16/ MARCH/APRIL 2013 THE RIDER Riding For A Cure By Andrea Cascone.
The Annual Trail Ride for Breast Cancer gears up for its fourth annual fundraiser
Four years ago, horse owner Debra Moore decided that she wanted to combine her love and lifetime knowledge of horses with her desire to fight back against breast cancer. Moore has a very personal history with the disease; she has lost both her mother and her aunt to breast cancer. What started out as a passion project organized by Moore, her siblings and her daughter has become a highly successful annual event attracting sponsors from all over North America. In their first year, they raised $1,400 and last year they raised nearly $12,000. This year Moore hopes to raise $15,000. Unlike most fundraisers for cancer that require participants to
where people can communicate with one another.” Despite the seri- ousness and ugliness of the dis- ease, Moore assures that, “on the day of the trail ride nobody is down in the dumps. It’s the one day that all is forgotten and that we can come together and enjoy this really fun event.”
gather pledges, Moore decided to collect an entry price of $50 ahead of time from participants. “For most of us, there just isn’t enough time to go out and get pledges, though people are certainly welcome to collect pledges if they would like to,” Moore encourages. The entry price allows participants to enjoy the trail ride as many times as they would like as well as the bar- beque sponsored by Shelburne Lions Club. The one thing that participants are urged to bring is water, especially for their horses. The facility does not have any running water and after several hours in the heat horse and human alike are bound to get thirsty.
This year, the trail ride is scheduled for Saturday July 20 and will be hosted at Dufferin Forest. The ride lasts a total of two and a half hours at a walk- ing or trotting pace. “We encourage experienced riders who do not want to do the trail at a walking pace to start their ride at 9am, with those riders wanting to enjoy the trail at a walking pace starting at 10am.
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I organize the riders in groups of ten and I try to space out the walks in fifteen minute intervals,” says Moore. Organization is key and the participants’ safety is a concern that she takes very seriously. “We have first aid available for both horses and humans, and we also have experienced riders accompa- nying the groups on the trail throughout the day,” Moore states. Horse enthusiasts of all levels of expertise are all welcome and it is not necessary that participants have any previous riding experi- ence. Nearby facilities such as Hillbilly Hack and Rawhide Adventures work in partnership with Moore and provide a rental horse for the day as well as a guide. She encourages all who are passionate about fighting and spreading awareness of breast can- cer to attend: “We are open to everybody and anybody.”
come out to participate,” Debra enthuses. The trail ride functions not only as an important fundrais- ing event but as a networking opportunity for those struggling with breast cancer in their own or their families’ lives. “You meet some really amazing people at the event,” Moore says, “breast cancer is something serious, it is some- thing nasty and it is so important that we create this environment
Eventually Moore would love to see this event expand over an entire weekend. The property is approximately 10 acres and has lots of mature trees under which both riders and horses can relax before and after their trail rides. To those who have never participated in the event, Moore urges, “come out and support the ride!” She promises a day full of fun and the company of some truly inspira- tional people.
For more information regard- ing the event, drop by and say hi to Debra at the Trail Ride for Breast Cancer booth at the Can-Am All- Breeds Emporium trade show March 28-31 at the Orangeville Fairgrounds, where you can also register to participate. Or visit the official website at
www.trailride-
forbreastcancer.weebly.com.
Many months of planning go into the trail ride each year. Moore says, “as soon as one trail ride ends, I immediately start planning next year’s event.” In the past, she has welcomed riders from all disci- plines and even had a mule in attendance last year; it is important to Moore that there is some- thing for everyone to enjoy. In previous years, Moore has scheduled a therapeutic riding stable, and this year she has organized a Poker Run Trail Ride, raffle prizes plus an online silent auction that begins on April 1st.
“We have had riders as young as 6 and as old as 75
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