Summary of 2024 Tevis Cup results (Road to Tevis #117)

I had hoped to ride Tevis 2024, but as it turned out, my life circumstances this past month made it a lucky thing that my plans fell through. But as I have done the past three years, I will do my best to provide an abbreviated report of the 2024 Tevis Cup results here. There have been so many great Facebook posts about it. My purpose here is simply to mention the essentials. I will try to include links to more thorough and/or personal write-ups as well.

Many thanks to Abigail Madden who volunteered to read over this blog and try to save me from putting my foot in my mouth as many times as I have in previous editions! She caught numerous errors that I have (hopefully) fixed.

Jump to:

Summary
Tevis Cup Opinion Poll
Top Ten
Junior Riders
Non-Arabian completions?
The Stallions
The Pulls
Tragedy on the Trail
Some Statistics
Photos
Other coverage of the 2024 Tevis Cup results

Read my blog posts about the last three editions of Tevis:

Press coverage of the Tevis Cup 2021
Results of the 2022 Tevis Cup
Results of the 2023 Tevis Cup

Above: The 2024 Tevis Cup trail.

Summary

This year 139 equine and rider pairs started the Tevis Cup at 5:15AM. The ride was very challenging; only 56 (40.3%) teams finished. Two horses died during the ride (Two experienced horses also died in 2022. It is not an easy course to ride, and things happen, even to the most skilled teams.) Another horse collapsed on the trail, but with an amazing effort by dedicated crews was rescued. I’m currently in Spain and between hectic trip preparations and the journey, I’ve missed a lot, but apparently there has been a great deal of acrimonious discussion about the safety of the ride.

This has not diminished my desire to enter Tevis, though it does reinforce my determination to wait until I have a horse 100% ready in all ways!

What is your take on the Tevis Cup’s challenging nature?

(See my post on what I intend to do with these data: This is not science! On surveys, opinions, blogs, and Tevis.)

Top Ten

Dr. Jay Mero won the 2024 Tevis Cup on her 12-year-old chestnut Arabian mare, Ozark Kaolena SWA (“Lena”). The pair finished at 10:05PM. This was their fourth Tevis completion together out of four attempts! Read Dr. Mero’s account in this great Facebook post.

Read the Mariposa Gazette’s Jeanette Mero fulfills lifelong dream with win during grueling Tevis Cup.

Second was Dr. Mero’s daughter Reyna Mero riding the ten-year-old grey Arabian mare Chndakas Eklipse (“Clippie”), finishing at 10:19PM. This was the pair’s fourth Tevis and third completion together. Clippie also won the prestigious Haggin Cup, which is similar to the AERC Best Condition award.

Read more in The Plaid Horse’s All in the Family: Mother-Daughter Duo Claim Tevis and Haggin Cup.

Sanoma Blakely riding her 8-year-old Arabian gelding SS Calypsos Cardamom came in third at 10:42PM. This was the pair’s third Tevis and second completion together. (Sanoma won Tevis in 2019 riding RA Ares Bey.)

Fourth at 10:55PM was Jenna Harrison and her bay Arabian cross gelding Lily Creek Kong (“Kong”). Last year the pair came in third place!

First time Tevis rider Ecuadorian Felipe Portilla came in fifth at 11:03PM, riding the 13-year-old Arabian gelding GE Danex. This was the horse’s third Tevis (second completion); last year Katrin Levermann came in 61st with him.
If you do Facebook, read Nina Bomar’s post about Felipe here.

Heather Reynolds obtained her 10th completion this year, coming in sixth place with her 12-year-old Arabian gelding Supersonic Zell (Sonic) just after Felipe. Sonic and Heather were 9th last year. Heather has won Tevis three times. (What I find more encouraging is that she has started and not completed Tevis as many times as she has completed… more or less. I lost track when counting!)
Read more about Heather and Sonic in this Gold Country Media article.

Seventh place at 11:22PM was Kim Moquin riding her 17-year-old Arabian gelding Okbas Finale (“Finny”). The pair also came in seventh last year! This was their third Tevis completion in a row (they were pulled in 2021).

Mollie Quiroz riding the 14-year-old Arabian gelding Chndakasexpress (Mack) came in eighth at 11:29PM. This was the pair’s fourth Tevis completion (third top ten) out of four starts!

In ninth place at 11:54PM was Becky Spencer riding the nine-year-old Arabian gelding Bezooka. I am very happy about this particular placing, because Bezooka is by WT Bezarif (“Taser”). I bred my mare Fantazia to Taser in May. Obviously I’d love to get a future Tevis competitor!

Nicole Wertz riding the nine-year-old Arabian gelding Little Sammy SV was tenth at 1:18AM. This was only Sammy’s tenth endurance ride (ninth completion; He does have LDs as well). It was Nicole’s sixth completion.

Above: Bezooka and Becky Spencer & Kathie Perry at the awards ceremony.

Junior Riders

Ten junior riders started the 2024 Tevis Cup and four of them completed. (In 2023 only four started the ride and all four finished.)

Junior Completions

The top junior was Amelia Vandermeer riding the 17-year-old Arabian gelding Chadrack, coming in at 4:09AM in 22nd place. This was their first Tevis start!

Tierney Beloberk riding her 13-year-old Arabian gelding Highh Treason finished in 23rd place for the second year in a row, this time at 4:09AM. This was the pair’s third Tevis completion in a row!

Jax Beloberk, who has been waiting to turn twelve to be eligible to ride Tevis for the first time, came in 27th at 4:23AM with the 13-year-old Arabian gelding Golly Brae Brae.

The final junior completion was Lila Reeder riding her 7-year-old Arabian gelding Cricket MHF came in 28th just after Jax. This was Lila’s second Tevis completion in a row!

Above: Photos from 12-year-old Jax Beloberk’s first Tevis experience. Left (or top): Jax’s support team buddies at Foresthill (Photo credit: Trista Groth). Middle: Jax and Golly Brae Brae vetting at Robinson Flat (Photo credit: Katie Stilwell Beloberk). Right/last: Jax’s dad giving encouragement at Robinson Flat (Photo credit: Katie Stilwell Beloberk).

Junior starters

Four juniors successfully rode the 68 miles to Foresthill.

Layla Law and the Saddlebred mare Ch-Sh She’s Spotless (“Coco”) arrived at Foresthill at 8:20PM but Layla rider optioned when her mother Natalie’s horse was pulled. It was Layla’s first Tevis.

Erna Valdivia and the grey Arabian mare Love Story came into Foresthill fit to continue at 9:35PM. Erna was riding with Susannah Jones and her gelding Eli. (Susannah and Eli successfully completed Tevis in 2022). Susannah and Erna decided to rider option. Erna was the first African American female and teenager to ride the Tevis Cup.
You can watch an interview with Erna and read more about her here: Local teen competes in grueling equestrian race on rescued horse.

The other two juniors who made it to Foresthill were overtime; both were attempting Tevis for the first time. Mia Clegg riding the Arabian mare MV VG Bella came in at 9:50PM. It was their seventh ride (and second 100 miler–they finished 100 miles at 20 Mule Team successfully). Addison Lico riding the Missouri Fox Trotter mare Shadow’s Stormy April (“Inena”) arrived at the same time as Mia and Bella. Addison had also entered (and completed) six endurance rides before Tevis.

The final two junior pulls

Josslyn Terry, riding the 19-year-old Arabian stallion HCC Elessar +/ (“Monster”), made it to Deadwood, where they were pulled with Rider Option–Lame. Although this was Josslyn’s first Tevis attempt, she has over 2000 endurance and LD miles. Monster has 7005 endurance miles, including two Tevis completions.

Finally, Kathleen Daley and her 12-year-old Saddlebred mare CH-SH Three Socks were pulled (Lame) at Last Chance.

Non-Arabian completions?

This year only three horses that were neither Arabian nor crosses completed, and all were Mustangs.

Molly Poirier and her 12-year-old Mustang gelding Little Joe finished in 31st place at 4:26AM. “Joey” has completed all of the 15 endurance rides he started, including coming in 9th in the 100-mile 20 Mule Team event; this was his first Tevis. Molly rode him in all those rides; she has one other completion and no pulls! An impressive team!

Audra Cook finished in 42nd place at 4:52AM, riding her nine-year-old Mustang gelding Seven. The pair finished Tevis in 53rd place last year. Seven also has a perfect AERC record, 21 starts and 21 completions.

The amazing 16-year-old Mustang gelding MM Cody ridden by Ken Campbell finished in 55th place at 5:10AM. This was the pair’s 5th Tevis completion in a row. This was the 8th Tevis completion in a row for Cody. (He also has two previous pulls at Tevis.)

Mustangs can clearly make reliable endurance horses!

Above: Molly Poirier leads her mustang gelding Little Joe (“Joey”) across the swinging bridge. Photo credit: Alicia Berardi

Why didn’t the non-Arabians complete?

Eight were metabolic pulls. The Arabian’s great advantage is precisely its metabolic capacity, so it is no great surprise in a very hot ride that so many non-Arabians were pulled for metabolic reasons. To compare, 13.8% of the Arabians entered were metabolic pulls vs. 21.1% of the part-Arabians and 30.8% of the non-Arabians.

Five (19.2%) were lameness pulls. Two (7.7%) were overtime. Seven (26.9%) were rider option; one was RO–lame.

Read Mark Montgomery’s account of his experience with his mustang Gus in his Facebook post. They were pulled for lameness at at the very end!

Above: Nicole Owens and her 17-year-old Morgan mare, Shining Star. Nicole was stung by a bee and was having an allergic reaction. She rider-optioned at Deadwood even though Star was doing well. Next year!

Arabian crosses

Nine Arabian crosses completed the 2024 Tevis Cup, including the fourth place horse, Lily Creek Kong mentioned above.

The next part-Arabian to cross the finish line, in 24th place at 4:09AM, was the 15-year-old gelding BDF Augustus, ridden by Chelsea Arnold. “Gus” and Chelsea also completed Tevis the one other time they started, in 2022.

Read Chelsea’s account of the ride here.

The 17-year-old mare RA China Doll ridden by Virginia Jenkins came in 32nd place at 4:26AM. “Cassie” is 3/4 Arabian, 1/4 Saddlebred (see her pedigree).

Christine Gonzalez rode her 18-year-old gelding Indy to a 40th place finish at 4:50AM. This was their first Tevis.

The 16-year-old gelding Hindi Jackson ridden by Ali Woodward came in 43rd at 4:53AM. This was their first Tevis together and Ali’s first ever (“Jackson” was pulled some years ago with a different rider.)

The 14-year-old gelding Alexander Hamilton carried his owner Stevie Delahunt to her first Tevis buckle. They came in 46th at 4:54AM. Alexander Hamilton also finished last year and in 2019. Read about Stevie and Alexander Hamilton’s experience in Stevie’s words in her Facebook post.

Last year Stevie and Dylan Delahunt of Intergalactic Equine trained five horse and human pairs that successfully started and finished Tevis. This year besides Stevie herself, they had three other horse/human pairs enter and finish, riding together across the finish line.

Another Delahunt horse, the 17-year-old Arabian-Appaloosa gelding NVF Technicolor Vision (“Sonic”) ridden by Sally Melendrez came in 49th. Sonic finished last year’s Tevis as well, ridden by Carmen Jackson.

Carmen Jackson rode the 15-year-old Mustang-Arabian cross gelding Red Hero to a 50th place finish. The Delahunt’s “Hero” and Carmen also completed Tevis in 2021, and Hero completed it last year with Mallori Farrell.

The last Arabian cross to finish, in 53rd place at 5:01AM, was the 15-year-old Arabian-Appaloosa gelding West Wind Dragon, ridden by Ricardo Galan of Mexico. This was Dragon’s fourth Tevis completion and Ricardo’s first Tevis.

Above: The team from Intergalactic Equine at the end of another successful Tevis Cup! From left to right, Jessie Dowling riding Chuck Norris, Sally Melendrez on NVF Technicolor Vision, Stevie Delahunt riding Alexander Hamilton, and Carmen Jackson with Red Hero. Photo credit: Dominique Cognée

The Stallions

Three stallions started Tevis, and one finished, Diane Stevens‘ 11-year-old FV Ibn’s Aulani (“Bentley”), in 38th place at 4:42AM. This was Bentley’s fourth Tevis and second completion, all with Diane. It was Diane’s eighth completion out of 12 starts.

As mentioned above, junior rider Josslyn Terry rode HCC Elessar and rider-optioned (Lame) at Deadwood.

Last but not least, WT Bezarif reached Last Chance fit to continue, but his rider Andy Mayo rider optioned because Taser just didn’t feel right. Read about it in Mt. Rushnomore’s Facebook post. This was Taser’s fifth Tevis Cup. He has completed twice, both times ridden by owner Kassandra DiMaggio. I am watching Taser closely because I’ve bred my mare PGN Fantazia to him. When I get a chance, I plan to interview Kass and do a blog post about them.

Above: Andy Mayo riding WT Bezarif. Photo credit: William Gore.

The Pulls

Note that not all of these may be correct. I have taken the data from the AERC website, but I have heard some OTs are ROs and the other way around. I will doublecheck with AERC in a month. Also, I am counting the two horses that were put down as deaths, not overtime and metabolic as AERC has them listed.

12 horses (8.6% of starters) were Overtime. Of these, ten were Arabian, one was a Missouri Fox Trotter, and one was a Spotted Saddle Horse.

24 (17.3%) Rider Options: 13 Arabians, two Arabian crosses, two Shagyas, one Saddlebred, two mules, one Rocky Mountain, one Morgan, one Tennessee Walker, and one Kentucky Mountain Horse.

There were also two Rider Option–Lame pulls (1.4%), one Arabian mentioned above, and one Spotted Saddle Horse.

25 (18.0%) Metabolic: 13 Arabians, three Mustangs, two Anglo-Arabs, one Arabian cross, one National Show Horse (this is also technically an Arabian cross!), one Appaloosa, one Rocky Mountain Horse, one Tennessee Walker, one Walkaloosa, and one grade horse.

18 (12.9%) Lame: 12 Arabians, two Saddlebreds, one Arabian cross, one Rocky Mountain Horse, one Mustang, and one Tennessee Walking Horse (the famous John Henry).

Tragedy on the Trail

Two horses were put down after falling off the trail. On the wishes of their owners (and because the AERC does not have a code for “died on the trail”), one was reported as overtime, the 15-year-old Arabian gelding MV Im Hot N Bothered ridden by Caroline de Bourbon. The other was reported as metabolic, the nine-year-old Anglo Arab mare Layla ridden by Max Merlich.

According to the Tevis organizers in a statement made the day after Tevis:

The Western States Trail Foundation must acknowledge the unfortunate loss of two horses during the 2024 Tevis Cup ride. Max Merlich lost his horse Laylas Knightly Getaway (“Layla”) in the Swinging Bridge Canyon near Devil’s Thumb, more than 50 miles into the ride. Caroline DeBourbon lost her mount (owned by Melissa Montgomery) MV Im Hot N Bothered (“Phoenix”) on the California Loop close to the Cal 2 water stop, more than 75 miles from the start. Both horses tragically fell off the trail in precipitous locations after reacting violently to issues on the ground and with tack.

Read the full statement posted on Facebook by the Western States Trail Foundation.

You can also read about it in the articles linked below.

From Hoodline: Two Horses Fatally Injured at 2024 Tevis Cup Endurance Ride in Northern California

From Fox News: Two horses die during 2024 Tevis Cup in Northern California

I do not want to speculate about all the factors that could have contributed to the loss of these horses. What we know is that their riders and owners wanted only the best for them. Sometimes bad luck happens.

Above: Max Merlich and Laylas Knightly Getaway on the left; Caroline de Bourbon and MV Im Hot N Bothered on the right in their vetting-in photos (credit: Kandise King). I am sure both riders are devastated by the loss of their horses.

Some Statistics

Again, I am counting the two horses that died as Deaths rather than OT and M in my calculations.

There were 87 geldings (62.6%), 49 mares (35.3%), and 3 stallions (2.2%). See the table below for completion status by sex. (Statistical tests show that completion is not dependent on sex, however there were too few stallions to take that without a grain of salt.)

Mean age = 12.27 years (SD = 3.77, max = 23, min = 6). Age was not related to completion status.

**If you want the results of statistical analyses or my datafile, let me know and I’ll share privately!

Arabians

67.6% (94/139) of the field were Arabians. (last year there were 94 entries total).

78.57% (44/56) of the completions were Arabian. This is a significantly greater proportion than last year’s 60.66%.

60.24% (50/83) of the pulls were Arabian. (This was not significantly different from last year’s 69.70%.)

More Arabians failed to complete (53.19%) than completed. That seems a much greater proportion than last year, when only 38.33% of the Arabians that started were pulled, but the difference is not statistically significant (z = 1.80, p = .072) and it is very similar to 2022’s 53.49%.

Part Arabians

Here I include Arabian crosses, National Show horses, and Shagyas. I’ve decided it’s more informative to do it this way. (If you object to Shagyas being included here, I am happy to share my dataset and you can run the numbers a different way.)

13.7% (19/139) of the field were part-Arabians.

16.07% (9/56) of the completions were part-Arabian.

12.05% (10/83) of the pulls were part-Arabian.

More part-Arabians failed to complete (52.63%) than completed. This is no different from the proportion for Arabians.

Non-Arabians

18.71% (26/139) of the field were non-Arabians.

5.36% (3/56) of the completions were non-Arabian.

27.71% (23/83) of the pulls were non-Arabian.

Far more non-Arabians failed to complete (88.46%) than completed. This is significantly different from both Arabians and part-Arabians, both of which were much more likely to complete.

Photos

Below are links to various ride photographers.

Alicia Berardi took pictures at the swinging bridge.

Dominique Cognée captured horses and riders in a variety of locales, including lots of close-ups.

Lynne Glazer took pictures at the vet-in at Robie Park, High Camp, Foresthill, and the BC judging.

William Gore took pictures at Robie Park, Cougar Rock, and the finish.

Rider check-in photos by Kandise King Photography.

David Lewis of Dream Team Photography has a variety of photo folders waiting to be filled, so check out the website!

Merri Melde took pictures at the awards ceremony, BC judging, Foresthill, Robinson Flat, and vetting in at Robie.

Crissy Tadlock photographed at Foresthill.

Other coverage of the 2024 Tevis Cup results

2024 Tevis Cup by Kristen Grace