Texas Independence Trail Ride expects more than 100 participants leaving from Highland Bayou Park
More than 100 trail riders with Texas Independence Trail Ride Association will leave from Mac McGaffey Highland Bayou Park (HBP) at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, February 17, 2018, as they embark on the first leg of their seven-day journey to Houston's Memorial Park. The group participates in the statewide trail ride to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year. The trial ride will leave Highland Bayou Park, come down Main Street, Bayou Street and then Texas Avenue toward Interstate 45 with a police escort. Citizens who want to watch are invited to park at City Hall or La Marque Public Library. According to Assistant Trail Boss and La Marque native Larry Myrick, some of the wagons will have beads to throw out to kids.
"We are excited about the move to Highland Bayou Park and hope the community comes out to see the trail ride Saturday morning," said Myrick. "Look for me! I'm leading the group on a black horse."
Independence Trail Route through La Marque:
Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018: Leave Highland Bayou Park in La Marque; R on FM 519 (Main Street); L on Bayou Road; L on FM 1765 (Texas Avenue); R on Willis; Break in vacant lot across from Wong's Restaurant (2.7 mi); R on cut through road between Yamaha & Jack 'n the Box; R on Noble (before I45 feeder); L on Monticello; L into Park 'n Ride for Break (6.1 mi); L out of Park 'n Ride cross Delany & Century; R on I45 feeder; L on FM 1764; L into Joe's Feed Store for Lunch - enter 2nd driveway (next to Dillon's Liquor) (9 mi); L on FM 1764; L on Ave L; R on 6th St. enter softball field for Break (11.2 mi); Leaving break - L on 6th St. L: on 11th St. (at "T"); R on Ave I; L on Hwy 6; L into Galveston County Fairgrounds/Jack Brooks Park. Daily Distance: 15 miles Overnight camp: Galveston County Fairgrounds/Jack Brooks Park
The Texas Independence Trail Ride was formed in 1961. The group encourages families to ride together and are known on the trail as the "family ride". Generations of families ride together every year and the annual event has become a family reunion of sorts. Texas Independence is a nonprofit organization that strives to stimulate, promote and encourage the love of horses, riding and good fellowship. Preserving Cowboy Heritage is a tradition of their ride, as well as encouraging participation in Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. For information, find them on Facebook or email txindependencetr@gmail.com.
According to www.rodeohouston.com, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Trail Ride started in 1952, when four men traveled on horseback from Brenham, Texas. Today, more than 3,000 trail riders partake in the tradition each year. Riders hit the trail in an attempt to recreate the Old West, and in doing so, find a common ground that links us all to the Rodeo.
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About Mac McGaffey Highland Bayou Park: Highland Bayou Park is a 230-acre nature park in La Marque, Texas. It is home of La Marque's annual family-friendly music festival, Bayou Fest. Beginning in 2019, the park will be the first stop on Texas Independence Trail Ride Association's ride to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The park features baseball fields, playgrounds, canoeing, hiking, nature trail, bird sanctuary with bird watching, observation deck, tennis court, basketball court, horseshoe pit, shade shelters and bar-b-que facilities. Highland Bayou Park features a large parking area and public rental of the pavilion. The park is open from dawn to dusk, unless the city is hosting a special event. For information, visit parks.cityoflamarque.org.
About the City of La Marque: The City of La Marque is strategically situated in Galveston County, 15 miles south of Houston and four miles north of Galveston Island. La Marque is the second-fastest-growing city in the County with an estimated population of 16,000, an area of 14.25 square miles and boasting 14.3 miles of I-45 frontage-more than any other city in Galveston County. Citizens enjoy easy, breezy coastal living, abundant housing options and the security of a hurricane protection levee system. La Marque is a sportsman's paradise and offers access to world-class medical, travel and entertainment options. Citizens and visitors enjoy Bayou Fest, an early fall concert series and BBQ Cook Off offering free family fun; Magical Winter Lights, a 52-day holiday lantern festival; and Crawfish Bash, an annual crawfish cook off that earned a Guinness World Record in 2017. For business, La Marque offers prime I-45 frontage, creative incentives, an abundance of commercial property, a budding downtown revitalization and build-to-suit opportunities. La Marque is the Gateway to the Gulf and the Hub of the Mainland. Discover the possibilities at www.cityoflamarque.org.