Capturing the Tevis Cup, again

Jeremy Reynolds notched his fifth Tevis Cup victory on July 29 in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Reynolds, 43, and his mount Treasured Moments, a 13-year-old Arabian mare, covered the 100-mile endurance ride in 13 hours and 14 minutes. {Submitted photo]

Dunnellon-based Jeremy Reynolds notched his fifth Tevis Cup victory on July 29 in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Reynolds, 43, and his mount Treasured Moments, a 13-year-old Arabian mare, covered the 100-mile endurance ride in 13 hours and 14 minutes. Reynolds also won the Tevis Cup in 2021, 2011, 2007 and 2004.

“Treasure is such an amazing horse,” said Reynolds, who won the 2021 Tevis Cup with the same horse. “She is so special.”

He said he rode the horse with no bridle, just a loop around her neck, “and she did the rest.”

Reynolds was quick to credit Tevis Cup officials with designing a slightly different course due to heavy winter snowfall and wildfire in the mountains.

“The Tevis Cup officials did an amazing job of fixing sections or rerouting the trail that was damaged by the wildfires,” said Reynolds, “Because of the heavy snowfall melt, we were unable to cross the river but a great alternate route was added. Horses and riders adapted well to the changes.”

Treasure, an ex-racehorse, was purchased by Reynolds towards the end of her 3-year-old year. Reynolds began training her to be an endurance horse at his and wife Heather’s Reynolds Racing operation in Dunnellon. The couple’s farm is within riding distance of the Goethe National Forest, which they utilize in their endurance training.

It should be noted that Heather Reynolds, 46, is also an accomplished endurance rider. She won the Tevis Cup in 2003, 2014 and 2018. This year, she finished ninth on Super Zonic Zell, a 9-year-old Arabian gelding.

The Reynolds have also won five Haggin Cups between them. The Haggin Cup is awarded to the Tevis Cup rider whose horse is deemed to be in the most superior physical condition of the first 10 horses to cross the finish line by a veterinary committee. Jeremy won the Haggin Cup in 2004, 2011 and 2017; Heather won in 1999 and 2003.

“For riders, winning the Haggin Cup is just as important as winning the Tevis Cup,” said Reynolds. “Heather and I consider ourselves fortunate to have won both.”

Both originally from California, Jeremy and Heather first met, of course, at an endurance ride in Nevada in 2001. A year later, they were married. In 2011, they moved to Dunnellon and established their Reynolds Racing. The couple competes on the United States Equestrian Federation team in endurance rides abroad by qualifying in Federation Equestre International (FEI) events. The Reynolds have competed in and represented the USEF in such countries as Spain, Portugal, Malaysia, Colombia, England, France and the United Arab Emirates.

“Next on our schedule is the Virginia City 100 Mile Endurance Ride in Nevada on September 16,” said Jeremy Reynolds. “Then we go to Kennard, Texas, for the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Championship, also a 100-miler, on Oct. 21.”