Some Unlikely Mounts

It never ceases to amaze me at some of the different animals who enter the Tevis every year. There are some very unlikely long distance equines who hold their own and do very well against a predominantly huge field of arabians.
There are always a couple of mules that do very well.

They are very tough competitors, and most of them hold their weight pretty well. I've never seen one "suck up" around the middle, like most 100 mile horses will do.

Sponging to cool down. It's a mules only nemesis - the heat.

I imagine after a few hundred mile rides, it would make for some VERY broke saddle mules!

Some other interesting breeds that are entered into the Tevis. A missouri foxtrotter, above.

A saddlebred.

A fjord.

And there are generally a couple types of stock horses entered into the ride every year as well. An appy, above.

A paint.

Another paint.

And there are some mustangs in the field as well. Clearly, the rider is just as tough as her horse is, to be able to keep going for 100 miles with an injury....

A beautiful shot of the No Hands bridge with distance riders streaming across it.

A Tevis article in the Auburn Journal:

http://auburnjournal.com/detail/190043.html?content_source&category_id=2&search_filter&user_id&event_mode&event_ts_from&event_ts_to&list_type&order_by&order_sort&content_class=1&sub_type&town_id