Rodeo trail riders wrap up at Memorial Park

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Traveling from all across the state, Friday marked the end of another year's rodeo trail ride, a tradition since 1952.

"When we come down into Houston on I-10 we come to Memorial Park and then we’re pretty much done until the parade and we like to have just a fun party,” says Michael Murphey, assistant trail boss of safety and scouts for the Valley Lodge Trail Ride.

Nine-year-old Tyler Boudreau was a part of the same ride and says other kids should do it too. “It’s fun, enjoyable and it keeps you away from your phone, iPad,” says Boudreau.

At the Salt Grass set up, folks listed to music, cooked good food and talked about stories of when they started riding. Angie Gonzales, the assistant wagon boss of the Salt Grass ride talks about when she was in high school. "A little white Jeep with a two horse trailer behind it. It had a stack of hay on the right side, my horse was on the left and I slept on the stack of hay. I wanted to be here so bad that I was willing to endure anything. I was just happy to be here (did it ever rain or anything?) You better believe everything I had got soaking wet, but I typed it out because I was just happy to be a part of it.”

“I grew up in Houston, went to school and Houston and through Spring Branch ISD and we would skip Friday every year and we called the other education. And in high school I went to Memorial High School, I had a teacher that had caught me on I-10 going down the highway and she still gave me a day and so that was a fun day. We’re at the teacher said it was just a good other education and it really is,” says Murphey.