Riding for rescues fulfills life-long dream for Kingston

Bud Kingston, a 65-year-old cowboy, fulfilled a long-standing item on his bucket list last Saturday, all while raising nearly $15,000 for Walkin N Circles Horse Rescue, a non-profit organization committed to aiding abused and neglected equines in New Mexico.

Together with his young mare, Roja, he rode 400 miles across New Mexico on Highway 60, a journey he started 25 years ago but was unable to complete at the time.

“I’m living the dream; I feel great like I’ve accomplished something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” Kingston said the day he completed the two-week journey, “I feel like there’s a hole in me that got filled.”

The journey

The Riding for Rescues fundraiser took the crew from border to border. They began their fundraising journey on August 31 in Quemado, Pie Town, Magdalena, Socorro, Mountainair, Vaughn, Fort Sumner and Clovis.

Tony Michael, Kingston’s support, said he served as the modern-day chuckwagon driver, driving an RV and pulling the horse trailer with their extra horse, Finn. Tony Michael’s uniform for the journey was an orange safety vest.

He admitted his cooking was terrible, but he did everything to keep the journey safe for Kingston and the horses. He set out ahead of them to check the roads and put up warning signs on the highway to alert drivers. The two communicated on walkie-talkies.

“There were a couple of times there in Socorro County where I got off and led across the bridge because it was tight, but we had no real close calls,” Kingston said.

On September 1, day two of the journey, Kingston and Roja rode from Quemado to Datil, where the Eagle Guest Ranch donated an overnight stop and Pie-O-Neer in Pie town stocked them up with snacks. They encountered a few locations on the highway that required dismounting for safety reasons.

On day three they made it from Datil past the VLA to Magdalena. In Datil, Joe and Kathy Luther assisted with some much-needed hitch work and they ended their day with a nice meal from Tumbleweeds in Magdalena and spent the night at the Magdalena Rodeo grounds.

On day four, they left Magdalena for the Socorro Rodeo grounds. Getting through the box on Highway 60 required caution, and they had to cross some of the bridges with Kingston leading his horse.

On day five, they made their way out of Socorro but only after spending some time at the Bustamante Farms in Lemitar and fixing Roja’s shoes.

Tony Michael and Kingston said they had met many great people from all over on the journey. People enjoyed taking photos of them, made donations and offered assistance the whole way.

“People even just come out on their front porch, you know, whether it be in a town or out in the middle of nowhere, they just walk out there and want to take a picture or talk to us about what we’re doing.” Kingston said.

Roja

When he started his journey with Roja, a young and rank mare, some folks asked Kingston, “Are you really taking her?”

“And I said yes because when we get finished with this trip, she’s going to be a totally different horse. You know she’s gonna respect everything that I’m asking her and not be wanting to volunteer nonsense,” Kingston said.

Kingston was right. He has seen the proof that the miles in the saddle has helped her go from bucking to an excellent gentle riding horse.

“She’s a keeper” Kingston said. “She is just perfect. I can actually lay her reins on her neck and do something else, which I would have never done before.”

Horse rescue

Walkin N Circles Ranch was founded in 2002 with a mission to rehabilitate and rehome horses, donkeys, and mules. It is inspected and licensed by the New Mexico Livestock Board, which means most of the animals that come to them are seized by NMLB.

Kingston’s lifelong love of horses made his involvement with Walking Circles Ranch natural. He grew up working on ranches and feed lots in eastern New Mexico and West Texas. Some of his first memories are of checking the cattle and fences with his grandfather.

Kingston said he found joy in volunteering at the rescue, helping to train horses and increase their adoptability.

“They didn’t choose to be neglected or abused; they just need a fair shot,” Kingston said.

Lauri Michael, Walkin N Circles board president said the non-profit is unique in that it has a successful adoption rate and an average stay of about six months.

Since its inception the equine rescue has saved more than 500 horses and currently has 50 animals on its thirty-acre ranch that it is working to rehome. Last year, it took in a record number of 41 horses and donkeys and found homes for 26.

She said they rely on a small staff and about 100 volunteers, half of whom are a core group, including Kingston. Walkin N Circles Ranch Thrift store in Edgewood provides them with nearly 40% of their budget, but they also rely on grants and donations to keep the operation going. They don’t get any federal funding.

“Bud not only raised much-needed money for us, but he helped us raise awareness across the state on the plight of rescue horses and our organization.” Lauri Michael said “The amount raised will go a long way toward caring for the 50 plus horses and donkeys we’re currently caring for. It costs about $5 a day for each animal just to feed, so if you multiply that by 50, ours costs really add up quickly. That doesn’t include the money spent on medical care, farriers, and training.”

Kingston, Lauri and Tony Michael expressed their appreciation for the generosity of donors, sponsors, and everyone who helped them on the journey.

For more information Walkin N Circles, please visit their website at www.wncr.org