The 2023 Tevis Cup happened while I was on vacation on the East Coast, so I did not follow it as closely as usual. This will be the third time I blog about the race, and it’s taking me longer than ever to get this post out there. Partly it’s because, yeah, I was out of town. Mainly it’s because I prepared a survey I am hoping riders will complete. I’ve only got a few responses at this time though, so I’d better go ahead and write this without all the data I hope is to come. You can access the survey below, and if you have ridden Tevis, I would really appreciate you doing so. I am focusing on this year, but anyone who has started knows a lot more than I do, and I’d love to hear about their experience.
Jump to:
Survey
Summary
Top Ten
Junior Riders
Non-Arabian completions
The stallions
The pulls
Some statistics
Tevis Cup Survey:
Read my blog posts about the last two editions of Tevis:
Press coverage of the Tevis Cup 2021
Results of the 2022 Tevis Cup
Note that some riders are international and do not have 300 endurance miles that you can reference on the AERC website. This does not mean they haven’t completed the required 300 miles. You can satisfy that requirement with rides that are not AERC. Read about it in my old post: The 300-mile rider requirement.
Summary
The 2023 Tevis Cup had far fewer entries than last year: 94 went to the starting line. The highest number was 113, so presumably 113 people sent entries in, but many scratched. Very few. Given recent events, part of me really wishes I had entered with Jazz. He would have benefited from a small field, and he was certainly fit enough! However, I did not deem him as ready as he could have been. Next year he will be truly ready mentally and physically, and Rachel Shackleford will no doubt do a better job of riding him than I could given her experience!
Of the 94 entries, 61 finished, or 64.89%. This is a much better completion rate than the average (50%), and significantly better than last year’s rate of 45.04% (Chi square [df = 1] = 8.63, p = .003).
The ride started at 5:15am.
Read the official standings here.
A different Tevis trail
Perhaps fewer people entered because of our crazy wet winter. Combined with fires in recent years, the snow meant that this year’s trail was different. You can view it in the map below, and if you want more details, click on this link: Tevis 2023 trail. I know there were a few different checkpoints and the trail was slightly different, but it would be ridiculous for me to talk about the differences! I have never ridden any Tevis trail.
Top ten
The winner:
Jeremy Reynolds, riding his 13-year-old Arabian mare Treasured Moments, finished first at 8:29pm. They had won two years earlier, completing at 10:03pm. “Treasure” completed Tevis three times before 2021, and won the Haggin Cup (Best condition in Tevis) in 2017. Jeremy rode the entire trail bridleless this year, a fact which has impressed many people. I am far more impressed by their record of completions than by the lack of a bit and reins! Amazing team.
Read about his win, with pictures and a great video, on Equine Ink.
Second place was last year’s winner…
Gabriela Blakely riding her riding her 14-year-old bay Arabian gelding LLC Pyros Choice, finished second at 8:37pm. Much faster than last year, but we cannot compare different courses. They were second in 2018 and 6th in 2017. As I mentioned last year, Pyro is an ex-show horse.
Jenna Harrison came in third less than ten minutes later, at 8:45. She rode her 14-year-old bay Shagya gelding Lily Creek Kong. Watch a video of them here.
Sanoma Blakely was fourth (9:14pm), riding her 8-year-old chestnut Arabian gelding SS Calypsos Cardamom (Boopsie). They started Tevis last year, but were pulled for lameness.
Dante Lapierre rode her 13-year-old bay Arabian mare Ms Dennie MHF to fifth place at 9:18pm. The pair were third last year and eighth in 2021. They started in 2018 but were pulled (lameness).
Haley Moquin riding the 14-year-old bay Arabian gelding Im Hot N Bothered were 6th at 9:25pm. “Freaky” also won the Haggin Cup! They were 12th last year.
Just after them in seventh came Kim Moquin riding Okbas Finale, a 16-year-old chestnut Arabian gelding. They finished in 13th place last year, and started in 2021 but were pulled (lameness).
Mark Montgomery came in eighth at 9:31 riding his 13-year-old buckskin mustang MM Gus. Highest placing non-Arabian (not counting the Shagya)!! They finished last year in 76th place. Read Mark and Gus’s story in Mark’s onm works in this Facebook post.
Heather Reynolds riding the 11-year-old chestnut Arabian gelding Supersonic Zell finished just afterwardsin 9th place (9:31pm). This was Sonic’s first Tevis, but Heather won in 2018, 2014, and 2003.
In tenth place also at 9:31pm were Mollie Quiroz and her 13-year-old bay Arabian gelding Chndakasexpress. They came in tenth last year, and were 11th in 2021. Impressive record!
Junior riders
Four junior riders started and finished Tevis this year.
13-year-old Tierney Beloberk riding her 12-year-old Arabian gelding Highh Treason finished in 23rd place at 2:34am. They completed last year as well, in 37th place.
Vanessa Erickson, riding the 14-year-old bay Arabian gelding Riyaaz Dezjon, finished at 4:16am in 42nd place. This was Vanessa’s first Tevis and “Rufus’s” third endurance race.
Lila Reeder riding her 8-year-old liver chestnut Arabian mare BES Belle Pepper came in right after in 43rd place at 4:16am. This was Lila and Pepper’s first Tevis too!
Kinley Thunehorst finished 59th at 5am, riding the 10-year-old Missouri Foxtrotter mare Danney Joe’s Prime Time Lady. The pair had started last year but were pulled for lameness. That was one of only two pulls out of 33 ride for the two of them!
Above: Junior rider Vanessa Erickson going over Cougar Rock on Rufus. Photo credit: Gore-Baylor Photography.
The non-Arabian completions
Besides the Shagya (3rd), Mustang (8th) and Missouri Foxtrotter (59th) mentioned above, there were 23 non-purebred Arabian completions.
West Wind Dragon, a 15-year-old blue roam Arabian-Appaloosa cross finished 25th at 3:13am, ridden by Kay Lockwood. “Dragon” carried Santiago Joaquin Gallo Perez to a Tevis completion in 51st place last year and finished 21st with Melissa Montgomery in 2019. Only a very good horse can carry three out of three different riders to completions!
The Shagya Arabian, Lord of the Mountains Theodore the Wonder Horse finished in 29th place at 3:27am, ridden by Rachel Miura. It was their first Tevis!
The 12-year-old chestnut Arabian cross gelding Red Hero finished at 4:10am in 31st place, ridden by Mallori Farrell. One of the five horses trained by Stevie and Dylan Delahunt of Intergalactic Equine to start and finish the 2023 Tevis Cup, Red Hero also completed in 2021, in 43rd place, ridden by Carmen Jackson.
Another Arabian cross belonging to the Delahunts, the 13-year-old bay gelding Alexander Hamilton, ridden by Alexandra Lewis, finished in 33rd place also at 4:10am. This was Alexandra’s first Tevis.
Just afterwards in 34th place at 4:10am came another Delahunt horse, the 16-year-old Arabian-Appaloosa cross gelding NVF Technicolor Vision, ridden by Carmen Jackson. This was “Sonic’s” third Tevis and first completion. (It was Carmen’s third Tevis and third completion!) Read Carmen’s Facebook post about the race here.
Michelle Mullins rode the 16-year-old red roan German Riding Pony Dancing Boy (Tango) to a 35th place finish at 4:11am.
The 15-year-old liver chestnut Mustang gelding MM Cody finished in 36th place at 4:14am, ridden by Ken Campbell. Cody and Ken finished Tevis in 2022, 2021, and 2019. Cody was 8th place in Tevis 2018, with Mykayla Corgnell. He also completed Tevis in 2017 and 2016. Cody started but was pulled in 2015 (lame) and 2014 (metabolic). That’s 7/9 in Tevis! Cody has 3575 endurance miles, with 10 BCs. Maybe I should be shopping for a Mustang!
The 8-year-old bay Anglo-Arab gelding Skye’s Honor completed 40th at 4:16am, ridden by Carl Kimbler.
Just afterwards, in 41st at 4:16am, came the Arabian/Trakehner cross, 7-year-old chestnut gelding RR Gogh Gogh Gadget, ridden by Guiseppe DYcci from Italy.
Less than a minute later (also 4:16) in 45th place, came the National Show Horse (NHS must be at least 50% Arabian) mare Sparta, ridden by Trish Smith. They were overtime last year, but Sparta has three prior Tevis completions with other riders. (See Stevie Delahunt’s Facebook post with videos and pictures of their five riders and horses.)
The 17-year-old Rocky Mountain gelding Diamond Smuggler finished 20 minutes later in 46th place, ridden by Ashley Sansome. This was their first Tevis.
Eleven-year-old bay Arabian/Paint gelding Houdini, ridden by Preston Ketcherside, came in 49th at 4:41am. They were pulled last year (lame), but Presto has a prior Tevis completion with another horse.
None of the next six completions were purebred Arabians!
In 50th place at 4:42am come the 11-year-old blue roan Appaloosa mare BPR Jasmine Blu, ridden by Sara Anderson. This was “Jazzy’s” first Tevis. Sara has one prior completion, with a half-Arab. See Kristen Grace’s Facebook post about Jazzy.
The 10-year-old chestnut Quarab mare Gold N Diva ridden by Nance Worman completed in 51st place, also at 4:42am. This was “Goldie’s” first Tevis and Nance’s third Tevis completion.
Within a minute in 52nd was the 10-year-old red roan mustang gelding JM Gibbs ridden by Alexandra Collier. This was their first Tevis! Read Alexandra’s story here.
Another mustang, the 8-year-old bay gelding Seven, ridden by Audra Cook, finished in 53rd place at 4:46am. This was their first Tevis experience! Read all about Audra and Seven’s journey in her detailed Facebook post.
The 10-year-old black Arabian cross mare Khaleesi finished 54th, also at 4:46am ridden by Juleen Feazell. The 2023 Tevis Cup was Khaleesi’s first endurance race! She had completed one LD, also with Juleen, who has only one other ride on her AERC record, a 25-mile LD.
Just a minute after Khaleesi in 55th place came the 7-year-old grey Yakima mustang gelding Sterling Gray Texas Bandit ridden by Lynn Atcheson. This was “Texas’s” first Tevis; Lymm had started previously but did ot complete, so it was a first for her too!
The 11-year-old bay Arabian cross gelding PS Trakara River finished 57th at 4:52am, ridden by the Australian Charles Gauci. This was River’s first Tevis. Charles Gauci does not have an AERC number, so I cannot readily access his history.
Right afterward in 58th place, also at 4:52, came the 12-year-old black and white Spotted Saddle Horse gelding Charlie, ridden by Terry Zygalinski. The pair started Tevis last year, but rider optioned.
(As mentioned above, 59th was Danney Joe’s Prime Time Lady ridden by junior rider Kinley Thunehorst.)
Finally, in 60th came the 17-year-old bay mustang gelding Nevada, ridden by Sarah Arthur. This was their first Tevis!
The stallions
Seeing as I’ve been considering taking on a stallion to train for Tevis, I thought I should mention that four stallions (all Arabian) started the 2023 Tevis Cup. Two finished:
Kassandra Dimaggio’s 14-year-old chestnut stallion WT Bezarif finished in 17th place at 12:54am. This is his second Tevis completion. Read Kass’s account on the AERC Facebook page. I have ridden with Kass and “Taser” many times. He is very well-behaved; you wouldn’t even know he’s a stallion. (This has been the case with almost every stallion I’ve ridden with or observed at rides where I volunteered.)
John Stevens’ 10-year-old grey racebred stallion Lil Dude AA finished 19th at 2:05am. This was “Boomer’s” first Tevis, but John had four prior Tevis buckles. Nina Bomar provides some background in this informative post.
Two more stallions started but were pulled, Jay Mero’s WMA Rio Bravo and Diane Stevens’ FV Ibn’s Aulani, also both Arabians.
The pulls
No one was no overtime in the 2023 Tevis Cup!
4 Rider Options: two Arabians, one Arabian-Appaloosa, and one Icelandic.
1 Surface factors: Arabian
3 Metabolic: Two Arabians, and Rocky Mountain.
25 Lame: One Anglo-Arab, 17 Arabians, three Arab crosses, one Missouri Foxtrotter, one Mustang, and one Tennessee Walking Horse.
Some statistics
There were 64 geldings, 26 mares, and 4 stallions. See the table below for completion status by sex.
Mean age = 12.88 (SD = 3.47, max = 23.20, min = 6.20).
Arabians
63.83% (60/94) of the field were Arabians. (not significantly different from the 65.65%% Arabian field in 2022).
60/66% (37/61) of the completions were Arabian. 69.70% (23/33) of the pulls were Arabian. (Compare with 2022: 67.80% of completions, 63.89% pulls were Arabians.)
In other words, 38.33% of the Arabians that started were pulled. (Last year that figure was 53.49%.)
Non-Arabians
34 non-purebred Arabians entered (36.17%, slightly more than last year’s 34.35%).
24, or 39.34% of the completions were non-purebred Arabian (more than last year’s 32.20%). 10 of the pulls were non-Arabian (30.30%, less than 36.11% in 2022).
In other words, 29.41% of the non-Arabians that started were pulled. (Last year the proportion was 57.78% What a difference! For the statisticians out there, chi square (df = 1) = 6.21, p = .013).
Breaking pulls down by Arabian/non-Arabian status:
This is somewhat deceptive, as only 13 of the 34 “non-Arabians” were not Arabian crosses or Shagya Arabians. Just take that into consideration. You can see a more detailed breakdown in the table below.
Rider option: 60% Arabian. 5.00% of the Arabians that started were RO. 5.88%% of the non-Arabian started were RO.
Lame: 70.83%% Arabian. 28.33% of the Arabians that started were pulled for lameness. 20.58% of the non-Arabian started were pulled for lameness.
Metabolic: 66.67% Arabian. 3.33% of the Arabians that started were pulled for metabolic reasons. 2.94% of the non-Arabian started were pulled for metabolic issues.
Press coverage
Not much yet, but I’ll add if I remember.
Gold Country Media is always prompt to report on the race: “Tevis Cup: Jeremy Reynolds claims title, Haley Moquin wins Haggin Cup”
“Capturing the Tevis Cup, again” from the Ocala Gazetta.
Behind The Photo: 100 Miles On A Shoestring from Chronicle of the Horse.