Load up the horses and travel to the Kiamichi Mountains of southeast Oklahoma for a day on the trail as The SW HorseTrader of Oklahoma and Horse Heaven Ranch Resort team up to present the second annual “Saddle Up for St. Jude” Benefit Trail Ride on Nov. 15, rescheduled from Sept. 13 due to Hurricane Ike.

Registration begins Nov. 14 and continues through Nov. 15 morning with plans to ride out at 10 a.m., enjoy lunch on the trail, bring your own, and return to camp at approximately 4 p.m. Riders may also register for the ride and make camp/cabin reservations any time by phone or e-mail.

Smoked brisket will be provided for the evening potluck dinner and campfire entertainment will be presented by Leigh Ann Matthews of Muskogee. A minimum donation of $10 per rider will be collected and the St. Jude donation scale will be used for prizes provided by the Saddle Up For St. Jude program. Drawings will be held for other donated prizes.

Horse Heaven Ranch Resort borders the Ouachita National Forest with access to hundreds of miles of beautiful trails through the Winding Stair Mountain range near Talihina. Accommodations offer the best for horses and riders with an all-season bath house, 32 shaded RV/trailer sites with full hook-ups, pipe horse pens, fire pits, grills, picnic tables, etc.

Six luxury cabins are available with pipe horse pens and small barns and individual stalls are also available in the main stall barn. Horse Heaven Ranch Resort is open seven days a week, so visitors are welcome to come early and stay late.

Non-riders also are welcome. While the riders are on the trail, enjoy nice walks through the national forest and camping/RV facilities. Lake Sardis is only a few miles away and the Kiamichi Mountains offer miles of scenic road tours.

The SW HorseTrader of Oklahoma has been serving horse enthusiasts in Oklahoma and the surrounding states since 1994 with educational and entertaining articles, affordable advertising and a comprehensive event calendar.

There are 8,000 to 10,000 free copies are distributed throughout Oklahoma and into the surrounding states in feed, tack and western stores, sale barns, trail camps, events and other locations frequented by horse owners.

To donate prizes or to make monetary donations, contact Leigh Ann Matthews at 682-0653 or 869-8873. To reserve RV sites or cabins, contact Elfie Bowling at 567-4200, www.horseheavenranchresort.com.