May 26,2020 by Dorothy Simien

Have you ever been on a trail ride? I’ve always had a love for horses, but I never heard of a trail ride until, my Creole husband “James” took me to my very first trail ride in Sulphur, Louisiana and they happen to be his cousins. Take my hand…clicking my boots three times with my hat in my hand, come go with me to the trailride.

Imagine it is April, a cool breeze in Sulphur Louisiana sends the tempting aroma of creole food into your nostrils. Vendors selling hot spicy gumbo, jambalaya, rice dressing, crackling, barbecue ribs, chicken, turkey legs and sausage…mmmHm, can you smell it? Oh, you need cowboy boots and a hat, well no problem there is a vendor for that. And “live “zydeco music drawing you in and making you feel like you have heard this music all your life. Dancing, swaying and two stepping to the beat and cowboys riding horses that strut with pride wearing cowboy wide hats and stylish boots, starch shirts and jeans. And everybody wearing pink for a cause Saturday night.

Families with their logos on their shirts greeting one another with a smile and asking, “Where are you from? and what are you cooking?” Accents from Louisiana, California, New York, Texas, and from all over the country. With long trailers and RV’s with family names and folks excited to tell you “Why they are there, and how long they have been trail riding and what it means to their family?” For 75 years, this has been a way of life for creole people. As Pop Willie says,” The love of horses is embedded in us.” Welcome to the Semien Stables Trail ride.

 

Marcus, Pop, and John Semien have taken the trailride to new heights with 20 years of experience they are well respected in the trailride community. They have participated in parades, rodeos, and livestock shows and won numerous awards. Although, winning is not everything to them, they simply have a love for horses and cowboy life; their trailride began 6 years ago celebrating family and their love for horses.

Now, this is a collaborated effort with Pop’s wife Carol and their six children: Carmen, Carlos, Marcus, Wyman, Prentiss, and Courtney; John’s wife, Janice, and children, Brent and Jada; and Marcus’ wife, Trinita, and son, Jalen, and daughters Paris and Milan. A true family affair.

This legacy began in a small community in Palmetto, Louisiana were Pop and John learned life lessons and nurtured their love for horses Their parents Willie Semien, Senior and Lucille Semien, would have imagined the trail ride being what it is because she and her husband guided them on a road of excellence and it exudes in their interactions with the towns people of Sulphur and beyond. Semien Stables value education, so these legacy runners award scholarships to high school students who qualify. The trail ride brings opportunities through social media for those who seek to expand their business, political endeavors, education, and musical talent.

Ultimately, Semien Stables would like to create a nonprofit organization for those who have disabilities as a therapy, because horses have brought them a sense of calmness. And I have no doubt they will accomplish this goal. These Legacy Runners are running the race and winning…Run On Semien Stables, LEAVE YOUR MARK!