Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet

Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet
Genre	Reality game show
Created by	Mary-Ellis Bunim Jonathan Murray
Presented by	Jonny Moseley
Starring	Winners Road Rules Team Adam Larson Cara Zavaleta Darrell Taylor David "Dave" Giuntoli Rachel Robinson Roni Martin Sarah Greyson Theo Vonkurnatowski Veronica Portillo
Opening theme	"It's" by Ill Kidd
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	16
Production
Location(s)	Telluride, Colorado
Release
Original network	MTV
Original release	September 29, 2003 – January 26, 2004
Chronology
Preceded by	Battle of the Sexes
Followed by	The Inferno
External links
Website

Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet is the 7th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge (at the time known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge). The season is directly subsequent to Battle of the Sexes. The Gauntlet featured 28 castmates competing in missions with an immunity life-saver awarded to the best individual performer. Each team would then select a player from their team to go into the Gauntlet elimination challenge. This challenge was held in Telluride, Colorado. It was hosted by Jonny Moseley.

A casting special, Real World/Road Rules Corral: A Guide To The Gauntlet was aired on September 22, 2003. The season premiered one week later on September 29, 2003, and concluded on January 26, 2004, with the Reunion special. This is the first edition of the Gauntlet series, with The Gauntlet 2 following in 2005–2006 and The Gauntlet III following in 2008.

Cast

Host: 1998 Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley

Real World team Player Original season Finish Alton Williams Las Vegas Runner-Up Coral Smith Back to New York Runner-Up[lower-alpha 1] Mike Mizanin Back to New York Runner-Up Nathan Blackburn Seattle Runner-Up Norman Korpi New York Runner-Up Theo Gantt Chicago Episode 14 Irulan Wilson Las Vegas Episode 13 Rachel Braband Back to New York Episode 10 Trishelle Cannatella Las Vegas Episode 9 Elka Walker Boston Episode 7 Matt Smith New Orleans Episode 6 Tonya Cooley Chicago Episode 3 Montana McGlynn Boston Episode 2 David Broom New Orleans Episode 1

Road Rules team Player Original season Finish Adam Larson The Quest Winner Cara Zavaleta South Pacific Winner Darrell Taylor Campus Crawl Winner David "Dave" Giuntoli South Pacific Winner Rachel Robinson Campus Crawl Winner Roni Martin Northern Trail Winner Sarah Greyson Campus Crawl Winner Theo Vonkurnatowski Maximum Velocity Tour Winner Veronica Portillo Semester at Sea Winner Abram Boise South Pacific Episode 12 Laterrian Wallace Maximum Velocity Tour Episode 11 Steve Meinke The Quest Episode 8 Tina Barta South Pacific Episode 5 Katie Doyle The Quest Episode 4

Game Summary

Episode		Challenge Winner		Freshlook Eyesaver Winners		Gauntlet Nominees		The Gauntlet	Winner		Eliminated
#	Challenge			Real World	Road Rules	Real World	Road Rules
1	Snake Soup		Real World			David	Sarah	Dead Man's Drop		Sarah		David
2	Masquerade		Road Rules			Montana	Katie	Ride 'Em Cowboy		Katie		Montana
3	Mud Bath		Road Rules			Tonya	Steve	Perfect Fit		Steve		Tonya
4	I Scream		Road Rules			Rachel B.	Katie	Hangman		Rachel B.		Katie
5	Holey Canoe		Road Rules			Coral	Tina	Dead Man's Drop		Coral		Tina
6	Heavyweight Hustle		Real World			Matt	Sarah	Dead Man's Drop		Sarah		Matt
7	Sink My Ship		Road Rules	Norman	Dave	Elka	Cara	Knock Your Block Off		Cara		Elka
8	Red Barron		Road Rules	Nathan	Adam	Trishelle	Steve	Perfect Fit		Trishelle		Steve
9	Inferno		Real World	Alton	Theo V.	Trishelle	Sarah	Perfect Fit		Sarah		Trishelle
10	Rolling On A River		Road Rules	Mike	Roni	Rachel B.	Sarah	Ride 'Em Cowboy		Sarah		Rachel B.
11	Turntable		Road Rules	Theo G.	Veronica	Alton	Laterrian	Pole Climb		Alton		Laterrian
12	All Or Nothing		Real World	Alton	Theo V.	Mike	Abram	Knock Your Block Off		Mike		Abram
13	Vertical Sweep		Real World	Alton	Adam	Irulan	Sarah	Dead Man's Drop		Sarah		Irulan
14	Dukes Of Saturn		Real World	Alton	Veronica	Theo G.	Cara	Ride 'Em Cowboy		Cara		Theo G.
15[lower-alpha 1]	Gold Rush		Road Rules

Final mission

• Alton, Coral, Mike, Nathan, and Norman were the final Real World team.
• Adam, Cara, Darrell, Dave, Rachel R., Roni, Sarah, Theo V., and Veronica were the final Road Rules team.
• Team Road Rules pulled off the win.

Bank Accounts

• Real World - $60,000
  • $12,000 each
• Road Rules - $230,000
  • $25,555 each

Gauntlet progress

Players		Episodes
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Finale[lower-alpha 1]
	Adam	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Cara	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	WINNER
	Darrell	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Dave	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Rachel R.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Roni	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Sarah	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	WINNER
	Theo V.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Veronica	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Alton	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Mike	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Nathan	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Norman	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Coral[lower-alpha 1]	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Theo G.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Irulan	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Abram	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Laterrian	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Rachel B.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Trishelle	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	OUT
	Steve	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Elka	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Matt	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Tina	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Katie	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	OUT
	Tonya	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Montana	SAFE	OUT
	David	OUT

Teams

     The contestant is on the Real World team.

     The contestant is on the Road Rules team.

Competition

     The contestant won the final challenge.

     The contestant lost the final challenge.

     The contestant won the Freshlook Eyesaver Winner and was safe from the Gauntlet.

     The contestant was not selected to go into the Gauntlet.

     The contestant won the Gauntlet.

     The contestant lost the Gauntlet and was eliminated.

     The team was removed from the competition due to illness.

Gauntlet games

• Ride 'Em Cowboy: Two competitors would hold on to a mechanical bull with just one hand; whoever falls off first loses.
  • Played 3 Times: Katie vs. Montana, Rachel B. vs. Sarah, and Cara vs. Theo G.
• Dead Man's Drop: Two competitors are suspended 10 feet into the air on a pole. They then attempt to hold on to the pole by hanging upside down with their legs.
  • Played 4 Times: David vs. Sarah, Coral vs. Tina, Matt vs. Sarah, and Irulan vs. Sarah
• Hangman: Similar to Dead Man's Drop; competitors are still suspended 10 feet into the air, only they hang on the pole with their hands and are positioned right side up.
  • Played 1 Time: Katie vs. Rachel B.
• Perfect Fit: Two competitors first must jump into a pool and pick up their respective puzzle pieces (which are scattered about the pool). After getting their puzzle pieces, they then must make the puzzle.
  • Played 3 Times: Steve vs. Tonya, Steve vs. Trishelle, and Sarah vs. Trishelle
• Knock Your Block Off: Two competitors joust on a beam right above a pool. Whoever gets knocked off first loses.
  • Played 2 Times: Cara vs. Elka and Abram vs. Mike
• Pole Climb: Two competitors climb a 10-foot pole. Whoever gets to the top first pulls a lever that drops the opponent's pole into the pool.
  • Played 1 Time: Alton vs. Laterrian

Episodes

No. in season	No. in series	Title	Original air date
1	74	"Howdy Telluride"	September 29, 2003
2	75	"Masquerade"	October 6, 2003
3	76	"Mud Bath"	October 13, 2003
4	77	"I Scream"	October 20, 2003
5	78	"Holey Canoe"	October 27, 2003
6	79	"Heavyweight Hustle"	November 3, 2003
7	80	"Sink My Ship"	November 10, 2003
8	81	"Red Barron"	November 17, 2003
9	82	"Inferno"	November 24, 2003
10	83	"Rolling on the River"	December 1, 2003
11	84	"Turntable"	December 8, 2003
12	85	"All or Nothing"	December 15, 2003
13	86	"Vertical Limit"	December 29, 2003
14	87	"Dukes of Saturn"	January 5, 2004
15	88	"Gold Rush Part 1"	January 12, 2004
16	89	"Gold Rush Part 2"	January 19, 2004

After Filming

Instead of a reunion special, Battle Scars - From the Gauntlet to the Inferno, a follow-up special aired on January 26, 2004 introducing the next season, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno with commentary by few of this season's contestants.

Memorable Moments

• Before the final challenge, Coral was bitten by a spider, resulting in an allergic reaction. After struggling, she quit, penalizing the already lagging Real World team. The Challenge crew stepped in when they noticed Coral was having trouble breathing. She was airlifted to the nearest hospital where she was treated in the ER.
• Trishelle suffered a bicycle accident and needed to be taken to the hospital. She suffered minor injuries, but was able to continue. She spent two episodes in bandages.
• Sarah Greyson, who was eliminated from the Campus Crawl season of Road Rules, was seen as a weak link and nominated to the Gauntlet five times. She won the Gauntlet all five times, and ultimately shared in the overall win with the rest of the Road Rules team.
• After Abram was defeated by Mike in the Gauntlet, he engaged in a threesome with Rachel and Veronica. Coral was invited, but declined.
• Following a 48-minute-long competition, Sarah defeated Irulan in the Gauntlet. The Road Rules team then began to antagonize Irulan, who was seen as a bad sport and toxic personality the entire competition.
• Mike and Trishelle entered a relationship on the challenge, creating tension between them, Coral, and the rest of the team. Mike would vote Coral to the Gaunltet multiple times over perceived weak link Trishelle.
• Matt was a controversial figure during his time on the show, creating enemies in both Coral and Tonya, the former of whom was an integral part of him being voted into the Gauntlet.
• Theo made the tie-breaking vote that sent Abram to the Gauntlet over Sarah.
• Roni won the "Rolling on a River" mission over Mike.
• Katie snapped at Veronica following her Gauntlet win, believing she played a role in her being voted in. This would lead to the mutual animosity displayed between the two on The Inferno.
• Despite Theo and Adam's best efforts to have her sent home due to what they perceived as undesirable behavior before the final challenge, Veronica won the Eyesaver at the last challenge, "Dukes of Saturn", sparing herself from the last Gauntlet.
• Adam was hellbent on eliminating Sarah from the show, playing a key role in sending her into her five gauntlets. Sarah claimed he was simply trying to vote off all the women on the team, which created friction between Adam and the girls.
• After accidentally knocking Sarah off the rolling pin at the "Rolling on a River" mission, Laterrian refused to accept responsibility during the team deliberation, ultimately making Sarah seem to be at fault, which led to her being voted into the gauntlet once again.
• The challengers were forced into an ice cream eating contest in which the ice cream was eventually mixed in with their own vomit and mucus as the challenge wore on.
• Although they had an existing friendship after winning together on Battle of the Seasons, Mike voted Elka into the gauntlet, where, as the overwhelming favorite, she shocked everyone by slipping off of the ledge unprovoked, handing Cara the win.

Notes

1. Coral was removed from the final challenge due to an allergic reaction to a spider bite that needed medical attention.

External links

• Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived January 21, 2008)
• MTV's official Road Rules website
• MTV's official Real World website