Hodges first trail ride a success

Erica Smith of Belgreen was all smiles on Saturday after finishing the 15-mile section of the Rock Bridge Canyon Trail that has been completed.

HODGES – As person after person emerged from the trees along the Rock Bridge Canyon Trail on Saturday, Hodges Police Chief Mike Franklin smiled right along with those who were visibly enjoying their time in the great outdoors.
Franklin’s smile was no doubt one of pride at seeing the years worth of work and planning that had ultimately led to this past weekend’s first official trail ride along the the Rock Bridge Canyon Trail.
Despite the scorching heat, Franklin, who will serve as the trail’s director and overseer, said over 200 horses set out from the trailhead on Saturday morning, many of which completed the 15-mile trek that led them through some of the most scenic landscapes in Alabama.
After completing the trail, riders ended up at Overton Farm where they received T-shirts and had lunch.
“I would say that this event was a great success,” Franklin said. “For us to have that many people come out at this time of year in July is just amazing. And we would have had 250 more people who are part of different saddle clubs that would have been here but they ended up having to back out because of the heat. Those are really great numbers, especially for our first big event.”
Franklin said they decided to hold the trail ride as a fundraiser to help them raise money to complete the rest of the trail, which is expected to total 55 miles by its expected completion date in the spring of 2013.
“I think people really enjoyed themselves,” Franklin said. “They also got to see firsthand what we were talking about when we said this is one of the most beautiful places you could ever ride your horse.
“We’re so glad the public can finally see what an asset this is to the community.”
Russellville resident Ashley Askew, 18, took part in Saturday’s ride after hearing about it from friends.
She and Belgreen native Erica Smith, 17, said they both enjoyed the experience.
“We love horses, so we’re pretty excited to have a place like this right here in Franklin County where we can ride,” Smith said.
“The views are what really impressed me,” Askew added. “You wouldn’t even believe that you were in Franklin County with the waterfalls and other scenery on the trail. It was great to be able to see the different views on the ride without having to go too far from home.”
Franklin County native Cody Wooten gave a wide smile as he sat atop his chocolate brown horse that was three times his size.
Wooten said he’s ridden on a few other trails, but he would definitely come back to the Rock Bridge Canyon Trail.
“It was just beautiful out there,” he said. “This trail is just as good as other places, and some parts of it are way better than other places I’ve been to.”
Hodges resident Dennis Mills has sat in on many of the committee meetings and planning sessions for the trail and campground.
“Seeing where they started from and seeing how far they’ve come is just amazing,” Mills said. “They have come a long way since those first planning stages, and the 15 miles of the trail that they have completed look great.
“I really think this is going to be a good investment for the community for the future.”
The high praise of the trail and the inaugural ride is music to Mayor Ed Crouch’s ears.
“It feels very satisfying that our projections were spot-on and that people really are interested in this trail,” Crouch said. “Most of the people who came out for this ride were local or from the surrounding counties, but I believe we’ll be getting many people from out of town and from other states on down the line.
“This ride was good practice for us. It helped us get our feet wet for the bigger trail rides we’ll be planning in the future. We’ve gotten some great feed back and people really seemed to enjoy themselves, so we’ll just take this experience and move forward.”
Crouch said plans for the 160-acre campground were finalized this week and construction will begin soon on that aspect of the attraction, which will ultimately feature (in addition to the equestrian trail) walking, hiking and biking trail loops, campgrounds and an arena for entertainment.
Construction is also underway to get the day-use area ready for riders in the fall. Until that time, the trail will remain closed except for club members until more areas of the trail can be completed.
“When we first started talking about this project, we knew it could be something great for our area and something people would really enjoy,” Crouch said. “Hopefully the success of this inaugural event is a good indicator that the trail will continue to be a great tourist attraction that will benefit the whole county.”