By David Taylor / Managing Editor
Whether it’s the clippity clop sound struck by the hoofs of a horse trotting on pavement, or the rolling sound of the wagon wheels traversing down the highway, the allure of even a modern trail ride is too much to miss for more than 3,000-plus riders who converge on Bayou City for the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade.
At least 55-plus of them come from Cheek, Texas, an unincorporated community, southwest of Beaumont in central Jefferson. Every year, the small community established in 1906 becomes the central gathering place of cowboys and cowgirls from around the area known as the Northeast Trail Riders Association.
“It’s about a 108-mile trek from Cheek into Memorial Park in Houston,” said Derrick Daniels, a scout for the trail ride.
Daniels rides lead for the trail ride and is the first person seen beside the police escorts that accompany the riders as they move from county to county.
“We all work together as a team, talking back and forth to keep traffic moving,” he said as they mostly take up at least one lane of traffic on the highway as they head for Houston.
“We use walkie talkies to check on each other, keeping an eye on the health of the animals, and there are no issues with the wagons. My head is always on a swivel the whole ride to make sure we keep our riders safe and the public safe,” he said.
They rolled into Crosby, Texas on Thursday about 5:30 p.m., a little bit later than they normally do.
“We encountered a lot of construction and had to make several detours so the traffic behind us could clear too,” Daniels said.
They also take breaks to feed and water the animals and take human bathroom breaks, too.
“It’s conditioning. We condition the animals year-round, so they are able to make a trip of 108 miles and we break it up into about eight to 10 miles per day,” he said.
The trail ride got off to a rough start with a delay. Normally, they pull out on Sunday but there was a lot of lightning, the only thing that will slow them down.
“We don’t ride our animals in lightning,” he said. “If it is raining, we ride. Cold weather? We ride. Lightning will stop us so we can be safe.”
Instead, they woke up at an early 5 a.m. call and readied themselves and pulled out of Cheek, Texas at 8 a.m.
Trail boss Anthony Bruno says the group plans for this the whole year.
“We have meetings throughout the year and we’re always planning, fundraising, and training,” he said.
During the day, Daniels said they are constantly replenishing themselves with a lot of fruits, water (especially in the heat), and even more so for the animals.
When it’s time to settle in for the night, there’s not a lot of microwave dinners or fast food, but plenty of barbecue and all the trimmings to feed the soul.
Throughout the ride the numbers grow and fall off as those who can’t always take a full week’s vacation join them when they can.
As the riders get into Houston, the excitement and danger increase.
“When we hit Memorial Park, it’s a major reunion because you have all the other 12 associations gathering there at the same time. It’ s a big party on Friday night and everyone is tasting each other’s food and hanging out,” he said.
Along the way, there’s a lot of storytelling and the word spoken by most on the ride is tradition.
“I have my daughter, my grandsons, my in-laws, and my daughters-in-law with me this year,” he said saying it’s all about passing on the tradition to future generations.
For 78-year-old Dr. Charles Perry, it’s a blessing to have his son and grandsons join him on the ride.
“We come from Arcola and meet up with them out in Cheek to ride in,” the wagon boss said.
Don’t think his age is slowing him down.
“I get geared up for it because I’ve been doing it for so long,” he said. He’s been riding on trail rides for 70 years this year, spending his early years with his grandfather and uncles.
“I enjoy it to my bones,” he laughed.
One grandson is an assistant wagon boss and the other is learning the ropes with aspirations to take Bruno’s spot as trail boss.
“It’s important for us to have our kids and grandkids with us to experience this and burn into their hearts a desire to continue the tradition,” Bruno said.
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