Pony XP

Described as arduous and painful but utterly addictive, endurance riding is the fastest-growing equine sport in America. At its most grueling, horse and rider may travel up to 100 miles in a single day. For the 2011 XP, we follow a select group of horses and riders as they prepare for the monumental challenge of traversing the continent by hoof via the original Pony Express trail. Along the way, we encounter wildly varying ideas on how the trail should be used, whether it is possible to preserve it, and the ever-changing politics of land use under BLM jurisdiction.