Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet

*The Gauntlet*
The Gauntlet
Season 7
Presented by	Jonny Moseley
No. of contestants	28
Winners	Adam Larson; Cara Zavaleta; Darrell Taylor; Dave Giuntoli; Rachel Robinson; Roni Martin; Sarah Greyson; Theo Vonkurnatowski; Veronica Portillo;
Location	Telluride, Colorado
Opening theme	"It's" by Ill Kidd
No. of episodes	16
Release
Original network	MTV
Original release	September 29, 2003 –; January 26, 2004
Season chronology
	← Previous; Battle of the Sexes Next →; The Inferno

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. It was hosted by Jonny Moseley. This season was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding reality program.^[1]

Filming was originally planned to began in July 2003 in Middletown, RI, but in June a local judge blocked it at request of local residents who thought it would be "materially disruptive". The show instead ended up being filmed in Telluride, CO, and finished filming in August 2003.^[2]^[3] 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 season in-review 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.

Contestants

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

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

Gameplay

Gauntlet games

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

Game summary

Episode		Winners	Freshlook Eyesaver		Gauntlet contestants		Gauntlet game	Gauntlet outcome
#	Challenge	Winners	Real World	Road Rules	Real World	Road Rules	Gauntlet game	Winner		Eliminated
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	Real World	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^[a]	Gold Rush	Road Rules

Bank Accounts

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

Gauntlet progress

Contestants		Episodes
Contestants		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Finale^[a]
	Adam	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	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	WIN	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	WIN	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	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Veronica	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	WINNER
	Alton	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	ELIM	WIN	WIN	WIN	LOSER
	Mike	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Nathan	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Norman	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Coral^[a]	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	MED
	Theo G.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	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 contestant was removed from the final challenge due to illness

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date
73	1	"Howdy Telluride"	September 29, 2003 (2003-09-29)
74	2	"Masquerade"	October 6, 2003 (2003-10-06)
75	3	"Mud Bath"	October 13, 2003 (2003-10-13)
76	4	"I Scream"	October 20, 2003 (2003-10-20)
77	5	"Holey Canoe"	October 27, 2003 (2003-10-27)
78	6	"Heavyweight Hustle"	November 3, 2003 (2003-11-03)
79	7	"Sink My Ship"	November 10, 2003 (2003-11-10)
80	8	"Red Barron"	November 17, 2003 (2003-11-17)
81	9	"Inferno"	November 24, 2003 (2003-11-24)
82	10	"Rolling on the River"	December 1, 2003 (2003-12-01)
83	11	"Turntable"	December 8, 2003 (2003-12-08)
84	12	"All or Nothing"	December 15, 2003 (2003-12-15)
85	13	"Vertical Limit"	December 29, 2003 (2003-12-29)
86	14	"Dukes of Saturn"	January 5, 2004 (2004-01-05)
87	15	"Gold Rush Part 1"	January 12, 2004 (2004-01-12)
88	16	"Gold Rush Part 2"	January 19, 2004 (2004-01-19)

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.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

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

References

^ DiPasquale, Cara; Karnopp, Kris, eds. (December 11, 2003). "ABC shows lead GLAAD nominations". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
^ Holland, Jenny (January 13, 2004). "Hotel sues MTV and production company". Providence, RI. ProQuest 397587255.
^ Sheley, Matt (July 27, 2003). "LOOKING BACK Newport, Middletown spurn MTV's 'Real World/Road Rules Challenge'". Newport Daily News.. June 27, 2003.

External links

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

[Coral-4] Coral was removed from the final challenge due to an allergic reaction to a spider bite that needed medical attention.

[1] DiPasquale, Cara; Karnopp, Kris, eds. (December 11, 2003). "ABC shows lead GLAAD nominations". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2022.

[2] Holland, Jenny (January 13, 2004). "Hotel sues MTV and production company". Providence, RI. ProQuest 397587255.

[3] Sheley, Matt (July 27, 2003). "LOOKING BACK Newport, Middletown spurn MTV's 'Real World/Road Rules Challenge'". Newport Daily News.. June 27, 2003.

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v t e The Challenge
Seasons	Road Rules: All Stars Real World/Road Rules Challenge Challenge 2000 Extreme Challenge Battle of the Seasons (2002) Battle of the Sexes The Gauntlet The Inferno Battle of the Sexes 2 The Inferno II The Gauntlet 2 Fresh Meat The Duel The Inferno 3 The Gauntlet III The Island The Duel II The Ruins Fresh Meat II Cutthroat Rivals Battle of the Exes Battle of the Seasons (2012) Rivals II Free Agents Battle of the Exes II Battle of the Bloodlines Rivals III Invasion of the Champions XXX: Dirty 30 Vendettas Final Reckoning War of the Worlds War of the Worlds 2 Total Madness Double Agents Spies, Lies & Allies Ride or Dies Battle for a New Champion 40: Battle of the Eras
Spin-offs	Spring Break Challenge Champs vs. Pros Champs vs. Stars Season 1 2 All Stars Season 1 2 3 4 USA Season 1 2 Australia Argentina: El Desafío UK World Championship Sweden
Related	Cast members The Real World Road Rules Are You the One? MTV