50th Virginia City 100 Next Weekend

www.nastr.org/VC100-50th

1968-2016:

1968-2016 Total Completions = 1,942
1968-2016 Total Riders = 940

1968 Ride:

October 5th, 1968 marked the inaugural Virginia City 100 ride, known at its onset as the Nevada All-State Trail Ride, 100 Mile - One Day. Cliff Lewis and Dean Hubbard approached Nick Mansfield who hosted the start and finish of the Ride at his 102 Ranch in Sparks, NV. They wanted to make sure that the trail included all the great features of the area. The ride ended up being way over 100 miles - and there was a also lunar eclipse.

33 riders started, with 11 finishers - and 2 more finishers over the 24 hour limit. Horses had to carry a minimum of 150 lbs. Shannon Yewell Weil and Cliff Lewis finished first with the same time - 19 hours 41 minutes (minus the three hours of vet holds, for a 16:41 riding time). The ride chart shows that the two overtime riders - Shirley Wheeler and Mark Steen - received buckles.

The original finishing chart can be found here, along with photos from the ride that year.

2017 Ride

This Year's Trail: Consists of three loops (51, 25, 24 miles), each returning to base camp in Virginia City. There will be an outlying vet check on the first and last loop, with (2) one hour hold vet checks at base camp. Crews will have easy access to meet riders along the trail. The trail covers hard pack and rocky terrain on historical wagon (now jeep) roads with some sandy single track footing and several mountain climbs. There is also pavement through town and across highways. Riders are responsible for their own safety while crossing paved roads. We do advise the use of pads and/or boots. Elevations range between 5000 and 7800 feet. Each loop will be marked with a different color of ribbon, along with chalk and glow sticks (after dark). Water & hay will be provided on the trail and at the two outlying vet checks. The ride will start in front of the Delta Saloon at 5:00 a.m., Saturday. Allow yourself time to get from camp to the Delta by 5:00 a.m. (approximately 20 minutes). There will be a controlled start out of town. Virginia City 100 is the final ride of the Triple Crown Challenge.

Base Camp: will be at the Ice House on Toll Road in Gold Hill. Parking will be on grindings (asphalt), and will be very crowded. There will be limited room for portable corrals. If you have the ability, it would be helpful if you could car pool. The camp site will be open from Thursday evening to Sunday evening. Horse water will be available. COME PREPARED, the elevation of Virginia City is over 6000 feet and can get cold at night. The comforts of motels and cafes can be found, as well as shopping and sightseeing within walking distance of base camp.

Overflow Parking: Due to this year being the 50th Anniversary, we are expecting a larger than normal amount of entries. Rather than limit the number of riders who can attend, we have obtained permission to have additional ride parking at the Virginia City Rodeo Arena, located at 575 H Street. The arena is 0.8 miles from the Ice House, about a 15-minute walk. We will set aside a designated crewing area at the Ice House base camp for any riders who are parked at the rodeo arena to drop off any crewing and ride supplies they would like to have accessible. Crew vehicles, sans trailer, can park in the paved county lot for volunteer parking direct next to the Ice House. There will be hay and mash available in base camp. The rodeo arena features tons of flat parking as well as space to turn out your horse before and after the ride. Horses are NOT allowed to camp in the arena or designated pens overnight. There is water and porta potties on site. All ride functions and vetting will be at the Ice House.

Directions to Base Camp:
From Reno take I-580 S/US-395 S. Take the US-395 S exit (Exit 57B) toward Virginia City/Carson City/So. Lake Tahoe. Merge onto US-395 Alt S/S. Virginia St. Turn left on to Geiger Grade/NV-341 to Virginia City. Drive through downtown Virginia City towards Gold Hill. Turn left on Toll Road (before heading down the hill). Watch for ribbons and follow to the Ice House.
From Carson City take Hwy. 50 East to NV-341, follow the truck route to the right. When you reach Virginia City turn left at the stop sign (NV-342/C Street), towards Gold Hill. Turn left again on Toll Road (before heading down the hill). Watch for ribbons and follow to the Ice House.

Calcutta: Following the pre-ride meeting, we will have a fun filled Calcutta. Payoffs will be given to buyers of the top three in each division, and announced at the awards banquet. BRING LOTS OF DOUGH; EACH AND EVERY RIDER WILL BE AUCTIONED! Your favorite horse and rider team may pay off for you!

500/1,000 Mile Horses: Horses completing the ride five times will receive a 500 mile halter. Also, horses completing the ride ten times will receive a 1,000 mile blanket.