TEVIS FORUM 2022 - 25 www.teviscup.org 835 Lincoln Way • Auburn • 530-885-3986 victoryvelo.com Best of luck on your 2022 Tevis Journey! AUBURN PRINTERS They will drop in. Tribute to Sandy Schuler (continued from page 23) (continued on page 36) Raised in Stockton, California, Sandy met Tevis veteran Cory Soltau at U.C. Davis. Cory took Sandy riding on Mount Diablo and she was hooked. “Endurance kind of goes along with being a veterinarian,” she says. “It spoke to me.” Besides her many Tevis completions, Sandy also has the distinction of being only one of two people awarded back-to- back Haggin Cups for Best Condition. Her magnificent chest- nut Arab gelding Magnet won the coveted award in 1993 and 1994. She and Magnet are the last pair to achieve this honor. Sandy started the Tevis Cup ride with Magnet eight consecutive years, 1992 to 1999. They finished top 10 in five of those starts. He was clearly a special horse, as you can tell when Sandy recalls the 1992 ride, Magnet’s first Tevis: “We started from Robie Park that year. It had been raining all night. They’d built bridges out of planks over the boggy spots, and we were going along fine on those. The last one was over a deeper creek. The horse in front of me accelerated and Magnet pushed off with his hind end. His feet slipped and we fell off the bridge. I grabbed for his rein and missed, and he crashed into the brush and went rolling downhill, over and over, far down where I couldn’t see him. There was a wonderful man from Utah behind me who jumped off his horse, put his horse’s reins in my hand and went down after Magnet. Magnet was pinned down with his neck to his side. He couldn’t move. The rider pulled branches so Magnet could get up. Shortly after that he called out, ‘He’s coming up!’ And Magnet came right to me. His expression was ‘Oh my God, you won’t believe what just happened to me.’” If any rider is lucky enough to have a “horse of their heart,” it’s clear that Magnet was Sandy’s. She says, “Magnet enjoyed being out on the trail, he made it fun, and I loved riding him.” Sandy methodically brings each horse along with her carefully selected training rides, multi-day rides, and competi- tions designed specifically for Tevis success. Those fortunate enough to have trained with her know her to be “the queen of pacing,” knowing exactly where she needs to be for that specific horse. “I try to pace to their abilities and to the ter- rain, the temperature, and the task at hand,” she says. Sandy is acutely observant of the horse—noting every aspect of both physical and mental performance. “I’m honest with myself about how my horse is doing. I never ask for more than what I think he’s capable of in that moment.” Sandy is one of a small group of Tevis veterans who have seen the ride evolve into what it is today. We contacted some of them to share their praise and respect for her. Cory Soltau, DVM: Sandy and I met as undergrads at UC Davis. She was a great rider and had a big Thoroughbred jumper. I had to try to out-do her, so I challenged her to come with me on an endurance ride .... the Siskiyou 50. I thought that would be her first and last race... fat chance, it just was the beginning of her incredible endurance successes. I rode with Sandy on her first Tevis in 1979; I had seven completions at that time. On that day it was apparent to me that she was a balanced, efficient, and determined endurance rider. Sandy that was unknown about the virus, themore our worries grew. Recognizing that many people plan their conditioning and endurance ride schedule, as well as their travel plans, around the Tevis, it was felt that the fairest thing to do was to make a decision to cancel sooner than later, allowing people to adjust their calendars. The Tevis draws large numbers of spectators, crews and participants. Many come from the other side of the globe. Themeetings, the banquets, and even the vet stopsmake social distancing difficult. Ensuring the health and safety of the Tevis family had to overrule the planning disruption and disappointment many people felt. Although the Ride has been cancelled just twice, there have been numerous changes to the route in order to get to Auburn on time. Traditionally the Ride is held in July or August, under a full moon. This provides the greatest chance to host the ride AFTER the Sierra Nevada snow has melted and BEFORE wildfire season starts. But the Sierra Nevada weather has its own schedule. It’s a gamble every year, with those in charge monitoring the snow melt, the rise and fall of the American River, the air quality and the long-termheat and humidity fore- cast. As with any game of chance, sometimes the Ride loses. 1983 – Late snow, big snow, change or no go – A ride date of July 23 is expected to be a “safe” one for getting through the high country. However, just as many of the early pioneers found predicted safe travel times to actually be deadly, the Tevis officers realized that the usual high-country route would not be viable in 1983. In fact, not only was getting over the summit impossible for the horses, but Robinson Flat was snowed in and inaccessible to the vehicular traffic of the vets, crews, and volunteers. Quick adjustments were made, and 233 horses started the Ride from Serene Lakes, near Soda Springs, instead of Squaw Valley, where they had their vet checks the day before. The new start was a bit frenzied and downhill, as the fresh horses headed for the first major vet check at French Meadows. After that, the climb up and out of Duncan Canyon led the riders through a silent and empty snow-covered Robin- son Flat. The stillness was almost eerie to those accustomed to the hectic activity and intense emotion at Robinson Flat on Ride day. It was also exquisite and magical, a few peaceful and intimate minutes, as the horses and riders quietly made their way through the snow before descending to Last Chance, the heat of the canyons, and on to Auburn. 2011 – You can’t trick Mother Nature – Another year of big snow and slow melt found the Ride Committee wringing its collective hands twenty-eight years later. Here’s an idea so we don’t have to make a last-minute decision and move every- body to a different location after the pre-ride vet check; let’s postpone the Ride until early October. By then the snow will be gon , and although there will be significantly less da light and school will be in session, the temperatures should be pleas- ant and the going good. Autumn in the Sierra; perfect…until it wasn’t. As riders began arriving at both ends of the planned traditional trail, ready to head for Robie Park by that Friday in the early fall, something snowy and ominous was happening in the sky above the summits, way ahead of the usual winter calendar. Snowdepthswere calculated, andwhile some people The REAL evis CupRi e (continued from page 25) opined that, “We can still do it!” others recalled theDonner party and said, “No, thank you.” As most of the Tevis clan had already gathered in Auburn, with fit horses, their vet check supplies, and crews anxious to go, they seemed to agree that as long as theywere there, theywanted some kind of ride, any kind of ride. Quick thinking and action by the Board, as well as complete (continued on page 86) TEVIS FORUM 2 1 7 w .teviscup.org (photograph by Phil Gardner) Supporting and Volunteering for the Tevis Cup Ride Since 1999 We’re your marketing agency without the agency price. Email us for a marketing consultation:
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