The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo officially starts on Friday, but the competition is already underway as 200 equestrians from therapeutic riding centers across North Texas compete in the Chisholm Challenge.
“Chisholm Challenge is my favorite portion of the Stock Show,” Chisholm Challenge Board of Directors Member Debbie Head said. “Every event is incredible because it has changed these people’s outlooks on life. They have something to look forward to.”
The Chisholm Challenge puts veterans and riders with disabilities into the spotlight in the days leading into the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Many spend all year training for the 3 days of the Chisholm Challenge.
“I look forward to it,” Stable Strides rider and Marine veteran John Halpin said. “Being able to ride, and ride with veterans so important.”
Halpin spent more than 20 years in the Marines. The transition back into civilian life was challenging.
“I felt like I had an empty void,” Halpin said.
Halpin traded combat boots for cowboy boots and began equine therapy at Stable Strides, one of the centers that riders in the Chisholm Challenge. He says that the bond with his horse, the equine therapy community, and 12 years of riding in the Chisholm Challenge have changed his life.
“Yes, I’ve been very successful in life, but without that connection and the bond with these horses, who knows? I might not be here,” Halpin said. “The unfortunate part is so many of my friends are not here anymore because they lost that connection, they lost that sense of purpose when they get up in the morning.”
At the Chisholm Challenge, the ribbons aren’t as valuable as the experience.
“It’s not the competition,” Halpin said. “It’s the people around you, and the smiles on the veterans’ faces, and the kids, and the adults, and the parents.”
The Chisholm Challenge ends Wednesday, Jan. 13. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo opens on Friday.