BLUE CLOUD RANCH — Juli Muscutt spent her 50th birthday riding 50 miles on her 12-year-old Arabian horse, Mtn. Montgomery.

“I feel great,” she said Sunday, smiling widely as she wiped the sweat from her brow, ready to rest an hour after a 22-mile loop.

Muscutt, a city of Helena employee, is the manager of the Pioneer Cabin Endurance Ride, which would have normally required her to man the outpost, preventing her from participating.

But this year she asked Anne Perkins, a fellow member of the Tri-Arabian Horse Club, to fill that role so she could honor turning a half-century old by doing what she loves — riding fast.

“You are going at mach speed through the trees,” Muscutt said. “It takes a week to get the smile off my face.”

The ride offered several 25-mile, 50-mile and 75-mile races over the weekend. Only two riders and horses attempted the longest race, and only Kerry Greear of Oregon finished.

Each race began at the Blue Cloud Ranch, west of Helena, in a wooded area with the tips of the Montana trees beginning to turn yellow as the fall season settles in. Along the trail, riders enjoyed dramatic rocky ridges as they dropped down to Priest Pass Road.

Perkins, who is also the director of the human-animal bond program at Carroll College, said any type of horse is allowed in the endurance race, but Arabians are best-suited.

“These horses were intentionally bred and selected for this kind of competition,” she said, giving credit to their good cardiovascular recovery. “It takes longer for horses that don’t have genetic propensity.”

Perkins said a good human comparison to such a horse is a marathon runner versus a defensive lineman on a football team.

Perkins brought a few students with her to get some hands-on experience and credit for a human-animal bonding course.

Nicole Kramer, a nursing major from Yakima, Wash., was one of those students. She said the class was teaching her about the strong bond between horse and rider.

“Horses have a great connection with their owners,” she said.

Missoula veterinary Bill Brown, an endurance rider, said the sport is extremely demanding physically. And because of that, professionals have strict guidelines they follow to ensure the health of the horses.

Brown was one of three veterinarians on hand over the weekend checking heart rates, hydration, muscle tone, gate, joints and tack rubbing.

“I can see things riders can’t see, and we are here to keep it a safe and humane sport,” Brown said.

Bill Miller is a retired ranch manager from Fairfield who competed in the 50-mile race. Miller, 65, said his goal is to win the “best of condition,” which sometimes means sacrificing first place.

“It’s the best honor you can get — even more than finishing first,” he said. It means he’s cared for his horse to the best of his ability.

Miller began racing in 1992 with his wife, Wanda. The couple bought Hopper, an Arabian, in 1999 when she was 3 years old and they knew they had a winner.

Wanda died after just over a year of racing with Hopper, but the hope that Hopper would be a champion did not.

Since then Bill has been racing the horse with Wanda on his mind. Hopper even made it to the coveted Tevis Cup in California, coming in 35th out of 200. Of the last six races this year, Hopper has taken three best-condition awards, three first places and three second places.

Bill said a horse’s personality determines whether it will make a good endurance runner or not.

“It fully depends on the horse, and their willingness is one of the greatest things,” he said. “You don’t want to have to ask. You want them to want to go.”

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com