Event Summary
When Was It? Saturday April 16, 2016
Where Was It? Atlanta, GA -Gwinnett County Fairgrounds
It was a JOY to see almost 500 people at McKeever’s First Ride, at Gwinnett Fairgrounds on April 16th! We were so happy to finally have a pretty day for everyone to SHINE!
We had the chance to enjoy the company of horses--big ones, little ones, even mini horses! We hope you had the chance to ride, if you were motivated to do that! If you were, but one was not available to accommodate you, we are so sorry! The safety and well-being of our guests and our horses is a big priority to us. Therefore, you can rest assured that in 2017, we will have horses who can accommodate bigger riders. We are sorry for any disappointment you may have felt!
We are so glad, however, that we could offer you lunch--thanks to the generosity of the the Wounded Warriors Project! They generously supplied the hotdogs and hamburgers, with drinks and chips! Friends of McKeever’s First Ride, from the organization, Feeding the Homeless Project, and Hunger Has No Religion, made available their big grill and their big hearted grill bosses and servers! We appreciated them so much! We hope you also enjoyed their hospitality!
If you are a return Participant to McKeever’s First Ride, we are so glad that you are drawn back to this event! It is our desire to create a day that enables you to “Horse around” whether riding, riding in a carriage, grooming, doing groundwork, or interacting with mini horses. Additionally, we wanted to provide some “animal therapy” through the Petting Zoo that continues to expand. Can you believe we had an emu this year?! It was great to have Dennis Aspy of Shepherd Swords back. We hope you took time for a specialized massage from one of the AMTA massage therapists or from our Ortho-bionomy professional. Did you enjoy relaxing in the Arts & Crafts area? However you decided to spend your day, we are so glad you spent it with us! We all enjoyed the sight and sounds of the Sourwood Band, who generously shared their time and talent!
If you enjoyed this event, please help us by sharing your stories with us, by way of Facebook or through our website. There is always a mammoth amount of work it takes to coordinate 170 Volunteers, 30 horses, 25 professionals, and a 75,000 square foot arena in order to offer you this event! We’d love for you to let other youth and adults know about it, especially if they are mobility challenged, have limb differences, or use an Orthotic or Prosthetic device. We know our 2016 Sponsors, ABC, Endolite, SPS, Hanger Clinic, IEA, and CHOA will be glad to hear that they helped fund an event that enhanced your life. That is the aim of OPAF!
We are so glad you came to McKeever’s First Ride, and hope you’ll plan to come back next April! In the meantime, stay connected with us through McKeever’s First Ride page on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Also, look for RESOURCES here on our website and at OPAF. Thanks to Ed Dabney and Elizabeth Dabney of Dabney Gentle Horsemanship, we can all remember this event as one tremendous day to SHINE!
What Attendees Said About The Event
Event Activites
- The Horses Of Sleepy Hollow
- Ortho-Bionomy
- Canine Assitants
- Adaptive Riding
- Roping
- Carriage Rides and Therapeutic Carriage Driving
- Horse Grooming
- Groundwork
- Miniature Horses
- Wheelchair Sports Demonstrations
- Arts & Crafts
- Petting Zoo
- Military Networking
- Caregiver Networking
- Massage Therapy
- Teen Activities
- Special Demonstrations
Click here to learn more about these activities.
Our 2016 Atlanta Event Photo Gallery
What Was McKeever's First Ride Like In 2016? Check out the photos below to get an idea.
Click Here To Download These Photos To Your Computer
