Tevis Junkies

Wednesday August 1 2012

It's that time of year - the full moon of August when they come out of the woodwork. Horses, riders, crews, volunteers, press, the curious, the Western States Trail groupies: Tevis Junkies at Tahoe.

The 57th Tevis Cup starts at 5:15 AM on Saturday, August 4th. Two hundred-fourteen riders are signed up to hit the trail - Americans, Australians, Canadians, a Netherlander, a Great Britaineer, and a Japanese rider, from first timers to old timers. The age spread is from under 16 to over 70; the riding experience spread is from a couple hundred miles to tens of thousands of miles. 

There are all kinds of ways of 'winning' at the Tevis Cup. Being one of the toughest 100-mile rides in the world with roughly a 50% chance of finishing, just to finish this ride is certainly to win - wait up till 

the last person crosses the finish line at approximately 5:14 AM on Sunday, and see what he or she has to say, see whether his or her tears look exactly like those of the winner who probably finished 7 hours earlier.

If you're intrigued by the speed and strategies it takes to win a hundred mile ride through the Sierra Nevada mountains, you won't be disappointed by how the race unfolds. If I were a betting man, which I'm not and I'm not, here are some of the riders and horses I might watch - favorites and longshots - to finish in the Top Ten, and/or hit the finish line in Auburn first, around 9 or 10 PM Saturday night.

Christoph Schork is the winningest endurance rider, ever. Christoph already has 3 Tevis buckles, and he doesn't go out to just finish a ride. Stars Aflame won last year's 100-mile AERC National Championship (and Best Condition). The mare has 42 finishes in 44 starts over her 5 year career, and ten Best conditions.

Watch for Garrett Ford on The Fury. In 2010 they finished Tevis in 8th place, and nobody who saw it will forget their trot out for the Haggin Cup the next morning, which they won. They finished 5th in Tevis last year. The Fury has 15 finishes in as many endurance starts, with 7 Best Condition awards. Also keep an eye on Lisa Ford and GE Cyclone. He has 2 Top Ten finishes at Tevis in 2007 and 2010.

Heather Reynolds rides Stirgess, the gelding with mane clipped like a dragon. This year Stirgess and Heather won 1st and BC in the FITS 100, and Jeremy Reynolds and Stirgess finished second and won BC at the Biltmore 100. Heather has 16,800 AERC miles. She won the Tevis in 2003, won the Haggin Cup in 1999 and 2003. She knows this trail.

Kevin Myers rides Auli Farwa. This bald-faced, deep red chestnut horse has a huge heart, as evidenced by a terrific ankle injury he overcame in 2007, a 42 for 42 record, and has finished 8 100-mile rides, including Tevis in 2009 and 2011 and Big Horn in 2010 and 2011. Kevin has 3 Tevis buckles, and this fourth attempt with 'Far' might just land him in the Top Ten.

Also keep an eye on Rusty Toth (going for his 3rd Tevis buckle) and Farrabba, aka 'Stoner' (2 for 2 at Tevis in 2010 and 2011). These guys have been training in the Colorado mountains, and if they can keep up with Garrett Ford on The Fury on those trails (and I know Stoner can, because I got to ride him with these boys!), they could be furiously burning up this year's Tevis trail also.

Keep an eye on CR Zebra Splash and Clydea Hastie; this pair finished Tevis in 2007, and they won the 100-mile Resolution Ride this New Year's Eve. Clydea has 10,400 AERC miles and 5 Tevis buckles, including a 6th place finish in last year's Tevis on another of her horses.

Melissa Ribley is riding Sacajawea. Melissa has 18,500 AERC miles and 7 Tevis buckles, including a surprising - and sweet! - second place on LD Monique in 2009 Tevis - and the Haggin Cup. Sacajawea already has 2 Tevis Cup finishes.

Suzanne Ford Huff has 3 Tevis buckles, 2 of them Top Ten finishes. This year she's riding SD Expressa, who has completed all 14 of her rides. All 5 of her 2012 finishes have been in the top 3, including a third in the 100-mile Yosemite Gold Cup, and 2 Best Conditions.

Shellie Hatfield on Splashes Maskrade has 8 Tevis Buckles, and 4 Top Ten finishes, including 7th place last year on Splashes Maskrade. The horse has 3 consecutive Tevis finishes, two in the Top Ten.

Crockett Dumas is riding OT Sara Moniet RSI - named the Arabian Horse Association's 2011 Distance Horse of the Year. Sara has 3345 miles and has completed all but 2 of her 65 endurance rides. Crockett has 6 Tevis buckles, and roughly 38,000 AERC miles, and has completed 75 of 79 100-mile rides. Crockett's a heavyweight rider, so that's one tough mare.

If you're more interested in the other kind of winning - those experienced riders who come back time and again to just ride the trail and conquer it one more time, here are a few of the high mileage riders this year:

Robert Ribley has 12 Tevis buckles and 31,000 AERC miles.

Darolyn Butler - 2 Tevis buckles and 33,000 AERC miles. Darolyn will be taking 2 Aussies through the ride!

Connie Creech - 11 Tevis buckles and 27,000 AERC miles

Karen Chaton - 3 Tevis buckles and 31,000 AERC miles

Dave Rabe - 11 Tevis buckles and 55,000 AERC miles

Gina Hall has one Tevis buckle and 13,185 AERC miles. Her special horse Fire Mt Destiny is 91 for 92 starts/finishes, 15 for 15 in 100-mile rides, and has 5390 AERC miles.

Nick Warhol has 5 Tevis buckles and 10,000 AERC miles. Nick's beloved Forever Dawn ('Don') is 73 for 74 with 3345 miles, and is 11 for 11 in 100-mile rides. Don has 4 Tevis buckles… Nick's dream goal is for Donnie to get 10 Tevis buckles.

Some riders are Tevis Institutions:

Pat Chappell is going for 20 buckles. She has 14,800 AERC miles.

Kathy Perry is going for 22 buckles. She has 10,400 AERC miles.

Hal Hall is going for 29 buckles. He has 9400 AERC miles.

Mr Hasumi from Japan is going for his 9th straight Tevis buckle in a row. This man didn't start riding horses until he was 59 years old.

Barbara White is going for a record 32 buckles, riding Canadian Brook for the third time. Barbara has 10,000 AERC miles.

There are 8 Junior riders signed up for the ride:

David Bache on SA Zafar Badr, on their first 100-mile ride.

Clara Berner on her adorable feisty blue-eyed pony Benjamin in their first 100-mile ride - they've been training over the Tevis trail the last 2 weeks.

Barrak Blakeley going for his second Tevis buckle.

John Donley on My Manselle on their second Tevis attempt; they were pulled in 2010.

Kadee Felton going for her 2nd Tevis buckle, this time taking Shawford through his first 100.

Bryce Hackley - 2 for 2 in Tevis - riding Don't Be Shai.

Brandon Reed on a horse yet to be named - going for his second Tevis buckle.

Dillon Thomas on Count Okba  on their first 100 mile ride.

There are approximately 183 other riders and horses, each with their own stories… but this will give you a pre-taste of the excitement to come on the 100-mile Tevis cup ride from Robie Park near Truckee, to Auburn, California on Saturday.

Steph and I will be there video-ing and photo-ing for Endurance.net, tune in there (click on the 'Tevis Cup' banner) for lots of exclusive photos and videos and stories.

You can follow your favorite rider during the day on the Tevis Cup site - go to teviscup.org and click on 2012 Tevis Webcast. On ride day you'll be able to enter your favorite rider's number and see where they are on the trail. You'll find a list of rider numbers on the Tevis Cup page also.

'See you in Auburn!'

2010 World Endurance Championship - Part III

Tuesday October 5 2010

Two loops left: loop 5 is 21.1 km; loop 6 is 18 km. Maria Alvarez and Nobby leave in first place onto loop 5. The first 7 riders leave within 3 minutes of each other, including USA's Heather Reynolds and Ssamiam. USA's Deborah Reich and DJB Juniper are in 18th, 41 minutes behind first place. There is a 3 hour difference now, between first place and Chikako Nishiyama, the last Japanese rider left of their group of 5 who started.

Argentina's Christian Petersen and RP Sebastopol had moved up steadily all day, from 36th to 29th to 15th to 12th place leaving on loop 5.

Argentinean Mercedes Tapia and Ras Senor had pulled end of loop 4 because of lameness, but Mercedes was proud of the 8-year-old she rode for clients Clara Leonor and Juan Ithuralde. He'd had a rough van ride from Florida - after the long flight from Argentina - and arrived in Kentucky a bit laminitic. He's a talented youngster with plenty of years ahead of him. And Mercedes loved the ride. "It was beautiful! I realize now what I missed last year (at the muddy Kentucky Cup) in the cold gray rain!"


At this time of day, around 5 PM with the leaders starting to arrive off loop 5, and the slowest riders still on loop 3, Vicky the secretary was getting hammered with requests for vet gate results. Her tent corner was the most popular place at the venue. Imagine a continuous crush of 15 people and 30 hands in your face, "Can I have vet gate 3? vet gate 4? vet gate 5? Individuals? Teams? Eliminations?" and Vicky clicking "print" on her computer and retrieving printed piles of papers and stapling them and handing them out fast as she could. She never had time for a break after noon. I think somebody brought her a bottle of water to drink. Someone finally helped her start stapling papers together. I think she ran out of paper at some point, also.


Indian Mustafa Tehrani and AF Big Bucks had slowed their pace, from 20 and 19 km/h on the first three loops, to 12.6 on loop 5. A little tightness had developed in his horse's shoulder after their earlier crash, and after that, Mustafa could no longer push him as fast. "I had to take a calculated position, and just finish," he said later. It was a bit disappointing, because he'd had high hopes to be in the top ten. They left on loop 5 in 29th place, over an hour behind the leaders.

Nevertheless, Mustafa was another who was enjoying himself. "I was having fun, all the way," he said later. "I was laughing, joking when I was riding; I was never nervous, I was never tense. I could see many riders, tense on their face; they wouldn't even give a smile to the photographers. I enjoyed that ride. It was beautiful, and I think God blessed every endurance rider in that we didn't have rain and we didn't have hot weather. It was perfect weather."

The Netherlands' Carmen Romer and Tuff Enuff FA had also slowed down. Carmen had pushed the mare through loop 4 where she was still in 12th place, but the tumble they'd had, and the extra effort to catch up and stay up near the front, were taking their toll, and the mare was running out of steam. They left on loop 5 in 20th place, 49 minutes behind Maria and Nobby.


First to pulse down after arriving off loop five was Spain's Maria Alvarez and Nobby (in 3 minutes 15 seconds). A decent crowd had gathered around the trotting lanes to watch Nobby and the other front running horses trot out. A lot of breath-holding was going on, a lot of intense gazes and furrowed brows.

Nobby trotted along freely beside handler Stephane Chazel, looking as smooth and even as he had all day. He didn't look at all like he'd covered 142 km (88 miles), all at over 20 km/h (12.4 mi/h).

The former World Champions would be leaving first onto the last loop, just seconds ahead of American Heather Reynolds and Ssamiam. Amazing to watch this obviously highly talented 9-year-old gelding who was running with the Big Dogs - this was only Ssamiam's second hundred mile ride! Heather and Jeremy Reynolds had gotten Ssamiam from Jan Worthington, who had gotten him from the same man Jan got her horse Golden Lightning. Jan gave Ssamiam up because he shied terribly and was rough to ride. "Heather knew all this when she bought him!" Jan said.


The final loop 6:
A crowd lined the lane leading onto the course from the out timer. The first ten horses and riders all got a rousing cheer as they set off, Maria Alvarez and Nobby leading the way at a hand gallop.

Heather Reynolds and Ssamiam set out less than a minute after them. Another minute later was Shaikh Majid on Kangoo D'Aurabelle, followed 7 seconds later by

France's Jean-Philippe Frances on Hanaba du Bois.

A minute later: Shaikh Mohammed and Ciel Oriental, 17 seconds ahead of his son Shaikh Hamdan and SAS Alexis, who was 7 seconds ahead of Qatar's Faleh Nasser Bughenaim on Amir. This pair had also advanced in placement steadily all day, from 30th to 12th to 7th.

The small crowd then moved to the finish line to join the sizeable crowd already gathering and jostling for the best viewing spots. The winner was expected in just over a half hour. As riders coming off loop 5 approached the in timers, the crowd gave them big cheers, but all eyes were focused straight up the lane, from where the winner could come.

Who would it be? It was a bit intriguing. Maria Alvarez and her husband Jaume Punti-Dachs train horses for Shaikh Mohammed. Could she and Nobby beat her boss? Would she? There were rumors later that Jaume had spoken with Shaikh Mohammed about that very question, should the situation arise: should Maria hold back and let the Shaikh, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, win? The answer (rumored) was that Shaikh Mohammed said, This is a competition, let the best horse win.

But who would it be? Would Heather Reynolds and Ssamiam catch Maria and Nobby? Could Jean-Philippe Frances make up 4 minutes and catch them both? Would Shaikh Mohammed and his sons finish 1-2-3? Would it be a horse race, decided in the final sprint?


And the first cry came up, "Here they come!" Elbows flew and bodies shoved to get the first glimpse of the winner: a solo horse and rider - Spain's Maria Alvarez Ponton and Nobby! Keeping with the tradition in the UAE of the winner crossing the finish line holding their country's flag, someone lobbed a Spanish flag at Maria as she cantered in. She wasn't expecting it and her hand fluttered to her face to protect it as the flag shot past her nose. But Nobby cantered on without missing a beat, and Maria lifted her hand in salute, then pointed at her horse, as they cantered under the finish line by the packed, cheering press of people, cheering for the repeat World Endurance Champions.

Maria said later it was a tough ride for Nobby, much harder than his win in Malaysia in 2008. "He was pressured the whole ride. I thought it was too fast, but, at the end, he was really strong." The winning time for the hundred miles was 7:35.44.


Less than a minute later, Shaikh Mohammed and Ciel Oriental crossed the finish line in second to rousing cheers, followed 17 seconds later by his son Shaikh Hamdan on SAS Alexis.


And then we waited. One minute... two minutes... where was Heather Reynolds and Ssamiam? Just over 3 minutes behind third place here came Heather and Ssamaim... along with Jean-Philippe Frances and Hanaba du Bois! A hundred yards out they started the race, sprinting for the finish line, asking for everything their horses had left.

Heather and Ssamiam arrived first by two lengths - fourth place for the USA!

Then came the big blow. Ssamiam was lame in the hind end in the final trot out. Eliminated. Jean-Philippe Frances and Hanaba du Bois were fourth. Heather and Ssamiam were off the results sheet.

Why did she do it? Many people asked afterwards. Why race for fourth place? Because it was worth the chance of medalling - now that the US had no shot at a team medal, or another chance at an individual one. If one of the top three finishers were eliminated, Heather and Ssamaim and the USA had a chance at a medal. And she did it because she's a top competitor. Heather and Ssamiam gave it their all, and just came up short at the finish - less than 5 minutes, and a "mild but consistent" lameness, behind double World Endurance Champions Maria Alvarez and Nobby. That's not a bad thing for a young talented horse to have on his record.


And no whining, no pointing fingers, nothing but praise from Heather afterwards. She's a top competitor with class. "I am proud as hell of what Sam did today. I really feel that the hind end lameness is due to his lack of 100 mile experience and that he has one hell of a bright future as a world class endurance horse. Sam is only 9 years old so I can look forward to many future World Championships with him in mind."

I stayed at the finish line, so I missed the trot outs of the top five finishers. The final trot out, and completion, of second place Shaikh Mohammed's horse Ciel Oriental, has come to be highly controversial. Apparently a video of the final trot out of this horse was on the USEF website, then it was taken off shortly thereafter.

What is clear is the horse was asked for three trot outs. The first two were by a handler who the horse appeared to be mad at or afraid of, because he would not trot straight. I did see this from Ciel Oriental at two vet gates - head in the air, ears pinned, keeping his hind end out away from the handler, sometimes breaking into a canter. Some have said this is "hazing," which is not allowed in the rules, but I expect the exact definition of hazing is open to interpretation, and I have seen this in other Championship rides, and other National rides, not just this one. I have also seen consistently lame horses passed as "fit to continue," at vet gates and at the finish. I did not see any of the finisher's horses trot out here at the WEC, so I have no opinion either way.

Ciel Oriental's third trot out was done by Shaikh Mohammed's son Shaihk Hamdan, and the horse trotted out straight and not upset, as can be seen on this blog and video from Canadian Trisha Dowling, which is inconclusive as to soundness from this angle.

All I talked to agreed that, sadly, Heather Reynolds' horse Ssamiam was lame in his final trot out.

Three other horses vetted out lame at the finish: Qatar's Mazayha ridden by Mohammed Tahous Al-Nuaimi, Belgium's Alicia D Havenne Ewalraid ridden by Dominique Evrard, and New Zealand's Jenny Chandler on Lace and Fineness.

New Zealand's Northwinds Bradley McGregor, ridden by Debbie Worsfold had been eliminated at vet gate 1; and that left only Alison Higgins on her horse Twynham El Omar.

They almost didn't make it, but it wasn't the horse who had an injury. It was Alison. During the 4th hold, her horse stepped on her thumb when she moved his food dish. "It almost sliced her thumb off," said Madonna Harris, the Kiwi Chef d'Equipe. "She passed out for two minutes. Later we wrapped her hand up, stuck her back on her horse, and sent her out!" Alison was 30 minutes late on her out time, and she had to ride the rest of the race with one hand. She ended up (bravely) finishing in 26th place.


Penny Toft and the ever-steady Don were the only Australians to finish, in 44th place. Matthew Sample and Tarrangower Crecendo had pulled at vet gate 5 for lameness, and Norbert Radny and West Coast Acheron had had been pulled at vet gate 3, for metabolics.


The Netherlands' Carmen Romer and Tuff Enuff FA finished 19th. They'd hoped for a higher finish, but Carmen's father Lei was still all smiles afterwards.


Another great result of this year's World Endurance Championship was Germany. Germany finished all five of their riders, garnering Germany their first ever medal - Team Bronze (behind the UAE and France) - in a World Endurance Championship. Gabriela Forster and Priceless Gold finished 15th, Sabrina Arnold and Beau Ox 16th, Belinda Hitzler and Shagar 17th, Melanie Arnold and Shaika Bint Kheoma 22nd, and Petra Hattab and Prince Sharif 27th (as individuals).

Deborah Reich and DJB Juniper were the USA's lone finishers, in 18th place.


France not only won Team Silver, but 4th place Jean-Philippe Frances' great mare Hanaba du Bois won Best Condition the next morning. It had to be a pleasing result, though France's Chef d'Equipe Jean Louis LeClerc, and Jean-Philippe himself, were disappointed they did not have an individual Podium finish.

It was Jean Louis LeClerc's last ride; after the WEC he is being removed as French Chef.


And last to finish but not the least, was happy Japanese rider Chikako Nishiyama on Dameon PJ - Japan's lone finisher in Japan's first team appearance at a World Endurance Championship. It's been a short time since Japan started on an endurance quest, and with highly limited resources and horses. In 2007 Mr Seiichi Hasumi organized, with the help of Americans Steph and John Teeter of Endurance.net, and Tevis veterans Hal and Ann Hall, their first international 100-mile ride. After failing to qualify himself for this year's WEC, Mr Hasumi served as Chef D'Equipe for the Japan team, and supplied 4 of the 5 horses ridden. Japan came from a long way, and they have a long way to go, but Nishiyama's finish showed they are on their way on their quest to compete with the world's best. And that's what it's all about, isn't it?