up and ride someone else’s horse on race day. I would like to build a relationship with the horse, train together beforehand, and follow the owner’s or trainer’s program and advice. The horse’s welfare and soundness would always come before finishing the race.
I am based in New York but am prepared to travel to California for training and qualifying rides. I would be happy to provide more information about my riding background, references, videos, or discuss possible arrangements.
Nathanael Bienvenu