Tevis Cup

100 Miles 1 Day Trail Ride July 24, 2021, 5:15 a.m.

Tevis Cup (teviscup.org) is a one day 100 mile horse trail ride challenge through some of the most rugged mountainsides in the Sierra Nevadas. You have 24 hours to complete the ride, which includes riding by moonlight and experiencing famed Cougar Rock, a swinging bridge, and streams.

Here is information describing what riders must prepare for to face this extreme Horsemen's Journey, a 58 year tradition on an historic trail between Truckee and Auburn, California.

* This Top Ten Toughest Endurance Event is relentlessly demanding. Stay focused and smart.
* Cougar Rock problems occur when the rider allows the horse to stop and think --horses have slipped and riders have fallen off while attempting to go over the top.
* What happens to horses that don't like swinging bridges? Try to have the bridge to yourself; the more horses on the bridge, the more movement there will be. The bridge doesn't start to rock until you are about halfway across.
* Horses tragically have died falling off of the cliffs. Others have slipped, survived, and returned another year to complete.
* American River crossing at Poverty Bar: Dams upstream hold back much of the water on Ride day, allowing the horses to walk across, guided by glow sticks in the shallow area. Savvy riders will remove their feet from the stirrups before entering the river just in case a quick separation from the horse is necessary.
* Black Hole of Calcutta is a small stream crossing with complete tree cover and no moonlight beaming through.
* The temperature can vary from freezing to extremely hot, all in one day.
* Most years, only half of the starters finish successfully.