JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Some 50 riders competed in the Cowboy Challenge held on May 23 in Jeffersonville at Stone Wall Farms, opened to the public by Ed and Barbara Moran in 1993. The event is a chance for riders to show off their skills working with their horse as a team to overcome obstacles and in some cases complete certain tasks.

Some of the obstacles don’t seem to bother the horses too much, but others take quite a bit of convincing, and if the horse doesn’t complete the obstacle within a set amount of time, a signal is sounded and the rider moves on.

Points are awarded for completing the obstacles and doing so in good time. During the time this reporter was observing the contest, the only rider to convince her horse to climb up onto a truck tire filled with sand was the Moran’s daughter, Emma, riding a horse named Hawk.

The event brought contestants and their mounts from far and wide, to match their equine skills against their peers.

The event also raised money for the Ride 2 Survive – Sullivan County, which is a community-based organization whose mission is to assist with transportation expenses for Sullivan County residents who have been diagnosed with cancer and are under the care of an oncologist. The Cowboy Challenge participants raised some $900 for the organization.

Go to www.riverreporter.com to view a brief video of a couple of the riders.