Riders camp overnight with their horses at the 4-H Center in Front Royal in preparation for a 5 AM start. Each rider has 24 hours to cover 100 miles of rugged terrain and is pulled from the competition if the horse fails to pass the frequent veterinary checks along the way. If you want to put out a little effort, you can hike to one of the veterinary checks or the river crossing to watch the horses come through. Call before you go, because they change the locations of the check stations each year. You probably won't want to hang around for the finish.
Winners come in as darkness is falling, and the rest straggle in throughout the night.
Jousting Maryland's state sport also has a loyal following in Virginia. Though it's patterned after the rivalry of knights of old, today's sport is done not in armor but in T-shirts and jeans. Despite the informal dress, you have to admire the skill of the riders who, at a full gallop, thread their lances through a series of three steel rings. The horse and rider usually cover the 90-yard course in less than eight seconds. We've listed the two major jousting events in Virginia.