Tevis Forum 2021

6 - TEVIS FORUM 2021 www.teviscup.org (continued on page 72) by Crysta Turnage In April of 2020, the Western States Trail Foundation (WSTF) Board of Governors (BOG) voted - with sad- dened hearts but a real- istic outlook - to cancel the 2020 Tevis Cup Ride. This was the first time in the 65-year history of the ride the BOG voted to cancel the event in advance*. COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, along with insurance and permit impacts, pretty much put a halt to the AERC West Region ride season. This put the WSTF BOG in a unique- ly difficult position; how to raise the funds needed for continued op- erations and trail maintenance without our key event? What could we offer our loyal fan base to keep them connected to the event we are all so passionate about? While several ideas were suggested, it was the concept of a virtu- al ride which excited the group. A virtual ride for equine endurance competitors was not unique - there are several distance series and other successful events of this type. But we knew if we could incor- porate the journey down the Western States (Tevis) Trail, our event would be something fundamentally special to set us apart from others. The idea was approved and guidelines established. Wanting the event to be open to more than just equestrians, we created both rid- ing and non-riding divisions. We wanted it to be enough of a chal- lenge that completing the event took some effort, but still allowed most participants to succeed. The notion of 100-miles in 100-days was determined to be a realistic goal. Bringing the trail to life and allowing participants a chance to “experience Tevis” was truly the base concept this event was found- ed on. Fifteen different milestones were created based on vet check The Founding of the Virtual Ride Event mileage and other key landmarks. As they achieved each milestone distance, participants received an email with more detailed information about that location, including photos and actual Google Earth trail camera views. The registration and tracking website rolled out this functionality the week before we officially launched the event, allowing a HUGE sigh of relief from our volunteer crew! Establishing and executing the Virtual Ride end- to-end provided a whole new list of tasks and chal- lenges for our volunteers. Hosting 200 horse and rider teams with over 900 volunteers and 500+ spec- tators is something we are comfortable and familiar with. But a virtual event with 1,500+ participants??? Overall the event was a HUGE success. Tevis Virtual Race – Lessons Learned Event Summary Total numbers for 2020: • 1,639 Total Participants for event • Income of $106,535 • Total additional donations: $15,386 (Entry Fee was $65, our average cost per US- based participant was $18.50 International TBD once we have started shipping more consistently) • 1,271 people finished the event (77.5%) • 1,063 riders and 208 non-riders Youngest Participants: • Wyatt Borkosky – 7 years old, non-riding • Nora Robinson – 5 years old, riding Oldest Participants: • Peggy Hansen – 97 years old, non-riding • Wendy Fowler – 83 years old, riding