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.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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 |
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Our Next Ride
Caballo Sin Nombre
April 17-18-19, 2026
An AERC 50 & 25 or 30 each day. XP Club rides of all distances. XP Club events are perfect for new and old riders alike. Distances subject to last minute adjustments for weather.
Basic Ride Info:
There is plenty of camping room at the primitive ride camp that is only a short distance from the paved NM HWY 173, about 15 miles east of Aztec.
Registration will start at 3:00 on Thursday. The control judge will look at the equines between 5:00 and 5:30. Late comers will be looked at the following morning, 15 minutes before the start of the ride. There will be a ride meeting around 7:00 each evening but we hope to have all current information including .gpx files available before you arrive at the camp. The fifty mile rides usually start at 7:00 and the 25’s usually start at 7:30. The trails wind through massive rock formations and forested areas, then break out into panoramic high desert views. Much of the footing is all weather decomposed granite and desert two track with few 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.
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 desert on a horse with a name.
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 ride is conducted by the XP Riders and will offer less strenuous distances and less formalities for those wanting to just have fun.
Directions:
Travelers from all directions will probably want to come to Aztec, NM and turn east on NM Hwy 173. Go about 15 miles and there will be a ribbons and a sign on the north side of the hwy on an unmarked but good dirt road. Follow the road and signs to camp. GPS Coordinates at the turn off are 36.790423°, -107.773566°. Coordinates at the camp are 36.797873°, -107.775007°
Destination information for health certificates: Health certificates are required for horses coming into New Mexico from other states. They are not required for horses coming from within the state. Brand papers and/or proof of ownership is always a prudent thing to have on hand. You can use “Hwy 173, west of Navajo Dam, NM 36.797873°, -107.775007°.
Meals: Annie’s free lunches are available at all XP Rides including Caballo Sin Nombre. There is a lady with a food truck that is planning on being there for breakfast and dinner.
Entry Fees
The following is our basic fee structure for 2024:
LD and Endurance Distances are $135.00 / PayPal $140.50
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 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.
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
Enter a Ride
Thanks for taking an interest in XP Rides! Our convenient online form will guide you through the process of creating an entry.
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
