TEVISFORUM2020 ★ 1 www.teviscup.org W estern s tates t rail F oundation Officers wstf Tony Benedetti, President Shellie Hatfield, Vice President Jenni Smith, Vice President Carrie Ellinwood, Corporate Secretary Crysta Turnage, Treasurer Tevis Cup Ride diReCToR Chuck Stalley WsTF president Tony Benedetti (continued on page 64) TEVIS FORUM Production: BarBara Jacinto co-editors: Marisa dardi, BarBara Jacinto & JayaMae gregory advertising sales: Marisa dardi, s´esi catalano & denise Fissel contriButors: JeFF Herten, Kate riordan Printed By auBurn Printers & integrated MarKeting FRONT COVER: Gold Country Fairgrounds finishline by William Gore Next Ride Date July 24, 2021 Drucilla Barner (1914-1979) Richard Barsaleau, DVM (1925-2012) Nan Benzie (1911-1999) Charles Barieau (1916-2005) Al Beaupre (1929-2009) Hank Cook, DVM (1923-2017) JC “Bud” Dardi (1934-2017) Heather Davis (1939-2002) Ralph Dever (1925-2016) Bernard Dobbas (1912-1996) Joan Dowis (1935-2018) Paula Fatjo (1920-1993) Pat Fitzgerald (1933-2015) Pat Fox (?-2003) Larry Goss, DVM* (1952-2017) Eldon Hall (1915-1994) Frank Herald (1937-2016) Jim Humphrey (1934-2017) Marilyn Hunter (1937-2013) David Jay (1918-1999) Smokey Killen (1916-1995) ©2020 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 Larimer (1948-2013) Nick Mansfield (1906-1999) Maynard Munger (1932-2006) Todd Nelson, DVM (1939-2017) Virl Norton (1916-1995) Jesper Peterson (1914-2004) Mervin Pyorre (1942-2015) Clint Ritchie (1938-2009) Wendell Robie (1895-1984) Albert Shumate, MD (1904-1998) Matthew Mackay-Smith* (1932-2018) Robert “Bob” Suhr (1918-2010) Bill Pieper (1936-2014) Walter Tibbitts (1923-2016) Went Tellington (1917-2000) Marc VanZuuk (1956-2017) Betty Veal (1927-2014) Jack Veal (1929-2014) Paul “Thurman” Yeagley (1959-2003) WSTF HOnORS Pam Bailie Tony Benedetti Sési Catalano Kassandra DiMaggio Marisa Dardi Carrie Ellinwood Melissa Formica Nanci Gabri Linda Glazier JayaMae Gregory Shellie Hatfield R. Jeffrey Herten Jean Hixon Luanne Holmsen Debby Lyon Abigail Madden Jeanette “Jay” Mero Kathie Perry Mike Pickett Lynn Seeley Jenni Smith Chuck Stalley Lori Stewart Lucy Trumbull Crysta Turnage Holly Ulyate Nicole Wertz Barbara White Roger Yohe BOaRd OF GOVEnORS Rho Bailey Tom Christofk Bob Davis Larry Deakyne Chuck Gabri Phil Gardner Hank Gibbons Roxanne Greene Henry Griffin Hal Hall Joanne Hoeffler Marvin Jacinto Bill Johnson dIRECTORS EMERITUS Joe Larkin Mo Livermore Bob Marx Chuck Mather John McCullough Dick Nogleberg Kate Riordan Jerry Scribner Bob Stevens Larry Suddjian Julie Suhr Judy Suter (continued on page 65) When WSTF President Tony Benedetti, Head Veterinarian Dr. Mike Peralez, and I sit down each year to compose our Forum messages, we take the task very seriously. We understand that the Forum is the written history of the Tevis Cup 100-Mile, One-Day Ride. Unfortunately, this message will be unlike any other I have written since being asked in 2011 by then WSTF President Kathie Perry to become the Tevis Ride Director. This is the first time in the 65-year history of the Ride that the Board of Governors has voted to cancel the event. In 2008 the Tevis Ride was cancelled by the US Forest Service due to a raging fire in the Robinson Flat area. However, the story of the loss of the 2020 Ride is quite another tale. . . The Tevis Ride is quite a beast; complete with gremlins which usually torment the riders. This year it was Ride Manage- ment’s turn to meet them head on. It takes ten months of consistent and persistent planning and coordination to pull all the pieces into place to host the Tevis Ride. After we finish one year’s event, we take the next month (that’s usually August, but sometimes September) to wrap up, write reports, stow equipment and gear, and debrief all aspects of the recently completed Tevis. In October, we seat the Board of Governors for the coming fiscal cycle, elect officers, and the President appoints the Ride Director. The Ride Director selects the ride committee, and finally there’s a bit of rest as we cruise through the last couple months of the year. January was not only the start of a new year’s preparation for Tevis, but something odd was popping in the news feeds. By February it was being reported Officers wst endowment fund Jeff Herten, Chairman Chuck Mather, Vice Chairman Mike Pickett, Treasurer Roger Yohe, Secretary MEMBERS Tony Benedetti, Crysta Turnage, Roxanne Greene, Shellie Hatfield, Kathie Perry When I wrote the Presi- dent’s Article in February of 2020, my opening line was, “Welcome to the 65th annual Tevis Cup Ride!” I had not heard of Covid-19 virus at that time, I assumed my opening line was going to be a welcom- ing to everyone interested in the 65th annual Tevis Cup Ride. I assumed that the ride director and all the volunteers were going to plan, prepare, and Tevis would happen. I assumed that the riders were going to condition their horses, show up at Robie Equestrian Park on August 1st, and we would have another great Tevis Ride. I assumed wrong. Tragically, real life happened, and we are all experiencing the ravages of the Covid-19 virus. Sadly, we will not have Tevis this year. The Western States Trail Foundation Board of Governors made the difficult, but correct, decision to cancel the 65th Tevis. We hope that the virus will be under control by next year, and we will all gather at Robie Equestrian Park in 2021 and experience the 65th annual Tevis - version 2.0. In the meantime, I want to wish everyone good health during this difficult time. Please continue reading. The fol- lowing is the beginning of my original article which I very much enjoyed writing.