Oct. 29 trail ride to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital
10-mile ride at Big Sandy academy offers fun for  riders, wagons

By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Oct. 20, 2005 - Horses and their owners are being recruited for a fund-raiser to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

The Tyler Area Chapter of Cowboys For Christ is sponsoring a trail ride event that will be held Oct. 29 at the A.L.E.R.T Academy near Big Sandy. 

Richard McAfee is the vice president of the Cowboys For Christ chapter and said he was contacted by St. Jude, who requested that their chapter sponsor the “Saddle Up for St. Jude benefit.”

�I told them that we were a small chapter, but they wanted us to do the ride anyway,� said McAfee. �They have had good results from Cowboys For Christ chapters in the past.�

At the chapter’s next meeting, McAfee said the members agreed to sponsor the event.

St. Jude Children’s Hospital is a pediatric research and treatment facility based in Memphis, Tenn. Young patients with severe medical problems are accepted for treatment regardless of their financial situation and family’s ability to pay for treatment.

McAfee is expecting as many as 300 horses and riders for the event. That number could be higher as people are allowed to register up until just a few days before the event.

Each person who registers is mailed a pledge sheet, which must be filled out and returned when they arrive at the event. Pledge sheets allow each rider to collect monetary pledges from friends, family, and colleagues.

�This pledge sheet is the rider�s ticket to ride,� said McAfee. Without a pledge sheet, the person will not be allowed to participate.

As another way to raise funds for St. Jude, an auction is planned to follow the trail ride.

The A.L.E.R.T. Academy is located just east of Big Sandy, and McAfee said the academy was the first location sought for the event. The academy is usually used to train young Christian men to aid in disaster situations, such as hurricanes. The location is equipped with RV hookups that make it a convenient site for events such as the St. Jude benefit.

�They are a 2,200-acre facility. There are over 30 miles of equine trails on the property,� he said. �These trails vary in degree of difficulty but we chose the least challenging 10 miles to use for the ride.

�We wanted a safe, easy ride for novice riders and we have had interest from some folks who wanted to participate with their wagons and teams.�

McAfee believes many horse owners are aware of the many charity opportunities available, and looks forward to having a diverse crowd at the event. “There will be folks from all walks of life involved in this event,” he said. “As of right now we have people from Central Iowa to South Louisiana, and lots of places in between, coming to the ride.

�They have a concern for the children and a desire to help.�

The ride will cover 10 miles of mild terrain at the A.L.E.R.T. Academy. “The trail we will use is fairly flat and wide enough for riders to ride abreast in most cases,” explained McAfee. “It is wide enough to allow wagons to travel it easily.”

The ride will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, but additional events are being planned for the Friday, Oct. 28, for those who opt to come early. 

McAfee encourages people to choose their riding horse wisely.

�I would think that folks would want to bring a fairly calm, settled horse to a ride such as this,� he said. �I would prefer that people not bring a stallion to the ride. They seem to be more prone to cause problems and are more difficult for most riders to control.���� ��� Precautionary measures may be taken if a horse poses a risk to others. �Any horse that has been known to kick must have a red ribbon tied to its tail, as a caution to other riders,� McAfee said. In addition, horses must have a negative Coggins test, with no exceptions being made.�

Event organizers also encourage riders to be well prepared for their stay and the ride.

�Riders should bring their own feed and water buckets,� suggested McAfee. �Water hydrants will be available, but riders should bring their own feed and hay.�

In addition, owners will need panels or tethers to keep their horses in place and should bring horse care products, such as fly spray (recommended).

For more information about the event, or to request a pledge packet, call 903-769-4280, 903-769-1755, or 903-570-6685. McAfee can be reached my emailing rponyman@aol.com.