Religious Riders
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP, Lawrence County — The relationship between horse and rider is a commitment not unlike the bond Christians seek with God.
At least that's what one local ministry believes.
Led by Dale Brenneman, 57, The West Keystone Cowboys for Christ is a Christian group that combines horseback riding with religious teachings.
Founded in 1988, The West Keystone Chapter is part of an international organization based in Fort Worth, Texas, that reaches out to the livestock industry.
The seasonal ministry meets from the clerical holiday of Palm Sunday until October, holding worship services at rodeos and livestock events throughout the region.
At the heart of the group's teachings are three-hour trail rides and services held twice a month for any rider to attend, regardless of religious background.
"To be a good horseman you have to be dedicated; it's not something you can do when you feel like it," Brenneman said.
"There are so many analogies you can draw with a horse's relation with a rider and our relationship with the Lord, it makes it easy."
Brenneman leads rides the first and third Sunday of each month from his home on Eckert Bridge Road. He also leads rides from Moraine State Park and other local trails.
Although about 150 members are on the chapter's mailing list, Brenneman said up to 20 riders gather for his team's morning trots that meander through Hell's Hollow in McConnells Mill State Park and a few neighboring properties on Eckert Bridge Road.
Six riders showed up earlier this month for a Saturday morning trail ride from Brenneman's Creek Hills Stables.
A short service followed.
One rider, Joyce Murphy of Harlansburg, Lawrence County, has been riding horses all of her life.
She's been riding as a Cowboy for Christ for four or five years, since a friend introduced her to the organization.
"I enjoy the trail riding, the fellowship afterward and when we get a chance to help out in the community," Murphy said. "I came once and was hooked."
Longtime members Bob and Carol Steffler of Elwood City have been spreading God's word from the saddle for 20 years."We like being able to get with other horse people and cow people and just riding in God's creation," Bob Steffler said."Our goal is to spread the gospel to people through the use of our horses," Carol Steffler said.In the fall, the chapter takes a weekend trip to The Flying W Ranch, an equine resort in Kelletville, Forest County, within the Allegheny National Forest.The group runs solely on donations and must use funds wisely to complete its outreach services.Those limited funds have taken the chapter as far as Massachusetts, Michigan and Kentucky in the past, and have provided for many community activities.A December event beginning at the Slippery Rock Township Fire hall in Princeton, Lawrence County, sent Christmas carolers on horseback singing through the town."We'll go anywhere we're asked," Brenneman said.For more information on Cowboys for Christ, go to www.cowboysforchrist.net.
