A Ride & Tie Championship involves support crews made up of family members and friends, a veterinarian staff, and volunteers. There are horse trailers, campers, and all the other things that come with horses and people. A race of just fifty teams will involve two hundred people on race day. Because of the size and numbers the events are usually held at the end of long gravel roads in the middle of nowhere. What a surprise to find ourselves right in downtown Taylorsville.
On race day eighty riders and eighty runners lined up in the field behind the rodeo grounds and headed across the road. After a short distance, half mile to a mile for most teams, the riders stopped, tied their horses and took off on foot. The starting runners, arriving at their tied horses, mounted up and rode until they caught up to their now running and walking partners. In this manner, riding and tying and running and untying, the teams covered the 32-mile race. It was a beautiful and challenging course. Joe Tomaselli and Chuck Stalley, local Plumas County residents, spent a lot of time and effort selecting the trails and connecting to the historic Hosselkus Trail. Mile 29 had me dragging my knuckles as I moved as fast as I could to the top of Mt. Jura, hoping I would see my partner and the horse again real soon.
The Ride and Tie Association holds our races where participants, families and friends will enjoy having a week long vacation. Taylorsville was very well liked. For once we were located close to town. We could even ride our horses to get groceries. It was a large enough area that we could all camp together. There was a creek to explore and even a swimming hole for the kids. It was so well liked by the participants that we returned to Taylorsville again in 1994.
Fourteen years later our members are still saying great things about the past Taylorsville Championships. There will be a 32 and 15 mile course. There is over $5,000 in cash prize money and belt buckles to all finishers of the long course. If you would like to compete in our Championship visit our website at www.rideandtie.org for more information.
38th Annual World
Ride and Tie Championship
June 21, 2008
in Taylorsville
If you would like to volunteer, contact Dennis Miller at (530)281-6631. If you would like to cheer us on, stop by the rodeo grounds June 14-21. We’d be glad to tell you all about Ride & Tie!
Author: Don Betts is the President of the Ride and Tie Association. He started in Ride & Tie in 1980 and has completed 20 Championship races.
