Historic trail ride to bringarmy of riders to Katy

Early on Feb. 26, they’ll awake at Katy Park amid hundreds of horses and 25 vintage wagons passed down for generations.

They’ll begin the day’s expedition just as they did at the previous four and the two yet to come — a group prayer first and the singing of the national anthem in unison moments later.

Then they’ll saddle up and head east, reaching Memorial Park days before the Houston Livestock ShowandRodeo begins March1 at NRGPark.

The Salt Grass Trail Ride, the largest and oldest ride to the rodeo, will soon sweep through Katy, bringing almost 1,500 people riding on horseback or in 19th century wagons. The 104-mile ride starts in the Austin County community of Cat Spring.

“Seeing the people as we pass by is special,” said Sally Hakemack, a member of the ride’s 20-member executive team who lives in the Waller County city of Pattison. “It makes a good impact on the communities that the trail ride passes through and serves as a reminder that it’s rodeo time.”

The group is one of 13 that will arrive in Houston after starting from locations as close as Brookshire and as far as Reynosa, Mexico.

In 1952, Texan Charles Gizendanner proposed that trail rides could promote the Houston Fat Stock Show, according to Salt Grass Trail Ride’s website. The group’s first event included 17 horseback riders and one wag on departing from Brenham into Houston. Only seven years later, it flourished into 2,000 riders and 90 wagons.

Salt Grass Trail Ride Salt Grass Trail Ride trail boss Mitch Morgan leads the group’s long procession along a 104-mile route from Cat Spring in Austin County to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The group will camp overnight at Katy Park.