American River Classic celebrates 50th anniversary Saturday

The American River Classic will host its 50th ride this weekend, as 70 riders will make the 50-mile round trip that starts and ends in Cool. It's the oldest 50-mile ride worldwide that is sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference. American River Classic Ride Manager Joby Souza says the event was actually crucial to the establishment of the AERC and that it would not have taken shape without the endurance ride. "It's historic. It's been going on for 50 years now. Originally, it used to go right along the American River along the Pioneer Express trail," said Souza. "This ride is the only other ride left that allows riders to use the last few miles of the Western States Trail right during daylight. That makes it a little bit more special." The course has gone through several changes over the years, with the original ride starting at Cal Expo and ending in Auburn, but the objective of winning the coveted Auburn Cup remains the same. "Due to some trail maintenance, we were forced to move our start up to Cool," said Souza. "Now it starts in Cool, goes to Auburn to the Overlook for a vet check, then we loop around back to Cool." Souza said the ride also has taken place in Granite Bay and Black Miners Bar in previous years. The ride's origins can be traced to 1972, when a group of local riders decided to start keeping official times, records, distances and horse records. The group also noticed a need for rules and regulations to be in place for the safety of the riders and horses. Since then, the American River Classic has been held every year with the exception of 2003, 2013 and 2020. The rider who completes the journey with the fastest time is awarded the Auburn Cup, which was donated by Auburn Community Business' in 1972. That same year, Mr. & Mrs. Ray C. Jackson donated the Klumpp Cup for the horse that finishes the ride in the best condition. This year's ride will take place Saturday and is scheduled to start at 6:30 a.m. Riders will have 12 hours to finish the ride with the cutoff time to return to Cool falling at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.americanriverclassic.com/