Dark Horse Racing

SERIES CHAMPS!!!

2011-09-03T10:06:00.003-04:00

Congrats to Jen and Brooke, Series Champs in the Tailwind USAC race series for 2011. Jen won the 19-39 Sport Women category and Brooke won the Beginner Women 15-29 category by having the most points in 5 races for thier class. Both ladies win an Iceman entry courtesy of Tailwind.

And as some icing on the cake, Jen, Brooke and Gabby all made it to the podium at the Stony Creek XC race on 8/28 with Jen and Brooke both moving up a class for the race:

Jen: 2nd place Expert Women
Brooke: 1st place Sport Women 19-39
Gabby: 3rd place Sport Women 40 and over

Way to represent, ladies!

Race Workshop a Success!

2011-08-29T10:23:00.004-04:00

New for this year, we decided to put together a race workshop for beginner women. We held the workshop at Stony Creek the day before the XC race, and found that we all had a lot of advice for our students regarding training, nutrition, and race strategy. We then set out for a pre-lap of the course, where our students practiced passing techniques and learned various tips and tricks for successful racing. Lunch was provided by Tailwind Racing, who also offered the students a discounted rate for the XC race. The workshop was a great success, and we are looking at making it an annual event.

Four Wins for the Weekend!

2011-08-22T09:35:00.004-04:00

What a great weekend for Dark Horse Racing!

On Saturday, August 20 Gabby, Brooke and Kerry headed to one of our favorite local trails, Maybury State Park, for the MMBA CPS Time Trial. Gabby & Brooke both won their classes and Kerry got 7th in a strong field of Sport women.

On Sunday, August 21, Brooke and Jen raced the USAC XC race at Ruby Campground, braving the infamous creek crossing and pulling in two more wins and maintaining their lead in the Tailwind USAC series!!!

Congrats, ladies!

Results for the weekend:

Maybury Time Trial
Gabby - 1st place Sport Women 40+
Brooke - 1st place Sport Women 19-39
Kerry - 7th place Sport Women 19-39

Ruby XC Race
Jen - 1st place Sport Women 19-39
Brooke - 1st place Beginner Women 15-29

Ore to Shore 2011

2011-08-17T09:10:00.003-04:00

Four of us made the 8 hour drive to Marquette, MI for the 2011 Ore to Shore point to point mountain bike race. Jen, Andrea and Lynda tackled the 48 mile hard rock course and Kerry ripped it up on the 28 mile soft rock course. Janet wasthere to cheer us on.

As much a vacation and team ride as race, a good time was had by all. The race is extremely well run, the spectators are first class -- we even had trumpeters at two aid stations-- and the scenery in the UP is beautiful! Although we didn't bring home any bling, we had a great time!

Podium Days of Summer!

2011-08-08T11:48:00.005-04:00

Beth Ann & Gabby headed up to the MMCC Sweat Shaker XC Race in Harrison, MI and brought home a 2nd and 3rd place in open women.

Jen, Brooke and Janet took on the Big M USAC XC race in the beautiful Manistee National Forest and all 3 ended up on the podium in their respective classes!

Jen - 1st Place Sport Women 19-39
Janet - 3rd Place Sport Women 40+
Brooke - 2nd Place Beginner Women 30 and under

Congrats to all racers!

Beginner Women’s Race Workshop

2011-08-02T18:59:00.006-04:00

Brought to you by Dark Horse Racing and Tailwind Racing

Date: Saturday, August 27, 2011
Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Stony Creek Metropark; West Branch Picnic Area

Thinking of trying your first mountain bike race? Join the ladies of Dark Horse Racing for a beginner’s women’s race workshop and group ride at 10:00am on Saturday, August 27, at Stony Creek Metropark. Come back the very next day and show off your newfound skills at Tailwind’s Stony Creek Cross Country race!

This workshop will be taught by women, for women. If you’re a beginner to intermediate level rider and are interested in the racing scene, come check it out! You’ll learn the fundamentals of mountain bike racing, and meet some new riding buddies along the way!

We’ll spend the first part of the morning discussing training and bike prep, nutrition and hydration, race strategy and etiquette, and miscellaneous tips & tricks. Afterwards, we’ll hit the trail for a lap of the actual race course. We may stop along the way to practice some of the more challenging parts a couple of times. Then we’ll finish up back at the trailhead and have some lunch courtesy of Tailwind, and a Q&A session for anyone that would like to stick around.

For those of you who’d like to follow through with an actual race the next day, Tailwind will be providing a discounted rate of just $15.00 for first-time racers at the Stony Creek Cross Country race on Sunday, August 28! Please email us at darkhorsegirls@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

The workshop and race are both rain or shine events. Please bring a functional bike, a helmet, comfortable clothing, and a water bottle or hydration pack. All participants must sign an Accident Waiver and Release of Liability form. If you are under 18 years old, you will need to have a parent or legal guardian sign a waiver also. Workshop is limited to 20 participants. Please email us on or before 8/20 to reserve a spot.

A Busy Weekend With Lots of Bling and a New Teammate!

2011-07-28T12:48:00.012-04:00

Dark Horse Racing had a busy weekend of racing AND added a new teammate to our roster! Welcome Brooke Stevinson, a first year racer who is already tearing it up on the race course.

First up, on July 23, 2011 the 6th Annual Tree Farm Relay, co-sponsored by Dark Horse Racing, found two competing Dark Horse Teams. This race is a fundraiser for the MMBA, with all proceeds going for trail maintenance. Dark Horse Racing Team "One and Done" finished in first place and Team Horsepower finished in 3rd for two podium spots in the Women's Sport division.

On Sunday July 24, Gabby and new teammie Brooke headed out to the Stony Creek Time Trial, and Gabby grabbed 2nd in Sport Women 40+ and Brooke took 1st Place in Beginner Women for another great racing day for Dark Horse.

Here's to another great weekend of racing our bikes and hanging out with friends! Congrats to all!

6 Hours of Ithaca Endurance Race

2011-07-18T13:53:00.002-04:00

Gabby & Sheri each raced solo at the Fun Promotions 6 hours of Ithaca on Satuday 7/26/11. Gabby completed 12 laps and Sheri completed 11 for 2nd and 3rd places respectively, in the solo women's division.

Congrats, ladies!

Another Top Spot at the Stony Marathon!

2011-07-03T10:24:00.003-04:00

Jen took some time out from her 4th of July weekend to race the Stony Creek Marathon for double points at the Tailwind USAC race this weekend. 4 laps in 90+ degree heat is a great accomplishment, and a win was her sweet reward as Jen raced to 1st Place in Sport Women 19-39.

Congrats, Jen, and a Happy 4th of July to everyone!!!

Top Spot at PLRA!

2011-07-01T09:37:00.003-04:00

Jen raced to a 1st Place finish at the Pontiac Lake USAC Cross Country Race on June 26, 2011 in Sport Women 19-39. Jen reports she had her fastest PLRA lap ever! Way to go, Jen!!

A Day of Racing & Remembering

2011-06-12T21:27:00.006-04:00

Jen & Sheri headed to Ft. Custer for the Tailwinds USAC Time Trial on June 12. Always one of our favorite races, Jen took 2nd place in Sport Women 19-29 and Sheri raced to 3rd place in Sport Women 40+! They also used the opportunity of being on the west side of the state for a stop at the Mothership.....Dark Horse Brewery! Lucky Girls!!!!!

The rest of us took part in a memorial ride closer to home honoring Carlos Ramirez, one of the areas most enthusiastic, colorful and inspirational riders and trail builders who succumbed to cancer a couple of years ago. We got to ride the trail backwards and dedicated a bench to Carlos' memory. RIP Carlos, your love of MTBing lives on in all of us!

A Podium Finish at Hanson Hills XC, June 5, 2011

2011-06-06T16:34:00.003-04:00

Despite a slow leaking flat on her last lap, Janet Grimm raced to a 3rd place finish in Sport Women 40+ at the Hanson Hills XC Race, part of the MMBA CPS Series this weekend. According to Janet, she knew she had a slow leak at the start of Lap #2, but was able to ride until right before the finish when she was forced to run her bike across the finish line! Way to hang in there, Janet!

6 Hours of Stony Creek & Brighton Stage Race XC

2011-05-17T13:58:00.003-04:00

The Dark Horse Girls braved the rainy, springtime weather this past weekend to fly the colors at a couple of different venues. Gabby and BethAnn tackled the 6 Hours of Stony Creek Endurance Race on 5/14/11, racing to 1ST PLACE in Open Advanced class, beating 2 other open advanced teams made up of all men!

Jen took on the rainy, cold and muddy conditions at the Brighton XC race on 5/15 and grabbed FIRST PLACE in Sport Women 19-39 class!

Congrats to these hardcore ladies!!

Now, could we please have some sunshine for the next race?

Ft. Custer Stampede & Mud, Sweat & Beers

2011-05-10T12:33:00.003-04:00

A couple more early season races has the Dark Horse Girls flying the colors around the state and racing to great results! And a special shout out to Janet Grimm on her first race back after a long injury!

Ft. Custer Stampede, Augusta MI, May 1, 2011:

Sport Women 19-29 - Jen Dolenga, 6th Place
Sport Women 40+ - Sheri McVey, 9th Place

Mud Sweat and Beers, Traverse City, MI, May 7, 2011:

Sport Women 45+ - Janet Grimm, 4th Place

Way to go, ladies!!

First Race of the Year = Two Podium Spots!

2011-04-24T22:08:00.004-04:00

Jen and Beth Ann didn't have any winter rust on them as they both raced to podium finishes at the Pontiac Lake Time Trial on April 23, 2011.

Beth Ann raced to a 3rd place finish in Expert Women:

Jen took home the gold, racing to 1st Place in Sport Women 19-39.

Great start to the race season!!! Way to go ladies!!!

Spring (?) 2011...

2011-04-17T12:20:00.004-04:00

Well, we haven't quite been able to lose the arm and leg warmers yet, but we did have a fun team ride at Maybury last week testing out the new team kits and hoping to "warm up" for the 2011 season.

And Beth Ann tried out a new bike -- look out singlespeeders!

Sneak Peek of 2011 Dark Horse Team Kit

2011-01-30T21:04:00.006-05:00

Here's a little preview of our new jersey design. Hope everyone is making the most of our snowy winter!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM DARK HORSE RACING

2010-12-20T11:14:00.003-05:00

Iceman Cometh 2010

2010-11-10T15:28:00.005-05:00

Dark Horse Racing had a strong showing at this years Iceman Cometh 29 mile point to point mountain bike race from Kalkasa to Traverse City. Those of us from downstate were shocked to see 3 inches of snow in places upon our arrival in Traverse City on Friday! The temps were frigid at the start on Saturday, and the course conditions ranged from icy to muddy, but the ladies in blue rocked the course!!

Congrats to all for gutting it out and especially to Kelly and Melissa for getting on the podium in a large women's field!

Women 19-24 - 3rd place - Kelly
Women 30-34 - 13th place - Jen
Women 35-39 - 2nd place - Melissa
Women 35-39 - 22nd place - Heather

More pictures to follow!

Addison Oaks 6/12 Hour Endurance Race

2010-10-11T09:43:00.004-04:00

Dark Horse Racing lined up two teams in the 6 hour race. Heather and Beth Ann raced Advanced and Lynda and Andrea raced Open. The weather was perfect, the course was dialed and a fun day was had by all.

Andrea & Heather at the start:

After our lapathon, well-deserved refeuling:

New Teammie=More Podium!

2010-09-01T11:31:00.004-04:00

A big welcome to Heather Patterson, our newest Dark Horse teammate! Heather has reentered the MTB race scene after some time off, this time flying the Dark Horse colors in the Expert/Elite class.

After a great showing at Maybury and Ft. Custer, Heather grabbed 5th place in Expert/Elite Women at the USAC Stony Creek XC race on Sunday, August 29.

Welcome Heather and Congrats!

A full weekend of racing - a few crashes, a few medals and lots of fun!

2010-08-24T10:27:00.007-04:00

MAYBURY TT
Saturday 8/21 was the MMBA Metro South Chapter Benefit race in the CPS series. One of our favorite local courses, we had 5 Dark Horse ladies line up at the start. Andrea crashed coming through the chute and had to go to urgent care (she's OK!), and a little rain didn't stop the rest of the team from making a strong showing:

Heather - 7th place Expert Women
Beth Ann - 8th place Expert Women
Kerry - 2nd place Sport Women 25-39
Sheri - 5th place Sport Women 40+

FORT CUSTER TT
Sunday 8/22 was a time trial at Ft. Custer....another one of our favorite trails and nearby to the Dark Horse Brewery (how convenient), so 8 Dark Horse ladies made the trek for this race. Lynda crashed early on (the tree won), but the rest of the team battled it out and got some podium spots in a large women's field:

Beth Ann - 6th place Expert/Elite Women
Heather - 7th place Expert/Elite Women
Jessi - 3rd place Sport Women 25-39
Jen - 4th place Sport Women 25-39
Kerry - 6th Sport Women 25-39
Jody - 7th place Sport Women 40+
Sheri - 3rd place Beginner Women 30+

Jessi & Jen go 3-4:

Sheri gets on the podium:

Dark Horse girls yukking it up at the awards:

Refueling at the Mothership:

Great job, Dark Horse!!!

PLRA XC -- Top Spot!!

2010-08-09T21:43:00.003-04:00

Kelly raced to a convincing 1st place finish at the Pontiac Lake USAC XC race on 8/8/10 in the Sport Women 19-24 class. Beth Ann managed to scratch her way to a 5th place finish in Expert/Elite Women after stopping to help a rider who crashed on her first lap and suffering two,that's right TWO, flat tires at the same time on her 3rd lap!

Way to go ladies!!

Tree Farm Relay

2010-07-29T16:31:00.010-04:00

Dark Horse Racing had 3 women's teams and 1 coed team line up for the start of the 2010 Novi Tree Farm Relay on July 24, 2010. A trail benefit race that is also co-sponsored by the team had 75 teams participate and raised some cash for the Michigan Mountain Bike Association Metro South Chapter! A little rain made the course interesting for awhile, but the sun came out for the after party and concert by Detroit's own Allies.

Dark Horse had 3 of its teams podium and all of its teams have a blast!

Results:

Advanced Women: 1st & 2nd
Sport Women: 1st

Here's some photos of a great day:

Start of the sport race...a lemans start on a rainsoaked hill is always a good time:

A little mud never hurt anyone, right Susan?

Dirty Girls!

Jessi helps herself to some post- race nutrition...mmm Crooked Tree!

A Pyramid of Dark Horse Girls! And a couple of Bell's Babes thrown in for good measure (thanks for pinch hitting Erin & Susan!)

Teammies:

5th Annual Tree Farm Relay, Saturday July 24!

2010-07-14T09:58:00.005-04:00

We are pleased to announce the 5th Annual Tree Farm Relay Event at Lakeshore Park in Novi, presented by the MMBA, Team Tree Farm and Dark Horse Racing. This is our big 5th Annual Race, so be prepared for some special surprises! This is the same format as our hugely successful previous races! The course features lots of hills, passing zones and fun! This is a perfect race for the beginner looking to see what team / endurance racing is all about and for experienced racers looking to test their skills against rival teams. If you want to try an endurance race, but aren’t ready for the distance, this is the perfect event for you to see what the team racing concept is all about.

Registration is Open! Click HERE to register!

Register soon… the first 50 teams get a free pint glass for each team member!

Click HERE to contact us for more info! Frequently Asked Questions

A 1-2 Punch!

2010-06-15T19:47:00.002-04:00

Jessi and Jen raced to 1st and 2nd place in the Sport Women 25-29 class at the USAC Ruby Campground XC Race!

Way to go, ladies!

Summer is Here!

2010-05-25T09:18:00.006-04:00

The stars aligned so that 9 Dark Horse Girls were able to make it to a Maybury Monday training ride on a beautiful, sunny summer evening! It was a pretty cool sight to see that long blue train snaking through the singletrack!

We finished off the evening by packing into Deadwood Bar and Grill for some cold beer and good food.

Here's to a great summer of more fun rides and comraderie!

Stony Creek Endurance Race

2010-05-17T10:49:00.002-04:00

Dark Horse Racing had 3 teams of two line up at the start for the 6 hours of Stony Creek Endurance Race by Fun Promotions on May 15. The course was rumored to be hillier than ever, and each lap was about 11.3 miles, but the sun was shining and our team compound was rockin'. We had a great time racing this format, and put in some fun miles.

Dark Horse girls ready to relay:

Thanks to Dark Horse Brewery for our delicious post-race recovery drinks!

Team Field Trip -- Ft. Custer Singletrack & Dark Horse Brewery

2010-05-10T11:55:00.011-04:00

We took advantage of a weekend with no race on the schedule to organize a team ride and visit to our sponsor. The forecast was pretty brutal @ 44degrees and rain, but we decided not to wuss out and loaded up the cars, and by the time we were ready to ride, the rain had stopped, the sun was actually peeking through the clouds and it was a balmy 48 degrees. We had a great time on the singletrack and enjoyed our reward at the Brewery after.

Happy the forecasters were wrong:

The sun actually peeked through the clouds for a bit:

Ahhhh, our reward...Dark Horse Beer!:

Got to hang with our sponsor and brewery owner...thanks Aaron!:

Dark Horse Girls at the Mothership:

First Races of the Season Result in Podium Finishes

2010-05-03T11:25:00.005-04:00

Dark Horse lined up at the start for both the Pontiac Lake USAC Time Trial and the Fort Custer Stampede XC race in the MMBA CPS series on and grabbed 3 podium finishes:

Jen - 3rd place, Sport Women 25-39, Pontiac Lake TT
Jody - 4th place, Sport Women 40+, Pontiac Lake TT
Jessi - 3rd place, Sport Women 25-39, Ft. Custer XC

What a great way to kick off the season! Congrats, ladies!

Dark Horse in the D!

2010-05-02T13:16:00.004-04:00

A few of us "not quite ready for primetime XC racing" teammies hit downtown Detroit for an urban bike tour with 65 of our closest biking friends! We managed 35 miles, 4 beer stops, and more than a few cheers from passers by who thought we were some sort of bike parade!

What a great day to play on bikes!

Welcome New Teamies!

2010-03-26T10:06:00.002-04:00

Dark Horse Racing is excited to announce our two new teamies: Kelly Bartlett and Jessi Wonnacott. We are looking forward to a great season of racing this year! See you at the start line!!!

2010 Dark Horse Racing Team Kit Sneak Peek!

2010-01-08T11:19:00.001-05:00

What with all the argyle and plaid jerseys lately, I thought it would be a nice change to see some paisley. I only have our two primary sponsors on the jersey so far.. the rest to come on the final template. Hope you like!

-Andrea

Happy Holidays from Dark Horse Racing!!!!

2009-12-22T10:22:00.004-05:00

From all of us, to all of you!!!!!

Iceman 2009

2009-11-09T11:01:00.007-05:00

We had a record number of teammies race the Iceman this year, with some really fantastic finishes. The course was fast and relatively hard packed and the temperatures reached near 60 degrees for this year's Iceman Cometh Mountain Bike race, a 28 mile point to point race from Kalkaska to Traverse City.

Congrats to all Dark Horse Girls, especially Alicia who raced to 2nd place in Sport Women 19-34 (2:15), Melissa who finished 6th in Exert women 35-44 (2:08), and Susan who worked a tandem to 4th place in her class (2:06). Rounding out the field were Janet in 11th (Expert Women 45+), Lynda in 22nd (Expert Women 45+), Jen in 25th (Sport Women 35-44)and Andrea in 29th (Expert Women 35-44). With nearly 3500 total racers this year, each of these classes was bigger and stronger than ever.

After some well deserved recovery brews in the sunshine...

...we continued on with a Dark Horse Racing style party at the Union Street Grill in downtown Traverse City.

Congrats to all Icemen and Women! Dark Horse Racing is looking forward to 2010!!!

Dark Horse Racing Meltdown Party!

2009-10-20T21:28:00.001-04:00

Join us at Union Street Station in downtown Traverse City after the Iceman awards ceremony. We'll have Dark Horse brews on tap, door prizes for the first 200 guests, and will be giving away two Giant cruiser bikes, courtesy of Giant and City Bike Shop! Hope to see you there.

One weekend, two races, two medals!

2009-10-19T10:14:00.008-04:00

On Saturday, October 17, five Dark Horse girls lined up at the start of the Peak 2 Peak XC Mountain Bike race at Crystal Mountain ski resort for what is turning out to be a fall classic race and great tuneup for Iceman. The weather was perfect, fall colors were amazing, and the course was in great shape. Melissa took 3rd place in a fast and strong field of Sport Women 15-44 and Alicia was not far behind in 6th place. In the expert women class, Janet took 4th! Way to go ladies!!!

After the race and awards, we hung out with former Dark Horse girl Erin and the team founder Susan, trying to stay warm with some Dark Horse liquid refreshments and fun comraderie!

Closer to home, Jen raced to 2nd place at the Lower Huron Cyclocross race sponsored by Tailwinds. Way to go Jen!

Jen Kicks off Cyclocross Season with a WIN!

2009-10-05T08:58:00.003-04:00

Jen headed out to the Tailwinds Munson Park NIGHTTIME Cyclocross Race in Monroe, Michigan on October 3 and came away with an impressive 1st place finish over 6 other women! Jen was the only woman to do 5 laps, staying ahead of the men and avoiding getting lapped. Keep up the good work, Jen!

30 Miles of Pain Haven - Another Win!!

2009-09-29T09:20:00.003-04:00

Alicia Trevino, in her first year of racing mountain bikes continues to impress. On a borrowed bike, she took top female honors at the 30 miles of Pain Haven last weekend. The course was a perfect blend of well groomed singletrack and roller coaster 2-track. The rain stayed away until after all of the awards and prizes were handed out and the cooler temps were refreshing.

Congrats Alicia!

Fall Racing off to a Great Start!

2009-09-14T15:26:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, September 13 Dark Horse colors were on the podium at two different race venues. In a strong field of Sport Women 40+, Jody raced to 3rd Place at the Addison Oaks Fall Classic XC race. Further north, Melissa was the top female racer earing a 1st place finish on a challenging single track course at the Chippewa Hills XC Race.

Congrats to both!

A Great Race Weekend: Maybury TT & Ft. Custer TT

2009-08-24T18:19:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, 8/22, six Dark Horse Girls lined up at the Maybury TT and ended up with outstanding results and a clean sweep of 1st Place in each women's category!

Andrea - 1st Place Expert Women
Lynda - 1st Place Sport Women 40+
Jody - 2nd Place Sport Women 40+
Gabby - 1st Place Sport Women 25-39
Lynn - 3rd Place Sport Women 25-39

And although Beth Ann missed a podium spot in the open SS category, she continues to beat numerous men in her class with screamin' fast times:

After a long day of racing, we gathered at the Deadwood Bar and Grill where they recently added Dark Horse Brewery Crooked Tree IPA on tap. What a fantastic way to refuel!

On Sunday 8/23 , Jen traveled to the Ft. Custer TT and placed 3rd in Sport Women 25-39, shaving 10 minutes off last year's time!

Congrats to everyone for an outstanding race weekend!!!

Pando and Pontiac Lake

2009-08-18T13:23:00.007-04:00

Another stellar weekend of racing for Dark Horse! Melissa and Gabby teamed up as a 6hour endurance team at Pando on 8/15 and raced to an impressive 2nd place in the 2-person open class!

On Sunday 8/16, Jen and Alicia (in her debut XC race) both had podium finishes at the Pontiac Lake XC, with Alicia winning the 24 and under Sport Women class and Jen finishing 3rd in Sport Women 25-39.

Alicia crossing the finish line:

Alicia for the win!

Jen's takes 3rd!

Congrats to all Dark Horse Racers!!!

Next up, Maybury XC. Should be alot of Dark Horse Girls on the course for this local classic!!!

Ore 2 Shore 2009

2009-08-11T10:59:00.003-04:00

Janet Grimm and Alicia Trevino suited up for this classic 48 mile point to point race in Michigan's Upper Penninsula.

Janet raced to 2nd place in her age group and 31st female overall, and Alicia, in her debut as a Dark Horse Girl, got 1st in her age group and 11th female overall!

Way to go Janet and Alicia!!!

6 Hours of Stony Creek

2009-08-04T15:55:00.007-04:00

In the first SE Michigan endurance race of the season, Andrea & Jen were the only all-woman team in the 2-person open class, and in true Dark Horse fashion showed a few men how it was done racing to a 4th place finish in a field of 7. Each lap was about 10.5 miles long with a rumored 1150 feet of climbing, and the ladies finished 6 laps total in the allotted time.

Congrats to Andrea & Jen!

The racers and their most excellent support crew post race:

A Race Filled Weekend!

2009-07-31T12:59:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, July 25, 2009, Dark Horse Racing staged two 4-person teams at the start line of the Tree Farm Relay event. After a mixed bag of rain, mud, sunshine and tacky trail, the ladies of Dark Horse Racing came out 1-2 on the podium in the Sport Women Category.

As co-sponsors of this fundraiser for the MMBA, after our laps, we helped out with other volunteer tasks. Thanks to our awesome sponsor Dark Horse Brewery for donating a keg of IPA to help refuel the racers after their laps!

The next day, Jen, Gabby and Melissa headed to Stony Creek for the Tailwind USAC Time Trial with similarly excellent results:

Sport Women 25-39:

1st Place: Gabby Bruno
2nd Place: Jen Dolenga

Expert/Elite Women:

4th Place: Melissa Fritz

It was a fun-filled weekend of team camraderie and great racing.

More pictures to come soon!

Tree Farm Relay This Saturday 7/25!

2009-07-23T12:54:00.004-04:00

We are pleased to announce the 4th Annual Tree Farm Relay Event at Lakeshore Park in Novi, presented by the MMBA, Team Tree Farm and Dark Horse Racing. This is a perfect race for the beginner looking to see what team/endurance racing is all about and for experienced racers looking to test their skills against rival teams.

More information

Big M USAC XC Race 7/12

2009-07-21T09:34:00.002-04:00

Jen made the long haul to Big M and raced to 6th place in Sport Women 25-39, shaving 3 minutes off her 2008 time and putting her in 2nd place overall in the Tailwind USAC Series!

Way to go Jen!

Dark Horse Reunion!

2009-07-08T11:52:00.005-04:00

Gabby, Andrea, Lynda, former Dark Horse Girl Erin (who will always be a Dark Horse girl to us), and future Dark Horse Girl Jackie met up at Maybury recently for a group ride. The trail was in perfect shape and just like old times, we chased Erin around for some singletrack fun! We all adjourned to Deadwood for some important refueling and catching up after!

I guess training rides CAN be fun!!!

Two Podium Spots at the Ruby USAC XC Race 6/14

2009-06-17T10:50:00.006-04:00

Congrats to Jen and Beth Ann who both grabbed podium spots at the Ruby Campground XC race last weekend! That course is always fun, and the river crossings make for some entertaining spectating!

Jen raced to 1st Place in Sport Women 25-39 and Beth Ann, the only female singlespeeder in her class, edged by some guys to snag 5th place in Sport/Beginner Singlespeed.

Way to go, Ladies!!!

USAC Brighton Stage Race 5/30 & 5/31

2009-06-09T11:21:00.009-04:00

3 Dark Horse Girls headed to Brighton Recreation Area the weekend of 5/30 and 5/31 for the USAC Stage Race. The format consisted of a Time Trial and Short Track race on Saturday, and a classic Cross Country race on Sunday. Lowest combined time determined placings. The weather was great, and some of our teammies currently on the injured reserve list showed up to cheer us on!!!

A little preride before the race:

Lynda leads the pack on lap #1:

Beth Ann grinds it out on that fun grassy section:

Jen heads to the singletrack:

A great place to relax after alot of racing!

We had a first class cheering and support crew!

Results:

Beginner/Sport Singlespeed
Beth Ann Trollman: 2d TT, 2d ST, 6th XC: 2nd overall

Sport Women 40+
Lynda Racey: 2d TT, 3d ST, 4th XC: 3d overall

Sport Women 25-39
Jen Dolenga: 2d TT, 3d XC

Way to go, Dark Horse!!!!

Memorial Day Fun!

2009-05-25T09:27:00.006-04:00

On a sunny Sunday before Memorial day, Andrea, Jody & I headed out to Ft. Custer to take advantage of a long 3 day weekend. We got 17 miles in and had ear to ear grins the whole ride. Custer is AWESOME fun!

And a stop at Dark Horse Brewery for proper refueling after made for a great day!

Addison Race Postponed....Random Race Pic posted instead!

2009-05-10T21:42:00.003-04:00

This is a pic of Beth Ann starting in a pack of singlespeed testosterone (all the way to the right in the front)! I'm pretty sure she beat at least 8 of them!!!!

Dark Horse in the D!

2009-05-07T07:19:00.005-04:00

A friend of ours organizes an annual big group ride from Ferndale to Detroit and back every year, with lots of sight seeing in between. It was the 6th annual this year, and Andrea & I were able to attend. No better way to see the sights than on a bike! We got in 37 miles and had tons of fun!

What's left of Tiger Stadium:

A welcome beer break at Cobo Joes:

Dark Horse in the D!:

Pontiac Lake TT

2009-04-27T23:10:00.004-04:00

Despite monsoon like conditions on Saturday, Jen and Beth Ann both made the trip to Pontiac Lake for Tailwinds first race of the season. Sunday's weather was sunny and fine, and Dark Horse tore up the course. Jen got 3rd in Sport Women 25-39 and Beth Ann got 10th in Singlespeed Sport/Beginner.

Way to go ladies!

Dark Horse on the Podium!

What a way to start the season!

2009-04-20T09:27:00.002-04:00

4 Dark Horse Girls made the trek to the Yankee TT on 4/19/09 for the first race of the 2009 season and what a way to kick it off with 3 podium finishes! Here's the results:

Janet Grimm - 1st place Sport Women 40+
Gabby Bruno - 2nd place Sport Women 30-39
Melissa Fritz - 3rd place Sport Women 30-39
Beth Ann Trollman - 19th place Sport/Beginner Singlespeed (beating 8 guys!)

Way to represent, ladies!

Spring Riding!

2009-04-05T11:48:00.005-04:00

Our first team dirt ride of the year -- POTO! The new uniforms look awesome!

After a somewhat brutal reminder about what Zone 4 feels like, we chilled out and soaked up some spring sunshine in the parking lot for a bit...

Our recovery drink of choice!

Looking forward to the 2009 season!!!!

Dark Horse hits Rays Indoor MTB Park in 2009

2009-03-30T20:19:00.006-04:00

Andrea & I headed down to Ray's MTB Park in Cleveland for some fun & adventure on March 28. It just so happened it was Giant Bikes demo day, and once they found out we were on a mountain bike team sponsored by Giant, they gave us some awesome demo bikes, a Trance and a Cypher, to play on all day! Sweet!

Andrea left a little part of herself somewhere on the outer loop....

FUN TIMES!!!!

2009 Uniforms Lookin' Good!

2009-02-05T13:01:00.004-05:00

Here is a preview of the 2009 Dark Horse team kit:

A big thanks to our teammie Andrea Balding for the awesome design and for all her hard work putting the 2009 Uniforms together!

Can't wait to fly the Dark Horse colors in 2009!

Download the 2009 Race Schedule!

2009-01-16T15:49:00.002-05:00

2009 Dark Horse Racing Team

2009-01-15T10:29:00.004-05:00

We're excited about our 2009 lineup: Andrea Balding, Lynn Banas, Kerry Block, Gabby Bruno, Jody Delavern, Jen Dolenga, Melissa Fritz, Janet Grimm, Lynda Racey, Susan Schubel, Alicia Trevino, and Beth Ann Trollman.

The girls will be covering some major ground, including cross country, endurance, road and cyclocross events. See you at the start line!

What to do when its too cold & dark to ride outside...

2009-01-09T13:28:00.004-05:00

...Some of the team came out to join our AWESOME sponsor, Dark Horse Brewery at a beer tasting event at Ashley's in Westland on January 8. We got to taste some of the new Dark Horse beers like the Blueberry Stout, but the unanimous favorite was the Perkulator Dopplebock. It was fun to catch up with Mike E. and have a few beers with friends on a wintry, Thursday night.

We also convinced a few of our biking friends from Team Tree Farm to join us! Also big fans of Dark Horse Brewery, they were happy to oblige!

End of Season Team Dinner

2008-12-08T10:18:00.004-05:00

We started a new tradition this year with an End of Season Team Dinner at Gus O'Connor's in Novi. Most of the team who lives in the Metro Detroit area was able to get together for some drinks & dinner and to get to know some of our new team members. Our comrades who live too far away were there in spirit as we celebrated the end of another AWESOME racing season.

Here's to all our accomplishments in 2008 and a healthy, successful 2009 season!

2008 Iceman Cometh

2008-11-10T14:26:00.003-05:00

Another great showing by the Dark Horse Ladies in the always challenging 27 mile point to point Iceman Cometh mountain bike race from Kalkaska to Traverse City on Saturday, November 8, 2008. Sounds like the weather cooperated, and the snow/sleet held off until later in the day.

Results:
Susan Schubel - 6th Place Pro Women
Janet Grimm - 6th Place Sport/Expert Women 45+
Kerry Block - 12th Place Expert Women 35-44

Congrats, ladies!!!

photo by Mike Connelly

Fall Riding Cont'd...Drainpipe Loop Ride

2008-11-03T12:57:00.007-05:00

Five Dark Horse Girls joined in on the annual Ann Arbor Drainpipe Loop ride on 11/2/08. Billed as an old school mountain bike ride and color tour, we managed about 12 miles before the rain foiled our plans for 25+....

The colors were a little past peak, but still spectacular:

Jody tears up a leafy downhill! Is that a lime green miniskirt, Jode?

Andrea follows not far behind!

Lynn navigates a truly old school half rotten bridge...could cyclocross be in her future?

What a great way to say goodbye to Fall!!!

And here's a shout out to everyone going up to Iceman next weekend! GOOD LUCK!

Dark Horse On The Podium at Peak 2 Peak

2008-10-20T18:58:00.008-04:00

Dark Horse Racing grabbed 3 podium spots at the 2008 Peak 2 Peak Mountain Bike Classic at Crystal Mountain on 10/18/08. It was a crisp day with temps at race start around 45 degrees, but the sun was out and the course was fast, flowy and incredibly scenic as the Fall colors up north were at their peak. The ski hill climb at the end was a challenge, but the sweet downhill singletrack afterwards made it all worth it. Thanks to Dark Horse Brewing for sending up some extra special recovery drink!

Results:

Susan - 3rd Place Pro/Elite Women
Janet - 1st Place Expert Women
Lynda - 3rd Place Sport Women 42+
Jody - 7th Place Sport Women 42+

At the awards ceremony/after party, we managed to catch up with Erin Vicary, who will always be a Dark Horse Girl to us.

Congrats to all racers!

Next up -- ICEMAN!!!

Massive Fall Out Ride 10/11/08

2008-10-14T08:37:00.007-04:00

Four Dark Horse Girls, including new teammie Gabby, headed to the east side for the 3rd annual Massive Fall Out Ride, an MMBA benefit ride connecting 5 east side trails, Stoney Creek, Paint Creek, Addison, Bald Mountain and Bloomer. The weather was unseasonably warm, the colors were just starting to turn and we had an awesome day in the saddle getting about 42 miles in before heading back to the car (and the cooler!).

Before heading out:

Lunch Stop:

Bridges of Macomb County:

Heading back for some well-deserved refueling (aka BEER)

It was a long day with lots of pedaling, but one thing is for sure -- Fall riding in Michigan is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Janet Tops the Field at Pando and Wraps up 3rd Place in the MMBA CPS Series!

2008-09-30T12:17:00.003-04:00

Janet won the Fun Promotions Pando XC race in the Sport Women 40+ category on 9/28/08! Thanks to the Founders team for that special post-race recovery beverage at the top of the last ski hill climb!

Her win moved her into 3rd place final standing for the MMBA CPS series!

Way to go Janet!

Goodbye Summer!

2008-09-23T12:53:00.007-04:00

A weekend of bike related events were a great send-off to summer!

TRIPLE TRAIL CHALLENGE
Saturday 9/20, was the annual Triple Trail Challenge trail benefit ride for the MMBA Poto Chapter. The TTC uses part of the Waterloo-Pickney hiking trail that is only open to bikes once a year for this event. It connects the Poto, Waterloo-Pinckney and the Lakelands Rail Trail into a 42 mile scenic and challenging ride. Complimentary chili & beer awaits at the finish and everyone walked away with some good swag. Four Dark Horse Girls flew the colors at this ride and enjoyed the post-ride activities.

CHERRY ROUBAIX CRIT (Traverse City)
Road or Mountain Susan rocks, finishing in 1st place at Cherry Roubaix crit in TC. Congrats, Susan!

ADDISON OAKS XC RACE
Kerry and Janet chalked up 2 more podium finishes in their Iceman warmup at the Addison Oaks XC race on 9/21, with Kerry finishing 2nd in Sport Women 25-39 and Janet finishing 4th in Sport Women 40+. Way to go, ladies!

PLYMOUTH CRUISER PUB CRAWL
For those of us who chose to crawl rather than race on Sunday, the last day of summer was spent cruising around downtown Plymouth on our cruiser bikes and sampling different brews on various outdoor patios. This was the 3rd annual Plymouth pub crawl and proved to be another excellent adventure. Thanks to our sponsor Gary at South Lyon Cycle for the Fat Tire Ales and swag at the end!

So after a busy biking weekend, Dark Horse Racing says goodbye Summer and hello to Fall, Peak to Peak, Iceman and Cyclocross Season!

Kerry Takes 2nd at the USAC Stony Creek XC Race and Jody Wins the Chippewa Hills Trail Benefit Race!

2008-09-09T12:01:00.008-04:00

Stony Creek
After a rainy start the sun came out and Kerry raced to 2nd place finish at the Stony Creek XC race on 9/7/08 in Sport Women 25-39. Another Podium finish for Dark Horse Racing! Congrats, Kerry!

Chippewa Hills
And Up North, Jody raced to a first place finish at the Chippewa Hills Trail Benefit Race. Here's her write up:

I raced The Chippewa Hills Pathway Thunderbay River Assn Trail Benefit on Saturday. There were only about 50 racers. The course sucked for the first 2.5 miles: Climb, climb, down, twist, turn, (caution sign) brake brake brake twist. Swear. Climb climb climb climb down down twist turn brake brake brake twist. swear.

Then came the water station. I was pissed because I was told it was fast and fun. So far it was not fast. But then the fun started. Climb, zoom, swoosh up down zoom swoosh, caution sign, swoosh, caution sign, zoom, caution sign, up down zoom swoosh up down zoom swoosh climb climb swoosh swoosh swoosh climb climb.

It was damn fun!!!!

Then I had to do the second lap: Climb climb climb climb down down twist turn brake brake brake twist. Swear. Repeat the fun fun fun part. Then the end: Single track, road, single track, single track, single track. Done. 1st place for me!

I have never done a race with so much single track. Yay!

This may be a race more of us will try next year! Congrats Jody!

Photo by Tom Lining

Another Great Weekend of Racing!

2008-08-26T08:42:00.006-04:00

Saturday 8/23 was the Maybury TT -- a first time TT format for Maybury. The course was rumored to be somewhat short, clocking in around 8 or 9 miles, so what better way to spend a summer Saturday? The weather was getting humid by the time Beth Ann started in her singlespeed class and by the time the Sport women went off, it felt like someone had turned the sauna on! But overall, the course was in great shape and the TT format at Maybury was alot of fun. Nearly 300 racers came out for this Metro South Trail benefit.

Results:

Kerry 2nd Place Sport Women 25-39
Lynda 4th Place Sport Women 40+

Sunday 8/24 was the USAC Pontiac Lake XC Race. Andrea & Jody had a great showing tearing up one of the toughest XC race courses around.

Results:

Andrea 5th place Expert/Elite Women
Jody 2nd Place Sport Women 40+

Congrats to all!!

Dark Horse Racing STORMS the Fort with 3 Podium finishes at the Ft. Custer TT!

2008-08-18T11:34:00.010-04:00

It was a great day for racing on Sunday 8/17/08 at the Ft. Custer TT. The weather was perfect, and although the trail was a little sandy and about 2 miles longer than the advertised distance, Dark Horse had an excellent showing with Lynda racing to 1st in Sport Women 40+ and Jody finishing not far behind in 3rd. Kerry placed 4th in Sport Women 25-39 and Beth Ann once again beat several men in the Sport/Beginner Singlespeed class and although she didnt make the podium, she had the fastest Dark Horse time of all!!!

It was also an interesting day of gender bending as the 4 racing Dark Horse Girls had 3 non-racing males as their support crew! Just the opposite of what you usually see at the races, where the women support the men racers! Thanks, Adam, Scott & Tom!

A stop at the Dark Horse Brewery after for pizza and beer topped off an awesome day!

Dark Horse Gets 2 Podium Finishes at 2008 Ore to Shore

2008-08-11T14:01:00.002-04:00

Susan won her age bracket, racing to 4th overall at the 2008 Ore to Shore Hard Rock 48 mile mountain bike race in Marquette, Michigan. Janet placed 2nd in her age group, racing to 24th overall, and Kerry placed 6th in her age group for 37th overall.

Nice job, Dark Horse!

2008 Tree Farm Relay -- Fun(d)raising Good Times!

2008-08-04T08:46:00.003-04:00

The 2008 Tree Farm Relay Trail Benefit Race is history, and once again the race was a great time for a great cause -- raising funds for the MMBA Metro South Chapter. Working with Team Tree Farm and the MMBA, Dark Horse Racing co-sponsored the race and helped out with organizing and volunteering, including some long hours spent in the timing tent helping keep track of racers coming through the chutes. We also had 2 teams participate in the race with DHR Shiftless Sistahs winning the Women's Advanced Class and DHR Girls With Gears getting 2nd place in Women's Sport.

Thanks to everyone who came out to this race or provided support in some other way!

2008 Tree Farm Relay This Saturday!

2008-07-31T16:49:00.003-04:00

We are pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Tree Farm Relay Event at Lakeshore Park in Novi, presented by the MMBA, Team Tree Farm and Dark Horse Racing. This is the same format as our successful 2006 and 2007 race! The course features lots of hills, passing zones and fun! This is a perfect race for the beginner looking to see what team / endurance racing is all about and for experienced racers looking to test their skills against rival teams. If you want to try an endurance race, but aren’t ready for the distance, this is the perfect event for you to see what the team racing concept is all about.

More info here..

Kerry Races to a Podium Finish at the Stony Creek Time Trial

2008-07-31T12:10:00.003-04:00

Kerry is back! After a long spring of training for the Lumberjack 100 and some well-deserved time off afterwards, Kerry hit the Stony Creek Time Trial on July 27 and raced to a 3rd Place finish out of 8 women in her class (Sport Women 25-39).

Way to go, Kerry!!!!

Shirlee Takes Top Honors at 6-hours of Ithaca!

2008-07-21T15:33:00.003-04:00

Shirlee Finch outlapped all the women in her class to win Fun Promotions' 6 Hours of Ithaca on July 26, 2008 by completing 14 laps! Well done, Shirlee -- hope you didnt get too dizzy out there!

Janet Wins Again at the Boyne Marathon!

2008-07-15T09:50:00.002-04:00

Here's her race report:

'BOYNE....just hearing it intimidates me.. I awoke at 3:30am the morning of the rac e to the sound of rain. Crap. Boyne is difficult enough without being wet and muddy too. As luck would have it, the weatherman was wrong, and it had hardly rained at Boyne. It started out cloudy, but the sun came out, the wind picked up a bit and it was a beautiful day for a race. I really wanted to just finish this, as last year I had DNF'd. The course was in great condition, rooty, rather technical and big climbs as usual. I got passed once by another girl in my class. I stayed right with her, and then she had what appeared to be a nasty crash right in front of me. She got up, was OK, so I was on my way and did not see her or any other women after that. My goal was to finish in under 4 hours and I did 3:53. So I accomplished 3 things - I finished, I won and I was under my goal time. Apparently Boyne is not as intimidating as it sounds '

Congrats, Janet -- and Happy Birthday, too!!!!

Happy Birthday USA!!!

2008-07-03T11:56:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone enjoys a weekend off racing and has a 4th of July holiday with lots of fun bike rides, bbqs and beer!!!!

Lumberjack 100 Race Report

2008-06-23T14:50:00.010-04:00

After a great night of sleep at the historic Wellston Inn, I started my day at 5am with a wonderful breakfast courtesy of my Paula Deen Breakfast Sandwich Maker. Everyone should have one of these. It poaches an egg and warms up a sausage patty or ham slices while cooking your toast. Everything is done in less than five minutes. Amazing!

We began loading up the car, and a Bald-Faced Hornet promptly flew into our cabin. When it landed on the wall, I tried to sneak up on it with a rolled up magazine, and recoiled in horror as the tiny head swivelled around and glared at me. Did you know they could do that?! I was useless after that, and Tony bravely trapped it in his Lumberjack pint glass and let it go several hundred feet away. We began loading up the car again, only to find the same or another hornet in the room again. Tony did his glass trick again, and we headed to the venue around 6am. We made several trips lugging supplies to our tent in the feed zone. There were four of us sharing an EZ-Up and it was amazing to me how much stuff we all had. Looking back, I'd say I could've easily fit everything that I actually used into one milk crate. But you never know what you'll need, right?

The race started, and for those of us whose goal was simply to finish, the mood was cheerful. In fact, for most of the first lap I was chatting with different people. The second lap I picked up the pace a little but was still having plenty of fun. I was drinking 40-70 oz of Cytomax on every lap, plus I had a flask of Hammer gel in my pocket. I still haven't learned to get it out of there while riding, though. I would probably use it a lot more if I didn't have to actually stop and get off my bike every time I wanted some.

We had Paula and Scott as our pit crew and they did a fantastic job. I had a mental checklist of things to do in between laps. Paula refilled my Camelbak while Scott lubed my chain and I popped Endurolytes and chowed down PowerBars for a little fat and protein. After my second lap and pit break I was feeling really good about things till Paula abruptly announced, "It's time to go." I was kind of flustered after that, and her words kept haunting me for the whole third lap. Sure enough, when I pulled into the chute everyone was yelling to keep going, that I had just made the cutoff. I asked if I had time to stop at my tent and get more water and was told NO. Luckily some nice ladies at the end of the feed zone filled up my Camelbak as the race official was walking up to tape off the course! So, I never got to try out my new super-endurance food of choice: cheese and potato pierogies... *sigh*

I was trudging up the first big climb when fellow Dark Horse teamie Lynn joined me. She had just made the cutoff too, and only had one half-filled water bottle left. She traded me a Gu and some Endurolytes for some Ibuprofen and a couple of Clif Blocks, and we headed out, praying that they would keep the feed station open for us. That fourth lap just about killed me.. I've gradually figured out through the course of training for Lumberjack that my bike frame is too small for me, and climbing while seated was giving me a lot of knee pain. At the same time, I didn't have enough energy to stand on the long hills, and when I gave up and walked I was getting horrible cramps just above my ankle.

We came up on the feed station halfway through the course and found them still there waiting for us, with a fantastic array of food and endurance products. I told them they were best and most wonderful people in the world, and helped myself to some Twizzlers and Coke. It's kinda funny how I've been trying for the past month to perfect a way of quickly rendering fizzy Coke flat, yet when presented with the choice of a warm semi-flat one and an ice-cold fizzy one, I gulped the cold one with no hesitation and no regrets.

The last ten miles seemed to go on forever. I kept thinking that last big hill was just around the corner, but then it wasn't. There were additional hills that I didn't even remember.. somebody must've added them in between laps. The pinkie fingers of both my hands were completely numb. At one point I thought I saw an Indian in full headdress out of the corner of my eye. Crazy! Then I was finally rocketing down the last hill, laughing out loud because I was so happy to be finished.

-Andrea

Janet Wins at Hanson Hills XC!

2008-06-02T10:21:00.003-04:00

From Janet:

After a 2nd place start, I kept the class leader in my sights the first 3 miles of the 1st lap, then got RIGHT on her wheel for the next 4 miles to make her really think about me being behind her. Then on a hill that widened out, I passed her and she never caught up.

WAY TO GO, JANET!

Lumberjack Training

2008-05-29T09:09:00.004-04:00

While 1/2 the team continues to tear up the local cross country races, a few of us have been training for the Lumberjack 100 (June 14). Last weekend we did a 72 mile training ride on the Lumberjack course at Big M/Manistee National Forest. We are tapering now (oh, so sweet) and will post up a race report after surviving the race!

The Race Season is in Full Swing!

2008-05-05T13:42:00.009-04:00

The 2008 season is off to a great start. Susan won her Expert/Elite class at Bloomer, Janet took 2nd at Ft Custer in Sport Women 40+, Paula got 12th at the Cohutta 100, and Beth Ann is surpising the boys in the singlespeed class! Way to go girls!

Photo by Rick Smith

First Dirt!!

2008-04-16T22:09:00.003-04:00

Paula, Kerry & I hit Maybury for our first (or 2nd for Paula) trail ride of the year! It was so much fun to hit the singletrack after a long, snowy winter. We kept yelling "this is AWESOME" as we rode, and the apres'-ride Oberon on tap at Deadwood (sorry, no Dark Horse brews there) really hit the spot. Bring on summer!!

2008 Dark Horse Uniforms Uncovered!

2008-04-07T10:49:00.010-04:00

Finally, mother nature warmed up enough to let us show our Dark Horse colors on a training ride without having to have them covered by layers and layers of winter riding gear!

And while exploring the countryside on our bikes out in the gorgeous sunshine, we met some new friends!

Can't wait for more weekends like this one!

-Lynda

Dark Horse rips it up at Rays MTB Park in Cleveland

2008-03-31T12:10:00.006-04:00

Ok, maybe ripping it up is a stretch....how about I mastered the beginner room, tried most of the intermediate runs, and played on the pump track for a bit.....Although I never wandered into the expert area, I had a blast and vouch for Ray's as a fantastic experience and great way to spend a gloomy, winter day indoors! Dark Horse road trip next season!

-Lynda

2008 Dark Horse Racing Team

2008-02-22T17:30:00.004-05:00

We're excited to announce our 2008 lineup:

Andrea Balding
Lynn Banas
Kerry Block
Jody Delavern
Paula Figura
Shirlee Finch

Libby Ford
Janet Grimm
Lynda Racey
Susan Schubel
Beth Ann Trollman

The girls will be covering some major ground, including local and national cross country, endurance, road and cyclocross events. Looking forward to a great season!

Erin Vicary Accepts a Position on the 2008 Bell's MTB Team
The Dark Horse girls wish you best of luck in your new venture. Teams may change but friendships are forever!

DOWNLOAD THE 2008 MICHIGAN RACING SCHEDULE

2008-02-21T18:10:00.000-05:00

2007 RACE RESULTS

2007-12-31T18:03:00.000-05:00

PANDO CROSS COUNTRY - 9/30/07
Sport Women 40+
2nd Place - Janet Grimm

ADDISON OAKS CROSS COUNTRY - 9/23/07
Sport Women 25-39
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman
8th Place - Kerry Block

Sport Women 40+
4th Place - Lynda Racey
5th Place - Janet Grimm

STONY CREEK CROSS COUNTRY - 9/9/07
Expert/Elite Women
2nd Place - Erin Vicary

KEYSTONE CLIMAX IV (Keystone, CO) - 9/1-3/07
Expert Women Downhill
2nd Place - Alicia Hamilton

Open Women Super D
2nd Place - Alicia Hamilton

PONTIAC LAKE CROSS COUNTRY - 8/26/07
Expert/Elite Women
1st Place - Erin Vicary
6th Place - Andrea Balding

Sport Women 25-39
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman
3rd Place - Kerry Block

MAYBURY CROSS COUNTRY - 8/25/07
Sport Women 25-39
4th Place - Beth Ann Trollman

Sport Women 40+
2nd Place - Lynda Racey

ORE TO SHORE - 8/11/07
Hard Rock - Pro Women
3rd Place - Susan Schubel

Hard Rock - Open Women 25-29
1st Place - Erin Vicary

Hard Rock - Open Women 35-39
2nd Place - Beth Ann Trollman

Soft Rock - Open Women 45-49
10th Place - Janet Grimm

BIG M CROSS COUNTRY - 8/5/07
Expert/Elite Women
2nd Place - Susan Schubel
3rd Place - Erin Vicary
8th Place - Andrea Balding

STONY CREEK TIME TRIAL - 7/29/07
Sport Women 25-39
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman
5th Place - Kerry Block

FULL TILT IV (Telluride, CO) - 7/28-29/07
Open Women Super D
6th Place - Alicia Hamilton

USAC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (Mt. Snow, VT) - 7/20-22/07
Pro Women Cross Country
30th Place - Susan Schubel

Expert Women 25-29 Cross Country
4th Place - Erin Vicary

Sport Women 30-39 Cross Country
5th Place - Andrea Balding

Sport Women 40+ Cross Country
6th Place - Lynda Racey

Expert/Semi-Pro Women Short Track
5th Place - Erin Vicary

RUBY CAMPGROUND CROSS COUNTRY - 7/15/07
Expert/Elite Women
1st Place - Susan Schubel

TREE FARM RELAY - 7/15/07
4-Person Sport Women
1st Place - Lynn Banas, Kerry Block, Lynda Racey, Beth Ann Trollman

4-Person Sport Co-Ed
4th Place - Andrea Balding, Melissa Fritz, Jackie Nell, Tony Sebastian

BLAST THE MASS VII (Snowmass, CO) - 7/14-15/07
Open Women Super D
2nd Place - Alicia Hamilton

BOYNE MARATHON - 7/7/07
Sport Women 25-39
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman

STONY CREEK MARATHON - 6/30/07
Expert/Elite Women
1st Place - Erin Vicary

Sport Women 40+
2nd Place - Lynda Racey

TK LAWLESS TIME TRIAL - 6/24/07
Sport Women 25-30
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman

Singlespeed Beginner/Sport
7th Place - Lynda Racey

7TH ANNUAL WILDFLOWER RUSH (Crested Butte, CO) - 6/23-24/07
Open Women Super D
2nd Place - Alicia Hamilton

BLOOMER CROSS COUNTRY - 6/10/07
Expert/Elite Women
1st Place - Erin Vicary
4th Place - Susan Schubel

HANSON HILLS CROSS COUNTRY - 6/3/07
Expert/Elite Women
1st Place - Erin Vicary

Sport Women 25-39
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman

Sport Women 40+
2nd Place - Janet Grimm

24 HOURS OF BOYNE ENDURANCE - 5/26/07
4-Person Women
1st Place - Andrea Balding, Lynn Banas, Kerry Block, Lynda Racey

BRIGHTON RECREATION AREA STAGE RACE - 5/19/07
Expert/Elite Women
Stage Champion - Erin Vicary

Sport Women 25-39
Stage Champion - Beth Ann Trollman

12 HOURS ADDISON OAKS ENDURANCE - 5/19/07
2nd Place - Andrea Balding, Lynn Banas, Kerry Block, Lynda Racey

FORT CUSTER STAMPEDE CROSS COUNTRY - 5/6/07
Expert/Elite Women
1st Place - Erin Vicary

Sport Women 25-39
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman

Sport Women 40+
3rd Place - Janet Grimm

YANKEE SPRINGS TIME TRIAL - 4/22/07
Expert/Elite Women
2nd Place - Erin Vicary

Sport Women 25-39
1st Place - Beth Ann Trollman

Sport Women 40+
5th Place - Janet Grimm

PONTIAC LAKE TIME TRIAL - 4/15/07
Expert/Elite Women
1st Place - Erin Vicary

CHICKASAW TRACE CLASSIC (Columbia, TN) - 3/25/07
Expert/Pro Women
7th Place - Erin Vicary