By JENELLE HUSKEY

It’s once again the time of year to pull your horses and ponies out of their winter paddocks and attempt to restore them to their former glory, hiding somewhere under all that hair and mud. What better occasion is there for such an endeavor as the 17th Annual Horse-a-Thon?

The Saturday, May 1 event is hosted by Mike and Brenda McKinley at McKinley’s Harmony Acres in Cassopolis and sponsored by the Community Involvement Association.

The benefit raises funds for the area No. 17 Special Olympics in Cass, Berrien and Van Buren counties. All of the money raised is distributed locally and used directly on the kids for uniforms, transportation costs, medals and other expenses.

“Special Olympics is not supported by any government agency or even the United Way,” Brenda McKinley said.

This annual ride has attracted a steadily increasing amount of participants from near and far.

Shevonne Hartfield of Bloomingdale, Mich. travels all over the state going to various rides and events and attended the Horse-a-thon for the first time in 2009.

“The people are so gracious and they put on the best charity ride I’ve ever participated in,” Hartfield said. “The variety of entertainment in combination with the ride and the fundraising is great. I’ll definitely be coming to this every year. It’s a fantastic way to start off the season!”  She’s even invited a few friends.

“I have 285 members on my Michigan Horse Riders Club page,” Hartfield said. “I also invited 115 of my personal Facebook friends.”

The Horse-a-Thon kicks off with a delicious pancake and sausage breakfast served by the VFW Men’s Auxiliary from 7 to 10 a.m. for a $5 donation. It’s followed by a 15-mile ride through well-marked scenic trails that encompass the McKinley’s property as well as that of other generous, neighboring landowners. The sandhill cranes, nesting in nearby wetland areas, may be twirling above in pairs trilling out their familiar “garoo-a-a-a.”  Riders will also be witness to the dogwood and crab apple in bloom as well as the earthy smell of new spring growth.

The cost of participating is $15 and riders are encouraged to arrive early enough to register, sign a liability foram (if one is not already on file) and familiarize their horses with the inevitable frenzy of activity. The ride leaves promptly at10 a.m. with the familiar call of “Cowboys up!” given by Brenda and led out by “trail bosses” Randy Briney, Denny Myers, Rod Hatch, Nick Nicholson and many other long standing members of the annual Horse-a-thons.

While Brenda is driving to various checkpoints along the way documenting the event with her camera, Mike will be supervising the set-up of the potluck dinner and charity auction. The weary cowboys and cowgirls will mosey in from their exhilarating 15-mile ride to a festive occasion already well underway. The non-riding participants will be enjoying horse drawn hayrides, provided by Dennis Salloway’s Belgian draft horses. This team of gentle giants will placidly pull their precious cargo as the harnesses jingle to the beat of their dinner plate sized hooves. Meanwhile, the youngsters will be entertained by the inflatable jumphouse and pony rides available at various times during the day.

The potluck dinner is slated to begin at 1 p.m. Guests are encouraged to donate a dish to pass and bring beverages. Plates, cups and dinnerware will be provided. After dinner, and periodically throughout the evening, guests will be entertained with live bluegrass music provided by Lost Road Ramblers and Karaoke is guaranteed to dominate the later evening hours.

The charity auction begins at 3 p.m. and is sure to be highly entertaining with Mike McKinley as the auctioneer and Frank Kujawa as his front man. Local donations are welcomed and the items to be auctioned include gift certificates for merchandise and services provided by local businesses, various tack items, home décor, novelty gifts and much more, culminating with a pair of tickets to a Notre Dame/Western Michigan game.

This year, through the generous donation of an anonymous individual, there is also a chance to win a brand new custom saddle of your choice. Another new addition to the fundraising festivities this year is indoor barrel racing at 6 p.m. Half of the purse will go to Special Olympics and half to the payouts.

Last year’s turnout included over 100 riders and the total funds raised and donated was more than $4,000. The proceeds have steadily climbed over the past several years and they are hoping to continue that trend this year. Everyone, riders and non-riders alike are encouraged to come out for this worthy cause.  For more details on this benefit, as well as other local Special Olympic benefits sponsored by the CIA – the annual Motorcycle Rally, Golf Outing and Bowl-a-thon – visit http://mckinleysharmonyacres.com/annualhorseathon.html.
McKinley’s Harmony Acres operates as a public indoor riding arena for horse shows, barrel racing and clinics offered by various trainers. As well as allowing individuals and families to rent arena time, they also donate the use of their arena to local 4-H clubs and high school equestrian teams.