Tevis Cup facts for kids
The Western States Trail Ride, often called the Tevis Cup, is a super challenging 100-mile horse ride. It's an endurance ride, which means horses and riders travel long distances over tough terrain. This event is for amateur riders, meaning they do it for fun and challenge, not as professionals. It has happened every year since 1955. The only times it was canceled were in 2008 because of big forest fires and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tevis Cup is a very important ride for modern endurance riding in America.
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About the Tevis Cup Ride
The Tevis Cup ride takes place in El Dorado and Placer County, California. It starts very early in the morning, at 5:15 a.m., at Robie Equestrian Park near Truckee. The trail goes across the high Sierra Nevada mountains, near the Squaw Valley Ski Resort. It then travels through El Dorado County and finishes in Auburn at 5:15 a.m. the next day.
Horse Health Checks
Along the trail, there are special stops where horses must rest. Veterinarians, who are animal doctors, check the horses to make sure they are healthy enough to keep going. These important checks happen at places like Robinson Flat (around 30 miles into the ride) and Foresthill (around 70 miles). Vets also check the horses at the finish line.
Earning a Tevis Buckle
Every rider who completes the entire 100-mile course within the 24-hour time limit gets a special award. If their horse is also judged "fit to continue" by the vets, the rider can choose to receive a silver Completion Award Buckle. The ride is usually held on a weekend in July or early August. This timing helps riders use the light from a full moon during the night.
Ride Statistics
As of the 62nd ride in 2017, over 10,000 riders have started the Tevis Cup. About 5,600 of them have finished, meaning roughly half of the riders complete the challenge. Both men and women have won the ride, with 32 men and 33 women taking first place (including a few ties). Most winning horses have been geldings (male horses), followed by mares (female horses), and a few stallions (uncastrated male horses). The average age of a winning horse is 10 years old. The oldest horse to finish was PL Murcury, an Arabian gelding, who was 27 years old in 2018.
History of the Tevis Cup
The Tevis Cup trail was created by Wendell Robie from Auburn, California. He wanted to show that it was possible to ride a horse from Lake Tahoe to Auburn in just one day, even though the trail was very rugged.
The Haggin Cup
In 1964, a horse named Keno, ridden by Paige Harper, was the first to win the James Ben Ali Haggin Cup, often called the Haggin Cup. This special award goes to the horse that finishes the ride in the "most superior condition." After the ride, the first ten riders to finish can present their horses to a committee of vets and judges. They choose one horse that looks the healthiest and strongest after the long journey. This tradition of picking a "Best Condition" horse started a long time ago with U.S. Cavalry officers.
The Haggin Cup has been awarded 49 times since it began. Most winners have been geldings. In 2014, a 17-year-old Arabian gelding named MCM Last Dance won the award. His rider, Barrak Blakeley, was the youngest rider to win the Haggin Cup, and MCM Last Dance was the oldest horse to win it.
Junior Riders and Special Awards
The Josephine Stedem Scripps Foundation Trophy is another award given during the Tevis Cup. It honors all junior riders who complete the tough challenge. This trophy was first given in 1994 by Roxanne Greene and her daughter Rebecca Greene. Rebecca was the youngest rider ever to earn ten Tevis buckles.
Wendell Robie, who started the ride, made a rule that riders must be at least 12 years old to enter. Riders are considered "junior riders" until they turn 18.
Notable Tevis Cup Events
- 2008 Cancellation: The 54th Tevis Cup was supposed to happen in July 2008. However, it was canceled because of large wildfires in the area. The ride was then held on August 1, 2009, instead. That year, 169 riders started, and 87 finished. The weather was cooler than usual, which was good for the horses and riders. Sarah Engsberg was the first to finish, riding K-Zar Emmanuel. The Haggin Cup for "best condition" went to LD Monique, ridden by Melissa Ribley.
- 2011 Course Change: In 2011, there was a lot of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains that didn't melt. This forced officials to move the ride date to October 8. Then, just two days before the ride, another snowstorm hit! This made the starting point unusable, so the course had to be changed. The ride started and finished in Auburn, going up to Foresthill and back. Even with the changes, nearly 70% of the riders finished. Jeremy Reynolds won his third Tevis Cup that year, riding Riverwatch. He also won the Haggin Cup again.
- 2014 Ride: The 2014 ride took place on August 9. Heather Reynolds won her second Tevis Cup. The Haggin Cup went to MCM Last Dance, ridden by junior rider Barrak Blakeley. Barbara White earned her 33rd Tevis buckle, making her the rider with the most successful completions ever! Hal Hall is close behind with 30 buckles.
- 2017 Ride: In 2017, there was still a lot of snow from the previous winter. This meant the ride had to start from a different place, Soda Springs, and the beginning of the trail was changed. Tennessee Lane won the ride on Auli Farwa, who was 17 years old and the oldest horse to win the Tevis Cup. Auli Farwa had completed the ride 7 times before! The Haggin Cup was awarded to Treasured Moments, a 7-year-old Arabian mare, giving her rider, Jeremy Reynolds, a unique third Haggin Cup win on different horses.
- 2018 Ride: The 2018 ride was on July 28. It was unusually hot and humid, with temperatures near 100°F. Heather Reynolds won her third Tevis Cup, riding Cayucos.
- 2020 Cancellation: The ride in 2020 was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
See also
- Endurance riding
- Arabian horse
- Western States Endurance Run
