55th Virginia City 100

September 21, 2024

Buckle

Started in 1968, the Virginia City 100 is one of the oldest 100 mile rides in the country.

 

  Riders who complete the 100 mile course in 24 hours are eligible to receive a progressive silver buckle or sterling silver bracelet.

 

The ride starts at 5 a.m. in front of the Delta Saloon in downtown Virginia City.

Base Camp will be at the Virginia City Arena & Fairgrounds, 458 F Street, Virginia City, Nevada.

Parking will be on a dirt and gravel lot.  There will be room for portable corrals.  There are a limited corrals available on site.  These are first-come, first-served.  Management reserves the right to hold corrals.

Base Camp will be open from 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon to Sunday evening.  If you are coming before 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon you need to be fully self-sufficient!  There may be NO amenities, including no water.  Horse water will be available once camp officially opens.

The elevation of Virginia City is over 6,000 feet and can get cold at night so come prepared.  The comforts of motels and restaurants can be found, as well as shopping and sightseeing within walking distance of Base Camp.

 

Directions to Base Camp

Virginia City Arena & Fairgrounds, 458 F Street, Virginia City, Nevada

From Reno 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 the 341 Truck Route to Carson City (before heading down the hill). Make a sharp left onto F Street and follow for approximately two blocks.  Immediately after you cross the train tracks continue straight on to Fairgrounds Street.  The dirt road wraps around to the right into the Fairgrounds.  Watch for ribbons.

From Carson City take Hwy. 50 East to NV-341, follow the truck route to the right. BEFORE you reach Virginia City turn right onto F Street and follow for approximately two blocks.  Immediately after you cross the train tracks continue straight on to Fairgrounds Street.  The dirt road wraps around to the right into the Fairgrounds.  Watch for ribbons. 

There will be horse water and porta potties on site.

The trail consists of three loops (51, 25, 24 miles), each returning to base camp in Virginia City.  There will two (2) outlying vet checks on the first loop, two (2) vet checks at base camp, and one (1) outlying vet check on the last loop.  Crews will have easy access to meet riders along the trail and at the vet checks.

 

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 5,000 and 7,800 feet.  Each loop will be marked with a different color of ribbon, along with chalk and glow sticks (after dark).  Water and hay will be provided on the trail and at the three 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 15-20 minutes).  There will be a controlled start out of town.

 

Virginia City 100 is the final ride of the Triple Crown Challenge.

The Pre-Ride Meeting will be held on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m.  Please plan to attend to get any updated information.  All information will be included in your rider packets and emailed in advance.  Riders are responsible for reading all pre-ride information and having any applicable questions answered.

 

 

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 MONEY!   EACH AND EVERY RIDER WILL BE AUCTIONED!  Your favorite horse and rider team may pay off for you!  Payback is 90%, with 10% going to NASTR!

 

The awards presentation for the Virginia City 100, NASTR Triple Crown, and Calcutta will take place Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at the Ice House.

 

All riders completing the Virginia City 100 will receive a completion certificate and award (sweatshirt or other).

 

The Nevada All-State Trail Riders personally engraved progressive silver overlay completion buckle or sterling silver bracelet will be available for an additional fee.  These will be mailed out about 8 weeks post-ride (generally early December).  You may upgrade to a sterling silver buckle for an additional cost.  Upgrades, payments, and changes must be taken Sunday morning before the awards.

 

Overall Winner, Top Ten, Weight Division, and Junior Awards will also be given.  A sculpture of the Best Condition horse will be hand crafted by Michaele Tristram, NASTR member and local artist.

 

NASTR Triple Crown – All finishers of the three NASTR rides (Nevada Derby 50, NASTR 75, and Virginia City 100) will receive a special award.  Champion, Reserve Champion, and Junior blankets will be given to the same horse and rider team.  You must nominate yourself prior to the ride – see entry form.

 

500 Mile Horses:  Horses completing the ride five times will receive a 500-mile halter.

1,000 Mile Horses:  Horses completing the ride ten times will receive a 1,000-mile blanket.

 

1,000 Mile Buckle Recipients will receive a complimentary sterling silver buckle upgrade.

Virginia City 100 Statistics

VC100 1,000 Mile Horses (printable pdf link)           

 

1000 Mile Horse – Lost River King (Dingy)

 Lost River King (Dingy) – Appaloosa gelding owned by Louie Henderson. Dingy is ridden here by Greg Irwin in the 1972 ride. He carried 5 different riders to earn their completion buckle at the ride in 10 consecutive years from 1969-1978.

 

 

1000 Mile Horse – Witezarif 

 Witezarif owned by Pat Fitzgerald. Ridden here by Donna Fitzgerald in the 1976 ride. Witezarif and Donna won the ride 5 times. He also tied for the win in 1969 and finished second on two occasions. He completed the ride 11 times from 1969-1980 carrying 3 different riders to earn their completion buckles. 

Connie Creech: “Witezarif also won Tevis 6 times in the 70’s. He was an amazing athlete! I crewed for Donna in 1976 at Tevis. Witezarif was only 14’2 hh, he conserved his energy well and thought trotting for the vet was a senseless waste of it. Those days the horses were walked frequently during their hold, so as not to stiffen up. He was not to agreeable about that either.”

 

 

1000 Mile Horse – Last Chance

 Last Chance – grade gelding owned and ridden by Monta Gonzales. They completed the ride in 10 consecutive years from 1973-1982.

 

 

1000 Mile Horse – Beansprout

 Beansprout – 1/2 Arab gelding owned and ridden by Ralph Smith from Reno, Nevada in 10 consecutive years from 1978-1987.

 

 

1000 Mile Horse – Fire Mt. Destiny 20

Fire Mt. Destiny 20 – 7/8 Arabian gelding owned and ridden by Gina Hall from 2004-2014.

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