The Wood Mountain Wagon Train will take place once again this year from Monday to Friday, July 3-7.
The wagon train is an authentic old west adventure that runs annually the week before the Wood Mountain Stampede and Rodeo which falls on the second weekend of July. The Wagon Train usually attracts about 100 people and the same number is expected to participate this year. Participants gather on July 2 at Rock Creek Campground at the East Block of Grasslands National Park. Registration and a free pancake breakfast take place on July 3 with the ride to follow. The riders will camp at Rock Creek Camp Ground at Grasslands National Park and will ride out during each day. All rides will be starting at 9:30 a.m. They return to the campground for evening events, such as the Canopus Pig Roast on Wednesday, July 5.
On July 6, the wagon train riders will hold an annual general meeting and a games night to celebrate Canada 150 with participants invited to dress up as pioneers from 1867. There will be prizes for best boy, best girl, best man, best woman, and best couple.
The Wagon Train will explore the rugged beauty of the badlands and deep, well-treed valleys that have made the Wood Mountain Uplands a special place over the centuries. During the day, riders will experience the landscape and view the wildlife, vibrant sunsets and magnificent starlit open prairie views.
The Wood Mountain Wagon Train is a registered non-profit corporation that has been sanctioned by the Saskatchewan Horse Federation. The registration fees for this year are $60 for a single rider, $80 for a couples and $100 for a family. Teresa Broeder returns this year as Wagon Train president and trail boss assisted by Jasmine Broeder, vice president. Both are from Gold Willow Ranch.
Riders should bring their own horses, food and camping items. The Wood Mountain Wagon Train believes in safety, respect of the land and providing an unique heritage event. The event continues an illustrious history. Dr. Richard Turriff organized the first Wagon Train to Wood Mountain in the 1970s.
A group of teamsters and riders gathered at the Wayne Crawford Ranch at Willow Bunch and with Henry Cote as Trail Boss and Gerry Clark as Camp Boss, they put together the first wagon trek to the Wood Mountain Rodeo. In each subsequent year, the wagon train riders have departed from Willow bunch, Val Marie, or Fife Lake.
Riders camp along the trail re-enacting the pioneer’s historic lifestyle as they came to start a new life in the west. Later, wagons were added. Over the years, fences and larger settlements made finding a trail more difficult. Today, the wagon train creates a central base camp and the horse riders and wagons ride out every day of the week-long event to explore in different directions.
Gold Willow Ranch offers Ride the Range guided trail rides during the months of July and August at the Grasslands National Park.
Also available at the ranch are riding lessons, therapeutic riding, pony rides, trail rides, and wagon rides and sleigh rides for special occasions and celebrations.
Gold Willow Ranch is a small family ranch, focused on breeding top quality registered AQHA/APHA horses, raising hard working Australian Shepherds, and running a commercial Red Angus X cow/calf operation.
