Horseback riders enjoy beautiful views on the open range

 

Don and Rebecca Williams

The horseback riding group headed to a new venue on Saturday, March 10 to see what the Rocking K Ranch had to offer. This new venue for the Rockin’ Star management staff turned out to be a true gem. The ride took the group on a working cattle ranch and through the open range where cattle were grazing along the trail. It was fun to be a cowboy, if only for a few minutes. Then the group headed up trails that wound through stands of ancient saguaros that have been growing there for easily more than a century. They were truly magnificent cacti and made a great backdrop to some great views of the surrounding mountain ranges.

There were 24 riders altogether, split into groups of twelve. Of the 24, ten were new riders who heard about the group at the Club Expo. It was great to see new residents coming out to support the horseback riding group and enjoy this fun activity.

While the stable at the Rocking K Ranch on Old Spanish Trail between Tucson and Vail was a new one, there were familiar faces among the staff and many of the horses were ones that some in the group had enjoyed riding before at their previous location. The new location does allow an opportunity to spread out behind the guide rather than needing to follow single file all the time. It was fun to be able to ride next to a spouse or friend as that is not possible on most trail rides. There was also a small petting zoo with many goats, sheep, burros, and alpacas as well as ponies for small children to ride.

The group plans one more ride on April 7 before going on hiatus for the summer. If you would like more information about the group’s activities and are not already on their email list, contact Don or Rebecca Williams at [email protected].