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The Ride
- Recorded timings for the Ride did not begin until 1961.
- A minimum completion time of 17:00 hours elapsed time or 13:30 hours riding time was used for two years only: 1962 and 1963. What the penalty was for finishing “too soon” is unclear.
- A minimum weight of 150 pounds, rider and tack, was required for all entries from the early 1960’s through 1972.
- There were no weight restrictions at all from 1973 through 1975.
- A minimum weight of 165 pounds (74.8 kg) for rider with tack was required of winners of the Tevis Cup and Haggin Cup from 1976 through 1998. Contenders had to declare their intent to compete for the “top ten” and were weighed with their tack upon vet-in. If necessary, the rider was given added weight — sandbags — to carry during the ride. There are no weight requirements in effect beginning with the 1999 Ride. Riders continued to weigh in with their tack for statistical collection purposes until around 2010.
- Shortest time to win on the traditional course (the 2011 course was modified due to weather) was 10:46 – equal to 9.29 mph or 14.95 km/h – in 1981 by Boyd Zontelli on Rushcreek Hans.
- Longest time to win was 16:23 (equal to 6.11 mph or 9.83 km/h) in 2003 – Heather Bergantz Reynolds on Master Motion. Commercial and residential development have invaded many of the once remote areas crossed by the original 100 mile Tahoe-to-Auburn trail. Due to the many year-to-year changes in the Ride route, it is difficult to make direct comparisons of record times.
- The least number of riders was the first Ride in 1955: five riders — Wendell Robie, Bill Patrick, Nick Mansfield, Dick Highfill, Pat Sewell.
- The most riders to start was 271 riders in 1987.
- A limit of 250 riders was established in 1989.
- The first woman to compete, Ina Robinson, completed the Ride in its second year, 1956.
- The oldest rider to complete the Ride was 81 years old, Peter Davies riding FF Fargo in 2021.
- The youngest rider to complete the Ride was 11 years old in 1964: Gail Gilmer. The minimum rider age of 12 years was established in 1958. Gail Gilmer’s actual age was not learned until after the 1964 Ride.
- The Most Finishes by a Junior Rider is five times: Rebecca Greene, 1983 thru 1987.
- Two people have completed the Tevis Cup 30 times or more, Barbara White and Hal Hall.
- Eight other people have completed the Tevis Cup Ride 20 or more times, qualifying for the 2,000 Mile Buckle Award: Julie Suhr, John McCullough, Roxanne Greene, Sandy (Cassandra) Schuler, Potato Richardson, Kathie Perry, Patricia Chappell and Lori Stewart.
- Many people have completed the Ride multiple times each. Those who have completed 10 times, qualify for the 1,000 Mile Buckle.
- The largest family group to complete the Ride in one year was the McCrary family with five completions. In 1979 six members of the McCrary family set out to finish The Tevis. Members of the family were Frank “Lud” and Barbara McCrary and their children Ellen, Janet, Susan McCrary Huff and Butch Huff.. Only Ellen did not finish. Five members of the family completed together a second time in 1981, only this time Ellen took Frank’s place on his horse after her own horse failed the initial vet in.
- The record for completions by one horse is thirteen times, set in 1998 by Pat Chappel on Thunders Lightning Bar, a 20 year old Quarter Horse mare.
- Six horses have completed the Ride ten times or more – Buffalo Bill (Nick Mansfield), Rainraff (Sally Dargie), El Karbaj (Hal Hall), Rocky (Merv Pyorre), Shatir (Judy Houle) and Thunders Lighting Bar (Pat Chappell).
- The oldest horse to complete the Ride was PL Mercury, a 27 year old arabian, ridden by Claire Godwin, DVM in 2018.
- The youngest horse to complete the Ride was Capella, a 3 year old 3/4 Arab mare, ridden by Drucilla Barner in the late 1950’s before the minimum age requirement of 5 years was established.
- The heaviest known horse to complete the Ride was an Arab/Percheron called Nugget, owned by the Mayor of Reno, Nevada. Nugget finished in 1958, weighing an estimated 1,600 pounds and standing between 16 and 17 hands.
- The tallest horse to complete the Ride was Chief, a Saddlebred gelding,ridden by Joan Dowis in 1982. Chief was 17:2 hh.
- The smallest equine to complete the Ride was a hackney pony, Piece of Perfection (Flash), ridden by Kyla Law, Jr. in 2021. Flash measured 11:2. (Reportedly a shetland pony also completed in the late 1950’s, but this claim is unconfirmed.)
- Wendel Robie’s horse, Bandos, who won the first Ride in 1955, sired horses that won the Ride in 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, and 1969, and the Haggin Cup in 1965: Bandos sired Molla, Chagitai, Chief of Tahmaroo, and Hailla. At age 16 in 1956, Bandos was also the recordholder for oldest horse to win until 2017 when Auli Farwa won at age 17.27 years of age.
- One rider, H. Gordon Ainsleigh, was granted a completion without a horse! He finished 3 times: twice on horseback (1971 and 1972) and once on foot (1974). This unique accomplishment became the basis for the now-famous Western States Endurance Run, the world’s premier ultra-runner trail event. The Run continues annually to this day, using most of the same trails as the Tevis Ride, and is held on the last weekend of June, a few weeks prior to the Ride.
- Ride dates through the year 2040 are already determined.
Riders – Tevis and Haggin Cup
- The youngest person to win the Tevis Cup was Neil Hutton in 1964 at age 17.
- The youngest person to win the Haggin Cup was Barrak Blakeley in 2014 at age 17.
- One rider and her horse won the Ride six times, counting one tie: Donna Fitzgerald on Witezarif.
- Sixteen riders have won the ride more than once – Wendell Robie, Ed Johnson, Bud Dardi, Donna Fitzgerald, Hal Hall, Boyd Zontelli, Marjorie Pryor, Loreley Stewart, Becky Hart, Chris Knoch, Erin McChesney, Marcia Smith, Jeremy Reynolds, Heather Reynolds, John Crandell III, and Potato Richardson.
- Of the riders who have won more than once, seven have won with two different horses: Wendell Robie, Boyd Zontelli, Hal Hall, Loreley Stewart, Marcia Smith, Jeremy Reynolds, and Heather Reynolds.
- Four riders have won the Tevis Cup on three different horses:
- Marcia Smith – Harry in 1992 (tie), On A High (Elvis) in 1997, and Saamson CC in 2001
- Potato Richardson – Fille de Cailana in 1998, SMR Fayette de Cameo in 2002, and SMR Filouette in 2015
- Heather Reynolds – Master Motion in 2003, French Open in 2014, and Cayucos 2018
- Jeremy Reynolds – CV Eli in 2004 (tie), CV Eli again in 2007, Riverwatch in 2011, Treasured Moments in 2021
- Eight times the Tevis Cup and the Haggin Cup were swept by one rider:
- Sam Arnold on Rushcreek Champ in 1976,
- Erin McChesney on Cougar’s Fete in 1991,
- Marcia Smith on Harry in 1992,
- Erin McChesney on Cougar’s Fete (again!) in 1996,
- Heather Bergantz Reynolds on Master Motion in 2003,
- Jeremy Reynolds on CV Eli in 2004,
- John Crandell III in 2006 on Heraldic, and
- Jeremy Reynolds on Riverwatch in 2011.
- Two riders have twice won both trophies in the same year:
- Erin McChesney on Cougar’s Fete (1991 and 1996).
- Jeremy Reynolds on CV Eli and Riverwatch (2004 and 2011)
- One rider has won the prestigious Haggin Cup on three different horses – Jeremy Reynolds with CV Eli in 2004, Riverwatch in 2011, and Treasured Moments in 2017.
- Husband and Wife team, Heather and Jeremy Reynolds have eight Tevis Cups and five Haggin Cups between them (as of 2023).
- Four other riders have won the Haggin Cup on two different horses – Paige Harper (on Keno in 1964, and on Raskela in 1968); Hal Hall (on El Karbaj in 1972 and 1978, and on Bogus Thunder in 2002), Heather Bergantz Reynolds (on Crystal’s Charm in 1999, and on Master Motion in 2003), and John Crandell III (on Heraldic in 2006, and HH Saba Shams in 2007).
- The first Mustang to win the Haggin Cup was MM Cody in 2018; owned by Mark Montgomery and ridden by Mykayla Corgnell.
Equines – Tevis and Haggin Cup
- One horse has carried its rider to win the Tevis Cup six times, counting one tie:
Witezarif, ridden by Donna Fitzgerald. - One horse has won the Haggin Cup twice with different riders:
Harry, ridden by Daniel Bunn (1990) and by Marcia Smith (1992). - One horse has twice carried the winner of both trophies in the same year:
Cougar’s Fete, ridden by Erin McChesney (1991 and 1996). - The most Haggin Cup wins by one horse is three:
HCC Gazal, ridden by Julie Suhr, in 1983, 1984 and 1986. - The youngest horse to win the Tevis Cup was 6 years old:
Chief of Tahmaroo (Paige Harper, 1962). - The youngest horses to win the Haggin Cup were 6 years old:
- Keno (Paige Harper, 1964)
- Siri (Wendell Robie, 1965)
- Rajah (Suzanne Morstad, 1970)
- El Karbaj (Hal Hall, 1972)
- Hazz (William Fox, 1977), and
- Fayette de Cameo (Cathy Rohm, 2001).
- For 61 years, the oldest horse to win the Ride was 16 years young – Bandos ridden by Wendell Robie set the record in 1956. However, in 2017, 17 year old Auli Farwa, ridden by Tennessee Lane was the first to cross the finish line.
- The oldest horses to win the Haggin Cup were 17 year old MCM Last Dance ridden by Barrak Blakeley in 2014, and Monk ridden by Lindsay Fisher in 2019.
- Fritz, owned and ridden by Marje Pryor, won the Tevis Cup in 1982 and 1983, and was an eight-time finisher, 7 times in the top six. Fritz was blind in his left eye.