Tevis Forum 2015

2 ★ TEVIS FORUM 2015 60th Anniversary 2015 Tevis Dedication This years Western States Trail Ride (TEVIS) is dedic ted to all those wonderful four-legged equines that have crossed the mountains in hopes of reaching Auburn. They arrive every summer on a full moon weekend in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe. They come from all over the United States, Canada, and, often, places far away. Their back- grounds vary from the royally bred that were conceived for this weekend to cast-o s that were rescued and given a second chance at life. Some are large and some are small; they come in many colors. They are prepared for the heat with clipped coats and braided manes. Each one of them is a ne-tuned, elite athlete. They sense the electricity in the air. They call for their friends, and they paw in nervous anticipation at their trailers. They may come one time only to this place in the Sierra or they may come annually for more than a decade. They are hard to control in the cool briskness of the early morning, starting down the road with about 200 of their kind. By 25 miles, they become true teammates, working on a goal in tandem with their partners. They are ridden, led, and tailed, but they are always going forward. They drink and snatch grass along the trail, and they are examined and refreshed at the stops. They persevere through the heat of the day, even though the task has become arduous. When the sun and temperature go down, they are rein- vigorated. Team leadership passes to them in the dark- ness, for it is they that have the better vision and the four agile feet. They cross the American River, relishing the cooling water on their legs and bellies. Knowing they are nearing the goal, they pick up the pace on the river road. They climb toward the lights of Auburn and canter around the stadium. They carry us for 100 miles in less than 24 hours. They endure without complaint. They allow us to realize our dreams, and they do it for one reason only. They do it because we ask. It is with grati- tude that is beyond measure that the 2015 Tevis Cup Ride is dedicated to the thousands of noble equines, from 1955 to 2015, that have traveled the Western States Trail. “My treasures do not chink or glitter, They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night” -Bedouin Proverb