Photo Gallery—Dark Horse Invitational

Culture

Photo Gallery—Dark Horse Invitational

Casey Brown's new invitational is modeled after the Fest Series, and prioritizes progression, community and friendship over competition.

August 19, 2021 Beta

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.

Another new event designed to push the progression of women’s freeride is underway this week up in Revelstoke, British Columbia, where Casey Brown’s Dark Horse Invitational is center stage. A group of both veteran and up-and-coming riders are gathered in Revvy to ride the new Pro Line, a four-feature course Brown envisioned that will live in the Revelstoke Mountain Resort bike park after this week’s event. The ladies started the week with shuttle laps on the DH trails at Boulder Mountain, and also spent some time walking the Dark Horse course, which starts with a huge 13-foot ramp and rolls into a step up, a step down and a straight jump then into the progression zone with an air bag and mulch.

The girls ultimately all hit the initial drop-in, including the youngest rider, 12-year-old (yes, 12!) Tayte Proulx-Royds from Kelowna, and are continuing to work on nailing tricks on the course jumps, and work on no-handers and backflips in the airbag/mulch zone. The Dark Horse is an environment of encouragement, community and friendship with the overall progression of women’s freeride as the underlying theme, versus competition. That vibe has been the theme this year as women’s freeride has grown leaps and bounds, thanks to events like Red Bull Formation, Dark Horse Invitational, the Mons Royale Future Ground Progression Camp in New Zealand and Hannah Bergemann’s upcoming Hang Time Jump Jam in her hometown of Bellingham, Washington, that are all pushing for more representation of women in a corner of the sport that’s typically been male-dominated. The full Dark Horse rider list is: Georgia Astle, Micayla Gatto, Bailey Goldstone, Hannah Bergemann, Jordy Scott, Natasha Miller, Camila Nogueira, Miranda Miller, CJ Selig, Casey Brown, Lucy Van Eastern, Lily Boucher, Tayte Proulx-Royds and Sarah Walter.

Photographer Robin O’Neill is on the ground for us in Revelstoke, and sent us this photo dispatch from the first couple days of the event.

Dark Horse is the brainchild of Casey Brown, one of the most influential women in freeride.

Berm repair at the bottom of Boulder Mountain.

Party train on Boulder Mountain.

Georgia Astle knows how to deal with the pressure of big lines.

Casey’s constant sidekick Snuff wasn’t about to be left out of the shuttle.

Astle logs some good hang time on the big bike before hitting the Dark Horse course.

Progression doesn't happen without pushing back up.

12-year-old Tayte Proulx-Royds landed a Dark Horse invite when spots opened up due to COVID-related travel issues, and she showed up ready to learn from the best.

Another up-and-comer, Natasha Miller is a 16-year-old from Coquitlam who just nabbed her first DH race podium at Panorama Mountain Resort. Remember this name!

Astle airs it out.

Local trailbuilders make the bike world go ’round.

17-year-old Lily Boucher is at Dark Horse before heading to DH Junior World Champs in Val Di Sole to represent Canada.

From left: Micayla Gatto, Lucy Van Eestern, Jordy Scott, Bailey Goldstone, Casey Brown, Tayte Proulx-Royds and Lily Boucher atop the massive Dark Horse step-down.