The Good Hope Trail-Riders, recently hosted by Mike Brooks and family, celebrated their 10th annual trail ride on April 3, 2021. Family members and family friends headed to the Lavaca Expo Center in Hallettsville, Texas early that morning to prepare themselves for the fun that was about to be endured. This year the trail ride consisted of a 2-hour ride through the backroads of horseback riding, four-wheeler driving, ATV’s, hayrides, and buggies. After the trail-ride you head back to the arena where different food vendors are offered, a vendor to buy cowboy/cowgirls boots is offered, a mechanical bull for the kids, and then roping the cattle is last for the main event. Scholarships are given out to kids who want to further their education whether it is at a trade school, cosmetology, university, and many more. The requirements may vary.
Trail-riding is horseback riding outdoors on trails, forest roads, or even on bridle paths consisting of music and a good time. The lengths of trail-riding may vary on different trail-ride hosts and the paths being taken.
These shirts are worn by the family members in honor of the three men, who The Good Hope Trail-Riders are based upon. (Jazmyn Stevens IPhone)The map below is the illustration of the trail ride and the backroads taken.
Mike Brooks and Rachel Grayer give background information about The Good Hope Trail-Riders organization and why it is significant to them.
Lasonya Brooks, Mike Brooks sister and Co-Founder of The Good Hope Trail-Riders, has experienced the ongoing growth throughout the years.
“It is crazy to see how many people are hearing about us and how we are giving back to the community. I remember the first trail-ride we hosted, it was small mainly consisting of family and a few friends, but now we have people traveling from different cities in Texas to come have fun with us.” Brooks said.
Zariyon Miller, a 16 year old contestant in the team roping activities and trail rider, explains how he looks forward to this event every year.
“Living in such a small town, there is hardly anything to do but to horseback ride. This event gives my friends and I an actual reason to saddle up our horses, get out the house, socialize and meet new people.” Miller said. “Horseback riding and roping is just as big as sports down here in Halletsville.”
Ashton Adams, a scholarship winner, explains how the trail ride has benefited him.
“After graduating high school last year, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and the pandemic did not help motivate me either. However, since I won the scholarship this year, I have enrolled in trade school of welding,” Adams said. “I am so happy that this scholarship has helped me financially and motivated me to find a career path.”
The date for next years trail ride has been set for March 25th-26th, as it will be the first time the event will be a 2-day event.
