This year is the 50th anniversary of Tevis (officially known as the Western States Trail Ride), and all 250 places were filled by early January. Along with a number of other endurance rides, Tevis predates the founding of AERC, and likely was one of the reasons behind AERC's inception.

Tevis' milestone led me to wonder how many other rides that started then are still in existence. Another question is, why do some rides keep going almost forever, and others briefly rise and then quickly disappear? And finally, how were those early rides different from the same named ride today?

Our national organization was founded in 1972. Some rides began in the mid-1960s. Those included Virginia City and Castle Rock in the West. In 1971 the Mountain Region's Big Horn and the Northwest Region Prineville came along, followed by the Old Dominion in 1974 in the Northeast Region, Southeast Minnesota and Kettle Moraine Colorama in the Midwest in 1974, and Tall Pines in the Southwest Region in 1978. I'm sure there are others that go back almost that far. Part of the reason for AERC's founding was that riders wanted some way of knowing where and when these rides were taking place.

What makes a ride keep going for at least three decades? Sometimes it's the efforts of a single, very dedicated ride manager and family. Other times it's a club effort that keeps the ride going even though the ride manager changes every few years. Historical significance and natural beauty can also keep a ride going strong over the years. And, of course, the ride has to be managed well enough and be interesting enough to keep members coming back year after year.

Riders 30-some years ago had a different view of endurance than members taking part in those rides today. Back then, the attire was jeans, boots, and cowboy hats. Some didn't carry water--just cups hanging from their saddles that they would use to drink directly from streams. Fifty-mile rides were considered "training" rides by many. It has also been said that some Tevis entrants would ride from Reno to Tahoe City the day before and then ride Tevis the next day. Some would consider the riders back then "tougher" than the riders today.

There were no glowsticks to mark the trail for the night portions of the 100s. There was no use of electrolytes, no tights or helmets, no endurance saddles, no Easyboots, no GPS systems, no three-horse trailers with living quarters (just like home), and less knowledge about horses and the stresses of 100 mile rides. Riders may not have been as aware of the potential for overriding their horses as we are today. Mentorship was on a one-on-one basis without all the information we have available today on the internet.

On the other hand, everyone knew all the other riders. The rides were more social compared to today's rides, where the trailer is often the place where people spend their time. There were more parties that lasted (for some) into the early hours before a ride. There were fewer rules and many fewer awards. There were competitive riders and those that were just out there to take in the scenery and have fun. The number of miles a horse in the awards standings did every season was far less than today. People believed that the amount of time off needed after a 100 mile ride was much more than we do today. And dues were only $5 per year.

The rides that have stood the test of time from our early days are few, but they are ones well worth going to and continuing into the future. Without the very dedicated ride managers (and their families) and the local clubs, we wouldn't have these parts of our history still continuing.

Thanks to all these individuals and groups, and congratulations to Tevis on reaching 50. May there be another 50 years in the future for Tevis and our endurance sport.