08/07/2026
From Rescue to the Canyons: Chevy & Shawntea at the Tevis Cup! 🏔️✨ Last weekend, rider Shawntea Curtin and the incredible gelding Chevy took on the world’s most grueling 100-mile endurance challenge: the Tevis Cup.
They handled the brutal terrain with grace, powering through the rugged trails all the way to Foresthill looking phenomenal.
Their ride ended at Foresthill due to a slight front stride asymmetry, but the true story highlights their deep partnership. Out on the trail, they struck a low-hanging tree branch. The impact left Shawntea with a painful leg injury, making it impossible for her to post properly. She kept riding, but the lopsided weight caused Chevy to actively compensate. His slight off-stride was the result of his massive heart—he adjusted his own body to carry his injured rider through the canyons.
Chevy’s journey to Tevis is a total fairy tale. Registered as Alada Baske Aire, he was originally an untouched stallion hidden away. At Love This Horse Equine Rescue, his brilliant mind bloomed. He proved his grit during the 2024 “20 Mule Team” ride, plowing through freezing rain and 50mph winds. Eventually adopted into an endurance home in Auburn, CA, his adopter’s friend Shawntea formed an unbreakable bond with him. At 19 years young, this fierce gelding was running the world’s toughest miles.
Chevy’s story highlights a vital truth: horses do not end up in rescue because they are inferior, but because of human actions. Too often, brilliant horses are discarded due to a lack of time, financial hardship, or irresponsible ownership. Horses like Alada Baske Aire are left behind not because they lack talent, but because they were denied the right partner. With patience, rehab, and the right team, a rescue horse can hold their own against the most expensive equine athletes on the planet.
We are incredibly proud of Shawntea and Chevy. They proved exactly what a rescue horse can achieve.
Mariah with Vision Beneath the Veil Photography took this beautiful photo.
