2026 Marks the 50th Year of XP Rides.
We hope you can join us during our Golden Anniversary Year.
Please read this before moving on: The XP website is maintained by an old man with a fading memory and is subject to many errors. We post any current updates of importance at the top of the Home Page of the website. Below this message is the ride calendar. The home page has been updated and ride dates are current and should conform to the AERC calendar. Below the calendar, we post “Our Next Ride”. If the time of that ride has past, you may assume we are still busy finishing up the clean up and paperwork from that ride. We will get around to updating the information for the upcoming rides as soon as possible. If you find a conflict of information about the XP Rides, whether it be the correct date or something else please contact David or Ann Nicholson before putting anything on social media. We try to correct errors as soon as possible.
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2026 XPCalendar
| Picket Post XP | Jan 2-3-4, 2026 |
| Eastern Mojave XP | Feb 6-7-8, 2026 |
| Laurel Mountain XP | Mar 13-14-15, 2026 |
| Cuyama Oaks XP | Mar 27-28-29, 2026 |
| Caballo Sin Nombre XP | April 17-18-19, 2026 |
| Mt Carmel XP | May 7-8-9-10, 2026 |
| Chicken Creek XP | Jun 13-14-15, 2026 |
| Strawberry Fields XP | Jun 26-27-28, 2026 |
| Grand Canyon XP | Sep 3-4-5-6, 2026 |
| Colorado Fall Color XP | Sep 26-27-28, 2025Sep 25-26-27, 2026 |
| Sesenta Años | Nov 7-8-9, 2025 Nov 6-7-8, 2026 |
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Our Next Ride
Western Mojave at Laurel Mountain
February 6-7-8, 2026
XP vests will be available for riders doing all three days.
Basic Ride Info: A General Description of this ride is a no frills, low budget, relaxed training ride that will offer riders an opportunity to camp out with friends and ride around the eastern Sierras. We have combined the trails north of the Garlock Road between Hwy 395 and CA 14 so lunch stops will be back in camp. The ride is a three day Pioneer Ride and we have included an XP Club Ride each day for those wanting to ride more than an LD but less than an AERC 50. The XP Club rides are also known as AERC Intro Rides, Fun Rides or simply Club Rides. The camp is easy accessible on a good road and features a good base even when wet. The camp has unlimited space but has no amenities other than the water and portable toilets supplied by ride management. Most of the trail is excellent desert footing with spectacular desert scenery, hopefully with green grass and early flowers if El Nino delivers as promised. Much of the trail is all weather decomposed granite and desert two track with some rocky sections and sand washes thrown in. The trail is easy to moderately difficult but can be easily completed on new horses ridden with care by good horsemen. There will be AERC endurance and LD distances each day, along with XP Club rides hosting the AERC intro rides along with XP Club distances. Accommodations and culinary options are available 8-10 miles away in Ridgecrest. The hardware store in Inyokern carries feed and horse supplies, as well as hardware and farm supplies.
Ride Rules are generally the same as AERC rules as interpreted by the ride manager and her advisors. However, be aware this ride has completion requirements that differ from AERC in that the control judges can and will pull horses that do not recover to their satisfaction. The XP Club Rides will offer less strenuous distances and less formalities for those wanting to just have fun. We offer the AERC intro rides as XP Club Rides. We tailor the Club Rides to the needs and wants of those who are at the ride.
Registration will start at 3:00 on Thursday. The pre-ride control check will start at 6:00 and end at 6:30 if the vet shows up on time. Latecomers can check horses the following morning. There will be a ride meeting around 7:00 each evening. Contrary to what is on some internet information, the 25 will start after the start of the fifty on most, if not all days. The fifty mile rides usually start at 7:00 and the 25’s will usually start at 7:30 or 8:00.
Directions: Travelers from all directions should take US Hwy 395 to the junction of South China Lake Blvd and Brown Road. This is the location of the vet check on the Twenty Mule Team Ride. Instead of turning towards Ridgecrest, go west on Brown Road for 4 miles. Turn left on EP26 (Wiknich Rd), an old paved road, for 1 mile to the ride camp.
From the San Fernando Valley area: Take Hwy 14 to CA 178. Turn right to the town of Inyokern. Turn right on Brown Road at the gas station/convenience store and follow Brown Road to EP26 (Wiknich Rd).
Destination information for health certificates: Health certificates are required for horses coming into California from other states. They ARE NOT required for horses coming from within the state. The requirements for health papers vary depending on conditions both in California and other states. Your local veterinarian will be able to counsel you on current requirements. The destination address is EP26 and Brown Road, Inyokern, CA 93527.
Meals: Annie will not be doing dinners in ride camp as there are a multitude of restaurants in Ridgecrest, as well as a fine Mexican Restaurant in Inyokern. Annie’s free lunches are available at all XP Rides including Laurel Mtn.
Phone 970 880 0150 for Dave, 907 821 1819 for Annie or email annie@xprides.com
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ENTRY FEES and REFUNDS
Entry Fees for all XP events except Sesenta Anos and Cuyama.
The following is our basic fee structure for 2026:
LD and Endurance Distances are $135.00 / PayPal $140.50 Except Sesenta Anos and Cuyama
Juniors, Intro riders and XP club riders are $100 / PayPal $104.00
Riders who are not current members of AERC riding an AERC LD or Endurance ride pay an additional $20.00 non-member fee per day. $155.00 / PayPal $161.20
Riders who enter within 4 days of a ride add $15.00 post entry fee
REFUND POLICY
Cancellation Refunds: Ride entry withdrawal requests received via email on/before 1800 on the 7th day prior to the first day of the ride will receive a full refund. There will be an administrative fee for refunds during the week prior to the ride. No refund for withdrawals within 72 hours of the start of the ride or for no shows.
AERC has raised their non member fee to $20.00 per day. AERC non members are charged a day member fee of $20.00 to participate in the AERC sanctioned ride. This does not apply to the intro/fun/xp club rides. If we do not have your AERC number and/or your dues are unpaid we will move you to the XP club ride unless you have paid the non member fee.
Mail your checks to Ann Nicholson at 19898 Road V, Lewis, CO 81327 or you can use PayPal and send to entry@xprides.com. When you make the payment let us know by return email that you are coming and which days you are planning on riding.
HEALTH CERTIFICATES
All states where we hold rides generally require a CVI (health certificate) for equines crossing state lines. There may be an exception between some states that border each other, like CA and OR and you should either check with your veterinarian or look up that information online.
Weed free certified hay is required on all public lands in the United States. Weed free pellets are usually available at feed stores in the area.
AWARDS
Individual awards are available for the fastest time and best condition each day. An overall award will be given to the horse and rider finishing in the fastest time for all three or four days. An overall best condition award for the horse that completes all three or four days in the best condition will also be awarded. Completion awards will be given to all successful horse and rider teams.
Phone 907 209 8881 or 970 880 0150 for Dave
email duck@xprides.com
Phone 907 821 1819 for Annie e-mail annie@xprides.com
If you find something confusing or in error in this message please contact me personally and I will clear it up.
For more information contact Ride Manager:
Ann Nicholson, 907-821-1819
Dave Nicholson, 970 880 0150
Copyright © 2025 XP Rides
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Potpourri
This is the basic catch all for the XP website. Here you will find past articles as well as some personal pages, some of which are password protected. Take me to the pages
