The Lime Springs Saddle Club Pony Express Rides Again

LIME SPRINGS - The Pony Express rides again! Every year on Easter weekend, the Lime Springs Saddle Club participates in a state-wide Pony Express ride to benefit Camp Sunnyside in Easterseals Iowa in Des Moines.

This year, on Good Friday (April 15), members of the Lime Springs Saddle Club will gather at Johnson Farms to kick off the 2022 Pony Express Ride. 

As the first leg of the relay, a Lime Springs rider will start at the state line, then join the whole club at Johnson Farms at approximately 7 a.m. for a ride through Lime Springs to Highway 9, then down to the juncture of Highway 9 and Highway 63. Accompanied by a pilot car and officer, club members, in teams of two, will each run a one mile leg of the journey south to Lourdes, Iowa, where the last riders will pass the metaphorical baton to the next participating saddle club.

“We don’t actually carry anything,” Lime Springs Saddle Club member Dana Lund said. “It’s more of a wave.” But the symbology is there in the charitable intent.

Once the riders complete their run, they return to Lime Springs to “hold up” participating local businesses for a charitable donation.

The saddle club also raises money for the event with raffle tickets. This year’s raffle, sponsored by the Pony Express Riders of Iowa in partnership with AgriVision Equipment, will be for a John Deere 2021 Gator XUV590M 4x4 with power steering and top. Each raffle ticket is $1 and can be purchased from Lime Spring Saddle Club members or by calling Dana Lund at (507) 259-9541. The drawing will be held on April 16, 2022 and you need not be present to win.

All proceeds from the raffle and Pony Express ride will benefit Camp Sunnyside in Easterseals Iowa, an 80+ acre facility where children and adults with disabilities participate in a wide variety of activities, from horseback riding and archery to nature trails and swimming. With both week-long and day camps offered all summer, the focus is on helping campers try new things and build relationships with their peers.

So grab your checkbooks and quick-draw a donation to the Lime Springs Saddle Club’s Pony Express fund-raiser. Raffle tickets are going fast, but the cause is a good one, and any donation is welcome.