OAKLAND — From the break of dawn through the daytime’s broiling heat and into the nighttime moonlight, the Western States Trail Ride, better known as the Tevis Cup, widens and narrows over a historic Sierra Nevada trail that challenges both horse and rider up some steep inclines and near-perpendicular descents.

Over hills and through valleys, each horse and its rider must complete this 100-mile one-day trail ride within 24 hours.

This year’s Tevis Cup began at 5:15 a.m., on Aug. 5, and ended at 5:15 a.m., on Aug. 6, and saw 92 of the original 174 entries finish the race. Those who endured the full 100 miles included Mollie Quiroz and Juliana McElroy, members of a junior rider program/team known as the Dream Girls that trains out of the Chabot Equestrian Center in the Oakland hills.

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Official results from the event website list Quiroz, a 14-year-old student at Redwood Christian High School, and Bishop O’Dowd student McElroy, 15, as having finished 77th and 78th, respectively. Quiroz crossed the finish line at 4:52 a.m. on Aug. 6. aboard Goose, an 8-year-old gray Arabian gelding. McElroy clocked in at 4:53 a.m., riding Chief, a 13-year-old branded chestnut mustang gelding.

Bill Whitlock and his wife, Deb Rodriguez, own both horses and head the Dream Girls team.

“It’s incredibly grueling, probably the toughest race around,” said Rodriguez, who cited the stamina and fortitude of Quiroz and McElroy in overcoming the event’s numerous challenges, including a harrowing ascent known as Cougar Rock.

“It’s a rider’s option to ride around Cougar Rock or to go up it,” Rodriguez said. “The girls went up it.”

Of course, kudos go to the horses, too.

“When these Arabians get into a race zone, they’re pretty forward,” Rodriguez said. “Chief’s kind of mellow, but he held his own.”

Typically, the Tevis Cup begins at the Robie Equestrian Trail (7,000-foot elevation east of Squaw Valley). But heavy snowpack this year forced organizers to move the start to Soda Springs, while maintaining the usual finish at the Auburn Fairgrounds.

For the record, Tennessee Lane of La Veta, Colorado, finished first aboard her mount, Auli Farwa, a 17-year-old chestnut Arabian gelding. Like a marathon, triathlon or any other endurance event, most entries simply look to complete the course in their best possible time.

“One of the Tevis mottos is, ‘To finish is to win,'” Rodriguez said.

Quiroz and McElroy, both San Leandro residents, gave every effort in living up to that ideal. Each has garnered a reputation as an accomplished, focused and enthusiastic rider willing to face tough challenges, as this year’s Tevis Cup attests.

“They take lessons, and they know how to do dressage and all that fancy footwork but they’re into endurance,” Rodriguez said of the girls, who return to their respective high schools as sophomores. “They are very dedicated. They’re hooked (on endurance rides).”

As junior riders (under-18), race rules required McElroy and Quiroz to be accompanied by a 21-up adult, called a sponsor. Whitlock filled that role while riding his newest endurance horse, Dream Girl, a 6-year-old chestnut Arabian mare. For added security, one of the girls wore a GPS tracker.

The plan hit a snag, however.

“(Dream Girl)’s the least experienced endurance horse but has great potential,” Rodriguez said. “Seventy miles into the race, Dream Girl got tired and was not going to make the times needed to finish, so my husband pulled her. Another rider, Mark Montgomery, sponsored the girls through the next 30 miles to the finish.”

Montgomery, greatly respected in the world of endurance, ran into trouble himself as his mount had to retire just short of the race’s end. But Quiroz, McElroy and their mounts were able to finish the little distance remaining.

“They were worried about Mark,” Rodriguez said of Quiroz and McElroy, “but they looked as fresh as a daisy at the end of the race.”

Sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference and first contested in 1955, the Tevis Cup takes place over a demanding section of the Western States Trail that runs from Salt Lake City to Sacramento. Past users of this trail included 19th century gold and silver miners. Today, the Tevis Cup maintains an Old West- and Lewis and Clark-type of appeal that draws contestants from far and wide, including some from outside the United States.

The Western States Trail Foundation maintains the trail throughout the year, and a staff of veterinarians ensures the health of the horses during the event. Horses not deemed fit to continue are pulled from the event. Riders also have the option of dropping out of the competition by their own choosing, usually when they judge their mount unable to complete the course within 24 hours. Whitlock used this option.

As for horse breeds, horse racing has its thoroughbreds, harness racing employs standardbreds and saddlebreds entertain us at equestrian shows. Endurance horses have no particular breeding, though Arabians are the preference of most riders. But as in the case of Chief, other types of horses can compete as well. One contestant in this year’s race even rode a mule.

Riders also prefer geldings and mares over stallions.

“Stallions create a lot of havoc because there are mares in the races,” Rodriguez said.

Like human athletes, preparation and experience play vital roles for the horses, as was the case for Chief and Goose.

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“Chief was rounded up from the northern herd in Nevada,” Rodriguez said. “He’s an experienced endurance horse now and very sweet and tame. We have two 12-year-old girls (students) who want to ride endurance, and they ride Chief for now until they get more experience. (Goose is) young and not as experienced, but Mollie has been riding and training him in 50-mile AERC endurance races for the past two years to get him ready.”

Surely, all the preparation paid off very well for both Goose and Chief as well as for Quiroz and McElroy. A good frame of mind helped, too.

“There’s just something about horses that relaxes you,” Rodriguez said, “that gets you in a mood.”

Rodriguez and Whitlock actually had three of four entries complete the race. Professional rider and team veterinarian Michele Rowe finished at 1:42 a.m., on Aug. 6, aboard 12-year-old Sage, a gray Arabian mare. Official standings place Rowe and Sage 13th, though Rodriguez said the disqualification of a top10 finisher moved them up a place to 12th.

FYI

The Tevis Cup generally takes place on the late July or early August weekend nearest the full moon. Next year’s race takes place July 28. In 2011, the event got pushed back until October because of a late snow. This year’s event was the 62nd — a fire led to cancellation in 2008. For more information, go to www.teviscup.org.

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