Going Gaited in
The hopes and dreams and goals of riders were the same, but a variety of gaited horses added a little more rhythm and color to the parade of equines taking on the challenge of this year’s 100-mile Tevis Cup.
of climbing), and downhill (22,000 cumulative feet of descending), over the Granite Chief Wilderness, through hot canyons, across a swift river, traversing the Sierra Nevada mountains within a 24-hour time limit. There are two one-hour vet holds, It’s not your average Endurance ride. at 36 miles and 68 miles, so actual Starting at Robie Park near Truckee, ride time limit is 22 hours. California, and finishing in Auburn, California, it’s 100 miles of rock and While Arabians dominate the sport dust, uphill (19,000 cumulative feet of Endurance and the entries in the Tevis Cup, gaited horses have proven they have a spot at the long-distance riding table and on the Tevis trail. While 47% of this year’s total entries completed the ride (133 started), gaited horses had a 57% finish rate (7 started). As one might imagine, those riders swear by going gaited. “That’s all I ride,” said Annette Phillips, from Auburn, California, who finished in 48th place, in a ride time of 21:43, aboard her eye-catching double-registered Tennessee Walker/ Spotted Saddle horse, Johnny’s Star Kicker. It was 15-year-old Johnny’s first 100-mile finish, and, in fact only his fourth Endurance ride. Annette earned her third Tevis buckle. Annette Phillips riding Johnny’s Star Kicker, a Spotted Saddle Horse/Tennessee Walker
She grew up with gaited horses in
16 • The Sound Advocate • Issue 3, 2021
