ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
On any given day in the course of a year, cowboys can be seen working cattle on ranches across America.
Once a year for the last three years, Crossroads Therapeutic Riding Center, a local non-profit agency that provides riding lessons for people with disabilities of all ages, has been bringing cowboys to the rodeo arena at the Seward County Fairgrounds to exhibit some of their talents.
This Saturday, Crossroads will host its fourth annual ranch rodeo, and volunteer Natalie Adame said money from the rodeo, the agency’s biggest fundraiser, is used for therapy horses, hay, grain, vet bills and all the things that come with having horses.
Adame said the money likewise helps Crossroads take care of children’s needs and having the right things for classes. She added a ranch rodeo is different than a typical rodeo.
“It’s doing events like the cowboys would do out on the ranch,” she said. “We’re doing three events, and we’ll have a short round at the end. We’ll have a fourth event, and it’s going to be a pretty fun one. It’s going to be pretty silly. We’re going to have some fun with that. We’re pretty excited about it.”
VFW Post No. 3166 will be on hand with concessions for the night.
“We had Seaboard Foods donate pork,” Adame said. “We’re going to have pulled pork sandwiches.”
Thus far, Adame said Crossroad’s ranch rodeo has done well in its first three editions.
“We’ve kept doing it because it seemed to really work,” she said. “We have great participation from the cowboys.”
Adame said 15 teams will participate in this year’s rodeo. She said that number was reduced from past rodeos to make events quicker.
“In the past, we’ve let more teams come in, and it takes longer,” she said. “We’re trying to cap out at 15 teams this year. They’re all full so we can keep it at a good time for all the people who attend. It’s been a successful and fun event for all of us to put on and have out there for the community.”
The fourth edition of the ranch rodeo comes amidst Crossroads celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Adame said agency leaders want to do something special to commemorate the landmark anniversary and honor the people who have been keeping it going through its first 25 years, as well as the lives touched through it.
“We’re going to have a 25-year reunion banquet this summer,” she said. “We’ll have more details out about that coming soon. We’re really looking forward to having some time to just remember and honor that time and the people and thank God for all He’s done through Crossroads.”
Saturday’s rodeo starts with contestants getting rules at 5:30 p.m., with the gates opening at 6 p.m.
“We’ll be doing a calcutta as it begins,” Adame said. “We’re going to have the national anthem and a memorial time that will be really sweet, and we’ll kick everything off. It’s going to be a good time.”
Crossroads has always had a waiting list of clients wanting the agency’s services. Adame said she feels there will always be such a list, but she is excited to announce this year, something is being done to take care of some of these clients.
“We’re doing Monday through Wednesday classes, but this year, we’ve also added Thursday back in,” she said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Crossroads was limited to three days for services, but since then, Adame said a fourth day has been added.
“We’ve been able to take on quite a few more from the waiting list for riding,” she said. “We started that at the beginning of April. We’ve been going strong for a few weeks now.”
Adame said she likes seeing kids returning to Crossroads, connecting with horses, seeing progress with new riders, seeing them move forward and having some of their needs met.
The work of Crossroads is completely done by volunteers, and in the past, Adame said this was difficult due to safety precautions in place.
“Our volunteers are amazing,” she said. “So much props to them for all they do for us. It’s been exciting to be able to add on those days and have our volunteers out there.”
Adame said Crossroads’ services have been improving in recent years, and all she needs to show proof of that is the addition of one day for the agency’s classes to meet clients’ needs.
“We’re getting children off the wait list,” she said. “We’ve been welcoming some new therapy horses, retiring older ones. We did lose one of our therapy horses last year. We took that hard, but we are so grateful for the work she put in.”
Adame said Crossroads is growing and doing well at this time.
“We’re always in need of more volunteers,” she said. “We’re doing our fundraisers to take care of the bills and to take care of the things that come up with just having a ranch out there and being able to take care of those things. There’s always something breaking down. We’re so grateful for our community. They get behind what’s happening out there, and we’re so grateful for that.”
As they await Saturday, Adame said Crossroads officials are gathering sponsors, and she said there are many businesses taking part in that regard.
While Crossroads is not in dire need of horses, Adame said more will always be taken, and she added a certain disposition is sought when looking for therapy horses.
“We are dealing with children with special needs and other individuals who come out and have emotional or mental health needs,” she said. “We really look for a certain personality and calmness of the mind with the horses. We are always on the lookout, but we also have had some horses donated.”
Adame said horses are put through testing to see if they are a fit for the Crossroads program.
“Right now, we’re working through that,” she said. “We’re not in a desperate need for horses, but it is always something we’re keeping an eye out for.”
Adame became involved with Crossroads at the age of 17 because of a love of horses.
“I’ve always had a heart for using horses to help people who either are just going through difficulties in life or children with special needs,” she said.
Adame said she was immediately told about the agency and its director, Rena Cross, when she moved to Southwest Kansas.
“I went out there, and she gave me a job helping work her horses,” Adame said. “I would also come out and volunteer and work with children. I loved it, and 10 years later, I’m back over here. It’s been a really sweet thing to work alongside Rena again and with Crossroads.”
Being part of Crossroads for much of its existence, Adame said the agency has come far in 25 years in serving its intended need.
“Crossroads has done a wonderful job,” she said. “There’s always going to be more need, and there’s always going to be areas where we can grow and see how we can best meet the needs of the community. Crossroads has done such an amazing job of adapting to whatever is going on in the community and what the needs are with the children, adapting and pushing ourselves out of the box to help and to keep growing. That’s why we’re still going after 25 years and going strong.”
Admission to Saturday’s rodeo is a free will donation. The top three four-man teams will receive $100 per person. For more information or to volunteer, contact Crossroads Center Inc., 18252 Road 4, Liberal, go to www.crossroadsctr.com.wixsite.com, or call 620-453-2498.
