TETRA riders enjoyed the trail ride and provided magic for children on the way

Hubert "Easy" Hall drives his wagon as part of the TETRA/TPW Expo 2001 trail ride that opened this year's exhibits in Austin. The unidentified rider beside him is there for protection of the wagons, riders and traffic. -Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

October 18, 2001 -- If you happened to be driving along South Central Texas' backroads the week before the Texas Equestrian Trail Riders Association (TETRA)/Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo 2001 opened in Austin on Oct. 5, you probably saw a long line of wagons of every description, as well as riders on horseback of every age and race.

The TETRA group, a state wide organization, traveled from Bandera to Austin to open this year's Expo. Along the way, various riders participated in the daily trail rides, with rest stops each hour and a nightly stop at a previously arranged area.

TPW representative, Karl Cloniger, said that they had spent over $4000 on teeshirts for school children to wear at the Expo, along with many children who were bussed to the trail ride at different locations to ride in wagons for various periods of time.

"It's our second year. We're going to look at it and probably continue for a long time, I hope. It's growing rapidly," said Cloniger.

"I contact different schools and church groups along with needy groups ... We target children to give them an equine experience and to provide a historical perspective of Texas, to the extent we can. We've got great cowboys with us like J.C. Thompson. This guy is magic with children.

"It's just to provide them an opportunity to be around a horse and see this lifestyle and meet these people who are real down to earth people, cranky, sometimes, but down to earth," he added.

Thompson is a rancher who also happens to be a paramedic, and he has ridden on trailrides for a number of years.

"You get 10 fold what you put into it. I work a ranch and I'm a paramedic in San Antonio for the last 30 years. I'm getting ready to retire. I've got a place in Luling where I run cattle and work horses and stuff, but there's nothing like this.

"Even normal trail rides are not like this. I go on 15-20 trail rides a year, but not like this. This is where we give back a little bit," said Thompson.

According to Cloniger, the goals of the trail ride are to promote equine activities with the TPW while developing trails on private land, and to provide an outreach opportunity for children to be introduced to outdoor activities.

"What impressed me more than anything else, last year, was the fact that ... we had some kids out here from juvenile probation who were probably hard core. I deal with them as a paramedic. They've had a lot of abuse, mean as snakes and they came out here.

"First, they were intimidated by us, because here's a different environment and pretty big old boys! Within an hour of dealing with us, these kids were 'Yes, sir,' and 'No, sir,' and 'What can I do for you?' We had more response out of those correctional kinds than we did even the school kids," said Thompson.

Driving one of the wagons behind a team of Quarterhorses was Juanita Brooks of Hawley. She makes most of the trail rides by herself, although she said her husband is an excellent horseman ... he just got burned out.

"This is what I call the 'wimpy wagon.' We're one of the few wagons that have air shocks, coil springs, bucket seats and canvas tops. We're set up to put a back and a front on the wagon, if we need to. Even if we got caught out on the trail, we've got a chuck box in here, too," said Brooks.

She became involved in trail rides after a life-long love of horses and riding. She and her husband, Truman, operate Brooks Farms in the Hawley area, and he does much of the upkeep and innovative changes to her wagons. Along with the canvas wagon, they own an old-style surrey as well as a carriage and have won prizes at the West Texas Fair in Abilene for three years in a row.

Along the trail, you see all breeds of horses and riders, but all riders confirm that there are "unwritten rules," along with TETRA guidelines for the rides.

"You'll find that a trail ride group is most courteous. We look after each other," said Brooks.

Hubert "Easy" Hall's wagon is pulled by mules, and riding in a wagon is something he has done since retiring as a trail boss in 1989, after 31 years. He is also retired military and sold real estate for a number of years. Due to health problems, Hall now rides in a wagon, but everyone knows him and makes a point to come by to greet him on the rides.

Hall has been involved in several rides in connection with the Special Olympics and said these were the most worthwhile rides of his career.

"The most enjoyable part of it ... we're down at Orange and we stopped there. There must have been 60 physically handicapped people there," he said.

He went on to relate that one man who caregivers thought to be too emotional to ride, even with help, ended up on horseback and spoke after a long period of silence to the horse and riders. After arriving back home from the trail ride, Hall received a letter telling him the young man had done a "180 degree" turn and was counseling others. His advice to them was always to "get a horse and ride it," said Hall.

"That one letter paid for all the money I've spent in eight years, and all the trouble I've gone through. That's it, right there," he added.

While there are riders from every walk of life on the trail ride, the sentiment is the same: "We do it for the children ... especially."

And as far as the wagon drivers go, Brooks put it in perspective when she said, "There's nothing better than looking at the north end of a south bound horse."