For 62 years a group of cowboys and cowgirls have committed to taking an almost100-mile annual journey on horseback from the western part of the south Texas hill country to San Antonio. Despite the challenges this five-day trail ride can bring, they do this year after year for the experience, camaraderie, tradition, and a satisfying sense of self-accomplishment at the trail’s end. This particular ride, The Alamo Trail Ride (ATR), is one of eleven other rides that have convergedon San Antonio to help kick off the San Antonio Rodeo. ATR,now numbering around 200 riders, share the common thrill of riding horseback over remote unpopulated open land. They ride all day and at night gather around a campfire to share stories about the day’s adventures.
The five-day journey begins at the Rafter 7 Ranch in Montell, Texas in early February. Horse riders, both young and old, show up every year with family and friends to pay homage to those who came before them, and to pass on the legacy of the trail ride to younger members of their families. The five-day ride is a chance to appreciate the value of time uninterrupted by cell phones, the internet and appointments. It’s a chance to experience a way of life that used to be the normal rhythm of life in the country.
Trail boss of four years, Randall Hoover, starts months before the riders meet up to ensure there are no changes on the ranches, and that the ranchers still welcome the cross-country travelers. He admits, “I’m tired before we start the ride, but the adrenalin gets pumping and I’m ready to go when the first day arrives. "Randall credits his wife, Sue, with organizing all the moving parts that make the ride more carefree for everyone. She also plans the entertainment features that round out the end of the days.
Many people play a role in making the event fulfilling each year. Assistant trail bosses, Matt Hoover and Mike Blackwell, assist Randall in leading the group to a successful arrival. Scouts Gregg Liggett, Shauna Pollan, Cas Moczygmba, Sean Spencer, Oscar Rodriguez, Gerry Veratequil are the glue of the group, offering information and assistance in areas where they see need. They also ensure all the riders are safe. Camp bosses Steve Williams and Chris Burns ensure the campsites are running smoothly and are cleaned up when the ride moves on to another ranch.
Randall began to ride with ATR as a teenager in 1969. He recalls, “We rode cross-country through the hills, crossing the Nueces River, the Frio River and the Sabinal River, usually 25 to 30 miles a day. As kids we would stay up too late and sleep on the hard ground. We’d sleep in the saddle the next day because we were so tired.” Randall rode under a trail boss named Kyle Hoover, a man Randall respected tremendously and who he has always tried to emulate. “Kyle was an icon. Dry sense of humor and tough as nails, but a good, good man,” Sue Hoover remembers, “He and Randall were so close. They once rode with four others into San Antonio in 15-degree weather in driving sleet. The city was shut down, but no one would quit because they knew Kyle would ride on alone.”
Randall’s plan that extremely cold year was to serve doughnuts and coffee. Susan recalls, “The coffee was frozen. The doughnuts were like rocks. We crammed into the Rogers’s kitchen trying to thaw it all out on her little kitchen stove, but by the time we got back to the campsite, they were frozen again.” Mrs. Rogers owns the Rafter 7 where the Alamo Trail Ride has begun its five-day journey since the 70’s.
Sue began riding in the ride when she was 17, “My brother Vic Estrada and I rode because of our dad. We always had horses. Dad loved this trail ride. When we started out, we slept on the ground in sleeping bags between bales of hay. The campfire was at our feet. We got up and saddled when dawn broke, and grabbed what food we could carry through the 25-mile days.”
Sue and Randall were both on the ride as teenagers and eventually married. They raised their children, Megan, Kyndell, and Matt to ride every year along with them. “Back when the kids were in school, they could only come out and ride on weekends,” Sue elaborates, “but they grew up doing this every year. Our daughters served as Alamo Trail Ride Queens, and our grandchildren are growing up to follow in their footsteps. This year our granddaughter, Lola Helm, rode every day of the ride for the first time.” Although the hay bales and campfire coffee have morphed into comfortable living quarter horse trailers and individual coffee pods, the family element is still at the core of the campground. In their camp, Sue and Randall’s rig is nestled in between son Matt’s family rig and daughter Megan’s family rig.
That original trail ride ended in San Antonio as part of publicity for the premier showing of The Alamo at The Majestic Theater. Robert Reesemen was one of the riders in that first group. “We were sponsored by Lone Star Beer and camped every 25 or 30 miles at different ranches. Texas Rangers and state troopers met us when we came out onto Highway 90 around Hondo. We’d then have our own little parade through Hondo and Castroville. It was a fun experience for us and the community.” He laughs about the hardships and the hard ground of the past but has rarely missed a year. “Every time I think, ‘this is my last one.’ January comes around, and I start packing up my stuff.”
As the day’s ride ends and the night’s entertainment warms up for the eager participants, horses are curried, sore muscles massaged, and the aches and pains of a good day’s ride are worn like a welcome badge of accomplishment. Group meals, whiskey tasting, wine tasting, and country music are part of the variety of evening activities enjoyed by people of all ages. Randall elaborates, “Some people take vacation to go on these trail rides, so we try to make it more than just the ride. Some come for the entertainment, but a lot of people just enjoy the horses.”
The Kyle Coleman corn hole tournament is now an annual event that takes place on the ride’s day of rest. It memorializes a beloved former Trail Boss that many riders remember and respect. Kyle’s widow, Edna, fondly states, “I did every job on the ride except for riding a horse. And I also got fired from most of those jobs. We all had so much fun and helped build so many wonderful memories that we will always carry in our hearts. You make long-lasting friends on the Alamo Trail Ride and that is a blessing.”
The friendships formed on the trail see you through a lifetime. The challenges met build a toughness of character that has been the foundation of Texans for generations. At the end of the trail, the riders not only love the experience of the ride but love the person they become because of it.