- American Lifestyle Magazine

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE
THE MAGAZINE CELEBRATING LIFE IN AMERICA
ISSUE 74
Classically Current - pg. 24 | All About Comfort Food - pg. 10 | The Boat Whisperer - pg. 30 | Brotherhood of the Saddle - pg. 36
ISSUE 74 $5.95 US
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It was quite a sight in historic Wickenburg,
Arizona, as some 150 men on horseback
BROTHERHOOD OF
the saddle
photography mark bedor
text mark bedor
returned to town after five days of riding
in the Sonoran Desert. The streets of
the small Western town were lined with
cheering crowds, who greeted the weary
riders like conquering heroes. A pair of
horsemen in front carried American flags,
and were escorted by police; the annual
Desert Caballeros (DC) Trail Ride had come
to a triumphant end.
There were some decidedly mixed emotions
as the horsemen neared the conclusion of
their epic journey that sunny afternoon.
Many were more than ready to sleep in
their own beds back home. They thought
about how good it would be to reunite
with family and friends. But their trek
flew by, and there was a hint of regret to
see it end so soon. “It’s a huge sense of
accomplishment,” said retired Texas airline
pilot Duane Baker, after his fourteenth DC
ride. “But it’s still a little melancholy.”
We rode fine horses for the better part of
one hundred miles, on a trail that took us
through rugged desert mountains, dense
stands of saguaro cactus, and through
the towering canyon walls along the
Hassayampa River. After long days on
horseback, weary riders were refreshed in
camp with the finest in food and drink, and
then rejuvenated with a good night’s sleep
in cowboy bedrolls, under brilliant stars.
But the adventure was really all
about friendship.
“It’s a brotherhood,” DC El Presidente Tom
Hunt told me, “Greatest guys you’d ever
want to be around.”
“It’s a fraternity in a way—but it’s deeper
than that,” shared Andy Fishbach. “You
can’t ride a horse as many miles as we do
together and not just relax and talk to each
other. There’s an openness here that you
won’t find in other places.”
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Andy was clearly moved on the last night
in camp after being recognized with the
DC Top Hand Award, the group’s most
significant honor. The traveling trophy goes
to the man whose character and conduct
exemplifies what the Desert Caballeros
is all about—someone who is a friend to
his fellow riders, who’s good to his horse,
THE LOVE OF THE RIDE ATTRACTS MEN
FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, FROM ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY, AND FROM ALL
AROUND THE WORLD.
willing to pitch in, and who lives out the
group’s motto: “For the Love of the Ride.”
The love of the ride attracts men from all
walks of life, from all over the country, and
from all around the world. But whatever
they do back home, for one week in the
desert, it’s all set aside. “When you come
out here, everybody’s a cowboy for the
week,” said Tom Hunt, “The food’s great. The
camaraderie is just spectacular.”
“What this ride does for a lot of us, is—if
I can use a computer example—it makes
your brain reboot,” said Tommy Wilmeth, an
Arizona sheriff’s commander, on his fortyfifth ride. “Having gone on this ride, I’m
a better husband; I’m a better father. It’s
because I have a chance to sit back—
and in retrospect—look at the whole year.
And when you get off this ride, you have
new ideas.”
Good horses are the catalyst that makes it
all happen. And with so many riders from
out of town, about three-fourths of the men
rode rental horses. But as with everything
else about the DC ride, those mounts were
first-rate. I’ve had the good fortune of
Tim’s amazing horses. Another forty or so
except one. You can imagine the massive
take the reins in the morning, and hand
riding is a labor-intensive activity. But for
guys like Tim Show, horses are a labor of
having been on a number of horseback
rental horses were provided by Gibb Kerr’s
amounts of hay and water it took to care
them back at night. Along the trail, the
expeditions around the country over the
Arizona Horse Company.
for all those equines—not to mention the
wranglers—easy to spot with their red
love. “It’s a life, not a job,” he told me. “It’s
a life.”
daily brushing, bridling, and saddling that
hatbands—were there in an instant if
by Tim Show, owner of Tucson’s Pantano
With 136 riders, wranglers, extra mounts,
each required. There were also giant picket
someone needed a hand.
Riding Stables, made up one of the nicest
plus dozens of privately owned horses,
lines to set up, take down, and move; the
strings of rental horses I’ve ever seen. I
there were about 200 animals on the point-
hardworking wrangler crew handled it all
Anyone who’s ever heaved a forty-pound
sentiment. “You wake up every day and do
sure enjoyed my week with Cocoa, one of
to-point ride, which moved camp every day
with a smile. All we as riders had to do was
saddle over the back of a horse knows that
what you want to do,” he agreed.
years, and the sixty-some horses provided
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Fellow outfitter Gibb Kerr shared that
AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE | 39
“
The DC ride began back in 1947, when some Wickenburg businessmen
came up with the idea to promote the town then known as the Dude
Ranch Capital of the World.
While Kerr and Show live the cowboy life
DC ride began back in 1947, when some
imagine. You’ll also have your pick of plump
almost every day, getting a taste of it for an
Wickenburg businessmen came up with
sandwiches, cookies, and snacks to throw
entire week was a genuine thrill for many
the idea to promote the town then known
into a saddlebag for lunch along on the trail.
of the DC riders. “I can live my dream here,”
as the Dude Ranch Capital of the World.
said the always-smiling Rolly Moning, who
Actor Leo Carrillo was among the seventy-
Houston’s Catering has provided the ride’s
flew thirteen hours from Switzerland to
five men along for that first ride. From the
fine cuisine for the last ten years. While
take part in “cowboying!”
beginning, these guys have been roughing
cooking for 200 might seem like a big job,
it in style.
it’s actually a break for this crew of just
seven from Kanab, Utah. Houston’s often
Both a veterinarian and a farrier (someone
who shoes horses) rode with us to handle
While you spend the day in the saddle and
contracts with the government, and its
any potential problems, along with a pack
nights outside in a bedroll, you’ll sleep on a
sophisticated mobile kitchen trucks can hit
horse loaded with medical supplies (DC
cot, not on the ground. Dinners include filet
the road for an emergency at a moment’s
members include a number of doctors).
mignon, shrimp, trout, lobster, and salmon.
notice. They’ve served three meals a day
This well-organized outfit also maintained
Desserts, such as delicious thick brownies
for as many as three thousand people per
constant radio contact with the local
and ice cream, are just too tough to resist.
day at major wildfires and other disasters
sheriff, just in case.
The finest adult beverages are available
over the years. “We enjoy coming down
as well. Mornings, you’ll be treated to
and doing these rides,” says owner Mickey
If it all runs like a well-oiled machine, it’s
custom-made omelets, pancakes, and most
Houston. “They’re very friendly, very nice,
thanks to sixty-seven years of practice. The
any other hot and tasty breakfast you can
and very organized.”
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gets the fire and coffee going, tends bar,
more important than ever. “This is a sanity
and keeps things running smoothly.
check on life,” said Mike Parrish on our last
morning, as he prepared for a business trip
There’s a lot of visiting between camps,
to Europe the following week. “Very good.”
along the trail, and at meals—it’s just
one big DC gathering. There’s even more
“It’s a chance to just switch off,” added
socializing on the one layover day in
Tony Bacon.
camp; after two solid days in the saddle—
Camp boss Mike Pollay is in charge of the
including an eight-hour trek on Tuesday—
But the week is hardly all quiet reflection.
Wednesday was a welcome day to kick back
The wake-up call of a locomotive engine
at a place called Cooper’s Ranch. The DC
and a police siren blasting through a
guys planned a fun day with skeet shooting,
loudspeaker at six in the morning gets the
horse racing, and a “gymkhana”—a series of
day off to a hilarious and rowdy start. And
horsemanship competitions, which included
boys will be boys: “My wife says I come
barrel racing and other timed maneuvers.
here to exercise my adolescence,” laughed
Silver buckles went to the winners, and I
eighty-year-old Bud Katzman, who took
was fortunate to snag one of them—quite a
up riding at the age of fifty-seven. The
nice souvenir!
Wickenburg women also have their own
horseback week in the desert: the sixty-
camp crew. Camp moves location every day
except one, and some twenty men pack up
Back on the trail, we were once again
seventh annual Las Damas Ride headed
and haul two truckloads of gear—including
in gorgeous country. While the ride is
out just weeks after the DC ride. Many
126 cots, a number of dining tables and
just miles from Wickenburg, the desert
members are wives of DC riders.
chairs, dumpsters, bathroom facilities,
wilderness we rode through looked pretty
and other equipment. Pollay and a smaller
much like it always has. Along with those
You can tell just how great it all is, by how
crew also work as the support staff for
amazing stands of fascinating saguaro
fast it all goes by. Late Monday morning,
the riders, and they spend long days in the
cactus, our trail took us past the remains
the Desert Caballeros paraded out of
saddle during the months preceding the
of old silver and gold mines, over rugged
Wickenburg on their horses, as the crowds
ride—scouting trails, clearing obstacles, and
mountain passes, and along cool river
cheered and took pictures. Suddenly, it was
making sure everything is ready. “There’s
valleys shaded by towering cottonwood
all over, and we rode back into town on
a lot of work that goes into this before the
trees. During the week, I was lucky to have
Friday. But—we returned as different men.
actual ride,” he revealed. “It’s a challenge.”
spotted a rattlesnake, the pig-like wild
Enriched by the beauty of the desert and
javelina, and even a desert tortoise.
our time spent on horseback, we connected
with good friends, both old and new. We
But it’s one he enjoys. Starting with his
grandfather, Pollay’s family has been
All of this fun is by invitation only. But
are brothers of the saddle. And we’re
involved in the ride for decades. “It’s a
that doesn’t mean that you can’t go; the
already making plans for the next Desert
family tradition,” he told me, adding, “It’s
Desert Caballeros are actively seeking
Caballeros Trail Ride—what these men
the people. It’s a great friendship. It’s a lot
new members to make sure this horseback
truly believe is the greatest trail ride in the
of hard work. But it’s worth every minute.”
tradition goes on for generations to come.
American West.
Details are on their website. Simply put,
For more info, visit desertcaballerosride.com
There’s more help, too. The DC riders are
if you get asked back three times in a
subdivided into about half a dozen camps.
row, you’re in the club. There’s an annual
For example, the California camp—as you
membership fee, but also a member
might expect—is made up primarily of guys
discount for the ride. Full members also
from California. My outfit was known as the
get to vote on important matters, and are
Honkers, an apparent reference to some
encouraged to get involved in the work it
long-ago connection with Canada and its
takes to keep this cherished tradition going.
famous geese. Each camp hires a so-called
“bat boy” who hauls personal gear in a
In these fast-paced times, a much-needed,
good-sized U-Haul from camp to camp, then
week-long escape in the saddle may be
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