The Tevis Cup - 100 miles < 24 hours

[Ravenbird]

I am always in awe of the horses and riders who complete this ride! This year I didn't get to follow it closely but one of the stand-out reports was by the Arabian Jockey Club - the number of horses in the top ten that were bred for the racing on the flat track. As I have pushed constantly here about working dog breeds, that conformation dogs that are never proven in active sports are most likely losing function no matter how good their structure is awarded in the show ring.

A good portion of my life was spent conditioning racehorses, and Arabians were a niche that I fell into due to associations with endurance riding. Arabs that won on the flat track soon became purposely bred for that. And having been trained and conditioned at a young age and been physically fit all their life they became popular with the endurance riders as well. Almost all the Arab race horses that I trained were retired off the flat track were sold to endurance homes. 3 of them I personally conditioned and did a 50 miler on as "proof" that they were endurance sound.

I also have become astonished at the popularity of not starting a horse under saddle until they turn at least 4 years old with the excuse that they are fragile boned babies. Reasonable fitness in young horses is good for their bodies AND mind and this report proves it!

 

[DobieDesire]

Ravenbird, how interesting. Friend of mine got an Arab off the track, I don't think she ever did any endurance on him though. My little Arab that I did Tevis on had Witraz in his pedigree: Bhf Essence Arabian

"Essy" was a very 'hot' little guy, very high strung. I was so lucky to get him. He was given to me by a friend, that friend was a good person, but just could not understand how to handle Essence.

When I'd considered getting back into endurance, around 2016 or so, I'd use the All Breed Pedigree to run horses I was interested in, looking for Witraz in their pedigree. Witraz has an interesting history:

Witraż, a famous Polish Arabian stallion, was saved during Operation Cowboy in May 1945. U.S. forces under General George S. Patton rescued valuable captive bloodstock, including Lipizzaners and Polish Arabians, from the Hostau stud farm in Czechoslovakia before advancing Soviet forces could take them.

The Rescue at Hostau

• • The Location: German forces had gathered elite horses from across Europe—including Poland's Janów Podlaski stud—at Hostau.
  • The Threat: The horses faced the risk of being slaughtered for meat or seized as spoils of war by the advancing Red Army.
  • The Mission: Prompted by Colonel Charles Reed and Allied requests, General George S. Patton authorized the daring late-war raid across enemy lines.

Witraż’s Legacy

• • The Horse: Witraż was a prized Polish Arabian stallion foaled before the war.
  • Aftermath: Following the rescue, Witraż and other evacuated horses were safely moved to Allied zones, allowing the vital Arabian bloodline to be preserved and later imported to the United States

 

[DobieDesire]

Wow, Royal Patron has both Witraz AND Raffles in her pedigree, how cool is that!!

 

[Ravenbird]

Witraż, a famous Polish Arabian stallion,

I got this book for Christmas in 1967 when I was 10. It's still with me here on my bookshelf:

 

[DobieDesire]

How COOL is that!!!

 

[LifeofRubie]

Yeah, I didn't intentionally follow anything or go searching but FB kept throwing things it thought I would like related to Tevis and you know once you watch one, they keep coming The photo's were so stunning and I love seeing the riders gear! It really does seem like animal and human welfare is top priority. I know there were some folks who were really bummed they were pulled by vets at checkpoints but I know when you're in the moment and have put so much time training and preparing, it would be incredibly hard to hear you're not allowed to continue.

All so very inspiring!

 

[Ravenbird]

I know there were some folks who were really bummed they were pulled by vets at checkpoints but I know when you're in the moment and have put so much time training and preparing, it would be incredibly hard to hear you're not allowed to continue.

You know it is, but these people are so dedicated to the health and welfare of their horses, most everyone would rather be safe than sorry. Only at one ride did I see a rider argue with the vet and become an a$$ about it, which only convinced me that the horse needed to be pulled.

If you want to know everything about the Tevis here's the link

The Tevis Cup – 100 Miles – One Day Western States Trail Ride – 100 Miles – 1 Day

The Western States Trail Ride, popularly called the Tevis Cup Ride, is the oldest modern day endurance ride, having been held annually since 1955. As such, it has been the inspiration and model for the most challenging endurance rides worldwide.

teviscup.org

Scroll down a ways for links to all the photographers pages - they have to have several to be stationed at different places.

I'll have to look back in years to see some names of horses that I had in training before they went to their next career as an endurance horse. So many silly things like this get me down a rabbit hole and 2 days later I realize I haven't done anything productive around the house. So much to do, so little time!!!

 

[LifeofRubie]

regarding the off track Arabians... I don't think I've seen Arabians at any of the races I've attended/watched. Is there a specific track or tracks where they're highlighted?

And that is a well-loved book! The best kind I don't remember how I acquired this book but it lives in the guest bedroom; my MIL reads through it when she stays with us. Copyright date on the inside is 1964 but I've certainly not had it in my possession that long

 

[DobieDesire]

The last Endurance Ride I did was in 2001. In years since, I've been dismayed to hear newcomers to the sport calling it, Endurance Racing. When I did Endurance, it was Endurance Riding.

One ride I did, on my Anglo Arab, there was a long uphill, I tailed him a quite a ways, then close to the top was a creek, easy to get into, and clear water. I stopped to let him drink and stand in the creek. Got up to the top of the hill to a vet check, one of the best complements I've ever gotten, the Vet noticing my horse was well rested, and he was at the required P/R right when I got to the Vet check, commented, "I like the way you ride". Brought tears to my eyes.

What also brought tears to my eyes was a group of 3 riders that came barreling into the Vet check, right after me they looked all in a hurry, their horses were all sweaty and ridden hard. If it had been my decision, I would have DC'd them right then and there, but they ended up getting held up for 30 minutes. Idiots.

 

[Ravenbird]

The last Endurance Ride I did was in 2001. In years since, I've been dismayed to hear newcomers to the sport calling it, Endurance Racing. When I did Endurance, it was Endurance Riding.

Same here! As everything else, 25 years changes so much.

One ride I did, on my Anglo Arab, there was a long uphill, I tailed him a quite a ways, then close to the top was a creek, easy to get into, and clear water. I stopped to let him drink and stand in the creek. Got up to the top of the hill to a vet check, one of the best complements I've ever gotten, the Vet noticing my horse was well rested, and he was at the required P/R right when I got to the Vet check, commented, "I like the way you ride". Brought tears to my eyes.

That's the way it has to be done for the long haul. My first goal was to finish and second goal was to top ten.

a group of 3 riders that came barreling into the Vet check, right after me they looked all in a hurry, their horses were all sweaty and ridden hard.

Yeah, always a few like this way back in the day. There was some kind of race way back like '70's or '80's in Oklahoma with a big money prize, it was not AERC sanctioned and idiots raced hard and a few horses died. The AERC community was very much against calling them races for this very reason. Also never had (that I know of) cash prizes. And their moto of course "To Finish Is To Win". And believe me finishing a 50 in "fit to continue" condition is a winning feeling! I may have day dreamed a little about doing a 100, but never really really wanted to.

 

[DobieDesire]

Yup, for the 100's you had to have the right horse. I wanted to do Tevis on my Anglo Arab in 98, but after doing 50's, I knew he just didn't have it in him to do a 100. So, Several months before Tevis 98 I got ahold of Potato Richardson. My first claim to fame. I leased a horse from Potato.
"Josh" was his name. Josh had been ridden in Tevis 97 by his owner, and was pulled at Robinson Flat. I picked up Josh a month before the ride, and topped off his, and my, conditioning. He was a good horse, nice and calm at the, shotgun, start, sure footed. I took my time, but kept a steady pace, we finished in the middle of the pack. Tevis 99 someone else rode Josh, and they were pulled..................................at Robinson Flat. If I remember correctly BOTH riders, when they were pulled, got to Robinson Flat about an hour, to an hour and a half BEFORE I had in 98.

August of 98 a friend gave me Essence. My goal was to do another Tevis on my own horse that I'd conditioned myself. Essy was a pretty high strung. Worse thing in Essys mind was to get bunched up with other horses, he did not like that at all, and would prance, and jump around. He never kicked, but I put a red ribbon on his tail anyway, as if another horse ran up onto his butt, he'd spin on a dime and give you some change.

Well, Tevis 2000 had 259 horse/rider teams entered. The limit was supposed to be 250, but they must've made an exception in this case. Anyway, I held back at the start, I was not going to join the shotgun start, it would have just been too much for Essy to handle, I did not want him, or any other horse hurt because of his shenanigan's. I left camp about 10 minutes after the last ridder left, the timers were not too happy with me. Essy and I finished around 29th place that year, we passed ALL those other horse/rider teams, and he finished in great shape.

Essy did get a couple of top 10's at some 50's and I wasn't trying for a top 10 either, never first. I discovered something at one ride he'd gotten 4th place at. He was still raring to go, and looked good, but a horse that looked exhausted got Best Condition. I thought that strange, I think I never bothered after that with Best Condition when we came in Top Ten, which wasn't often in our short endurance career.

That adage: "If you know ANYTHING, know your horse." is SO true. I pulled my Anglo Arab from a ride once, Vets said he was fine, but I knew something was off with him. Never regretted it.

It was fun while it lasted.

 

[Ravenbird]

Potato Richardson is such an icon of the sport - awesome you knew him and got to ride one of his horses! Great stories, small world to meet up as Doberman fans.

 

[Ravenbird]

I think my favorite memory of any ride was my first 50. It was the Los Alamos 50 near Los Alamos NM, 1988, in some extreme mountainous country and high desert canyons. It was nick-named "the little Tevis" because of the elevation climbs & descent and the second half was in canyon land, hot & dry. I was very conservative riding my own ride, hooked up with another gal who was pacing similarly. We knew there were at least 15 horses in front of us, but our goal was to finish. When the finish line came up we rode across together and let the pulse rate at the vet check determine the order. Turned out our horses pulse & respiration were exactly the same, and an even bigger surprise, we were 9th & 10th! It didn't occur to me that just because we never passed any horses in front of us didn't mean they were still going. They were pulled at vet checks or rider option pulls, so we top 10'd our first 50, declared to be one of the toughest 50 in the country. I went back the next year and was 3rd, my goal was only to improve my time, not my placing. I kept the ride info in my files and this was at my fingertips so took a photo of the elevation page. It kinda blows me away to this day. Altitude is on the left, and miles 1 - 50 are across the bottom. I'd never tailed my horse before, but we did on the steep climbs and he just knew what to do. The decent was harder as my saddle kept slipping over my horses neck so I had to stop and re-adjust a dozen times, or just walk. I added a crupper the next year and that fixed that. Our time was a little over 8 hours, the next year it was about 7 1/2 hours.

 

[DobieDesire]

OMG, that is some elevation! Tevis tops at 8,75', 10,400' is insane!

 

[Sunje]

I got this book for Christmas in 1967 when I was 10. It's still with me here on my bookshelf:

View attachment 162587View attachment 162588

I loved that book! I read it so many times as a kid. I wished I'd gotten a copy of it, b/c you can't find it anymore. So many good books out of print.

 

[Ravenbird]

OMG, that is some elevation! Tevis tops at 8,75', 10,400' is insane!

Here's a graphic from the Tevis, lots of gain but more decent overall. Interesting I just realized they both start at 7200!

 

[Ravenbird]

I loved that book! I read it so many times as a kid. I wished I'd gotten a copy of it, b/c you can't find it anymore. So many good books out of print.

Right? I find quite a few OOP's on eBay, usually pretty cheap since nobody wants books anymore.

I don't remember how I acquired this book but it lives in the guest bedroom; my MIL reads through it when she stays with us. Copyright date on the inside is 1964 but I've certainly not had it in my possession that long

I had that book too, but I'd just saved a few favorites and I guess that wasn't one But I remember the cover! What I recall most about the Vienna stallions is my parents went to Europe with a tour of many cities and their hotel in Vienna was just down from the famous stables. My mother said they could hear them huffing and neighing occasionally in the quiet of the night. I never forgot that. And I did see a live tour of the performance stallions - I think in the 70's when in high school, but in a city near by. Memories, I tell ya! This is a throw back thread for me!

I don't think I've seen Arabians at any of the races I've attended/watched. Is there a specific track or tracks where they're highlighted?

When I was racing they ran at about 10 tracks, probably not that many now, but I haven't kept up. Almost always at lesser tracks. I ran in Colorado, California (Los Alamitos, and at Hollywood Park Quarter Horse meet (def the nicest track, but it was not when the TB's were there), 3 tracks in TX, [Edit to add] Turf Paradise in Phoenix AZ, and a stakes race in Delaware. They also ran at Tampa Bay in FL and some "bush tracks" (legit, but very small) tracks in Wyoming and Colorado. Most let the Arabs run because they were struggling. They're definitely different, run the same distances as TB's usually 5 furlongs to 1 1/2 miles, but slower. I know for sure they still run at Houston, but would have to look it up to see where else they run.