Story Behind the Photo: Tevis in Colorado

March 13 2019

I’ve ridden horses around the world, but this Colorado #betweentheears photo is one of my most favorite memories ever. Why? Because I am riding Stoner, a future Haggin Cup winner, with Garrett Ford aboard The Fury, a Haggin Cup winner, and future Tevis Cup winner, and dear Kevin Myers aboard Auli Farwa, a future Haggin Cup and Tevis Cup winner. Behind me, not pictured, is Rusty Toth riding Take A Break, a future Tevis Cup winner. I am so honored to have been in such amazing, elite company, both two-legged and four-legged.

#StoryBehindThePhoto #HorseStoryBehindThePhoto #EnduranceLegends #TevisCup #HagginCup #EnduranceRiding #AERC #AERCEndurance #DistanceRiding #ArabianHorse #LifeThroughTheEars #LifeBetweenTheEars

Tevis Cup Magic: Top Book Award in Equine Media Awards at AHP Conference

June 19 2017

"It is not for the faint of heart: a hundred hard-won miles of rock, dust, elevation, uphill (19,000 cumulative feet of climbing), downhill, (22,000 cumulative feet of descending), imposing mountains, plunging canyons, wild rivers, wilderness, extreme heat, suffocating humidity, effort, and luck - good or bad, all in various doses, across the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the dark and the light and the dark, all done within a 24 hour time limit. Time magazine listed the Tevis Cup as one of the Top Ten Endurance Competitions in the world…"

Saturday evening in Scottsdale, Arizona, my e-book Tevis Cup Magic: Taking on the World's Toughest 100 Mile Endurance Ride was announced the winner of the 2017 Equine Media Awards non-fiction book category at the American Horse Publications Conference. "You had me hooked from the first paragraph," the judge stated. "You have a fabulous, engaging writing style that grabbed [m]y attention and kept me engaged throughout the book.."

I was surprised to make it to the finals, and beyond thrilled to win. I was in good company among my peers. Thank you, AHP!

Dedicated to excellence in equine media through education and communication, American Horse Publications promotes excellence in equine media.

Tevis Cup Magic is available as an e-book (no hard copies, sorry!) on Amazon here.

And now will somebody please pass me the eyedrops, I can still feel the dust from the trail!

Tevis Cup Magic: Taking on the World's Toughest 100 Mile Endurance Ride - New E-Book!

Thursday May 26 2016

It is not for the faint of heart: a hundred hard-won miles of rock, dust, elevation, uphill (19,000 cumulative feet of climbing), downhill (22,000 cumulative feet of descending), imposing mountains, plunging canyons, wild rivers, wilderness, extreme heat, suffocating humidity, extraordinary effort, and luck - good or bad, all in various doses, riding your horse across the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the dark and the light and the dark, all done within a 24 hour time limit…

With the 2016 Tevis countdown at just over two months to starting time comes the release of my new ebook, Tevis Cup Magic: Taking on the World's Toughest 100 Mile Endurance Ride.

It's my account of my monumental, magical, marvelous Tevis Cup adventure in 2009. It's not a story of a Top Ten finisher; it's not a story of someone who spent weeks, months, years strategically planning to conquer the Tevis trail. It's one of those adventures I had never, ever planned on; another one that just fell in my lap and I just had to fly by the seat of my pants. It's an epic story with a bit of excitement, tension, slight madness, humor, and that ol' Tevis Luck doled out by the Tevis Gods - good or bad. And, of course, it's with The Raven.

Some of you may have originally read it as a series of entries on my blog, but I've compiled it into an ebook short story, enhanced with additional material, and a few photos, edited by my co-conspirator and brilliant writer and editor friend, Marsha Hayes.

It's available on Amazon for $2.99. 

It won't be available as a hard copy book - only an ebook!

2013 Tevis Cup

Saturday July 20 2013

75 of the 160 horse/rider pairs finished this year's hot Tevis Cup across the Sierra Nevada mountains. The finishing rate is usually around 50% for this tough 100-mile ride; this year's heat - the canyons were rumored to be 118°F - had a hand in this year's below-average rate.

5th place finisher Kevin Myers, riding Auli Farwa, called the ride "hellishly hot and humid."

Even as a reporter for Endurance.net, the heat fried my brain, especially since I had a cold (! - ridiculous!) to boot. I erased all my photos, from TWO cameras, that I took at Robinson Flat, the first hour hold vet check at 36 miles, and I don't remember doing it. Alas.

But here are some photos from Foresthill, the second hour-hold at 68 miles.

Up top:
Eventual 13th place finisher Willemina De Boer and Frisia Mameluk leave Foresthill.


The 'Two Jennies,' Jennifer Waitte riding M Dash Czoe, and Jenni Smith riding M Dash Stellar (both mares owned by Waitte), arrive in first place at Foresthill. The two would end up finishing 2nd and 3rd in Auburn at 10:29 PM, 17 minutes after the winner.


Amanda and Leslie crewing Kevin Myers' Auli Farwa at Foresthill. They finished 5th, at 10:58 PM.


Auli Farwa has such an expressive face!


Winners Rusty Toth and Take a Break trotting out for the vets at Foresthill.


Eventual 2nd place finisher Jennifer Waitte and M Dash Czoe trotting through 'downtown' Foresthill in first place on the last third of the Tevis trail.


Rusty Toth and Take a Break, and Kevin Myers and Auli Farwa canter out of 'downtown' Foresthill in 2nd and 3rd place, 2 minutes behind Waitte.


Karen Donley (with her son John, not pictured) canter out of 'downtown' Foresthill in 5th and 6th place, 8 minutes behind Waitte.


Eventual 8th place finishers - and Haggin Cup (Best Condition) winners - Sue Hedgecock and LZP Julioslastchance wait to leave Foresthill.


I love this picture of Karen Chaton (34,000+ endurance miles) and her horse Probono D at Foresthill vet check. Karen is always smiling. They finished in 25th place at 4:26 AM, for Karen's 5th Tevis buckle and Bo's 3rd.


An exciting sign: If you see this from the back of your horse, that means you have completed 2/3 of the Tevis trail, and are heading out of Foresthill on your last third!


The Magic Tevis Dust, which nobody ever seems to want to wash off their vehicles. (including me! it's still on there)

For the full Tevis stories, see:

Part I http://merritravels.endurance.net/2013/07/the-mythical-tevis-cup-2013-part-i.html

Part 2: http://merritravels.endurance.net/2013/07/the-mythical-tevis-cup-2013-part-2.html


For more photos and eventual videos, see:
http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2013Tevis/

2013 Tevis Cup: Vet In Day

Tuesday July 23 2013

It's that time of year again: the 100 Miles in 1 Day Tevis Cup that goes from near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, to Auburn, California, over the Sierra Nevada mountains.

This year was Hot and Dusty, as opposed to almost every other Hot and Dusty Tevis Cups. (Though this year, it was really hot.)

It was the usual frenetic, chaotic, amazing, insane ride albeit with about 50 fewer riders than normal (160 started).

Here are a few pictures from Friday's vet in day at Robie park at approximately 7500' in the Sierra Nevadas. More photos, and stories can be seen soon at www.Endurance.net.

Up top:
A veterinarian watches Gabrielle Mann trot out her horse Tiki Chaps Ku. Gabrielle and Tiki would finish 22nd, at 2:34 AM.


Karen Chaton (34,000+ AERC miles) and Bo (Pro Bono D) take a warm-up ride. They would finish 25th this year, at 2:46 AM, for Karen's 5th Tevis and Bo's 3rd.


Dave Rabe (56,000+ AERC miles) is holding a Tevis Angel that Karen Chaton got to give to another rider. Karen gave me a Tevis Angel for my 2009 Tevis ride, and it got me through. I will pass my Tevis Angel on to another rider one day! Dave has recovered from a severe head injury (fell off a horse, hit his helmet-less head). He has returned to the endurance trails riding, and he came to crew at this year's Tevis. So good to see him back!


The incomparable Barbara White (32 Tevis Buckles) trotting out Djubilee. Alas, they pulled at Foresthill (68 miles) for 'surface factors'. Barbara had a wreck on Monday that hurt her knee and bruised some ribs, which affected her seat, which affected Djubilee's back. They'll both be fine, and I'm sure Barbara is already thinking ahead to next year's Tevis!


Bev Gray (18,000 AERC miles) and Jolly Sickle warming up. They finished 9th, and Jolly Sickle is now 38 for 38 and has his second Tevis buckle.


The incomparable Joyce Sousa and LV Integrity. In short: Joyce has over 22,000 AERC miles. "Ritzy" has over 8000 miles. This was their 4th Tevis together. Ritzy is 20 years old. (To see more on this amazing pair, see http://merritravels.endurance.net/2013/05/2013-owyhee-fandango.html .) They finished in 35th place at 3:35 AM. Just. Wow.


Stablemates Far and Quake. Far (with Kevin Myers) finished 5th. Quake (with Rusty Toth) won!


Rusty Toth trotting out Take a Break (Quake). They won! (And Rusty won the Haggin Cup last year on Stoner).


Kevin Myers (9000 AERC+ AERC miles) trotting out Auli Farwa (Far). This horse recovered from a near career-ending ankle injury when he was just starting his endurance career at age 5. He's now completed 51 of 51 rides, and 11 of 11 100-milers. Wow.








Juniors had fun, though only 3 of the 12 starting juniors finished. Sanoma Blakeley (the bottom one), finished in 42nd place at 3:55 AM with her parents, riding Taii Myr. Alas, her junior brother Barrak pulled, or the whole family would have finished!

More to come!

The World's Toughest Endurance Challenges

Wednesday November 21 2012

I hadn't remembered ordering anything from Ireland. 

A book?

After tearing open the box, I find The World's Toughest Endurance Challenges.

?

On the cover, pictures of hikers in a desert and skiers at (obviously) one of the Poles, and bike racers on a dirt road.

Endurance Challenges… something is ringing a bell. 

I bet the Tevis Cup will be featured inside. And when I turn to page 125, "The Tevis Cup Ride" - I remember. I was contacted a (long) while ago for my input on the Tevis Cup. Would I answer some questions about it, for this book on the World's Toughest Endurance Challenges? Sure I would, as the Tevis Cup was one of my life's highlights and big athletic challenges. 

And there's my piece, under "Athlete Perspective."

The book's description says: "The World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges profiles 50 of the most extreme marathons, triathlons, bike rides, adventure races, climbs, open-water swims and other iconic endurance events from around the world."

I'm glad to be a little part of this book, and it serves to remind me how thrilled I still am to have finished the Tevis Cup, one of The World's Toughest Endurance Challenges!

The 57th Tevis and Haggin Cup!

Sunday August 5 2012

Just a few pictures from Saturday's Tevis Cup. It was epic!

Above is a rider emerging from the dust at 42 miles!

These are the canyons that the riders traverse on their way to Auburn from the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Kevin and Far trotting out at Robinson Flat vet check at 36 miles. 

Two riders on a very dusty trail at 42 miles.

The leaders coming into Robinson Flat at 36 miles.

Heather Reynolds' crew cooling Sturgess off at Robinson Flat vet check. 

Aussie Duncan taking care of Cyclone at Robinson Flat. Cyclone and Lisa Ford finished second!

Hal Hall and CR Rohbellion at 42 miles. They finished 66th - Hal's 29th Tevis completion!

Rusty Toth and Farraba (Stoner), Far (and Kevin hidden) and crew at Michigan Bluff, about 60 miles.

Garrett Ford and The Fury trot out at Foresthill vet check. They finished 1st!

Rusty Toth and Farraba (Stoner) leaving Foresthill for the last 32 miles. They won the Haggin Cup! (Best Condition)

Barbara White and Canadian Brook - they finished 31st - Barbara's 32nd Tevis completion!

Junior Barrak Blakely trotting out at Foresthill. His horse vetted in lame on Friday; his mom gave him her horse to ride. His sponsor - dad - got pulled at Robinson Flat. Garrett and Lisa Ford took Barrak on. Barrak's horse had shoe trouble at a trot-by vet check, so another sponsor picked him up while Garrett and Lisa went on. I believe that sponsor got pulled at Foresthill so another one picked him up. He was still in the top ten. At the Lower Quarry, at 92 miles, his horse was pulled for lameness. ARGH!!! But what an adventure! Barrak's a great kid and a great rider. 

Kevin and Auli Farwa (Far) cantering through Foresthill on their last 32 miles. They finished 3rd!

Shannon Constanti leaving Foresthill. They finished 5th!

Many more pictures and videos (including Rusty and Stoner's Haggin Cup win!) on Endurance.net:

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2012Tevis/

Tevis Cup: Vetting In

Friday August 3 2012

A taste of the vetting in at Robie Park for the Tevis Cup.

They'll be crossing these Sierra Nevada mountains tomorrow!

Trotting out

Trotting out

Bill and his horse

Crockett and his mare, OT Sara Moniet RSI - last year's AHA Distance Horse of the Year

A good roll is essential, anytime, anywhere

Rusty and Redford - AKA Stoner

Pretty in Pink

Above: Garrett Ford and The Fury

Many more photos, (and videos and stories to come!) on Endurance.net:

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2012Tevis/