After almost a century, PINTO still holds the record for the longest continual trail ride in the northern hemisphere. This was verified by the Guinness Record officials. Pinto was described by his owner on a 1912 post card as "Of Morgan and Arab stock, 912 lbs., 15 hands high, 6 years at the start." This amazing Morab was part of a group of men and horses that traveled to every state capital in the 48 states. Of the 17 horses used over the course of the ride, Pinto was the only one that completed the whole trip from beginning to end. The adventure lasted a little over three years, averaging almost 7,000 miles per year!

San Francisco, California, was where they ended the ride at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition with dreams of fame for their death-defying feat. Alas, no one even took notice of them, and Pinto disappeared into oblivion upon their return to where they'd begun at home in Washington state so we know not what became of him.

Decades later, the detailed documentation of this incredible ride fell into the hands of a well-known author, and he brought Pinto to the attention of the Morab world. Pinto was posthumously granted honorary Morab registration papers, and now has his proper place in equine and Morab history. To date, Pinto is the earliest long-distance Morab on record that we have found.

And, yes, Morabs can come in *spots*.

Owned and ridden by the well-known endurance rider, Les Carr, Astro's record setting year is well documented. He trailered over 60,000 miles, and was in rides literally all over the country. Les wrote an article in which he gave all the details on how Astro was cared for, fed, tacked, etc. Through it all, the Morab just kept going down the trail...

At the blistering pace Astro was keeping, he was on track to set a lifetime endurance record that was mind-boggling. Sadly, his endurance career was cut short in 1992. He'd already completed 28 rides by the time June came around, including the 250 mile Applegate-Lassen in Nevada in May. Astro and Les completed the first day of the High Rock Country - Paiute Creek Battle Ride in Nevada on June 22. 1992. It was to prove to be Astro's last ride. He suddenly collapsed and died during the next ride there in Nevada, and the Endurance world lost a great ambassador.

There has been a lot of controversy concerning Astro's demise on the trail. In 1990, the American Endurance Ride Conference had suspended Les Carr after he was accused of mistreating Astro by trying to enter with him in races despite sores. That is why Astro's AERC record shows only three rides done in 1991. Carr was eventually reinstated, but on a limited basis. It was later determined that Astro died from Salmonella. The horse was passing scores of vet checks during all those rides, it doesn't seem possible that the vets would have kept passing him (even the day he died) if he didn't look to be in good shape.

Astro was the 1988 AERC 100 Mile Champion. He is also the #6 horse in the lifetime AERC all-time high mileage list.

Astro showed the world how tough an endurance Morab can be, and how much heart an endurance Morab can have. In fact, Les had to have another Morab when it came time to replace Astro. Another big gray gelding, PR TULIP has already surpassed Astro's lifetime AERC mileage record with over 15,000 miles to date over a 13 year career...that's an average of 1,153.11 ENDURANCE MILES EVERY YEAR FOR 13 YEARS! And at 17 years old, Tulip is still going strong. Tulip is a LEGEND IN THE MAKING, and it looks like we may have to add another name to our LEGENDS page!  

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Kooter came from outstanding endurance parents - his Morgan dam, Lady Zizz, was a part of Suzanne's family from the time she was three until she died at 28. Both Suzanne and her mother rode Lady Zizz in many competitive and endurance rides, ending up with over 2000 endurance miles. Kooter's Arabian sire, Tezero, was a National Champion Stallion, and took Holly Gervais to National Champion Junior in 1979 in endurance riding. Tezero was well known for producing exceptional endurance candidates, and he continued to do 50 mile endurance rides until he was 25 years old. He lived to be 30 years old.

Kooter's vital statistics: 16.1 hands (sire was 14.1 and dam was 15); 1200 lbs. in racing shape; size 2 (sometimes size 3) feet; wears size 80 horse blanket; a 56" girth (needs extenders in the spring)...and moves like a ballet dancer.

Kooter's riding statistics are staggering - this listing is NOT complete:

From 1987 to 2001, he had a total of 6,140 miles. Out of 86 rides started, he completed 83. Out of 32 of the 100 miler rides he started, he completed 31. His forte' was Best Conditions, and he racked up an astonishing 33 Best Conditions with 15 of them in just one year! In 1989 he was fifth in the Northwest AERC Championship Ride; on the Outlaw Trail Multi-day - 2 firsts, 1 second, 1 third, 3 OT Best Conditions, 1 Overall Best Condition; PNER Top 25.

In 1990, Kooter turned up the heat - PNER: Champion Senior, Best Condition Champion, First Place Horse Miles (1,525), First Place Rider Miles, First Place 100 Mile Award (9 - 100's), First Place Montana Senior; National AERC Best Condition Champion; Co-Winner AERC National 100 Mile Award (9 - 100's); Ninth National Lightweight; Fifth National Mileage; First Place Northwest Region - Overall and Lightweight; Northwest Best Condition Champion; and Northwest Mileage Champion.

His winning ways continued in 1991: Race of Champions - Second Place & Best Condition. Snyder-Smith wrote of the ROC, "...Becky Hart, Maggy Price and Suzanne Hayes crossed Saturday's finish line 3 abreast. Accumulative riding times would separate them, but for the moment all shared in the expectation and glory of 'First Rider In'. Suzanne's big chestnut Morab, Kootenai Zizzero, looks especially relaxed and willing, his walk stride easily overtracking by over 12 inches, showing no tightening in the hind end after 120 tough miles. The Dressage judge in me scores him a solid 7. His attitude is eager, and it is interesting to note that he is one of the fleshier horses of the ride..." On the last day (third) of the ride, "...At 12:27, Becky Hart and Rio smoke across the finish line with Suzanne Hayes in close pursuit. After 160 miles, less than 45 seconds separate them...Best Condition was Suzanne Hayes and Kootenai Zizzero, and I heartily agree...".

Next came the 1991 North American Championship - Thirteenth, Team Bronze; Northwest AERC Championship Ride - First & Best Condition; Eleventh National Lightweight; PNER Top 25.

Kooter's biggest accomplishments in 1992 was fifth in the Race of Champions, and a completion and Team Silver Medal as a U.S. Squad member at the World Championship in Barcelona, Spain. The U.S. team consisted of six members, and 17 countries were represented: 69 horses started with only 39 finishing - including Kooter. He did this after he was already sick with the piroplasmosis, and before they knew the American horses were in trouble. Just think what he might have done if he'd been in top form!  He was quarantined for months after that, and there were some horrific things occuring with poor care & exposure to disease before Kooter saw America again. He came very close to losing his life.

In 1993, when he finally was back in the States, Kooter was selected to participate on the Mountain Time Zone Team for the North American Endurance Championship, but didn't go due to an injury just prior to the event. In fact, between Suzanne's illness and Kooter's recent return from France, they only did one ride that year. A few more rides were done in 1994 where Kooter ended the year with a first and a Best Condition. They were back! Again in 1995 they made only 3 rides, but the Race of Champions was one of them...and they finished in 3rd place! After what the pair had been through in the previous couple of years, this was a very sweet accomplishment indeed.

Finally, in 1996, they made it to California for the Tevis Cup for the first time where they waltzed in in third place. Two months later they took 1st and Best Condition at the Lost Trail Endurance 100. Another third place completion at the Tevis in 1997 while they racked up more Best Conditions at other rides. Two more Best Conditions in 1998 before they finished their third Tevis in 16th place. The next three years Suzanne began backing off the 100's with Kooter - she felt he didn't have any more to prove. The rest was just *icing* on the cake. He had been Top Ten 67 times, and Best Condition almost half those times. Kooter had finished in first place 27 times.

He has garnered many more awards, including Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals in the International Morab Breeders' Association's Lifetime Achievement Awards Program, and Morab of the Year - just to name a couple. And Kooter isn't the only one in the family who is an exceptional endurance Morab - he has two full younger sisters, KOOENAI CLASY CALIZ and RS PICARA who have excellent endurance records. Kootenai Zizzero and his sisters exemplify the type of Morab that we breeders are seeking to produce - with the Look of Eagles and a heart bigger than the Montana sky.