The name is the same, but the Calhoun Broke and Busted Saddle Club is not broke and busted anymore. The club finances are much healthier after an April 13 Poker Run, which drew more than 70 riders and 39 sponsors.
At the end of 2023, the club, which puts on the Calhoun Colt Show, was hit with a 33 percent increase for equine event liability insurance. The jump in liability insurance threatened equestrian events all over the country and created a financial obstacle for horse owners who wanted to take their animals off their property.
When Saddle Club president Shelly Acosta received the bill, it sent her and other volunteers who run the club into shock. How could a grass-roots, all-volunteer community group afford to put on the Calhoun Colt Show, the longest running community event of its kind in Missouri? Or hold the equine events planned for the Lonnie Price Memorial Arena in Calhoun throughout the year?
The answer, someone suggested, was to hold a Poker Run on horseback, where riders follow a trail and receive tickets at designated stops to exchange for a poker hand. The club held a trial Poker Run on horseback last December that drew 35 riders.
The April 13 Poker Run, to Sedalia and back, drew more than 70 riders, who enjoyed a whole weekend of music, food and fun.
Many participants and their families camped at the Lonnie Price Memorial Arena, on the northwest side of Calhoun. On Friday night, arena owner Chad Price held roping practice for overnight guests. On Saturday morning, the riders saddled up and rode to the KATY trailhead in Calhoun, then made the trip towards Sedalia and back.
“Missy’s Snack Shack was waiting at the 4th stop,” Shelly said.
Everyone had checked back into the arena by 6 p.m., she said, where the saddle club provided fried chicken, baked beans and green beans to anchor a potluck dinner. Dee Ensor, Harold Ensor and Sandy Gosoroski of Calhoun fried the chicken for the dinner, Shelley said, which was served to 150 people.
Matt Breshears emceed the award ceremonies, assisted by Rick Acosta. Bernie Baker took the first place prize of $1,357 and did a victory dance. Francis Johnson won $814 for second place, and Hunter Marriott won $543 in third.
Receiving the award for youngest rider was Bryer, 4. Oldest rider was Marilyn Gray, 72, who came from Eldon for the event. Jillian Donovan took the “Road Warrior” award for traveling 324 miles from her home in Darlington, Mo., 100 miles north of Kansas City.
The weekend ended with a 9-mile trail ride on Sunday morning through the Calhoun countryside, followed by lunch provided by the club.
The Saddle Club members are planning a third Poker Run, Shelly said, which should raise enough money to cover insurance and the expenses of holding the Colt Show and all the 2024 events, which range from barrel racing to equine health clinics.
Shelly thanked the 39 businesses who sponsored the Poker Run. Clinton sponsors included Dietz Family Buffet, Gregg Smith Ford-Lincoln, Jim Falk Motors, Max Motors, Everharts Outdoors, Cook Tractor and Davin Newman State Farm Insurance agent. Equity Bank, Mills and Sons Insurance, Henry County Mutual Insurance, Dody Legacy Group and the Clinton Daily Democrat also supported the event.
Windsor sponsors included Windsor Realty and Gun, Windsor Hardware & Supply, Windsor Auto and Ag and the Sidetrack Cafe.
Farmers Elevator and Supply, Detweiler Farrier & Farm Supply, AVFAB, Proteam Roofing and Repair, and Jim’s Motors and Trailers were also sponsors. Sponsors catering to equestrians were Cowboy Specialist in Eminence, Mo, Rock Ridge Saddles and Tack in Palmyra, Mo., and The Bag Hag Custom Horn and Saddle Bags.
Sponsors offering outdoor venues for horse owners were Pinecrest Campground and Cabins in Salem, Mo., Panther Creek Trail Rides & Campground in Tuscumbia, Boston Mountain Horse Camp in Marshall and High Knob Campground in Illinois.
Doc Ron Brown, DVM and owner of Brown’s Arabians in Appleton City, was a sponsor, as was the Cactus Shack, which sells metal yard art and western decor in Pleasant Hill.
Broke and Buster Saddle Club’s next event is a Cinco de Mayo Barrel Racing contests on May 5, organized by Emma Sosa, a young nationally-ranked barrel racer from Greenridge.
On June 1, the Saddle Club is staging its annual interactive Murder Mystery Dinner on the Calhoun Square, weather permitting. This year’s theme is “Mullets, Mayhem and Murder,” with everyone who attends receiving an identity in the drama and invited to channel their inner redneck. Ax throwing, corn hole and temporary tattoos will be some of the activities offered, and an outhouse race planned. Saddle Club members and local actors in costume will carry the plot of the drama, with everybody invited to guess “whodunnit.”
Back when horses were the main mode of transportation, every town or farm community had a saddle club, but Calhoun is one of the few towns with a saddle club left in the region. The club focuses on beginner and novice equestrians of all ages, with the mission to promote horsemanship skills and equine knowledge through participation in friendly competitions, trail rides, and riding in parades.
The 115th annual Calhoun Colt Show, is Sept. 6, 7 and 8, and features Equestrian Day competitions, the Saddle Club Follies and roping contests in the arena, plus live music, a pet parade, dog, flower, fancywork, bike and car shows, a grand parade and other events on the Calhoun Square. The Calhoun Colt Show grew out of an annual meeting of horse breeders to show off their young horses. Held in early September, it is the oldest continually-running community festival of its kind in Missouri.
For more information, go the Broke and Busted Saddle Club Facebook or website, or call Shelly at 660-233-0243.
