Congratulations – getting to the start line can sometimes be half the battle!
Friday is spent picking up your ride packet, vetting-in your horse, doing a short pre-ride to make sure all your tack is correctly adjusted, maybe browse the vendor booths – and then settling in to socialize.
There’s a party-like atmosphere at Robie Park – everyone is in high spirits (and yes, a few nerves)(OK, a lot of nerves) in anticipation of the next day. Riders come from all over the country – and all over the world – and this is sometimes the only time you get to catch up with old friends.
In the early evening you attend the ride meeting at the Barsaleau Pavilion, adjacent to a beautiful high Sierra meadow.
You’ll surely sleep well the night before ride… just kidding – you won’t sleep a wink! Your nerves will be jangling, trying to finalize your saddle content, give your crew last-minute instructions, and hope that your ride start goes well in the morning.
At the end of the day, you’ll fall into bed, with the stars shining brightly overhead, listening to your horse munching quietly. Your alarm clock may be set for 3:15 am, but there will be adventure ahead. Happy trails!
Preview of the Starting Area on a Friday pre-ride:
Wendell Robie History:
In 1955 Wendell Robie, a successful businessman and outdoorsman from Auburn, California had a discussion with an associate about whether a horseback rider could cover 100 miles in a day. He got riled up about it and vowed to prove it could be done. He wanted to conduct the ride on a trail he had particular interest in, a historic trail used by miners in the 1800s between the California gold fields and the silver mines in Virginia City, Nevada. It went through little old gold towns between Lake Tahoe and Auburn, California, crossing over the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Wendell made plans, established a committee, and worked to get support from the city of Auburn. A stated purpose of the ride was “to determine if Western horses are bred today as tough as those of the Pony Express era.”
On August 6, 1955, Robie and four other men set out from Tahoe City on a ride to Auburn that would be the first of what now is called the granddaddy of ultra-endurance horse rides. The object was to travel 100 miles in under 24 hours. The first ride started at 4 a.m. and ended in Auburn 22 hours and 45 minutes later. Robie had proved his detractors wrong. After delivering a ceremonial packet of mail he’d brought with him from Tahoe City, he reined his horse around and rode another mile home to his Robie Point house.
Robie was a top finisher the first four years and continued to take part in the ride until his late 70s. Known for his hard-riding approach, Robie was also willing to accept a mount’s limitations. Veteran veterinarian Dr. Richard Barsaleau of Loomis said that during his first year as a Tevis volunteer, he pulled Robie’s horse from the ride because it was limping. Robie stormed off but returned soon afterward to admit the veterinarian had made the right choice and offer a hand in friendship. Barsaleau soon afterward was named chief veterinarian for the ride. In all, Robie would earn 13 of the prized silver buckles.
The Robie Cup is awarded to equines that have completed the Ride five times or more. Designed by Tevis finisher Diana Hiiesalu, the trophy is a three-dimensional depiction of the well-known photo of Ride-founder Wendell Robie giving his horse a drink from his canteen.
Cup Winners
Past Cup Winners: Tevis Cup, Haggin Cup,
Josephine Stedem Scripps Foundation Trophy, Robie Cup
Robie Park History:
The original 1955 start line for the Ride was in Tahoe City on the shore of Lake Tahoe. After a few years, the Ride start moved to Olympic Valley (formerly Squaw Valley) and stayed there until the 1990s when development the the ski resort area forced ride management to look for a new home.
In 1990 the Robie Foundation purchased the 160 acre park about five miles north of Tahoe City and it became the permanent home for the start of the Tevis Cup Ride.
The extra few miles added to the beginning of the ride meant that miles had to be subtracted further down trail and so adjustments were made. Today, although the trail still mostly follows the original course, short sections have changed over the years – on some the footing eroded or they became impassible; new sections were opened through areas in order to bypass development; and old trails were improved upon. The complete trail, however, remains The Western States Trail from Lake Tahoe to Auburn.