San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo sanctions 11 official Trail Rides that come across different parts of Texas to promote the upcoming San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. The Laredo Trail Ride is one of those official Trail Rides.
In 1962 Archie Paige along with the help of the Medina County Trail Riders, decided to make another leg of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Trail Rides that promote and advertise the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
Original members included Rodney Mangold, Marvin Hause, Babe Gilliam, and others. They originally began their trek at the international bridge between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. At that time, the ride was approximately 210 miles long. Through the years, because of tick bans, and various other logistics, the trail ride now starts 10 miles south of Artesia Wells at the Oscar Moreno ranch.
Current Trail Boss Jerry Chessher follows a long line of trail bosses. His father Jerry Chessher, Sr, and his grandfather Jimmie Chessher were all trail bosses through the years, past Trail Bosses also included Missy Sultenfuss, Floyd McOsker, Roy Jarvis and Archie Page.
This February the Laredo Trail Ride will celebrate 60 years of this grand tradition. We will be starting from the Oscar Moreno Ranch once again with a kick-off party on Friday, February 4th, and leaving Saturday morning, Feb. 5th for our first night stop in Cotulla, Tx; at the American Legion grounds. We will leave Sunday morning the 6th for our Dilley night stop, at the Dilley Lions Club. Monday night the 7th we will stop at the A&D Ballroom in Pearsall, Tx for a dinner and dance, the public is invited. By Tuesday we will be coming through Devine at about 2:30 – 3:00 traveling along Transportation Dr and we will stop at the Naeglin Ranch outside of Lytle for the night stop. Wednesday the 9th we will then depart Lytle for our night stop at Country Gold Dance Hall at Pearsall Rd Just outside of Loop 410 for a dinner and dance. The public is invited. Thursday night we will be at the Morlandt Electric Co, and Friday we will be meeting South Texas Trail Riders for our final leg into the official Stock Show Grounds. Any young, single cowgirls between 16 to 20 years old is invited to participate in our Laredo Trail Ride Queen Contest. We look forward to promoting the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo throughout South Texas, and hope that community will come out to greet the Trail Riders, and join us at our dinners and dances. For more information call Trail Boss, Trail Boss Jerry Chessher at 210-505-6868, or Amanda Swaney 210-294-4818 or look us up on Facebook under Laredo Trail Ride.