Boot kicking cowboy fun will entertain the entire family at the second annual Healing Hearts Ranch Rodeo fund raiser scheduled for Oct. 4 at the Barton County Fair Grounds, Arena Expo Complex. Real cowboys will show real ranch activities.
The evening will benefit Healing Hearts Ranch a nonprofit organization that provides equine therapy. They offer therapy for individuals, families, children, marriage enrichment and parenting.
“We are a group of individuals who God has called to reach out to the hurting in our area,” said founder Scott Stinemetz, on his website. “All of us have found a singular focus of doing that through horses.”
During the rodeo, contemporary Christian music artist Mark Schultz will entertain the crowd. He grew up in Kansas, attending school in Colby. Cost to attend is $20 in advance at Everything Under the Son or at tickets.com, or $25 at the door. The price includes admission to the rodeo, which begins at 6 p.m. with gates opening at 5 p.m.
Perhaps the highlight of the evening will be seeing what few have seen- a stick horse auction. Yes, that’s right, stick horses will be auctioned at 7:30 p.m. The wooden stick horses are handmade.
“There will be a skit,” said Stinemetz, laughing. “It’s a neat deal.” The skit features roping a stick steer from a stick horse.
Head out to the fairgrounds early though, because Family Fun starts at 3 p.m. with a bounce house, barrel train and buggy rides.
A silent auction continues throughout the afternoon and evening with items ranging from a gun safe, to skid steer rentals to Kansas City Royals tickets. There is also an Historic Wolf Hotel getaway.
Stinemetz opened HHR when he discovered the amazing power of horses together with humans to display dysfunctional behavior and erroneous thinking. After working in a traditional counseling setting, he began training horses.
Seeing the correlations began training behavior and relationship behavior, he resigned from his full time job in 2008 and opened Healing Hearts Ranch. He is a certified equine specialist.
With six employees, two full-time and four part-time, HHR has expanded to offer therapy in Ellinwood on Mondays and Larned on Tuesdays. Cost is a $50 donation. The Ellinwood site is located at 1043 SE 20 Rd, which is south of Ellinwood across the bridge, and in Larned, 174 KS Highway 19 East.