Tevis 2008 left an incredible mark of time in history.  Now that the impact is settling in those of us who were planning on Tevis 2008 can focus on Tevis 2009.  I have been involved in every aspect of Tevis since 1972 and I can tell you that never have I seen the popularity of the “Tevis Buckle” as strong as it is now.  I don’t have access to the statistics but I feel that there are more riders that are seeking their first Tevis buckle then ever in history.  The fact that it is now harder to enter the event has put a serious obstacle in the way and personally I don’t think the new requirements will help to increase the percentage of riders who finish, it just makes it more difficult and expensive to enter the event.  Perhaps that is why the entries were way down this year. The stats are not available but I think there are just as many seasoned old time riders that get pulled as there are new riders to the sport.

I content that the biggest challenge to completing the ride is fatigue of the rider as well as the horse.  When the rider gets tired they don’t ride as well as they should and that is hard on the horse.  When the horse gets tired they are more likely to trip on a rock or just plain stumble and come-up lame.

So, the solution is be as fit as possible and the same for your horse.  Good nutrition and exercise year round is my goal, for both horse and rider.  So start now to be ready for next year.