The Kids Win Again!

By Nancy Deisch

The Arkansas Back Country Horsemen celebrated an another successful (4th annual) Kids’ Weekend of fun and games with horses on June 22-24th. The Lower Buffalo River BCH hosted all the Arkansas chapters at the Woolum primitive campground with President Bill Kenner and Treasurer Marjorie Heacock planning and ramrodding the entire 4-day event.

Each day began with Bill’s pancakes and all the fixin’s for the energy needed to trail and wagon ride, followed later by horses and riders all cooling off in the Buffalo National River. (Some of those kids can be pretty acrobatic with their flips and dives from the backs of horses standing deep in the water!) Friday night Bill and Marjorie cooked BBQ pork and pulled chicken for sandwiches with delicious side dishes for everyone.

On Saturday, after trail rides and wagon rides and swims, games on horses were played with everyone a winner at events such as “Ride and Run, Toilet Paper Carry, Ball in the Basket, Apple Bob, Granny’s Panties, Egg in a Spoon, Boot Scramble, and Water Balloon Toss,” (you just had to be there to understand…). Each participant went away with a grocery bag of prizes and lots of fun memories.

There were 15 children in ages from 1 year to 17, and they could ride alone, ride with someone, or ride with someone leading, so the skill level was not important. The young cowboys and cowgirls were Ashlyn and Tailyn Scott, Trinity Schelling, Remington, J.R., and Sebastian Watson, Torye and Tennelle (returning pros), Kingston, and Robert Libbon, Leigha, Mikka, and Raegan Frame, Adrianne White, and Izzy Blake. Twenty-eight adults monitored, assisted, and cheered as the kids and their horses ran the field up-and-back numerous times.

After all the work (I mean fun) local celebrities The Backwood Pickers (Amanda Cowles, Edna Lou Grinders, Mel Chaney, and wagoneer David Trogdan) entertained and serenaded while the potluck supper was being prepared/set out. Instruction on Dutch oven cooking (including desserts with berries and peaches picked that day. Oh, my!) was offered to any interested diner-to-be.

All Arkansas BCH chapters were represented, and the Lower Buffalo BCH host chapter is already making plans for fun and games with kids and horses in 2019. The next all-state gathering will be the ABCH Fall Rendezvous in September, so stay tuned!

The three wagons were busy with rides for everyone.

Thanks to the photographers Diane Shaddoxx-Richardson and Ted Spears.