1200km is a decent trip. This is the distance from Gympie to Longreach. Kylie Read will be riding her horses on a route that will start at Gympie and encompass the towns of Nanango, Condamine, Mitchell, and Isisford before finishing in Longreach. In each of these towns there will be a small event to mark her journey. Kylie will be supported by a road crew who will be journeying with her.
Kylie is one of the founders of Hope Reins in Gympie. The not-for-profit has been operating for more than a decade with the goal of facilitating connections with people and horses.
“Connection has become such an important part of our health and well-being and something to which we need to give intentional focus,” she said.
“The Horse Ride for Hope is taking what we do at Hope Reins in building positive relationships with people and expanding it on a wider scale.”
The aim of the ride is to connect communities along the ride, hearing stories of how individuals and the communities themselves have overcome or are overcoming struggles and also hearing the challenges they are facing.
“We are deliberately connecting some of the smaller communities along the ride rather than going to the bigger centres,” Kylie said.
“We want to hear from people and capture their stories in order to inspire others with how overcoming our struggles brings hope.
“We want to strengthen not only the lives of the person or community who tells the story but all those who hear it too.”
Kylie explains that the ride was postponed from last year due to COVID restrictions but believes that we need it more than ever to encourage people to connect.
The Ride for Hope is also a fundraiser supporting two organisations providing free services to communities in Queensland. The first is Hope Reins in Gympie which is a completely donor funded organisation receiving no government support to deliver its programmes. The other is Outback Futures who provide free Allied Health services for people and communities in the Central West.
Mental Health and well-being is an important part of this ride. For instance it is also supporting and raising awareness for a suicide prevention network in the Condamine area, being part of Hope in Action community celebration in Longreach, hearing stories of hope around the campfire in Nanango and a similar idea in Mitchell at the Great Artesian Spa. The Ride is joining with suicide prevention networks in Gympie, Nanango and Longreach to organise these events as well as Wesley LifeForce for the Condamine event.
“Even our horses have stories of overcoming struggles to be a part of the ride,” Kylie said.
“My biggest struggle, will be being on a horse nearly every day for nine weeks, riding through some beautiful country, but riding never-the-less!
“It is the biggest horse ride I will have done in my life and I’m sure there will be times of doubt!
“It does have a flavour of our pioneering past and is a great adventure.
“I am also very aware of the amazing journey it will be and how privileged I will be to meet with people on the way.”
For more information about the ride go to www.hopereins.org.au/ride-for-hope or email Ruth Polley ruth@hopereins.org.au
