Pikes Peak Range Riders depart Colorado Springs Wednesday for 71st adventure
The 2019 rodeo season officially kicked off Wednesday with the departure of the Pikes Peak Range Riders from Colorado Springs.
After participating in the morning Western Street Breakfast parade downtown, an estimated 170 men and their horses arrived in Custer County for their 71st annual ride to promote Western heritage and support military families.
Despite having Pikes Peak as part of its name, the group rarely conducts its ride around that mountain.
“We do it maybe once every five years or so,” said Grant Adkisson, president of the Range Riders and the upcoming Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo. “It’s because of the red tape with getting permits from the Forest Service. It’s getting harder to do that.”
So the group relies on the generosity of private landowners. This year’s host is the Music Meadows Ranch, south of Westcliffe in Custer County and a two-hour drive from Colorado Springs.
The group will spend the rest of the week riding several hours a day and participating in competitions and other activities. The event ends Sunday night with a dinner and award ceremony at the Hotel Elegante in Colorado Springs.
Charlie Shea, the ride director, said 37 guests are among this year’s group.
“To be a member, you have to be a guest for three years,” he said. “If you get hurt or something happens to your horse, you don’t get credit that year and it doesn’t count as a ride. That’s strict, but we want people to take it seriously.”
That kind of dedication is what motivated David Frisby, of Peyton, to be a guest for the first time.
“There’s a lot of discipline, and they expect a lot,” he said. “I think it’s worth promoting. People out there want to see it, want to keep it alive.”
The group also is known for its hearty meals.
“We had steak for lunch. You can’t beat that,” Frisby said. “And there’s meatloaf for dinner.”
Each rider pays between $500 and $800 to cover the cost of the trip.
The group said because of recent wet weather, it will use campfires for the first time in several years.
