Tevis Forum 2014

TEVIS FORUM 2014 ★ 1 W estern S tates T rail F oundation Officers Phil Gardner, President Tony Benedetti, Vice President Barbara White, Vice President Shellie Hatfield, Treasurer Debby Lyon, Corporate Secretary Chuck Stalley, Ride Director Board of Governors Pam Bailie Tony Benedetti Tom Christofk Connie Creech Garrett Ford Phil Gardner Andrew Gerhard Linda Glazier Gary V. Hall Steve Hallmark Shellie Hatfield Jeff Herten, MD Becky Lange Debby Lyon, DDS Gary Magdesian, DVM Governors Emeritus Rho Bailey Joe Larkin Chuck Mather Bob Stevens Chuck Gabri Hank Cook, DVM J.C. “Bud” Dardi Larry Deakyne Donna Fitzgerald Hank Gibbons Joanne Hoeffler Jerry Scribner f r o m Ride Director Chuck Stalley f r o m WSTF President Phil Gardner Bob Marx Kathie Perry Mike Pickett Bill Pieper Terryl Reed Kate Riordan Lisa Schneider Lynn Seeley Jenni Smith Chuck Stalley Lori Stewart Marc Van Zuuk Brad Weston Barbara White Roger Yohe (continued on page 64) Bob Davis Lewis R. Gale III Roxanne Greene Frank Herald Marvin Jacinto John McCullough Julie Suhr Ralph Dever Mo Livermore Henry Griffin Jim Humphrey Larry Suddjian Jack Veal TEVIS FORUM Editing and graphics: Barbara Jacinto, BJ DESIGN Advertising Sales: Carrie Ellinwood, Marisa Dardi, Celena Pentrack Coordinator: Mike Pickett Printed by Auburn Printers & Integrated Marketing FRONT COVERS, Suzanne Hedgecock on Swinging Bridge. Photograph by Lynne Glazer Ride Date August 9, 2014 W elcome to the 59 th running of the Western States Trail Ride. The American River Fire of 2013 threatened the 2014 course due to a substantial amount of damage to the mid section of the trail. The Western States Run, the Western States Trail Foundation and the AmeriCorp trail restoration teams logged liter- ally thousands of hours rebuilding trails and bridges lost in the fire. Due to the tremendous efforts of friends of the trail, we have a well- built trail for 2014. We are continuing the Legacy Buckle Awards Program for 2014, our truly for- ward thinking concept of donating and reissuing buckles to first time riders. The buckles are donated back to theWSTF fromprevious ride completers, engraved on Drucilla Barner (1914 - 1979) Dick Barsaleau, DVM (1925-2012) Charles Barieau (1916-2005) Al Beaupre (1929 - 2009) Nan Benzie ( ? - 2000) Heather Davis (1939- 2002) Bernard Dobbas (1912 - 1996) Paula Fatjo (1920 - 1993) Pat Fox (? - 2003) Eldon Hall (1915 - 1994) Marilyn Hunter (1937-2013) David Jay (1918 - 1999) Smokey Killen (1916 - 1995) ©2014 Western States Trail Foundation ©2014 150 Gum Lane, Suite 103 • Auburn, California 95603 Phone: (530) 823-7282 •  FAX: (530) 823-7901 E-mail: [email protected] •   www.TevisCup.org LeRoy Krusi (1894 - 1983) Jim Larimar (1948-2013) Nick Mansfield (1906 - 1999) Maynard Munger (1932 - 2006) Virl Norton (1916 - 1995) Jesper Peterson Clint Ritchie (1938 - 2009) Wendell Robie (1895 - 1984) Albert Shumate, MD (1904 - 1998) Bob Suhr (1919 - 2010) Went Tellington (1917 - 2000) Betty Veal (1927 - 2004) Paul Yeagley (1959 - 2003) W elcome to the Tevis, it is like no other event. Whether it is your first or your forty fourth (yes, someone is plan- ning on starting the Tevis for the forty fourth time!) the feeling is the same. The anticipation, the nervous- ness, that feeling in the pit of your stomach is there every time you start. If this is your first Tevis you are about to embark on a life altering experience. Your knowledge, endurance and horsemanship will be tested as few other events in the world can do today. If you have started before, well, you knowwhat I am talking about. Wendell Robie liked to talk about having a pioneering experience. Think about it, he grew up knowing the men who came to California in the Gold Rush. He wanted to test himself against the standard they set for tough- ness. It is a high standard indeed. There is a reason that more individuals have reached the summit of Mt Everest than have finished the Tevis. It is because not only you but your partner, your horse you have trained with for so long, has to be up for the day too. It is this unique partnership that makes the Tevis so special and challenging. The founders of the Western States Trail Foundation (WSTF) continued the work of Bob Watson who in the 1920s set out to rediscover the trail that was used by the goldminers of the 1850s. Since its incep- tion in 1955 the WSTF has been an unfailing advocate for the preservation of the Western States Trail (WST). In the last few years three major fires have hit the trail. One forced the can- celation of both the WS 100 run and the Tevis. Last summer theAmerican Fire started near Deadwood and burned through the North Fork canyon de- stroying the iconic Swing Bridge and the Pacific Slab Bridge between Devils Thumb and Last Chance. The WSTF has partnered with theWestern States Endurance Run Foundation (WSERF), the United States Forest Service (USFS) and California State Parks and Recreation to establish the Western States Trail Preservation Committee (WStrail.org) to raise funds and coordinate trail restoration. Last fall the Joint Trails Committee had over 1,000 man hours of hard labor donated (continued on page 45) WSTF Honors