From horse leaders and side walkers to barbecue buffet servers and homemade dessert bakers, volunteers triumphantly brought the 2018 Saddle Up for SIRE to

successful fruition Oct. 20 at the 7IL Ranch in Cat Spring, Texas.

Numbering nearly 100, volunteers lent their time and know-how for the event’s 26^th year. They registered supporters who brought their own horses to ride, logged their

Since 1992, Saddle Up for SIRE has raised nearly $1.3 million to meet SIRE’s mission of helping people with special needs through therapeutic horsemanship. Your support of this year’s family friendly benefit trail ride and online fundraiser Oct. 20 at 7IL Ranch in Cat Spring, Texas, underwrites the cost of horse feed,

Pink blouse. Pink riding helmet pulled from her pink backpack. Perfect in pink is the best way to describe SIRE’s own Lauren Hall.

Lauren (pictured with instructor Toni Conner) was ready to ride Santana and demonstrate her award-winning form for the Houston Chronicle team. While visiting the Fort Bend facility, Chronicle reporter,

When Thomas Hopkins searched online for volunteer opportunities in the Tomball, Texas, area SIRE’s horse therapy facility in Hockley popped into the results. Interacting with people with special needs and, though he had no experience working with horses, being around them intrigued him, so he registered for a Saturday volunteer orientation.

Then he met therapy horse Runa. He remembered her being