?Esdilagh (Alexandria) First Nation’s inaugural ride to the Williams Lake Stampede may have been smaller in numbers than other rides but enthusiasm was not lacking.
As they prepared to make the final leg into Williams Lake Thursday morning, Chief Roy Stump said leadership decided they wanted to do something for the community’s youth and elders.
“They see the other nations doing that with their kids, riding bikes and horses to town, so we wanted to do something too,” he told the Tribune. “It’s only a three-day journey for us.”
Riders and support vehicles departed from the health centre at ?Esdilagh and travelled to the old Soda Creek Ferry area for the first night.
“Last night we camped at the Fraser River Ranch and this morning we crossed the Rudy Johnson Bridge,” Stump said.
Community member Shawn Billyboy described participating in the ride as a “blast from the past.”
“I’ve been on the ride from out west before, but this is the first ride for ?Esdilagh and I’ve been enjoying every minute of it,” Billyboy said.
Jeremy Kishkan of Narcosli Cattle Company and Jeff Taylor of Flying O Ranch provided wagons and some horses for the ride.
Kishkan brought his two Clydesdales, Waylon and Willy, and a wagon to participate in the journey and said it had a great experience.
“All the kids and elders have really enjoyed it and it brought the community back together,” Kishkan said.
Taylor was driving a wagon which had components that were more than 100 years old.
“It came out of Saskatchewan originally,” Taylor explained. “The neighbours had the undercarriage and the wheels were rebuilt quite a few years ago in the mid 1990s.”
Brad Paul from Williams Lake rode his bike out to greet the riders Thursday morning.
“I’m riding my iron horse,” he said with a chuckle.
Since being elected in 2017, Chief Stump has been trying to create more healthy activities for his community and initiated the ride to Williams Lake as part of that effort.
“We are getting back to the culture of our people from a long time ago. This would have been the only way they travelled.”
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