The Trail of Billy’s Last Ride
Fort Sumner, NM to Historic Lincoln, NM
(For the first time, we'll be leaving from Ft. Sumner and
 arriving in Lincoln on the day Billy the Kid escaped from jail.)
April 21^st to April 28^th, 2007
Detailed Itinerary
(to be announced)

"The Plan"

Last Year's 2006 Schedule
Historic Lincoln, NM to Fort Sumner, NM
April 21^st to April 29^th, 2006

Directions to the Fair Grounds:  Turn South on “Billy the Kid” Road off 60/84 East of Fort Sumner. Proceed South past Billy’s grave (~4 miles). The Fair Grounds is on your right (West). You will be on your own until 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, but there are arena and pens if you should decide to camp there Monday night.

 Friday, April 21^st, 2006 –

• Meet in Lincoln, New Mexico to check-in starting at 10 a.m. 
• Friday will be a full day so if you want to take advantage of the extras, be sure to arrive early. The walking tour of Lincoln is wonderful and you will want to plan to take advantage of it while you’re in Lincoln.
• Check with Peggy Burton first to finalize your paper work.  Peggy will also point you in the direction of your stall.  Peggy will be set up in the Pageant Grounds on the West end of Town.
• Dr. David Orton will be your next check-in at the Pageant Grounds.  He will be checking your horse for soundness and health as it pertains to the horse’s ability to complete the ride.
• Rex Buchman will be working with Dr. Orton doing the equipment inspection.
• Our staging area will be the Lincoln County Pageant Grounds. There will be a place to sleep under the stars.
• Most of the horses will be stalled individually in portable panel stalls on the Lincoln Pageant Grounds. Horses we don’t have pens for will be picketed or hobbled.
• Dinner will be served at 6 p.m.  
• There will be a re-enactment of Billy’s escape from the Lincoln County Jail at 7 p.m.
• The Pilot School Program premiers this year. We are expecting 60 to 75 4^th graders. You will be able to choose your level of interaction. They will be with us until after lunch. 

Saturday, April 22^nd –

• Breakfast is served at 6 a.m.  Feed your horses before you come to breakfast.
• We will depart for our first campsite, Capitan Gap at 7 a.m., or as directed by the trail boss.   It is approximately a 6-hour ride up Ellis Canyon.  The trail is very steep and rocky.  The first two hours will tax your horse with altitude change and pull.  Make sure you pick up your sack lunch from Wally today and every day for the duration of the ride.  We should arrive at camp approximately 3 p.m. 
• Dinner will be about 6:00 pm.

Sunday, April 23^rd –

• Breakfast @ 6 a.m.  Feed your horses before you come to breakfast.
• Be sure you remember to pick up your sack lunch – we leave at 7 a.m., or as directed by the trail boss..
• Joe Hesseling will meet us at the drinking tub on the other side of Capitan Gap and guide us across the Block Ranch.
• Today’s ride is easy and scenic for the first half of the day.
• The ride off the mountain is very steep and rocky.  There could be times when it is easier on your horse to dismount and lead him.
• We will stop for a lunch break at Los Tablas. We will pose for the annual panoramic picture with Capitan Gap in the background.
• The rest of the day is level, easy, and fast traveling.  We should be at the Liakos Camp by 4:30 or 5 p.m. The last pull to camp will seem long, but perseverance will get you there. 
• We will be the guests of Robert and Angie Cottrell at the headquarters of the Liakos Ranch. There are 4 walls and a roof for the girls with 3 beds in it. The rest of us will be in the Bunk Tent or barn. 
• We will have the ranch working pens to stall our horses. There will be three or four communal pens and lots of space to picket, hobble or tie special needs horses.

Monday, April 24^th  –

• Breakfast at 6 a.m.  Feed your horses before you come to breakfast.
• Remember your sack lunch – we ride at 7a.m., or as directed by the trail boss.   
• Today is another 6 hour day and you can expect to be at camp approximately 3 p.m.
• Our hosts for this camp are Jim Bob and Janine Best.
• As before we will have ranch pens to stall the horses with space to picket and hobble special needs horses.
• There are also 4 walls and a roof for the girls.  The men will either be under the stars or in the bunk tent. 

Tuesday, April 25^th –

• Breakfast at 6 a.m. Feed your horses before you come to breakfast.
• Remember your sack lunch, we ride out as directed by the trail boss.   
• This is a day of approximately 6 to 8 hours. Our next camp will be at Ron and Sandra Merritt’s.
• The horses will have corrals to share with each other tonight.  There will be a place for problem horses if necessary.
• We will be the guests of Ron and Sandra at their ranch house.  Some of us will have a roof and some of us will be sleeping under the stars.

Wednesday, April 26^th –

• Breakfast at 6a.m. Feed your horses before you come to breakfast.
• Don’t forget your sack lunch – we ride at 7a.m., or as directed by the trail boss.
• This is the longest day of the ride.  
• The morning trail is flat and fast and will test your prowess at a sweeping trot.  For those who don’t want to push their horses or themselves that hard, the taxi will be available for late sleepers to haul them to Reynolds Ranch for lunch.
• Charlie Overton will join us there and lead us into his Ranch Headquarters for the evening camp. The trail to the Overton camp is through the ‘breaks’ (the edge of the cap rock). The country is quite interesting and very scenic.
• There will be a feast and a warm shower at the Overton Ranch headquarters tonight, compliments of Beverly and Charlie Overton.
• Singing and story telling will be the entertainment.  Real beds for the sleepy and horse pens for the horses will be the reward.
• We will be the guests of Charlie and Beverly Overton who will be opening their home and bunkhouse to us.  We will be able to use 23 beds and three bathrooms so everyone can clean up with hot water. 

Thursday, April 27^th –

• Breakfast at 6 a.m.  Feed your horses before you come to breakfast.
• Pick-up your sack lunch from Wally – we ride at 7a.m., or as directed by the trail boss.
• This is a mild day of 14 miles up the Yeso Creek. 
• This was a favorite country of Billy the Kid.  He stayed with the sheepherders in their hovels on many occasions. 
• This is a ranch camp, Tex & Jan Elliott’s West Camp.  There is an 1879 two room house. Yes, Billy may have slept here and you can too if you like an overnight adventure. 
• There are three horse pens that we can use.

• The West Camp “Hitching Post”, the ranch’s own private cross / alter is located behind the house for devotions anytime.
• There will be campfire entertainment and old fashioned visiting.

Friday, April 28^th  –

• Breakfast at 6 a.m.  Feed your horses before you come to breakfast.
• Pick up your sack lunch – we ride at 7 a.m., or as directed by the trail boss.  
• This is another mild day of approximately 20 miles.
• The Elliott ranch is quite beautiful. We will see Buffalo Springs, an old stage stop. Last year the sage was in bloom, and we were genuine “Riders of the Purple Sage”.
• After we leave Buffalo Springs, we cross Hwy 20.
• Crossing the historic Pecos River is truly a Kodak moment so have your cameras ready.
• Tonight’s camp is the De Baca County Fair Grounds.
• This is the final camp and there will be entertainment, an awards ceremony and fresh video of this year’s ride.
  • Some of the awards will include: Top Hand, Top Horse, Most Improved, Tuff Butt, The Long Riders, Best Dressed, and others to be thought up on the trail.
• We are also inviting the alumni from previous rides to come and share in the party. 

Saturday, April 29^th –

• Breakfast is from 6 to 8 a.m.  Feed your horses whenever you want.
• Today will be dedicated to getting everyone back to his or her vehicles and on their way home.
• You will be given your last sack lunch for your journey home.

music: Magdalena, www.cdbaby.com/kipcalahan

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