It is a place where “the cowboy way” is taught and preserved, where the Old West lives on in new generations.Latigo Trails Equestrian Center, north of Falcon, is operated by the Pikes Peak Range Riders Foundation, the charitable arm of the Pikes Peak Range Riders. A trio of Range Riders bought the property and donated it to the foundation in 2001. Prior to the Range Riders purchase, Latigo had been privately owned and operated but had fallen into receivership.The 45-acre complex includes an indoor arena and two outdoor arenas. The Pikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center and the Pikes Peak Rangerettes call Latigo home. There are youth rodeos, 4-H horse clinics, barrel racing lessons, calf and team roping and more. The Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts meet there as well.”Our biggest deal is youth activities,” said the general manager, Bob Harrison. Those year-round activities have a shared mission: promoting the area’s Western heritage. The centerpiece of the winter months is the Winter Buckle Series, a competition held one weekend a month from November through April. (An open-breed horse show is on Saturdays and Gymkhana events on Sundays.)”We had a real nice turnout,” Harrison said of last month’s opening-weekend crowds for the Winter Buckle Series. November also featured the Cowboy Christmas Auction; the annual event is a consignment sale with items such as saddles, tack, artwork and antiques: ìAnything that people might enjoy to buy for Christmas,” Harrison said. Also available for sale were bigger-ticket items such as tractors and horse trailers.Those who want to celebrate Christmas with some rodeo action this month can attend the Little Britches Rodeo, scheduled for Dec. 22 and Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 and Dec. 31.Horse boarding is offered at Latigo, available only as self-care. “We’re an overworked, understaffed kind of deal, so we can’t do a full-care service,” Harrison said. Latigo also is home to several equestrian-related businesses, including High Plains Saddlery, Oleo Acres Ferrier, TM Leather and Equi-Line, which sells new and used saddles and tack. Equi-Line moved to Latigo from Falcon in 2015.For those who work up an appetite in the saddle and off, there is the Grill at Latigo, open 5 to 10 p.m., Thursday and Friday; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday; and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. In addition to feeding event-goers at Latigo, “People in the area have discovered it,” Harrison said.Latigo seeks to appeal to all segments of the equine community, Harrison said, from dressage to barrel racing to ranch horse versatility. The Winter Buckle Series is open to riders of all ages and skill levels.”We feel like we are the hub of the equestrian community because we offer such a wide range of activities,” Harrison said.
