2025 - 2026 Board Members
Reach the Board by emailing qser-board@googlegroups.com - we’d love to hear from you!
Elaine Elbizri
At age 11-15 my first experience of riding fast and furious would be riding my pony chasing my father on his 16 h thoroughbred, for fear of being lost. We were chasing unfortunate foxes across the English countryside in the 1950s. Fast forward to arrival in California 1989, in the library I found Endurance & Competitive Trail Riding by Wentworth & Linda Tellington and thought how cool is that. Next I met Tracy Hofstrand. She found me my first horse Katie and became a great mentor. She got me through my first LDs at Grant Ranch, Quicksilver, Calero, Mount Diablo, Fort Ord; Fireworks was my first 50, how cool was that; all these fantastic rides within a few miles of Indian Hills Ranch in Milpitas where I kept Katie and later Bella. Riding the Pony Express for two weeks with Judith Ogus in 2013 got me truly hooked. I got Bella from Becky Hart in 2017 our first ride together was Harvey Bear. Bella and I have progressed and matured into a great endurance partnership having completed nearly 1000 miles together. Now I look forward to my new adventure on the QSER board.
Magda Bartilsson
I have always loved horses, grew up in Sweden riding Gotland ponies, and came to California 30 years ago for a career as a biotech scientist. After I bought my first horse, Jacob, a black Morgan horse, we became a team for trail patrolling at Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, and that's how I got to know the extensive network of bay area trails. No trail ride was ever long enough or fast enough, and I realized I wanted to become an endurance rider. Twelve years ago, I started Bay Area Ridge Riders (BARR), a riding club that provides members with guided trail rides and coaching for endurance competition, providing horseback riders with a way to get introduced to the sport of endurance without owning their own horses. Ridge Ranch is located in Los Gatos Mountains, and is home for BARR's twelve horses, myself and my husband, and two energetic German Shepherd/Huskie rescue dogs.
Jerry Wittenauer
Jerry Wittenauer - enjoying a second life in “Endurance” after a decade of Ultrarunning in the 90’s – is now entering his 6th season as an Endurance Rider with his best friend “Carlos”. Carlos will be 10 years old in May 2021, and has just over 1000 AERC miles, including multiple 100 mile rides and a successful completion of the 2019 Tevis Ride. Jerry did not discover horses until in his 50’s, and Carlos is his first horse. He thinks that every day is a chance to learn more about these magnificent animals and how to prepare and succeed in the challenging sport of Endurance. He boards his horse at his home in Los Altos Hills and trains extensively in the open space preserves on the Peninsula. Jerry serves as the Ride Secretary for the annual Quicksilver Fall Classic. Aside from his support to the Quicksilver Endurance Riders, Jerry devotes much of his time to preserving and advancing equestrian sports in our area – including serving as the President of the Los Altos Hills Horsemen’s Association (LAHHA), Secretary for the Equestrian Trails Riders Action Committee (ETRAC), and is a member of the Western States Trail Foundation Board of Governors. He looks forward to joining the QSER Board and helping to continue the proud traditions of this club!
Brian Reeves
I am married with a great wife and son. I started in endurance in 1989, and my wife and became members of QSER in 1990.
I have been a past President, Vice-President, and a member of the board, some several times.
I have managed the Quicksilver Fall Classic Endurance Ride 10 or 12 years in total, and continue putting on rides every year, most notably the 20 Mule Team 100/65/35 ride.
I have been given the honor by the club of receiving the Eleanor Norton Award, and being inducted into the QSER Hall of Fame.
I have crewed, ridden, worked, and managed rides (both domestic and international) and will continue doing so to further the sport as long as I am able.
Nick Warhol
I have been riding Endurance for 32 years now, starting at the age of 33 when I sat on a horse for the first time. (After getting my wife her first horse. I thought it would give her a sport to keep her busy, but it back fired on me!) I have logged over 14,000 miles and ridden in 35 one day 100-mile rides, still my favorite. I served on the Board of Directors for the AERC representing the West region for two terms, I’m a ride manager, AERC Mentor, and have created a 2-day introduction to endurance clinic for people who know nothing about the sport. I spend a lot of my time helping other ride managers with their rides, mostly marking trail on a dirt bike and quad, especially in the desert. I love riding in the desert best, having grown up in Las Vegas. My AERC Pardner’s award horse, Donnie, with 6600 miles, is retired from endurance now; he is my wife Judy’s riding horse. My newest horse, Sorsha, (above) is coming along extremely well, and is a thrill to ride! We live on a ten-acre horse ranch in Hayward, California.
Rachel Miura
I grew up in Placerville, CA and was lucky enough to have a horse of my own as a kid and be part of the local 4-H and Pony Club. I rode off and on in my 20s and 30s and then started riding more regularly in 2013, taking lessons and also riding with Bay Area Ridge Riders. In 2020 I got a horse of my own - Theodore the Wonder Horse, a part Shagya-Arabian gelding. Our first endurance season was 2021 and we've been learning loads and having fun since then! I am excited to be part of a local endurance riding community and to contribute to the advancement of our sport.
Kimberly frank
I've been riding as long as I've been walking and I can't think of a better way to spend my time! My parents put me into formal riding lessons when I was 7, and then during my schooling at UC Davis I learned to jump and play polo. I finally got my own horse in my late 20's - he was a beautiful bay Arabian gelding, a Khemosabi grandson, and his barn name was Magic. We spent years riding the hills of the east bay together and it solidified my love of being out for hours. Around then in 2010 I joined Quicksilver for the first time and volunteered at my first endurance ride. The ride was a Shine and Shine Only FEI put on by Becky Hart, the top riders were Jeremy and Heather Reynolds and I was timing the finish line - how exciting! Unfortunately due to health complications I took a pause from riding for quite a few years before I was ever able to make it to an endurance ride as a competitor.
In 2018 I finally got my second horse and was boarding at Indian Hills Ranch, and it was there that I met the very friendly Elaine El Bizri. She kept asking me to join her on conditioning rides and mentioned the old familiar Quicksilver Endurance Riding Club. Riding more than 10 miles at a time seemed beyond my physical capabilities, but with her encouragement, patience, and mentorship I slowly worked up to not only conditioning with her and Bella, but also my first endurance events. I started with the intro at Cache Creek, and followed with LDs at Fireworks, Quicksilver, and the famous American River Classic.
I currently have an Arabian mare named Farasha ("butterfly" in Arabic), who I rescued from a kill pen, which I absolutely do not recommend, but in her case I had to make an exception. I trained her myself and she has a lovely floating trot that is easy on my muscles, and a very sweet personality. If we are both fit enough I'd really like to try a 50 this year, with Elaine's guidance of course, as always. In my little spare time I also love training horses and instructing riders on trail safety, balance, confidence, and helping them achieve the foundation they need to continue on in their desired discipline.