50 mile October 19th
100 mile October 21st, 2023


Welcome to the AERC 2023 National Championships

The management of the Armadillo Endurance Ride along with Texas Endurance Riders Association are excited to be having the AERC 2023 National Championship ride at one of the longest running rides here in our great state of Texas and the Central Region... The Armadillo Endurance Ride

The AERC 2023 National Championships will be hosted by the longest running endurance ride in Texas, first held in 1980, The Armadillo Endurance Ride, is held in mid October. The ride is primarily run through gently rolling hills, down old logging roads and single track wooded trails all on the Piney Creek Horse Trails through Davy Crockett National Forest, with some riding on gravel/rock FS and County Roads and there are many places crews can meet riders out on trail easily. Shoes are usually not necessary but are recommended.

Ride camp is on private pasture and offers plenty of room for rigs of all sizes and will accommodate panel or electric pens for the equines and/or tents for the humans. There will be port-o-potties located throughout the pasture. Watch for trail ribbons and please do not park on trail. Please use pack-it-in/pack-it-out type camping as this is the property owners horse pasture when not being used as ride camp, so they would greatly appreciate that no feed be left on the ground. Please scatter manure, but please do not throw it on the fenceline. Thank you! There is city water at main camp, but it would greatly help if you can bring your own water. Remember to bring bug spray for humans and horses. We ask that you sponge to cool your horse instead of spraying with the hose.

Kennard is a very small town and there are no overnight facilities within the town but there are two convenience stores and a café. There are three larger towns a short drive from ride camp, one to the west, Crockett, Texas, one to the east, Lufkin, Texas, and one to the north east, Nacogdoches, Tx, that have do accommodations. There are also a few B & B's in the area. There is a feed store in Crockett as well as a Tractor Supply and numerous other stores for food and fuel.

The weather for the ride during that time of year can vary greatly. It can be warm and humid, chilly or anything in between. Wet weather is also a possibility, it is Texas after all and the old saying is wait 5 minutes and the weather will change. More information will be added to this page as it becomes available, so gear up and we welcome you!

Directions

If you are coming from the east on I-20, take exit 529 in Kilgore and go south on Hwy 259. Take Hwy 59 in Nacogdoches and continue south to Hwy 7. Go west on Hwy 7 to Kennard. If coming from I-45, either north or south, take exit 164 at Centerville for Hwy 7. Go east though Crockett to Kennard. Kennard is 16 miles east of Crockett, 36 miles south west of Nacogdoches and 36 miles west of Lufkin on Hwy 7. In 'downtown', turn south off Hwy 7 beside the Post Office onto County Road 4625 (or Broadway). There are AERC signs from here. Two miles south of Hwy 7, turn right into Camp. Follow the signs and make sure you don't park/camp in trail. Click on the pin in the map to find a link for the ride location.

Qualifications for the National Championship Rides:

  • All entrants must be current full members of AERC.
  • All riders must ride in their declared weight division.

    • 50-mile AERC National Championship:

  • Horse: 300 AERC lifetime miles (50 miles or more, no LD miles)
  • Rider: 300 AERC lifetime miles (50 miles or more, no LD miles)
  • 100 AERC miles together as a team (50 miles or more, no LD miles)

    • 100-mile AERC National Championship:

  • Horse: 500 AERC lifetime miles (50 miles or more, no LD miles)
  • Rider: 500 AERC lifetime miles (50 miles or more, no LD miles)
  • One 1-day 100-mile AERC ride together as a team OR a two-day 100 mile ride OR two back-to-back 50 mile rides

    • Alternate 100-mile AERC National Championship Qualification:

  • Horse/Rider, as a team, have completed 1,000 AERC lifetime miles (50 miles or more, no LD miles)

    • Alternate 50-mile OR 100-mile AERC National Championship Qualification:

  • Horse/Rider, as a team, are listed in the overall Top 10 of their AERC Region in the year preceding the AERC National Championship Ride (because of Covid, this option will include both the 2019 and 2020 competition years).