x
Breaking News
More () »

Rodeo trail rides, rooted in family tradition, make their way to Houston

It's a sound and a sight in a state that can only one mean thing.

"You know you're in Texas when you drive down the freeway and you see 50 people riding horses and wagons," said trail rider Mike Murphey.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is just over a week away now and the trail rides are on their way to town.

"Eleven different trail rides coming from different directions are all going to meet up to have a big party I guess you could say," said Wheat McKinney, trail boss for the Valley Lodge Trail Ride.

The Valley Lodge Trail Ride stands out ever year.

"We've done it for 26 years in a row, my wife and two kids," said Murphey.

Murphey's kids are all grown now.

"Now, I bring my family, my wife and my kids," said Mike Murphey Jr. "And seeing my 4-year-old riding the wagon is just a blast."

Three generations on one ride, and the Murphey family is just one of a handful that have made the Valley Lodge Trail Ride a yearly tradition.

"We have people out here that were born on this ride and they're still here today," said McKinney.

It really is a calling they say and a way to get people excited just in time for another rodeo.

"Everybody's happy to see us," said McKinney. "They're waving, clapping hands and taking pictures."

Before You Leave, Check This Out