Trail Ride Along the Little Blue River

Photo from Superior Express online

Last Saturday was the annual trail ride that our saddle club organizes and coordinates.  It was a beautiful day with temperatures; cool in the morning but warmed up to around 80 by noon.  It was a great day for man (and women) and beast…ok horses, not beasts.  I helped with the registration and with serving the noon meal again this year since I don't ride.  Not too hard a job and it is fun to see all the riders be excited to go on this approximately 15 mile ride.  Wow, over 90 horses registered this year! One of our members does the cooking for the noon meal and the beef brisket sandwiches, beans and potato salad were so yummy, especially sitting at picnic table watching the lazy river flowing by the lunch area.    I forgot to bring my camera that morning when I went down to Oak for registration so only got a few photos at noon since I remembered to grab it before I left my house to get to the lunch area.

The landowner of the lunch area has done a lot of work the last few years to clean out the scrub trees and brush and takes such pride in keeping this stretch of the river banks so pretty.  The area is shaded by trees and he has even erected a flag pole across the river from the lunch area on a bluff.  The riders had to pass by the American flag before descending and crossing the river to get to the lunch area.

The local paper that came in Thursday’s mail had a great article about the trail ride.  The owner/editor also wrote a nice editorial about the ride.
  
To read the local paper coverage and see more photos click on this link.  When the webpage comes up click on the highlighted words Superior Express then scroll down to read article and see the photos.  Read the editorial by clicking on “Weekly Columns” and reading the one by Bill Blauvelt.  I don’t know how long this online version will be available so if you are interested in reading it I would do it before next Wed. when the next weeks news comes out.  You have to remember this is a small town newspaper that doesn’t have the resources the large newspapers have so I am not sure they save old stories.

The noon lunch is always fun with door prizes being given out, resting time for the riders and horses and of course the good food.  The riders all have stories to tell each other as they rest up for the afternoon ride.  They talk of the ride so far, the state of their horses, what breeding their horse have; they visit about their lives. Lots of laughter could be heard echoing through the area before they all climbed on their horses again for the return ride.  Great times for all.

The riders ranged in age from the very young, a 2 year old, to a fellow that is 85 years old.  The trail isn’t hard they say but does have some challenges and most of the riding is done through pastures and along fields to avoid traveling along the roads so they see lots of pretty areas.  The riders get back into the small village of Oak about 4:30 so it has been a long day in the saddle for everyone.

Until Later,
Lynn