Darice White and Beau Tia Maria (Tia), Tevis 2016

My Tevis journey. Saturday July 23rd. Tevis Cup race day!!!!

This is going to be a long one.  After a rather chilly night trying to sleep in the horse trailer we were up at 3:30 AM to get the horses ready to start the ride. The area is extremely dry and the amount of dust 168 or so horses creates is choking. I'm not sure of the official count but there were a lot. I know the ride # was down from previous years. All sorts of equines take part in this ride. At least 2 mules, Fox Trotters, Standardbreds, Appaloosas etc but obviously Arabians have the greatest representation.

I was shocked at how calm Tia was. Usually with a group of revved up horses Tia would be the ring leader however she stood camly waiting at the start. Good girl don't waste your energy as you'll need it. Trust me on this one. 

The dust was ridiculously thick! Tia was coughing from all the dust and I had dust in places I didn't know existed. It is a mass start however pen 1 is started first. Pen 1 are those who are vying for the win. That wasn't me!! I was quite content to settle for last place if it meant a finish. I was riding with my friend, Wendy. We ride together a lot on endurance rides. Our horses complement each other and will push and pull each other which is ideal for endurance. Wendy and I also have the same concept about our horses and that their welfare comes ahead of all else so it's a win win. 

The first vet gate was sheer pandemonium! Horses, riders, volunteers, scribes and vets everywhere. I somehow managed to get myself separated from Wendy. I have to say I totally panicked. I couldn't see her anywhere and I thought she had been right behind me. I walked to the out timer and asked if rider # 22 had gone through. She said yes. I thought well that's weird that she would have left without me. Bitch lol. I thought I'd better haul butt to catch up to her. I got to the next vet gate and no Wendy. Well Wendy was rider #24 not 22! I know that often you will end up riding these things alone BUT I wasn't expecting that at mile 36. AND our plan was to stick together as much as possible if we could.
Wendy said she saw me leave and the look of panic on my face so she chased to catch up to me. Ok all was good again.

After the initial vet gate the horses really start to spread out thank goodness. The craziness gets spread out however it is hard to settle in on a ride like this. So big, don't know the area and I've never ridden a point to point ride so that means I had to keep my vet card. Oh joy. How not to lose that when totally sleep deprived and a bit freaked out by it all. For those of you that know me calm has never been a word used to describe ME. I have a lot of Squirrel moments. I did manage to not lose my card but it was one grubby mess by the end of the ride. 

We decided there was no way we were giving up the photo op at Cougar Rock. We both ride sure footed mares and we were confident they could do it. The thought is you get the picture at Cougar Rock or you get the buckle. I hoped that this was a myth but the lure of the picture was just too much to pass up. Up and over we went and continued on our way. I hoped that the pictures would make me look tall, slim and younger. 

We headed into the canyons. This was the area I was dreading as the heat was supposed to be ridiculous. The cooling vest I bought was wonderful and saved me. Money very well spent!
Ok the canyons! Who knew there were 3 of them??? I guess I should have read up on that. They were brutal. Down, down, and down some more but let's throw in a ton of switchbacks just to make it interesting. I was so glad I worked with Tia in trotting down hills as well as going up. Once you get down the canyon then you get the joy of climbing back up the other side again with more switchbacks just for fun!! And 3 of them for your riding enjoyment. Ick! I can live without riding another canyon. Or at least no time soon. They have vet gates after the canyons and that's where a lot of riders get pulled. The heat, the climb and the descent take their toll on the horses and some riders. 

When we stopped at Forest Hills for our hold I thought I should think about changing clothes. I read where someone suggested changing your underwear. I sat down and went to take off my half chaps and I didn't have the energy to unzip them. So unless I put my underwear on top of my riding pants it wasn't happening. 

If someone tells you that you can ride Tevis without a light or glow sticks well they are just dirty rotten liars. The full moon does you diddly dot squat of good when you're riding through the trees.
As we didn't want to get lost in the dark we would join up with a rider with a light if possible. If they were moving out we would stick with them if not we moved ahead in the dark hoping we wouldn't lose our way or fall off a cliff. 

At about mile 86 disaster struck. I had been following a horse for quite a few miles when he suddenly balked and we got too close. He kicked out with both hind feet and caught me in the face. Off I came and smack onto the gravel road. I got back up quickly as this is Tevis after all. Mustn't tarry as you need to be constantly moving or you're out. Only 1 problem. My nose is bleeding profusely. Like call in the Red Cross as I'm giving a donation bleeding. I had nothing to use to stop the bleeding so Wendy gave me her bandana. My motto is unless you need an ambulance get back on that horse and I did. My husband would have said to me you've been hurt worse. He's very compassionate. My knee was also injured in the fall making it hard to get back onto Tia so Wendy had to come to my aid to get me back in the saddle. 

What I found out later is Tia spun away from the kick and started to go down the embankment. Tia's athletic ability saved her from tumbling probably to her death. (They didn't tell me this little gem until after the ride but maybe just as well). I wasn't sure if Tia was harmed and couldn't help but think (as my nose continued to flow like Mount Vesuvius) what a shame it would be if we got pulled so close to the finish. And yes that happens all the time. I got the vet that I had seen a couple of times and he assured me that Tia was fine. I asked him to tell me if he thought my nose was broken. Vet, Doctor. Whoever is handy. He didn't but found me some ibuprofen and we were off. Nose still bleeding but at least slowing. 

One section of trail is crossing a river where they use glow sticks to mark the route and you stay between the markers. We were told that the river would be 1 1/2 feet deep there. Well liar, liar pants on fire!! Imagine my surprise when the water was up to Tia's belly and now I had soaked shoes and socks. Squish, squish down the trail we went. At the vet check at mile 94 I could tell Tia was tired but we were almost home. She vetted in well and we were in the home stretch. Once the horses get close to home they really pick up the pace as they know they are going home. As we had a cushion on our time we kept them to a walk for most of the way in. 

We were very happy to see our crew at the finish line and know we had at least made it within the time allowed. We came in to the stadium and did our victory lap. I'm not going to lie. I cried. I was seriously tired having spent so much time in the saddle and relieved that I was done with just the final vet check to pass. Horses do get pulled at the finish and I hoped after everything I'd been through I wouldn't be a casualty of this. Tia vetted in very well. I believe a lot of A's but I don't have her final vet card. Wendy trotted her out for me as by now both my knees were totally useless. The trot out wasn't stellar but enough to get us the green light and our completion. I hugged the vet, cried some more and said a prayer of thanks.

I was surprised that I handled most of the ride well. I drank constantly, coped with the heat and didn't have a crash(well the one on the ground) or hallucinate. I guess some people do. I was a bit motion sick but that started after the fall so not sure if I would have had that or not if I hadn't fallen.
And once again was glad I had a helmet on my head. My knees ached though. One of my legs is seriously larger than the other from my fall. It will require icing and maybe some bute. 

The volunteers at this ride are second to none. Dianne Roberts brought us a cooler with ice to soak our cooling vests, another lady lent us her head light so we could see down the trail in the dark. They would offer you food, fill your water bottles, sponge your horse, saddle your horse, hold your horse while you ran to the loo(which sometimes was behind a downed tree) all with kindness, interest in your well being and wishing you a great ride as you headed off down the trail again. 

We were never aiming to win or to top 20. We just wanted to complete and get the buckle. Beginners luck? Maybe but I will cherish that buckle anyway. This was an amazing experience that I will treasure until the day I die. I have no doubt that I will still have some of that Tevis dust up my nose when that day comes.

Darlene Anderson and SAR Tiki Rock On, Tevis 2014

Tevis...One Wild Ride, or, Just another Ride. It really is just that.

Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame!

~William Butler YeatsBuy the ticket, take the ride.

~Hunter S. Thompson

Photo by Lynne Glazer Photography

The alarm went off at 3:30 am, startling me. I hadn't really expected to fall asleep. I got myself up off the bunk, lit the flame under the water which Max would make coffee for he and Ron, and a chai tea for me and went about the business of feeding the ponies. Rock was ready to eat, as he always is. I woke up Ramone with my rustling about and the boys were soon begging for their breakfasts. Nearby horses thought they should also have some O'Dark:30 breakfast. 

The night before I had sifted through my ride clothes, deciding if I should make any last minute decisions on what I had planned to wear. Max made a crack about my life being pretty good if this was my biggest worry. He was right. Max poured us cereal, yogurt and served up the beverages. Ron showed up about this time and we shared a quiet breakfast. No matter what Ron says, it's true, I am quiet from time to time. 

Heading outside it was still pitch dark, but you could hear the Robie Park ridecamp coming to life on this Tevis morning. I was going about removing Rock's blanket, admiring his braid job, and his shiny shiny hide, all the while telling him what an amazing Rock Star he is to me. I would do my best to bring him through this adventure unscathed. He asked for a few treats and stood quietly while I saddled him up. On either side of me, my Tevis ride partners were also saddling up. We had each attached a green glow light on the back of our saddles so we wouldn't lose track of one another in the dark. They worked really well. Almost too well! Before we knew it, we were ready to mount up and head off on the long walk to our start point, Pen One! On our prep ride the day before we figured out it would take us about 10 minutes to get down there. The horses moved along the road quietly and confidently. Rock led the march in his bold way. Ramone and Warrior followed his lead. 

Trails (and Trials): Crewing Tevis 2012

What a ride! Crewing for Tevis is certainly a mighty job, but really, one of patience. Driving, unloading, waiting...helping! feeding! Then loading, driving, unloading, waiting, again and again. Caveat: I was not a very good chronicler of the event, when I'm busy I don't seem to think about the camera, only when things finally calmed down, and were too boring to take photos of!

I was part of crew for Team Stalley. Pam Stalley has (I think, my brain is too tired to look it up right now) 12 buckles, her daughters Jennifer and Alyssa have multiples as well. They know what they're doing! They know how to train, they have it down pretty well. The crew binder spelled it all out. I loaded some of their stuff on Wednesday night, and was set to met them at Robinson. I also briefly met with GoPony on Wednesday and talked horses and boots, which was fun but is all a blur and seems like ages ago!

Saturday morning we (I had recruited my SO too, ha, he can't escape!) got to Robinson and half the crew was already there (they had rider food and stuff, we had mostly horse stuff). Unload quickly, three minutes only then back down the hill!

Karen Chaton and Pro Bono, Tevis 2013

We had a great ride this year. Everything fell into place for us in so many ways. I actually entered early and planned ahead for the ride this year. And still managed to avoid any Gremlins!

We got up to Robie Park on Friday morning before the ride and got set up by 9 a.m.. It’s nice that we are only about 65 miles from the start so there is no need to go up any earlier.

I had lots of time to take Bo out for a nice leisurely pre-ride on the start of the trail. He was nice and relaxed and already had his mind focused on his job. When we got back, my crew person Wayne ran the Groomlights over Bo one more time. Bo really seem to enjoy that.

I then went down to vet in. This year we didn’t have to bring our tack down to weigh in so that made it a little easier. We vetted in with no issues and Bo got his #80 written on both sides of his butt. It was a relief to have made it this far.

Karen Chaton and Pro Bono, Tevis 2012

Getting to the start of the Tevis Cup is often the hardest part. It takes so much preparation, planning, and then of course worrying about every little thing that could or does go wrong. This year I had the hardest time making my mind up about going. In the end, I realized that I may regret it later if I didn’t try, knowing that my horse Pro Bono (“Bo”) was in such great shape.

On Friday morning we trailered to Robie Park, the starting point for the Tevis. It is roughly 60 miles from my house so Bo arrived after his brief trailer trip looking great. I checked in, then saddled up and took Bo out with a friend for a pre-ride to work off some of that excess energy that Bo was sure to have at the start the next morning. After that, we went to do our pre-ride vet check.


Peter Greig, Dr. Jim Baldwin, Karen Chaton and Pro Bono at Robie Park. Tevis pre-ride vet check.

Coincidentally, we got to vet in with Dr. Baldwin, who had just recently vetted us in Idaho at the City of Rocks ride. Bo passed with flying colors. We were now officially entered and cleared to start the ride!

Redheaded Endurance: Crewing Tevis 2014

Another fabulous Tevis weekend is in the books! This year I signed on to crew for Laura Hayes and Rushcreek Seth from New York/Nebraska; I had watched a friend ride Seth to a top 20 Tevis completion in 2012 while crewing for KC and was so excited this year to be crewing for Seth as his owner Laura rode him through.

After a successful vet in, I gathered my crew gear and instructions, wished Laura and her two rig partners a happy evening and start, and headed for my traditional Tevis dwelling, Motel 6 in Auburn. I generally get no more than and usually less than 6 hours of sleep over the entire weekend at the motel but the chance to rush back and *shower* when I have the chance is much appreciated.

Personally, I approach crewing as a mission. My mission is made somewhat harder by my sensitivity to heat which ended in my heat stroking out of being there for the stadium finish last year, so I really have to approach crewing like I'm in my own little endurance ride. As such, I get up bright and early and am in the first line of cars to get into Robinson so that my rider gets a good spot to relax, AND so that my rig is parked up top and my hiking/hauling is minimal. This was especially crucial this year as I had a few crew bags to carry, was trying to avoid overheating, and had only my 2 arms to accomplish everything.

Eight weeks to Tevis 2002, A journey from Pasture Puff to Tevis Cup in 8 weeks time

by Chris Martin

Eights weeks before Tevis and I find myself without a horse. I had been conditioning my 8 year old gelding for the Tevis Cup for 4 years. During one of our training rides he kicked himself in the sesamoid bone causing a fracture. After xrays and a chat with the vet, it was decided that he needed some time off to heal, and that eight weeks would not be long enough for the injury to heal.

I remembered that my neighbor had bought a nice looking Arab gelding at an auction in Healsburg the year prior. That horse, Bo Stegicc, a 12year old, 15 hand, had a serious injury to his hip, chest, and left rear hock when he fell off a cliff when a saddle slipped back on a steep trail. My neighbor’s daughter had not tightened the cinch enough, when it slipped back, the horse spooked and went over a small cliff and down into thick brush. The horse had some medical attention and was then turned out to pasture on a 1,000 acre ranch for a year to heal and fend for himself.

I had my wife, Nancy, drive me down to the ranch were he had been turned out on the quad to take a look at him, I brought my saddle just in case. I found Bo in a heard of about 15 horses. His right hip looked like it had been crushed and his left rear hock was a mass of scar tissue. You could see the big scar on his chest and where the stitches had been. He was probably 100 pounds overweight with a big grass belly. I doubted seriously that he was sound but I should a least give him a try.  Could I get him ready for Tevis in only 8 weeks?

Redheaded Endurance: Crewing Tevis 2013

I was lucky enough to be invited back to crew for Karen Chaton and Bo again this year, so Friday July 19th I threw my bag in the truck and headed for Robie Park in Truckee. I actually had a clue where I was going this time and didn't drive in circles around downtown Truckee or anything! Karen got the same camp spot as last year and there was the mighty steed, Bo! He looked so great this year, fit and ready to tough out the 100 miles. We loaded the Robinson Flat crewing gear: a tough cart, 3 buckets, Karen's lunchbox, and the crew bag. A modest supply, and yet she had everything she needed, just like last year. W and I drove back to Auburn and stayed at Motel 6 but were up at 3 a.m. to get a prime spot in the caravan line at Robinson. We were 4th in line and got a sweet shady spot set up for Karen and Bo!

The Cup at the End of the Mountain Trail - 1966 Sports Illustrated

The horses and their improbable riders gathered at Tahoe City, Calif. for the yearly Tevis Cup race across the winding paths and hazardous streams of the Sierra to Auburn, 100 miles away

By Alice Higgins

Originally published September 26, 1966

What the Boston Marathon is to the distance runner, the Western States 100-mile, one-day ride for the Tevis Cup is to the endurance horseman. And, like the marathon, the California race over the rugged Sierra from Tahoe City to Auburn attracts some improbable but wonderful people. Among the 92 riders who started this year, there were a couple on their honeymoon, a 12-year-old girl, a 72-year-old man who had put off a hernia operation in order to compete, an Indian ranch hand, some polo players, a woman believed to be a Cherokee princess, an assortment of mothers, secretaries, factory workers and businessmen and a man with a gray vandyke beard who was described as a retired capitalist.

Tevis Sweep Adventure, Tevis 2013

I have to start my saying this did nothing to convince me I should try riding Tevis myself! Maybe because this is just such a hard, rocky section, but I'm amazed at those who attempt this ride. Finish or not, wow.

We drove up to Squaw Valley. We were the second sweep team, the first team goes from Robie Point to High Camp, we were High Camp to Robinson Flat. But we camped at Squaw Valley, the closest access point. Along with hundreds of yoga people. Yeah, there was a yoga festival going on. With concerts till midnight and the loud bar next door until 2. Fun times.

With very little sleep we started up the trail at 5:45am. We needed to get to High Camp before the bulk of riders came through. Only 3.5 miles, but 2500 feet of climbing. With gorgeous views. Major got a bit wound up, wanting to join the race, but was controllable. I think it was good practice to have so many horses passing him, and making him walk. Maybe this will translate to a better ride start (yeah, right!).

A few of the front runners went flying by about 6:30, and we waited a High Camp for the all clear. We had the final count and watched the final rider go down the trail. We were supposed to stay close, but not too close, don't want to stress anyone or cause them to hurry (ride your own ride!)

Redheaded Endurance: Crewing Tevis 2012

Tevis 2012 has come and gone! Preparing to prepare to prepare, wait, mad dash, wait, mad dash, wait, mad dash, Finish! Need I say more?

Well, it was an awesome learning experience! Karen is incredibly organized and had lists with her needs/wants for each check written out for us. It made life pretty easy! It was my first time crewing in this high pressure environment and I won't deny I had a few moments where I wish I was more on top of things, but overall I think we helped out quite a bit and we did our best to make Karen's day easier. I do hope to complete Tevis some day and it was great to see how things can be done efficiently for horse and rider to get through the holds smoothly. I appreciate the chance to gain this knowledge and aid Karen on her journey to her 4th Tevis completion.

Read the full story (with tons of pics):  Redheaded Endurance: Crewing Team Chaton: Tevis 2012

Jenni Smith and Stoner, Tevis 2014

Rather than share a blow-by-blow account of the ride, which I've done a couple times before, I thought I’d do a pithy (yeah, right :)) list of key memories and learnings from Tevis 2014;

The weather was remarkable – mild and slightly humid. I didn't even put a jacket on as I left the trailer I crashed in on Friday night to saddle up Stoner at 4:00 AM (near Truckee, CA - elevation nearly 6,000 ft.). It was a gift everywhere but in the canyons, which seemed their typical scorching, torturous selves. The finish rate and times are reflective of getting about a ten degree discount on race day.

Even on a sure-footed horse, you can wipe out. Stoner is a careful and nimble horse. I've ridden the other end of the spectrum and he really is good on his hooves. But about 10 miles into the ride, doing fast switchbacks on level but silty ground, he got his front legs tangled and we somersaulted forward. I remember waiting (it seemed eons) to see if he’d recover…if that head and neck would reappear in front of me. Then I just closed my eyes and heard the loud sound of my helmet making contact with the earth. I held my breath hoping he wouldn’t roll over me, but we didn’t collide.

Next thing I knew I was on my feet running up the trail after him, calling for riders in front to catch my horse. We’re all still pretty tightly packed that early in the ride and the woman riding directly in front of me had heard the wreck and stopped and dismounted. She was easily able to catch a clearly-bewildered Stoner. I ran up to him, re-mounted and off we went. I asked Kevin (Stoner’s owner, riding directly behind me) a couple of times if Stoner looked okay. Neither of us could detect any anomalies in the way the horse was moving so we just kept going.

- See more at: Thoughts on Tevis 2014

Jenni Smith and Stella, Tevis 2013

The start (5:15 AM) was dark and dusty, per the usual. Jenn and I were in Pen 1 (you have to qualify based on strong performances the 18 months prior) and we went out behind perhaps 30-40 riders. We were able to pass a few horses on our way to Squaw, but that was where we really were able to move up. The mares trotted up 95% of the climb to Watson's Monument. It was really impressive, they were like wind up toys. I asked a couple of hikers at the top of the monument how many horses has gone by and they said four or five. So we were in the top ten at that point. 

Granite Chief - a spectacularly beautiful but treacherous portion of the ride - was smooth and simple. Czoe led through the bogs and rocks along the tiny snaking trail as if she was channeling a mountain goat, Stella in her wake.  Three other riders drafted us most of the way through this section. The mares drank well at each water stop and we got through the first vet check at Red Star - a risky spot for Czoe who is more susceptible to cold and will start to shiver if she has to stand too long in it - without a hitch. We left there jut before 9:00 AM as the fifth and sixth horses. 

The mares were eager out of Red Star and we traveled fast into Robinson Flat (six miles further). Jenn was concerned about getting in ahead of the schedule we'd given our crew. We ended up only arriving about 10 minutes early (just after 9:30), but half of our crew and the majority of our equipment had been held up on the road in. We managed to cobble things together until they arrived and the vet check went smoothly. 

- See more at: Tevis 2013 - The Story

GoPony: Random Musings on Crewing Tevis

This is by no means a hard-and-fast rulebook of how crewing must be done, but instead more of a look back at my crewing experiences, since I have managed to properly blog about absolutelynone of them. I've not been in the position (yet) to have to write crew instructions, but this is coming from the perspective of one who has been the crew, and what is helpful and useful and what riders can potentially do ahead of time to make for a very happy crew.

I've been very fortunate to crew for friends and fun people. I've not had the experience of grumpy riders, or demanding riders, but instead riders who have been conscientious about things like providing water/snacks for their crew, and being gracious, grateful, and generous in how they've treated me before, during, and after the ride. (This is why I like crewing: It's been a positive experience for me.)

Read more:  GoPony: Random Musings on Crewing Tevis

Parry Kietzman and Jaazi, Tevis 2014

On August 9th I had the opportunity to participate in the legendary Tevis Cup, a 100-mile endurance ride that is considered to be the most difficult in the world. True confessions: Although I've been riding horses for most of my life my background is in jumping and I’m still relatively new to endurance. That said, since last fall I’ve been fortunate enough to have an incredible mentor, Peter, a veteran endurance rider who has been letting me ride one of his horses, Jaazi. Over the past year he’s taught me a ton about how to be successful in endurance, so when he asked me if I’d be interested in riding Jaazi in the Tevis Cup the answer was an enthusiastic “yes!”

I’ve gotten to know Jaazi very well over the past year, which is important for a ride like the Tevis Cup. Everything about it is just relentless, so going into it you want to know that you trust your horse and his athleticism and that you know how to take care of him while he’s performing at a high level for a very long time. At the other endurance rides I’ve been to (all 50 miles in length) there are usually opportunities to kind of take a break and zone out a bit, but the terrain at Tevis is so rugged (coupled with narrow trails, thousand foot drop-offs, and tons of elevation gain and loss throughout the day) that you never get much of a chance to relax. This was Jaazi’s (and my) first 100 -mile ride so my main goals were to deliver a healthy horse back to Peter at the end of it and to give Jaazi a positive experience.

Peter, Jaazi, his other horse Remy, and I left on the Tuesday before the ride and drove up to Auburn Fairgrounds, the finish line. We set up camp and went on a pre-ride of the finish the following morning. We rode down as far as the Lower Quarry vet check, which is six miles from the finish. I’m really glad that we did this because the end of the ride is rather confusing and on the day of the actual ride I’d be covering it in the dark. Of course, looking at it in daylight I saw how sketchy and narrow the trail was in sections, with tight turns, steep dropoffs, rocks, low hanging branches, etc. Fortunately Jaazi is very sure-footed so I wasn’t very worried about us falling off the edge. On the way back from Lower Quarry we also made Jaazi practice walking around in the river since there would be a couple spots on trail where river crossings would be necessary. Peter and Remy have completed the Tevis Cup three times before but wouldn’t be competing this time around.

Originally we were going to leave for Robie Park (the starting line) on Wednesday afternoon, but we heard that it was raining buckets up there and decided to stay in Auburn for another night. We left very early Thursday morning instead, and managed to get the best campsite ever when we arrived at Robie! It was right next to where the horses leave camp for the start, which meant I wouldn’t have to traverse everyone else’s campsite on my way to the starting line on Saturday morning (in the total darkness since the ride starts before dawn). We didn’t have a lot to do after setting up our camp, but Peter and I did go on a ride down a bit of the beginning of the trail to see how it was. My husband, Ben, also arrived to help with the crewing.

On Friday I checked in with ride management and discovered that Jaazi and I had qualified to start in Pen 1. The top 60 horse/rider teams (based on their performance during the season before) get released onto the trail first since it’s assumed that they’ll be going the fastest and this helps avoid traffic jams. I wasn’t planning on racing since this was Jaazi’s (and my) first 100-mile ride, but he is a naturally fast horse so it was nice to be placed in this group. We also had the pre-ride vet check, which Jaazi easily passed (and was so excited he tried to canter and veered into me during our trot-out! I think the ride photographer got an interesting sequence of photos of us). After that there wasn’t much to do as I already had all my tack and gear ready for the next day and we needed to give Jaazi a rest, but there were a few events like the pre-ride meeting and a buffet for all the riders and crews. Peter also had a set of topographical maps of the trail that we went over in detail.

On Saturday morning I got up at about 3:15 to start eating breakfast and tacking up Jaazi. Peter had already been up much earlier to feed and electrolyte him (being crew at Tevis is hard work!), so Jaazi was pretty much ready to go and just needed his saddle thrown on him. I was mounted and walking down to Pen 1 by 4:30. I expected things to be a little scarier in the darkness with all the fresh 100-mile horses around, but Jaazi was very focused and clearly intent on hitting the trail. Pen 1 is an actual corral that all 60 horses have to mill around in before they’re allowed to start the ride. We were supposed to just walk around in circles to get our horses warmed up, and there was a lot of traffic. Jaazi is known for trying to kick other horses at the start of rides, but fortunately I was able to keep him under control and he walked around very calmly the whole time. Somebody else got kicked (not that I could see because it was so dark!) and started shouting and cursing, which got a lot of other horses all riled up and nervous, so Jaazi and I retreated to the outermost edge of the pen until things calmed down.

When they opened the pen we had to walk a mile down the road to the actual starting line as a group. We got there about 10 minutes early and had to just stand there until they opened the trail, which was interesting (try telling all these racehorses they have to just stand on a road for 10 minutes!). Again, Jaazi had his game face on and managed to stand mostly quietly for most of the time (started getting pretty antsy by the end of it). I passed the time chatting to the rider next to me, who was also making her first Tevis attempt. I thought our horses were friends after that but as soon as they opened the trail and we started moving forward her horse abruptly kicked out viciously at us! Nimble Jaazi canter pirouetted out of the way (has he missed his calling as a dressage horse?) and as far as I could tell the hoof only grazed the side of the water scoop I had attached to his breast collar. It was a pretty tense moment for us, though, as a good kick can lame your horse and end your ride.

We got going again at a rapid trot and didn’t have any more issues after that. The beginning of the ride is pretty stressful as there is a lot of traffic (no pulls yet and the herd hasn’t spread out) on single-track trail that isn’t good for passing people on. Everyone has different ideas about what the pace ought to be, the horses are all keyed up, and it’s still pretty dark so you can’t quite tell what you’re doing. But we survived! After the attempted kicking things were about as uneventful as they could be, we kept to a pace that I was satisfied with, and as dawn broke I could start appreciating how beautiful all the scenery was. They definitely chose a spectacular area for this ride!


The trail map via TevisCup.org.

There is quite a large mountain you have to get up pretty close to the beginning of the ride, and many people get pulled at the top of it, which is the very first vet check, because they ran their horses too hard in the high altitude and got their heartrates up too high, so I decided to play it safe and do walk/trot intervals up it rather than trotting the whole way up. We easily passed the first vet check and started our descent into the Granite Chief Wilderness. This is quite a sketchy section of trail with huge, sharp rocks and a bog. People who have done this ride before said the footing here was the worst they’ve ever seen it! A friend of mine who is an excellent rider had her horse actually fall down more than once in this section. I was lucky in that Jaazi had some ungraceful moments where he lost his footing and had to scramble to regain it but we never hit the ground.

The most interesting landmark on the way to the first hour-long hold of the day is the infamous Cougar Rock. This is a giant, steep chunk of granite that you must scramble up as fast as you can before toppling off backwards or to the side. There is a bypass if you think your horse isn’t going to be able to manage it, but I was really hoping to go up it. The decision to do it or not is pretty much made at the base of it where you assess how forward and game your horse is in that moment. As we left Granite Chief I was starting to think that since Jaazi had been kind of clumsy in those rocks maybe we didn’t need to go up the GIANT rock, but I wasn’t going to decide until we laid eyes on it. When we arrived there was one horse going up and two horses taking the bypass at the same time. I must be certifiably insane because as soon as I saw the rock the first thought that popped into my head was “oh, we’ve definitely got this.” Jaazi was clearly having the same thought because he never even glanced at the bypass and immediately started motoring up the rock. Halfway up you have to change direction 90 degrees to the right. Jaazi was briefly puzzled by this, paused, and started losing his balance! I shouted at him to “get up” and told him that he was a good boy, and he pulled himself together and bounded up the rest of the way. Unfortunately my equitation in my official Cougar Rock photo is not the greatest because I lost my seat a bit when he did that! Oh well, we survived and it was a ton of fun. Jaazi obviously thought so too and pranced down the trail afterwards with much head-tossing. Best horse ever.

Most of the vet checks at Tevis are what we call “gate and gos,” which is when there is no mandatory holding time and you can leave as soon as your horse reaches the official resting heartrate and passes the veterinary inspection (although you would be stupid not to stay at least a few minutes to allow your horse to eat and drink and possibly administer electrolytes). There are two major holds, though, at mile 36 (Robinson Flat) and 68 (Foresthill), where you have to stay for an hour. The hour starts after your horse reaches the resting heartrate, so it’s not strategic to come galloping into these checks because then you’d have to stand around for a long time waiting for your horse to pulse down. When I was on the road leading into Robinson Flat I hopped off of Jaazi and started leading him in to get his heartrate down more quickly, and was met there by Ben and my other crewmember, Lynette. They had buckets of water to pour on his neck to cool him and stripped his tack as we walked so that he’d start to cool down right away. He quickly reached the correct pulse and we went to vet in. This was uneventful, as was the rest of the hold, where Jaazi ate and drank very well. Soon enough it was time to leave, which Jaazi was very impatient to do and leapt down the trail as soon as we were released from the hold.

The middle third of the ride (Robinson Flat to Foresthill) features three very steep, hot canyons. At each one you have to go all the way down to the bottom and then climb all the way back to the top. I got off and jogged on the downhill portions to rest Jaazi’s back and legs. Downhill trotting is hard on horses so any time you can give them a bit of a break is a good idea. At the bottom of the first canyon was a river crossing where the water was almost deep enough to reach his belly! I took some extra time to scoop water all over Jaazi to cool him and allow him to drink before crossing. The way up on this canyon is the hardest of the three, and is the only point during this time that Jaazi hit a wall and didn’t want to continue. We were already past the 50-mile point, which is the farthest he’s ever gone, so he was sure I was crazy for still having him out there and couldn’t figure out why I wanted him to keep going. We got about halfway up the canyon when he just stopped and wouldn’t go forward at all, even when horses passed him, which he usually hates. I got off and fed him some handfuls of grain from my saddlebag and then had to lead him up the rest of the way to the top. At the top there was a water/hay station where he ate and drank very well, and after that he was like a completely fresh horse! The second canyon was no problem for him, and on the way up he actually got very frustrated that we were stuck behind some slow people since he wanted to trot. As soon as we got to the top and could pass them we galloped off and made great time to Chicken Hawk, the last gate and go check before Foresthill.

Peter and Lynette were there to crew me since Chicken Hawk is known to be a particularly difficult vet check to pass and I could use the extra help. We passed and just had one more canyon, the smallest of the three, before Foresthill. Getting to Foresthill was no problem for Jaazi and he easily passed the vet check/pulse down when we arrived. It’s kind of fun being at this hold and also leaving it because it’s in the middle of a town that gets very excited about the Tevis Cup. All kinds of people were sitting on camp chairs on the side of the road just to watch the horses go by like it was a 4th of July parade, and I passed a lot of people having BBQs at their houses and cheering as the riders went by. When we left it was getting pretty dark, and by the time we got through town and back onto the actual trail it was completely dark! I lost some time at this point because I haven’t done any riding in the dark (and you don’t get to use a headlamp or anything because it would mess up your horse’s night vision) and felt pretty disoriented. I had also picked up a friend who was starting to feel nauseous (a common problem for people riding in the dark. I was fine, thank goodness. My grandfather always used to say that a true Macdonald never gets seasick, so maybe a true Macdonald also doesn’t get motion sick on horseback in the dark. I wonder how many Macdonalds have tried that to date). After a bit I got used to being in the dark and felt confident enough to return to our usual pace of trotting. Jaazi was very sure-footed during this time, was very focused and forward, and kept us on trail like a professional (except for one spot where we went off trail at a switchback and got very confused! Fortunately my friend had her brain turned on and helped us find our way back onto the real trail). At Francisco’s (mile 85 gate and go) we picked up a third friend who was riding at our pace. She’s done Tevis before so she went in front, which was a nice break for Jaazi who had mostly been leading before then.

A very cool part of the trail was the river crossing. It was completely dark and the water went up past Jaazi’s belly, but there were glowsticks in the water to show the riders exactly where to go. A lot of the ride volunteers hang out at the river to supervise the crossing and were having a huge party! They offered us some food but we wanted to keep going and make time. I was worried that Jaazi wouldn’t want to go in the river since he had been very reluctant to cross some small creeks in the dark, but he motored right through it like it was no big deal! After the river one of my friends started to feel like her horse was having an issue in his back end and joined a group that was going more slowly than the rest of us. Unfortunately she made it all the way to the finish line but was disqualified at the end for lameness. So disappointing! My other friend and I made it to Lower Quarry in good time (the check Peter and I had ridden to on Wednesday). This was a gate and go vet check that Jaazi passed, but sadly my friend’s horse had developed a lameness and she was pulled there.

I did the last six miles of the ride by myself, which turned out to be a lot of fun. Jaazi, amazingly, still felt very fresh and forward and we did a lot of it at a flying extended trot. He definitely knew exactly where we were and was dead set on making it to the finish. We passed a lot of riders on spent horses, which Jaazi got a huge charge out of, and got to the finish line at 3:32 AM. Peter and the rest of my crew were there (just to watch, they weren’t allowed to crew me until I completed my victory lap in the stadium), and as we trotted up the last hill to the finish line I overheard him saying, “look at him, he’s as fresh as a daisy!” Jaazi powerwalked all the way to the stadium, and when we got there I only had to think about cantering when he took off at a gallop for his victory lap. Good show! He quickly pulsed down afterwards and had a beautiful final trot-out for his last vet check. He got an A as his final vet score and was very perky, calling for Remy as soon as we left the stadium.

In all, we had a fantastic ride and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go. I achieved my goals of bringing back a healthy horse and giving Jaazi a positive first Tevis, and also mostly managed to stick to the schedule I had made for myself in advance. We finished in 52nd place out of 188 starters and 107 finishers—I’ll take it!

Dr. Elaine Dornton and Remington Steele, Tevis 1989

When the Going gets Tough by Patti Bailey - Previously printed in Arabian Horse World, July 1990
Copyright Patti Bailey 1990

My Arabian stallion, Remington Steele, is the only US and Canadian National Top Ten Halter Stallion in the history of the breed to successfully complete the Tevis Cup 100 Miles One-Day Ride, the granddaddy of all endurance races held in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains each summer. The reason why this particular accomplishment has not occurred before — especially in the same year — became painfully apparent as we progressed through the undertaking… one of the most grueling tests of endurance, stamina, and athletic ability in the world. “Why would anyone in his right mind enter a Top Ten Stallion in such an event?” asked my show ring associates. “A show horse can’t make it!” declared my endurance riding friends. “You’ll ruin him!” proclaimed everyone.

But we’ve always believed that a top halter mare or stallion should also be a top athlete. Since halter classes are really breeding classes, judges should consider from to function, and a good Arabian should represent both well.

Yes, I recognized that I was taking a chance with a valuable, proven show horse and sire, but Remington was worthless to me as a stallion unless he could do something… and do it well — balanced, comfortable and correctly using his conformation. How sad for the Arabian horse, if this most noble of all God’s creatures… this bold and hearty war horse whose spirit and courage was instilled in him by the very breath of God– is reduced to being an object d’art so fragile it should no longer be called on to perform…a museum piece instead of a capable companion.

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Lari Shea and Sherif - Tevis Cup Winners 1989

Training for the Toughest Test
by 1989 Tevis Winner Lari Shea

Did I expect to win the Tevis Cup when I entered my twelve-year-old Arabian gelding, Sur Sherif, in the 1989 Western States One Hundred Miles in One Day Endurance Ride through the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains? No...I was simply determined to finish.

That might have seemed like a modest goal, considering how fast Sherif was, how well he moved, and how quickly he recovered after exertion. But Sherif had a way of being his own worst enemy and allowing his psyche to get him hurt. In the 1987 and 1988 Tevis Cup races he was hyper, distracted, unratable, and out of control. Both years he hurt himself, and I think it was because he fought me along the trail. Both years he was pulled by the vets.

Sherif was not just your run-of-the-mill endurance horse with a ho-hum upbringing. He came to me at the age of eight with very little training, quite a history, and more than his share of what people call "an attitude." In 1985, when Jim and Shirley Scott of Willetts, California, gave him to me, he was a very low-mileage eight (I'll tell you why in a minute), barely broke to ride, untrained and unconditioned-but they thought he had enormous potential as an endurance horse. The moment I rode him, I agreed. I felt lots of suspension and great strength in his stride. "Ooooh, boy. This is an incredible horse," I thought. "If I can get him conditioned properly, he'll be hard to touch."

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How it All Began - The Legacy of Wendell Robie

Wendell Towle Robie (1895-1984)
By Gordy Ainsleigh © 2008

Wendell Robie spent his entire 89 ½ year of life in Auburn, California, a gold rush and railroad town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains about an hour‘s drives east-northeast of Sacramento on the road to Reno. Yet his involvement and innovations in finance, politics, lumbering, and endurance events for horse riders and runners-walkers have had, and continue to have, a dramatic impact on great many live in diverse parts of the world.
...
In the early 1950s, a horseman from Montana wrote a letter published in Western Horseman in which he announced that his own worthy steed was the greatest and fastest cross-country endurance animal in all of equinedom, and challenged any and all those who doubted this to race them over any trail at any distance. Wendell responded with his own letter, accepting the challenge and specifying that the test course would be from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, in California.

Wendell started preparing for the match, training his good horse Bandos, then an early teenager, and mapping out a course. The distance from the shores of Lake Tahoe to the fairgrounds in Auburn is about 55 miles by air, so the course Wendell had in mind was probably about 80 miles. However, the confident horseman from Montana never answered Wendell‘s challenge, and no one knows what happened to him. He or his horse may have experienced an incapacitating misfortune.

Wendell was still stewing over this at the last campout in 1954 of the Sacramento Horsemen‘s Association. It was at Robinson Flat, a beautiful cupped between ridges, 6,900 feet up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 30 miles west by trail from the shores of Lake Tahoe.

Sitting around the campfire for one last time before the snows of autumn closed in on the high mountains, one of the horsemen reproved Wendell for bragging up his horse, Bandos, so much, and began rhapsodizing about the great horses of yesteryear, the like of which were gone from the earth in this soft modern age of the mid-1950s. Wendell took offense to those remarks, and pressed the man to be specific about what those great horses of yesteryear could do that made them so great. His fellow horseman answered that, for instance, there had been horses in the last century (the 1800s) that could cover 100 miles across mountains and deserts in one day. Wendell‘s response was that he thought his good horse Smoke (Bandos‘ nickname, since he had turned from a bay colt to a gray mature horse) was up to that task. The disbelief with which Wendell‘s comment was received spurred Wendell on to what was probably his greatest achievement in his lifetime: the founding of the Western States 100 Mile Ride and the sport of equine endurance riding.

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Tom Bache and Kenlyn Scarlet, Tevis 2012

I had a great experience at the Tevis Cup ride, and I'd like to share it with those who are interested. The compressed version is that I'm an old guy (now 69) who has had the good fortune over many decades to do a lot of interesting, challenging, and adventurous things, but Tevis is a very special
experience. Do it if you can!

The Tevis Ride is at a level far beyond that of other Endurance Rides -- the huge numbers involved as riders, volunteers, vets, crews, and spectators; the difficulty of the course and duration of the ride; and the duration and intensity of the overall experience. We spent an entire week with the Tevis
community at Auburn and Robie Park. Do try to spend time in Auburn where people know and support endurance riders. We really enjoyed our time with other riders and their support teams -- great people from around the country and the world.

It's been 4 1/2 years since I first climbed on a horse, and I only started endurance riding 3 1/2 years ago, so my observations are those of a relative novice. Tevis was my first 100. With this caution, I offer some comments about the course and lessons-learned for next time (God willing, there will be
a next time).

Read more: Some reflections on my experience at Tevis Cup 2012

Steve Hallmark and Tug, Tevis 2009

I first became aware of the Tevis when Pat and I became introduced to Endurance Riding while living in the Pacific Northwest. While it was interesting to follow the race over the years, I never really thought the opportunity to ride the event would present itself.

My journey to ride ’09 Tevis began during a conditioning ride on Super Bowl Sunday in ’08. Kathie Perry and I were getting in a quick ride that morning at Folsom Lake before heading off to our respective Super Bowl events. During our ride, Kathie asked if I had any interest in riding Tevis. I replied yes, and asked if she would help me prepare. Her response was that she would, but I would need to give it my full commitment.

Read more here: Steve Hallmark and Tug, Tevis 2009