Auburn, CA, August 2, 2026 – The Tevis Cup 100-Mile Ride celebrated the successful completion of its 70th ride on Sunday, August 2, 2026.
Jeremy Reynolds and his mount Treasure won the 2026 Lloyd Tevis Cup. They were the first to reach the Auburn finish at 10:52 pm on Saturday night, after a ride time of 15 hours and 37 minutes. Reynolds has won the Tevis Cup five times.
CH Fancy Finesse (Finn), ridden by junior rider Tierney Beloberk, won the James Ben Ali Haggin Cup for best condition. All top ten equines who complete the ride successfully are invited to present their horses for best condition before the Veterinary Committee and the WSTF Cup Committee on Sunday morning after the ride. The winning equine is awarded the Haggin Cup.
The Tevis Cup, which is the original endurance competition and known as “the granddaddy of all endurance rides,” challenges one rider and one equine to complete 100 miles in 24 hours. The ride travels along the historical Western States Trail through some of the most challenging and beautiful terrain in the country, the Sierra Nevada.
“It was a tough ride; the heat made sure of that,” said Chuck Stalley, who completed his 15th and final year as ride director this weekend.Stalley has become an institution of the ride. He has been supported by his wife, Pam, and his daughters – all Tevis finishers. In honor of Chuck and Pam’s dedication and outstanding leadership to this ride, they were awarded the Drucilla Barner Award at the Sunday Awards Ceremony. The award is named after tireless Tevis supporter and the first woman to win the ride in 1961, Dru Barner.
“Why do we do it?” Stalley wrote in his final ride director letter to the Tevis community. “It’s the Tevis, and there is nothing like it in the world. We do it for you.”
Of the 102 starting equine and rider teams, 51 completed the race from Truckee to Auburn, a higher finish rate than in previous years.
“Riders heeded the heat warnings and took good care of their equines. We are proud of them,” said Stalley. “Still, there is a rock out there for all of us.”
That indeed was the case for one particular horse-rider team. Gianni found his rock, or boulder, in the bogs of the Granite Chief Wilderness. His rider, Jennifer Fisher from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, dismounted to make it easier for him to free himself. Gianni lurched and got away, and despite her best efforts in the blazing heat, Jennifer could not find him again. Volunteers helped her hike out to the next vet check, while rescue teams dispatched to locate him with the help of the GPS tracker on his saddle. When it become clear that Gianni was difficult to access, they dispatched a Bute County helicopter with a veterinary team on board, which airlifted him to French Meadows Campground. From there Gianni was transported by trailer to Foresthill for medical evaluation and to be reunited with his rider. He was then transferred to Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center, where he was treated for cuts and bruises he sustained during his get-away.
Fun facts:
- Auburn local Hal Hall’s completion this year earns him the distinction of matching Barbara White’s record of 34 buckles of successful Tevis completions.
- Kristine Hartman, Karen Donley, and Jeremy Reynolds achieved the coveted 1,000 mile buckle for 10 completions
- 16 first-time finishers earned free buckles, courtesy of Lynn Marks and Tom Noll
- 5 juniors – Tierney Beloberk, Kendall Groth, Ryan Ellis, Alina Hildreth, and Reagan Tanner – completed yesterday’s competition. All 10 juniors who attempted their buckles had their entry fees sponsored by Joe and Cyndi Larkin this year, while Roxanne Greene donated their buckles.
- 5 horses – Chndakasexpress, Alexander Hamilton, Chuck Norris, SVR Mercury Rising, and West Wind Dragon – earned the honor of being added to the Wendell Robie Cup for completing the Tevis Cup for the 5th time; Two more had even higher completions — with Treasure completing for the 7th time and Royal Patron completing for the 9th time – notably, both finished in the top ten this year.
- Approximately 800 volunteers worked tirelessly in the heat and throughout the night to support riders and their equines in their Tevis attempts
The Tevis Cup is recognized by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) as the foundational ride in modern endurance riding.
For more information, go to teviscup.org or contact Ute Frey at marketing@teviscup.org or 510-301-9184.