The Western States Trail Ride, popularly called the Tevis Cup, is a 100-mile endurance ride. The amateur event has been held annually since 1955 except in 2008 when it was cancelled due to forest fires and in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ride is sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) which has recognized Tevis as the founding ride of endurance riding. The ride is sponsored by the Western States Trail Foundation (WSTF). Background The ride is held in El Dorado and Placer County, California, starting at 5:15 a.m. at Robie Equestrian Park () near the town of Truckee, across the crest of the Sierra Nevada near the Squaw Valley Ski Resort, traverses through El Dorado County and ends at 5:15 a.m. near the fairgrounds in Placer County in Auburn. There are mandatory holds for rest and veterinarian evaluation, typically one at Robinson Flat (~30 milepost) and the other at Foresthill (~70 milepost). There are many other points along the trail where veterinarians evaluate the condition of the horse including the finish. Each rider who completes the 100-mile course within the 24-hour limit and whose mount is judged "fit to continue" can elect to receive a silver Completion Award Buckle. The date of the ride is generally selected on a weekend in July or early August to best take advantage of the light from a full moon. Some historical ride statistics as of the 62nd ride on August 5, 2017: There have been 10,365 starters and 5,615 finishers, with an overall completion rate of about 54%. Winning riders were divided between 32 men and 33 women (counting three years when there were ties). Of the winning horses through 2017, 72% have been geldings, 22% mares, and 6% stallions. The average age of the equine to complete the ride first is 10 years old. The oldest finisher was PL Murcury, a 27-year old Arabian gelding (2018). The youngest to complete was Capella at 3 before an age limit was established. History Because he wanted to demonstrate that it was possible to ride the craggy trail from Lake Tahoe to Auburn in a day, high country rider Wendell Robie of Auburn, California developed this trail. In 1964 Paige Harper's horse Keno was the first recipient of the James Ben Ali Haggin Cup, commonly called the Haggin Cup. The first ten riders to finish successfully may