I thought this might be of interest to all disciplines so sharing here the finish of the Tevis this year. What a display of horsemanship and partnership. Very cool.
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Horse looks like it is ready to be done. Not exhausted. Just done. Both horse and rider look really fit. Tough tough test for human and horse. Kudos to horse and rider!
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100 miles is an endurance test for sure!! Not my discipline but I have done a 25 mile ride and that was a feat! I gathered from social media etc that the rider often would hop off and run with her to spell her during the race. I guess why he was wearing sneakers. A true team effort.
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I did some 50 milers in my youth. Not anywhere as tough as the Tevis Cup.
There was this sheriff from Douglasville, Georgia that would come to the rides with his posse. Supposedly he was the one to beat. I laughed - he was an old man. Probably in his 30’s. I was on the trail with him and on the hills he would jump off, grab hold of his horses tail and let the horse pull him up the hill. Easier on the horse than carrying him up the hill. So I figured if that old man could do that so could I. So I jumped off, grabbed my horse’s tail and was barely able to make that climb on foot. I was so winded in my jog up the hill I couldn’t get back on the horse. Yes he beat me and the rest of the people competing.
Those were the days. I was young, skinny and fit. But I would never have been able to complete something like the Tevis Cup.
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Tevis is amazing and the endurance motto “to finish is to win” is spot on. A neighbor I rode with did endurance and I learned about conditioning and care from her that I use to this day.
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Actually this year he did it in just a neck rope the whole way!!
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I think that photo was from 2021
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He also competes in the 100 mile Western States race. He uses it to gather information on how to help his horses handle the course better.
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This is not his first time doing the Tevis cup with this horse.
If you compare your photo to one from this year, it is easy to see there are lots of differences.
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Yes, let’s pop a bottle of champagne right by the horse’s face. I’m glad to see the rider shut that down and stayed focused on the animal and their well being. Champagne man looked miffed.
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my apologies, I found some info from 2023 which alluded to “also a rope halter”. Thanks.
Yeah he did 
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What an amazing feat!
I think that’s his Dad, who supports him when he competes in California. Dad is not a horse person but a big supporter in his way.
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Question, unrelated to the winner - why do so many of these guys have martingales that are WAY too short? This is one of a few photos I’ve seen of this year’s where the martingales are far too short.
Another:
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I know very little about the endurance world, only dipped my toe in what they would refer to as a few “leisurely” endurance rides – so take this reply with a grain of salt.
I wonder if they get strong and/or difficult once really tired and the martingale keeps them ratable.
I assume whatever reason it is, it is what works for their horses. Some horses you can ride Tevis cup in just a neck rope… some horses, you absolutely cannot. 
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You can look up the pics from this year - they have them super short even in the beginning.
The only other place I’ve seen them this short is in the western pleasure world…
Jeremy (and his wife Heather) are both total class acts, super nice and happy to share their knowledge with anyone who wants to talk endurance with them. So happy for him and Treasure!
As to the short martingales- I’m not sure why some of them are soooo short
I always ride with one though, I consider it and my breastplate as safety equipment. Plus if you get off to run or tail having the extra length on the reins from the martingale is helpful. One of the things I really like about endurance is that nobody cares what tack you have on- you do what works for you and your horse and if you’re doing something with said that that is uncomfortable for the horse and makes them sore, chances are you’re going to get pulled at a check
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I guess I think that martingales that short get into the realm of draw reins and the like. There is no relief for the horse, and very little lateral steering for the rider. Seems dangerous to me.
The riders hands being so high in that iconic shot, coupled with the 90 degree angle in the reins - it just looks stupid, and makes me wonder why he bothers putting his hands up, ever - does he think that horse is getting more freedom of head/neck? There is no other directional pull but “down” with a martingale 4" long.
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