Tevis 2009

Background: The Ride

The Tevis Cup Ride is the oldest modern day endurance ride, held annual since 1955. Each rider starts out with the intent to complete the 100 mile course from Tahoe to Auburn On average, only 50% of the starters will accomplish the course within the allotted 24 hours. For those unfamiliar with the Tevis, there is a more detail description of the ride that can be found on the Western States Trail Foundation web site.

I first became aware of the Tevis when Pat and I became introduced to Endurance Riding while living in the Pacific Northwest. While it was interesting to follow the race over the years, I never really thought the opportunity to ride the event would present itself.

The Horse

It was the summer of ’04, and we’d just come to the conclusion that my current endurance horse would not be returning to competition after suffering a left hind lameness. Just out of curiously, I was surfing through the on-line ads at Endurance Net and came upon an ad for a promising pure bred arab. At four years of age, Zefiro (AKA Tug) was advertised at 16 hands. As a hand is measured at 4 inches, which would put him well over 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Being skeptical of a tall arab claim, we asked our buddy Gene Meyers to swing by and look at the horse, since it wasn’t far from his home outside Reno. Gene called back and said he thought it would be a horse that could carry me but he was definitely green. So, off we went to Washoe Lake, Nevada to look at a green unbroken dark bay arab. It didn’t take but a short evaluation, and we agreed to the seller’s price. A prepurchase exam the next weekend, and he was loaded up in the trailer and headed west to California.

That fall, we moved Tug over to our trainer Tim Thomas in Cool, California. I just wanted ninety days to take the edge off and get him to a point that we could start our long slow distance work. He came home that fall, but really didn’t get a whole lot of work over the winter. In the spring, I finally got around to working him and that’s when all the trouble began. Tug decided he really didn’t like having a rider on his back and learned he could help me dismount rather easily. After a few serious falls, one that rung my bell pretty good, I was really having second thoughts about whether we’d ever make a good team. I even went to the extent of contacting two acquaintances that brokered endurance horses, and both said that he’d be easy to sell.

One evening Pat and I were out checking on the horses and the conversation came around to “What are you going to do with Tug?” I expressed my frustration with getting bucked off and not wanting to get hurt, but that there was so much potential it was a really hard decision. Pat looked at me and said “We cannot give up on him now! You need to call Tim and see if he has room for Tug in his barn.” The next weekend, Tug was off to Cool for three more months of “Tim Refresher” course.

That summer of ‘05, Tug got his second career start as an endurance horse. Tim put into Tug the additional necessary basic training that he needed for a good foundation. He came home that summer and we got down to restarting our long slow distance work. A summer and fall on the trails around Folsom Lake and the American River Canyon, and we completed our first limited distance ride at Desert Gold on Thanksgiving weekend.

The next couple of years were a mix of limited distance and endurance rides. With the fires in Northern California, the ride season for ’08 was pretty much a wash for us. We did one 55 miler that spring, and then no other endurance rides for the rest of the year.

The Question

My journey to ride ’09 Tevis began during a conditioning ride on Super Bowl Sunday in ’08. Kathie Perry and I were getting in a quick ride that morning at Folsom Lake before heading off to our respective Super Bowl events. During our ride, Kathie asked if I had any interest in riding Tevis. I replied yes, and asked if she would help me prepare. Her response was that she would, but I would need to give it my full commitment.

Three months later, my wife Pat and I returned from celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary in Botswana, Africa. Looking at a picture that Pat had taken of me on that trip, I said to myself “You’d better get serious about losing weight if you have any inclination to ride Tevis!” That next week, Pat and I trotted off to Weight Watchers and signed up. I had an objective to reach my goal weight before the end of the year. I worked hard at it, and I achieved my goal of losing 55 pounds on December 8th, 2008.

Preparing for this event wasn’t as simple as losing those 55 pounds, but included physical conditioning as well. As an avid cyclist, I logged more than 2000 miles on my road bike that year. Pat and I also began running on the weekends. We both started out the ’09 New Year by completing the 10k Resolution Run, in which the last three miles are run over the trail into the Tevis finish line. That conditioning continued into the summer, with trail runs in the heat after a long day at the office. I knew the heat, combined with the climbs out of the canyons, would be one of my biggest challenges. So, I picked routes that would require a lot of ascending and descending to ensure my muscles would be prepared for those long downhill runs and uphill climbs on foot.

Is The Season Going To End Before IT Ever Begins?

Flash forward to the early spring of ’09. Our first ride of the season was going to be High Desert Classic, outside Fallon, Nevada. We arrived in great shape, with the intent of just shooting for a completion for both days. Saturday morning I was walking out to feed Tug his breakfast, and he was just lying down to roll. As he went to get up, he put his back legs through the corral panels and began thrashing around when he became stuck. He finally freed himself, but had trashed both hind legs by scraping the hide off. I went and found veterinarian Dr. Jamie Kerr to have him evaluated, and Tug was lame. As the scraps were over the front of the cannon bones, Jamie didn’t feel it was too serious. However, he would not be able to start the rides that weekend. So, we packed up our camp and headed back to California from what was probably my most expensive camping trip ever. The next day Tug’s legs were still very tender to the touch, but he was no longer lame. This gave us hope that the injury was only superficial. Two weeks later, we were back into our training program and reshuffling the ride schedule to see what would fit into the plan.

Kickin’ It Up A Notch

That reshuffle set our next objective to ride the first day of Washoe Valley in Nevada, and the third day of Wild West three weeks later. I’ve traditionally been a rider that shot for middle of the pack completion at best, and I’m usually a tail ender. In confiding with endurance friends whose opinion really matters to me, it was obvious that Tug and I would need to pick it up a notch if we expected to complete Tevis within the 24 hours allowed. We did so at these two rides and finished in the top third of both, and missed Top 10 at Wild West by one placing. This proved to me that we could do it, but it also made me more aware of some of the management things I needed to do during a ride. One of the biggest was having a crew you could count on! Pat to the rescue. After not taking a crew to Washoe, I was lucky enough to have Joe Larkin and Gene Meyers pitch in to help Tug and I out. At Wild West, Pat made the trip to Nevada City to provide crew support.

Countdown to Tevis

Our next big event was to complete the Tevis Educational Ride in July, followed by hanging the glow sticks for the Western States 100 Ultra Run the following weekend. The Educational Ride was well worth every minute. Not only having access to two thirds of the trail without the stress of competition, the educational speakers were worth the price of admission. I was fortunate to be teamed up with Roger Yohe as a Group Leader, and learned invaluable lessons from both him and Jamie Kerr who rode with us on the second day. Our group had a great combination of both seasoned veterans and committed Tevis newbie’s who were all focused on both having a good time and educating themselves for a successful Tevis ride. I couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable experience.

The following weekend, Cindy Larkin and I hung the glow sticks for the last 25 miles of the Western States 100 Ultra Run. The route is run over some of the same course as Tevis, and the weekend turned out to be the hottest we’d had all year. We had to hang the glow sticks during the heat of the afternoon, so that they’d glow all night for the runners. This definitely provided us with a good dose of heat training, as the mercury topped out at 108 degrees that day.

The month leading up to Tevis was a time for final plans and tapering off on conditioning for both rider and horse. A few more conditioning rides were scheduled for the last sections of trail between Robinson and Auburn. Unfortunately, a fire in the American River Canyon on July 16th forced the cancelation of a training ride over the last eight miles of the course on a night ride the following evening. I’ve ridden at night before, but never on Tug. So, that’s just one piece of the plan that didn’t get executed. It would have been preferable to have a night ride under our belt to have confidence riding through the night, but I’d just have to depend on Tug’s superior night vision.

I was fortunate this year to have a dream team of a crew. These are individuals who I have a tremendous amount of respect and fondness for, and they included:

Pat – My wife and best friend and co-horse conditioner
Tim Thomas – The guy who gave Tug the right foundation
Becky Santucci – Our riding buddy, and a previous Tevis Buckle winner
Kim Mercer – A close friend and equine therapist, and a witty Brit as well
Cory Cherrstrum – Neighbor and recently retired veterinarian

Tim’s initial job for the event ‘was to get Tug and I to Robie Park, along with Kathie Perry’s horse Cagney. Tim is one of those “old Souls”, who can read a horse and know what to expect in return. He was so calm and patient with my need to control the day’s events leading up to the ride. When you’ve done this sport long enough, you know how certain things just need to be. We vetted through just fine, and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, taking the horses for walks, and attending the various meetings for Crews and Riders.

Friday night before the ride was a little more stressful than I expected. It took forever to get to sleep. The horses were busy clanging around in their paddocks for what seemed like hours. It seemed to be a good thing though, as a lot of munching and drinking were going on. Even after finally nodding off, there were numerous occasions when I’d awaken and have to check the time. God forbid if the alarm failed to go off! The alarm finally went off at 3:00 AM, as I had volunteered to get up and feed the horses their breakfast. I like to give at least two hours from the time they eat and the start of the ride. This gave me plenty of time to get dressed and try to get something on my stomach as well.

The Start

As with the majority of endurance horses, the start can be one of the most stressful points of the ride. The excitement of a large group of horses starting together can be overwhelming. Tug is usually no different. I was extremely surprised that he remained rather calm. As we started the walk down the service road to the start, he settled in nicely behind the horse in front. About halfway down the road, I looked up at the morning sky as it was starting to lighten. Just then, a large shooting star with a bright green tail went flashing by from east to west. I said out loud “Now it’s time to make your wish!” I think everyone can imagine what my wish was. We finally got the nod, and it was off we were to Auburn.

I had been told it was mostly downhill to the Highway 89 crossing, but I didn’t realize how much. It’s a pretty steady decent, marked by short flat sections. The whole time I’m thinking “Ugh, this means just that much more climbing up to Watson’s Monument”. At Highway 89, it was good to see the volunteers and their heartfelt encouragement. Under the bridge, and then back over the bridge to cross the Truckee River to start the climb up through Squaw Valley to High Camp. The climb up to high camp was pretty much uneventful. It’s here though that you really must start taking a moment to look around and enjoy the view. Lake Tahoe in the distance is absolutely gorgeous. From High Camp to Watson, it’s a steady pull to Watson’s Monument. Too bad you can’t take time to stop and enjoy the history it represents.

The Rock

I was riding through Granite Chief Wilderness with Barbara White, and she commented that the bogs were in really good shape this year. We’ve had two years in a row of less than average snow fall, so I’m sure that’s made an impact. Made it through Granite Chief with no problems and on into Lyon’s Ridge Vet Check for the first water spot. As usual, we’re met with the welcomes of enthusiastic volunteers who help efficiently manage everyone through the check point. After Lyon’s Ridge, it’s a short section of trail to the infamous “Cougar Rock”. Cougar Rock is an extremely challenging technical climb, which until recent years was unavoidable. Before Ride Management built a bypass around the climb, all riders had to make the climb. These pictures do not do the challenge of climbing over this chunk of granite.

I’d made a mental note that I wouldn’t attempt the “Rock” if there were a lot of riders waiting. We arrived with only one team in front of us, so I said “What the heck – Let’s go for it”. The volunteer held us at the base until the previous rider had cleared the top. As we made our approach, there was a little bobble at that “big right turn, big step up” that everyone who’s made that trek knows what I’m talking about. We recovered and made the sweeping turn back to the left, when all hell broke loose. Just as we were about to clear the top, Tug lost his footing on the shear granite rock and went down on his front knees. In his struggle to get back up, I lost my balance and fell over on his left side. At that point, he actually reared up on his hind legs and leapt up over the top. It happened so fast, my life didn’t get a chance to flash before my eyes. How I rode that one out is beyond me, as my wish to the shooting star must have kicked in. I can only look up to the endurance gods and say thanks for not letting my ride end so soon. The lady behind me commented she was contemplating turning around after witnessing my climb over the Pinnacle of Endurance!

After the near disaster thwarted of Cougar Rock, the ride into Red Star Vet Check seemed uneventful. We arrived within 5 minutes of our target time. Tug drank well and pulsed down fairly quickly. I let him eat some hay, and then we moved over to the vet line. As Dr. Jim Baldwin was checking him out, he looked up and said “He’s got very quiet gut sounds, the quietest I’ve heard all day”. He had an associate check who agreed, and they said we needed to go back and let Tug eat for at least 15 minutes before we returned for a recheck. Poor gut sounds can be a precursor that the horse may be having problems that could cause problems for the horse if they continue competing.

I took Tug back to the staging area and gave him time to eat and rest. I lso gave him some electrolytes/probiotics and returned in 15 minutes for a recheck. Jim said that his gut sounds were probably a C. He was going to let me continue on, but I needed to take it easy into Robinson.

The stretch of trail between Red Star and Robinson seemed like an eternity. Tug hit a real mental low, and I ended up getting off to walk/jog him in. I thought our ride was over. My crew was waiting patiently but worriedly, since the time we arrived into Robison was 45 minutes later than expected. I’d explained what happened at Red Star, and wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to pulse down.

However, there were good signs when he drank a whole bucket of water and attacked the hay they had brought. Tug pulsed right down and got into line behind a dozen other teams. This gave him some time to eat before being vetted. I explained to the vet about what happened at Red Star, and he commented that his gut sounds were pretty good. A good trot out and we were over to the crew area for some R&R. It’s nice to have friends who truly care about your success. Their care, support and encouragement is what makes this all happen. Our exit CRI was good, and it was off for the next third of the Journey.

Tug really seemed to pick up after we crossed over Little Bald Mountain, so that helped me feel he just had a bad spell back at Red Star. We hooked up with a few riders who were going about the same pace and motored on into Last Chance. Tug drank and ate, and vetted through just fine. It was here that we hooked up with our buddy Amber Clark riding Rush Creek Orin on their first Tevis as well. We let the horses eat a little longer, and then it was off for the first of the three big canyons.

Into the Abyss

Having the good fortune of living with the Tevis trail in my backyard, I knew what was ahead. We made good time down to Swinging Bridge, and then stopped at the small creek just on the other side. Neither horse seemed interested in drinking, so we doused them good with cool water and started our climb to Devil’s Thumb. I’d spent so much of my time conditioning for this point of the ride, I tailed out from that point. Tailing involves following your horse on steep ascents and grabbing their tail to help your climb up the step trail sections. This is not a maneuver that a horse easily accepts, so you must prepare them well in advance before attempting on the narrow Tevis trails. It was a struggle at times, but I was able to walk out for the majority of the climb.

At Devils Thumb Amber and I watered the horses and wetted them down, then moved on down the trail to Deadwood. Deadwood was pretty much a repeat of Last Chance with the horses eating well and vetting through just fine. No dallying though as our next big hurdle through El Dorado Canyon waited. It was getting hotter, and there’s no water on the trail until you got to the other side of El Dorado Creek. Again, more tailing and we wound our way up the Canyon to Michigan Bluff. We were met by our crew members Tim and Cory, who had brought fresh water and electrolytes for me. They helped put a bunch of water on Tug and Orin, and then we were off to Chicken Hawk Vet Check. Chicken Hawk was pretty much the same routine, with drinking, eating and vetting going as planned.

The trail through Volcano Canyon was the first time I really got slowed down all day due to congestion. I was off running when we came upon a group of riders working their way through the switchbacks down to Volcano Creek. It seemed like an eternity, but we finally reached the bottom and remounted to make the last climb up to Foresthill. The climb out of Volcano was not near as severe as the previous two canyons, and so a good chance to make up some time on this section.

The Second Low Point

By the time we arrived in Foresthill, we were an hour behind our original schedule. Tug pulsed down quickly and tanked up on water, so we proceeded to the vet line. You know it’s a problem when they ask to have you trot out a second time. The vet said he seemed tight and not moving out that well. Standing close by was Dr. Bob Morgan, who Pat and I have known and used since arriving to the area twelve years ago. I asked if it would be okay for Bob to do an evaluation, because he knows my first priority would be the welfare of the horse. Bob watched Tug trot out and suggested we go back and let him eat, drink and rest, then return for an evaluation before being released to leave Foresthill. He thought Tug may just be tired and a little stiff, and a rest and recharge would be all he needed. Off to our rig for Tug to rest and recharge, and for me to clean up and change clothes. Our friend Kim massaged Tug during the hold and helped him relax. We tacked up about 10 minutes before our out time and presented Tug for reevaluation as directed. He was given the high sign and the last leg of our journey was underway.

Into the Darkness

The trail down through the Dardanelles on the Cal Loops seemed to take forever. Plus, it was friggin dark! Even with glow sticks, it was hard to see more than a couple of yards in front of your horse. I learned a valuable lesson on this stretch. It’s extremely helpful if the rider wears a white shirt or jacket. If you’re on a dark horse and wearing dark clothing, it’s really hard to be seen in the dark. I guess that’s why outlaws rode black horses and wore black hats.

It took us over two hours to traverse those eleven miles from Foresthill to Francisco’s. . This year, Tevis Volunteers had arranged to haul water into Peachstone which is about two-thirds of the way. With the horses watered and a little hay, we continued our trek down to Francisco’s. Once we descended close to the river, the trail finally opens up onto a fire access road and you can finally start to make up some time. The horses seem to be feeling better and really started to move out. In no time we spot the lights of Francisco’s and the welcoming sign of another vet check. Once again, Tug ate and drank well and we were cleared to proceed.

After Francisco’s, the trail was a little tight for a while before it opens up before the river crossing. Approaching the river crossing was like coming in for a landing. The volunteers have created lanes to follow with glow sticks under the water. It’s actually pretty cool looking in the dark. The river crossing was very high this year. Although I have long legs, Tug stands at 16 hands, so I’ve crossed the American River at this location on other occasions, but never had to worry about getting my feet wet. That was’nt the case this year, as the water came well up over my running shoes. My feet had been giving me problems, so the cold water was actually a nice relief.

Crossing the river, we followed a short section of trail that ultimately turns into the River Road. By now, Tug knew where he was. I asked to take the lead, as he knows where to trot and where to take it easy. We motored on into the Quarry and again vetted through just fine. I was able to yell out and visit with my Akhal-Teke friend Valerie for a couple of minutes, and then we headed down the trail to Auburn.

The Emotional High

As we crossed Highway 49, that’s when the emotions kicked in knowing that a completion was within site. Tug has probably ridden this section of trail over a 100 times. I told our group, “Let me take the lead and we’ll get to the finish with time to spare”. Even in the dark, I knew where we could make time and trot and where we needed to be cautious. The glow sticks on this section were pretty sparse, so it helped to know where the trail dove off the old railroad bed to bypass the sections where bridges no longer existed.

As we crested up over Robie Point I tipped my helmet to Wendell and Bandos (See Tevis History Sidebar), as we all know they would be there in spirit. After letting Tug take a big long drink from the trough at Robie Point, we turned down the trail to the finish. It was like a long Conga Line as we led the group of 17 riders up over the finish line. With everyone hooting and hollering, Pat met me at the finish line trough, an emotional wreck. She loves me and that horse so much, the emotions were overwhelming. Truth be known if I hadn’t stopped to consol her I’d probably have been doing the same thing myself!

Over the bridge to the vet area, one last pulse and trot out and the 2009 Tevis Completion was in the history books. We walked down to the Auburn Fairgrounds and remounted for our victory lap. Amber met me at the entrance and we shared our victory lap together. She kept thanking me over and over for helping her get through the ride, but I just kept reminding her that she’s the one who rode the horse.

We walked up to the trailer and Tug dove into his mash. He ate the whole hour before we had to take him back for the new mandatory post one-hour recheck, where the vet said he looked good and to have a safe trip home.

Recognition

Kathie Perry – If you hadn’t asked me that question on Super Bowl Sunday, I might never have made the effort to attempt this feat. Thank you for being the ultimate mentor and ensuring Tug and I were properly prepared.

Becky, Kim, Cory and Tim – I couldn’t have done it without you. To see you all patiently waiting for us at each checkpoint, and then feverously working on Tug, you helped make it happen.

Pat – As I work a full time job, Pat has the responsibility of doing all the training during the week. She unselfishly spent the necessary miles out on the trail to be sure Tug’s conditioning was where it needed to be. Not only my wife, you’re my best friend. Yes, we do have our differences at time, but that comes with 20+ years of marriage.

Tug – You didn’t ask to be taken on this journey, but you never complained. It was a team effort, but you were the foundation that got us to the finish. And I have some good news for you. You’re going to get a break from toting me around and Pat gets to ride you this next year. Your pasture buddy Amigo now will get the honors of lugging me around this next year.