Champion mother, daughter Haggin Cup winner, set to defend titles in deep Tevis field

The grueling 100-mile journey from Robie Park to the historic finish line at McCann Stadium is one of the most iconic and unforgiving trails in endurance riding. Some of the most elite horses and riders have made the trip under the July moon, and 107 entrants will compete in the Tevis Cup this Saturday. The 69th Tevis Cup, set to begin at 5 a.m. July 12, is an endurance ride with roots dating to 1955. Last year's field was the biggest since 2019 and while this year is a smaller field, there are still plenty of names to watch. Two of the most notable names in the field are the mother-daughter duo of Jeanette and Reyna Mero. Jeanette, a consistent top-10 finisher, completed her sixth ride and won the Tevis Cup in 2024 with a time of 17 hours, 5 minutes. Daughter Reyna was close behind in second and earned the Haggin Cup. The Mariposa County natives are back to defend their titles, but there will be plenty of stiff competition from other former champions in the field. Five-time Tevis Cup winner Jeremey Reynolds is back after not competing last year. Reynolds last won in 2023 and has a 2021 title as well. He'll ride his Arabian, Treasured Moments, with whom he won his two most recent Tevis Cups. Alongside Reynolds is wife Heather, who last won in 2018, has three Tevis Cups and completed her 10th ride last year. She'll be on an Arabian named Supersonic Zell, who has completed two Tevis rides. There are three riders with 11 completions in the field, Greenwood's Kassandra DiMaggio, Foresthill's Peggy Murphy-Hackley and Montana's Suzanne Hayes. The most experienced horse in the field is Ken Campbell's Cody, a mustang with eight Tevis finishes. Campbell, a Lincoln native, is also experienced with five finishes. Four equines enter the ride with four successful finishes and can get their name on the Robie Cup with a fifth finish this weekend. Dragon, an Arabian making the trip overseas from Germany, can earn the coveted honor. He'll be ridden by Ursula-Sybille Markert-Baeumer, who is seeking her first Tevis finish. The weather could pose a challenge, although it is not expected to reach the triple digits, as it has in previous years. High temperatures in Auburn are expected to be in the mid-90s, forcing riders to find ways to keep their horses hydrated and functioning through the heat.