Parish Wants Trail Rides Preserved
Trail Rides Can Continue But Not On State Roads, Officials Say
May 24, 2013
by William Johnson
Officials and trail ride sponsors will be meeting today in an effort to see what can be done to preserve the tradition.
The meeting, which will include parish government officials and representatives of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, was prompted by the parish pulling the permit for this weekend’s Country Bunnies Trail Ride based out of the IFBS Lodge on La. 31 in the Leonville area.
The permit was pulled after State Police refused to grant approval for the ride to use any portion of La. 31. There is no way in or out of the lodge property without using that state road.
Trooper Stephen Hammons with State Police Troop I said that refusal is based on state law.
He said for years, local trail ride groups have obtained permission from the Department of Transportation and Development but were unaware of the need for State Police approval.
“We would give (DOTD) a map of when and where the ride would be, and they’d approve it,” Lemelle said.
“The law says you cannot ride a horse on a state road, so they cannot ride on the route they have chosen,” Hammons said.
Jessie Bellard, the parish’s director of administration, said this came as news to the parish.
David Lemelle with the Step-N-Strut trail ride, the largest in this area and one of the largest trail rides in the nation, agreed.
He said for years, local trail ride groups have obtained permission from the Department of Transportation and Development but were unaware of the need for State Police approval.
“We would give (DOTD) a map of when and where the ride would be, and they’d approve it,” Lemelle said.
Bellard said he believes trail rides, a tradition in this area for generations, can continue but they may now have to be limited to just parish roads.
Lemelle said using parish roads isn’t a problem but there is the question of how riders will get to an event.
Trail rides can often attract hundreds if not thousands of vehicles, most towing horse trailers. It takes a large area to park all those vehicles, and there aren’t many areas with access only by parish roads.
Also, modern trail rides have evolved into three-day parties, with the actual trail ride only happening on Sunday.
Friday evening, all day Saturday and the rest of Sunday is usually given over to a big party with cook-outs, games and often with big-name zydeco acts providing the entertainment.
To make that happen, a stage, bathroom facilities and more are needed. Existing sites with all these amenities are almost all located on state highways.
“We want trail rides to continue. We want to preserve this tradition for our kids,” Lemelle said. “This is about our Creole culture, our music and having a good time.”
Another meeting, including only trail ride representatives, is scheduled for Saturday evening. Representatives of the various trail ride groups are expected to discuss ways to prevent violence at the gatherings.
Trail Rides Can Continue But Not On State Roads, Officials Say
May 24, 2013
by William Johnson
 |
| For years, local trail ride groups have obtained permission from the DOTD. photo credit: Freddie Herpin |
Officials and trail ride sponsors will be meeting today in an effort to see what can be done to preserve the tradition.
The meeting, which will include parish government officials and representatives of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, was prompted by the parish pulling the permit for this weekend’s Country Bunnies Trail Ride based out of the IFBS Lodge on La. 31 in the Leonville area.
The permit was pulled after State Police refused to grant approval for the ride to use any portion of La. 31. There is no way in or out of the lodge property without using that state road.
Trooper Stephen Hammons with State Police Troop I said that refusal is based on state law.
He said for years, local trail ride groups have obtained permission from the Department of Transportation and Development but were unaware of the need for State Police approval.
“We would give (DOTD) a map of when and where the ride would be, and they’d approve it,” Lemelle said.
“The law says you cannot ride a horse on a state road, so they cannot ride on the route they have chosen,” Hammons said.
Jessie Bellard, the parish’s director of administration, said this came as news to the parish.
David Lemelle with the Step-N-Strut trail ride, the largest in this area and one of the largest trail rides in the nation, agreed.
He said for years, local trail ride groups have obtained permission from the Department of Transportation and Development but were unaware of the need for State Police approval.
“We would give (DOTD) a map of when and where the ride would be, and they’d approve it,” Lemelle said.
Bellard said he believes trail rides, a tradition in this area for generations, can continue but they may now have to be limited to just parish roads.
Lemelle said using parish roads isn’t a problem but there is the question of how riders will get to an event.
Trail rides can often attract hundreds if not thousands of vehicles, most towing horse trailers. It takes a large area to park all those vehicles, and there aren’t many areas with access only by parish roads.
Also, modern trail rides have evolved into three-day parties, with the actual trail ride only happening on Sunday.
Friday evening, all day Saturday and the rest of Sunday is usually given over to a big party with cook-outs, games and often with big-name zydeco acts providing the entertainment.
To make that happen, a stage, bathroom facilities and more are needed. Existing sites with all these amenities are almost all located on state highways.
“We want trail rides to continue. We want to preserve this tradition for our kids,” Lemelle said. “This is about our Creole culture, our music and having a good time.”
Another meeting, including only trail ride representatives, is scheduled for Saturday evening. Representatives of the various trail ride groups are expected to discuss ways to prevent violence at the gatherings.
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