STEP 4. EDUCATIONAL RIDE
Please check our Facebook page regularly for information –
particularly as the Ed Ride date approaches for any last minute changes:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TevisEdRide
Ed Ride Route – Day 1
(This file will need to be loaded into
a GPS app or unit)
Ed Ride Route – Day 2
(This file will need to be loaded into
a GPS app or unit)
Note that these tracks are specific to THIS YEARʻS ED RIDE ONLY,
as the route used differs slightly from the Tevis Ride route.
The Educational Ride is aimed at riders wishing to participate in the Tevis Cup Ride in the future; to give riders a true look into the beauty of the trail and its challenges; to educate future Tevis riders as to best practices and horse care to help them successfully complete the Ride.
The Tevis Educational Ride offers an opportunity to prepare for those challenges in a non-competitive environment.
What you get:
- Basecamp at Chicken Hawk
- A 5-mile night ride to enjoy the magic you would experience during Tevis
- Two days of mentored riding of more than 50 miles of the Tevis Trail, covering Robinson Flat to Franciscoʻs
- “Camp Classroom” with engaging speakers on Friday and Saturday evenings
- Food will be available for purchase all weekend
- Ride both days? You earn 150 miles towards qualifying for Tevis
- A greater chance of you and your horse finishing the Tevis Cup Ride!
Friday: Check in/Vet-in; Mentor and Shuttle Assignments; Talks/Demonstrations; 5-Mile Night Ride to Michigan Bluff for Ice Cream; Night Riding Instruction with Erin McChesney
Saturday: [map] Mentored ride from Robinson Flat to Chicken Hawk via the canyons, with vet checks at Last Chance and Deadwood – 28 miles; Saturday afternoon speakers (auditors welcome for a fee – and shuttlers may audit and eat for free!)
Sunday: [map] Mentored ride from Chicken Hawk to Francisco’s (and then climb to Driver’s Flat) – 24 miles
What to Expect
Mentors:
The Tevis trail is amazingly beautiful from mile 1 to 100! But it is also relentlessly challenging. Pre-riding the trail greatly increases your enjoyment and chances of finishing. After completing the Educational Ride you will have seen the toughest 50+ miles.
You will ride with an experienced Tevis finisher who will share ways to successfully navigate the canyons on Day 1, while on Day 2 they will help you gain confidence riding the narrow cliffy California Loop trail below Foresthill. You will be paired with your mentor on Friday afternoon and we will make every effort to accommodate fitness and experience levels.
We purposely keep the number of entries low (40) so the mentor to entrant ratio is 1 mentor per 2-3 riders. Once the ride is full, a waiting list will be maintained in case of cancellations.
Night Ride:
Even the Tevis winner rides in the dark. It’s a long day for everyone! At the Ed Ride on Friday, we offer a 5 mile night ride to Michigan Bluff and back to base camp. You will start the ride at dusk with your mentor and finish back in camp after dark. We will serve ice cream in Michigan Bluff. Be sure to hang out and wait for dark for your return trip to take advantage of this opportunity to ride a safe portion of the trail marked by the light of glowsticks!
“Take your time eating ice cream in Michigan Bluff to wait for dark for your return trip, to take advantage of this opportunity to ride a safe portion of the trail marked by the light of glowsticks!”
Finessing Your Saddle Contents:
Due to USFS restrictions, Tevis does not allow crews into any of the stops along this 50+ mile section of the trail. No personal crews! During the Educational Ride, this is your chance to practice carrying all that you will need with you. At the vet checks we will have horse and rider refreshments and water. The rest you carry – electrolytes, hoof boot, human and horse first aid, snacks, human water, cooling aids, etc.
2024 Speakers:
We have an excellent line-up of speakers:
Auditors may attend these talks for a fee – or free if shuttling (see below).
Kelly Torrisi DVM, Tevis Educational Ride Head Veterinarian, owns Auburn Equine. She will explain how the vet check is organized and how you can speed through it efficiently. Kelly will give you useful insights to veterinary parameters used to evaluate both the metabolic health and gait of your horse. Most important, she will share with you how best to act on both the good news and the bad news that the ride veterinarian may share with you.
Susan Garlinghouse DVM, Tevis Finisher and seasoned ride veterinarian, she dedicates herself to optimizing equine nutrition before, during, and after endurance rides, with a special focus on Tevis. Renowned for her expertise, she is a popular and respected speaker on the topic of endurance riding and equine nutrition.
John Perry, member of AERC since 2010, John has 6 completions out of 8 Tevis starts. Transitioning into a part-time retirement job, he started his barefoot trimming business in 2016, which has flourished since. A staunch advocate for a proper diet, trimming tailored to the internal foot structure, and promoting good movement, John holds no allegiance to steel or composite shoes or boots. For John, it’s all about the trim.
Chris Turney, A Fit Horse + A Fit Rider = Tevis Success. Chris will talk about what it takes to be that “Fit Rider.” He’s a 4-time Ride & Tie Champion (1987, 1988, 1992, and 2001), a 2-time Western States Endurance Run finisher, and a 2-time Virginia City 100 finisher, as well as placing 2nd place in the NASTR Triple Crown. As a member of the 3rd Ranked National Cross Country Team in 1973, he was inducted into the City of Rancho Cordova’s Hall of Fame.
Erin McChesney, in a league of her own, she is a 2-time winner of both the Tevis and Haggin Cup with the same horse (1991 and 1996), she excels not only in endurance riding but also as a dressage instructor. Erin will join you on horseback for her “Night Riding Presentation” during the Ice Cream Social in Michigan Bluff.
Auditors:
Auditors are welcome to come and listen to the Saturday afternoon speakers and stay for the meal afterwards.
Due to camp space constraints, however, you will only be able to camp overnight if you are willing to help shuttle riders
in your rig on Saturday morning to Robinson Flat.
Shuttlers may audit and eat for free!
Cost:
- $40 – Auditor (includes Sat evening meal) – to be paid (cash/check) at the venue. Walk-ins welcome.
- $0 – Auditor-Shuttler (includes Sat evening meal)
2024 Venue, Food, and Cost
Where:
Base Camp will be located at Chicken Hawk the site of the mile 64 Tevis Vet Check. It is a beautiful shaded camping area about 7 miles (15 to 20 minute drive) past Foresthill and located 1/2 mile off Michigan Bluff Rd. The turn off to camp will be well marked. Horse water and (new, brick!) restrooms will be provided. Camp sites are level and shaded but limited in number. We are working with the USFS to increase capacity. Please share your rig/campsite with another rider if at all possible.
Food:
- Friday: Food available for purchase in camp from the Foresthill 4H Club.
- Saturday:
- Take-out breakfast burritos which can be reserved and paid for on Friday afternoon.
- A catered barbecue meal by Mega’s Cafe (included in the entry fee. Dinner is free for mentors and volunteers).
- Sunday:
- Take-out breakfast burritos which can be reserved and paid for on Friday/Saturday afternoon.
- After your ride, snacks and cold drinks will be waiting in camp.
(Note: Food purchase in camp may be made with Venmo.)
2024 Entry Fee:
The $375 entry fee covers two days of mentored riding; the night ride and ice cream social; all talks and demonstrations beginning Friday afternoon (details to be announced closer to the event); and the Saturday evening meal.
A different horse may be ridden each day.
If you do not ride both days, the cost of your second day’s entry will be converted to a tax deductible donation to the WSTF.
If you do not have a shuttle driver, we are lining up a fleet of dedicated drivers with empty trailers. Assigning shuttles will be done on Friday when mentors will also be paired with riders.
The Important Basics:
Horse Fitness Requirement: Between January 1, 2023 and June 17, 2024 your horse must complete 50 miles of AERC Limited Distance or Endurance miles or a similar sanctioning organization. This is to protect your equine. We are riding on remote trails, with significant climbs, and little access. Just like the actual Tevis Ride, during the vet checks horses will be monitored carefully. We don’t want any horse getting into trouble somewhere we can’t easily get to him. But before you even start, make sure your horse is up for the task!
Rider Fitness:
For safety reasons, riders should be fit enough to hike downhill and mount their horse without assistance. You also need to be confident that you can ride 20-30 miles without issues. If you’ve spent the last few years on the couch, this event may not be for you. Be realistic about what you as a rider are capable of – the last thing we want is to have to rescue you out of the canyon.
Cleaning Deposit:
The USFS requires horse campers to clean up their camp sites to USFS standards. This means bring a leaf rake! We will have a manure dumpster on site. At sign-up riders are required to pay a $40 cleaning deposit that will be reimbursed via PayPal after the event, once their camp clean-up has been approved.
Cancellation Policy:
Life is what happens while we’re making other plans. Both for the Tevis and the Ed Ride, you may set the goal but your horse may still get hurt. Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel. The Ed Ride overfills every year. Let the next rider move up in line by canceling as soon as you know. The deadline to cancel and receive a full refund less a $30 admin. fee is June 10th.
Camp Check-In and Pre-Ride vet-in:
- Basecamp opens at noon on Friday.
- You will need to sign in and collect all your participation goodies.
- A different qualified horse can be ridden on Day 2. Please notify the ride office at check-in.
- If arranged in advance, base camp will open for early arrivals beginning Thursday – please contact the Tevis office at wstf@teviscup.org ahead of time to let us know. Note: Horse water will be available on Thursday. Riders may also stay over until Monday.
- Pre-ride Vet-in begins around 3 pm.
Rules:
The event will follow the Rules for the Tevis ride.
- Juniors (riders under 18) can ride with a sponsor over 18 years of age. A mentor can serve as their sponsor if arrangements are made in advance of the event.
- A horse must be 6 years of age the weekend of the event.
“My personal record is 20 completions out of 23 starts, or 87%, and I’ve won it twice – in large part because I pre-rode this section of trail every year that I rode Tevis. You can only really know the terrain by pre-riding the trail. Otherwise you only have about a 50/50 chance of finishing. The Ed Ride is money and time well spent! AND it is the most fun you can have while getting ready for Tevis. JOIN US!”
Lori Stewart
Ride Manager
California Loop, Ed Ride 2023. Audra and Seven successfully completed Tevis later that year.