CALF_News_December_2018_January_2019

39 CALF News • December 2018 | January 2019 • www.calfnews.net Stauffer was a longtime University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Educator who succumbed to ALS just one week prior to this ride. His fellow trail boss, Dewey Teel, retired UNL Extension Educator, led Gary’s riderless horse in his honor for the first segment of the ride. Gary’s brother Monte, also in UNL Extension, rode Gary’s horse the rest of the ride. Dewey Teel, ride co-organizer, leads Gary Stauffer’s riderless horse. Stauffer succumbed to ALS just one week before the ride. THE BEST THING FOR A MAN ... Continued from page 36 There were two rides on Saturday. The morning ride began a little after 9 a.m., and finished back at base camp where everyone enjoyed a sack lunch. The afternoon three-hour ride offered plenty of time after for the riders to take care of their horses and freshen up prior to the great steak supper back at the State 4-H Camp Lodge. Many riders were repeats, while sev- eral enjoyed seeing the forest for the first time the best possible way – from the back of a horse. The forest preserve is 90,000 acres, 22,000 of which are hand-planted trees. It is the largest hand planted forest in the western hemisphere. It is also the largest public access for ATV riding in central Nebraska. Unlike the ATVs though, horses and their riders had the ability to venture off trails and go where man-made machines couldn’t. The two comingled amicably during the Saturday morning ride. After a couple-year absence, a horse- drawn wagon returned to this year’s ride. Horseless attendees enjoyed the forest from atop the wagon, provided by rancher Don Licking and pulled by team Maude and Molly. Among the wagon riders were staff from Nebraska Educa- tional Television (NET) who filmed and interviewed the event. “We plan on showing this segment in April on Nebraska Stories, ” explained Kay Hill, NET coordinator. After supper that evening, close to 50 donated items were offered during a silent auction. Attendees also watched videos of past trail rides and uncut, unedited photos of this ride taken by professional photographer and ride com- mittee member Terri Licking. The monies raised will help fund 4-H scholarships and help with maintenance of the two remaining 4-H camps in Nebraska. 