Trail Ride News: Looking for some trail ride action this weekend? Check out the Wreck Shop Riders 1st Annual Trail Ride & Camp Out – Oct. 29 & 30  at The Yambilee in Opelousas. You can support Breast Cancer Awareness and learn to Zydeco Dance at the same time. Saturday from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.  Make a donation and learn some new zydeco steps. Proceeds to benefit the Lafayette General Foundation.

Trail Rides are a creole tradition born in Southwest Louisiana.  I recently had my first real trail ride experience with the Avenue Riders.  A trail ride is just a rolling country party parade.  It’s so much fun to see the young and old cowboys and cowgirls having a good time and riding their horses through the countryside.  The party wagons and trailers have the DJs playing music and it all ends back at the starting point with music from a hot Zydeco Band.

Trail Rides take place primarily in Louisiana and Texas with a majority of the rides scheduled February through December.  The events kick off  on Friday with a dance with a band and dj ending on Sunday with the ride followed by a dance.   Two of the biggest  trail ride associations in Louisiana are Border2Border and the Rainbow Trail Ride Association.  They both include and support the Texas rides on their calendars.  The groups in the associations travel to support each other on the weekends.  Everyone gets together to ride horses, cook, eat, camp out and pass a good time listening to and dancing to Zydeco and popular music.

I have learned that the trail rides in Texas got started with the creoles from Louisiana who crossed the border to do seasonal farm work.  They brought with them our music, food, culture and the rest is history.  The younger generation has embraced that trail ride country life and are keeping the tradition alive here in Louisiana and Texas.

Please help a sista out: send your Trail Ride News & pictures to me: [email protected] or [email protected]

Rides this weekend in Texas and coming up:

Fri 10/28; Sat 10/29 – OTC Trailriders Trailride & Campout ( Rivon’s Arena, 1813 FM 160, Raywood, TX 77575)

Fri 10/28; Sat 10/29 – Bayou City Trailriders Cowgirl with a Cause Trail Ride (Rancho Los Viera Ranch, 2100 Ohio Ave., Dickinson, TX)

Fri 10/28; Sat 10/29 – Drug Store Cowboys Annual Campout & Trailride (9914 FM521 Rosharon,Tx 77583)

Fri 11/18 thru Sun 11/20 – Blinged Out Ridrz Trailride & Campout (Club Chateau Charles, 7071 Cemetery Hwy., St. Martinville, LA)

(Source:zydecoonline.com, wreck shop riders facebook)