Since 2010, our Nebraska Horse Trails Committee has hosted a Trail Challenge and Scavenger Hunt to raise funds for horse trail improvements in our state. We base it loosely on the trail challenges you see pop up nationally, but we didn’t see the need to involve any other organization. Doing it ourselves, we could keep entry fees down and after expenses, all of the profits would go directly to our trail projects. This is by far our most popular fund raiser and so easy to do because we get to host it where we love to be: on the trails.
As is tradition, we had a roughly six mile trail ride with six obstacles along the way. Surveys from last year suggested we amp it up a bit and so we did. The challenge in the picture above (taken by Christine Shenefield) was called “Saving the Cowboy from Quicksand”. The rider was to take the rope and back his or her horse, raising the cowboy into the air via a pulley system. And then, by continuing to move their horse, lower him to safety.
We had 49 riders participate in this day-long event, followed by a dinner, a raffle and prizes. It was hosted at Branched Oak’s new equestrian campground which coincidently was made possible by funds raised at activities such as this and donated as security for a matching grant. It is that easy.
Thank you to all the riders and volunteers who came out to help us this past weekend. Without your contributions, it couldn’t be done.
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Today was a rainy day so I was perusing blogs. I have been reading your blog off and on all day...and I have to tell you that the obstacle "Saving the Cowboy from Quicksand" is cracking me up! I have seen it done with a big stuffed rabbit, but this just tickled my funny bone! I have really enjoyed your blog so much....okay, going back to reading.
ReplyDeleteKaren and Mustang Tripp from Mid Missouri