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Two African-American cowboys ride from Maine to Florida to raise money for good causes Date published: 7/25/2008
By CATHY DYSON Two cowboys covering the East Coast on horseback rode into the Fredericksburg area yesterday--and got some company from local riders. Nine members of the United Horseman's Association, including group president Mansfield Montague of Stafford County, joined the two in Prince William County and rode with them for several hours. Ray Charles Lockamy, a Maryland man who organized the ride from Maine to Florida, was glad for the company. "This is the first group that's come out and supported us, and I tell you, it makes me feel good that we don't have to ride alone," he said. Lockamy, 45, and fellow Maryland resident Carl Morris, 47, left Portland, Maine, on July 1 and hope to reach Jacksonville, Fla., by mid-August. They're taking U.S. 1 the whole way, more than 1,600 miles. The two hope to raise $100,000 for various charities. Lockamy wants to help the at-risk children he works with; Morris is supporting battered women's shelters who give others the same assistance his mother got when she needed it. Both support a scholarship for African-American students interested in careers in rodeo or animal science. "They're determined to go all the way, and we want to be able to support them," Montague said. The two cowboys, who compete in the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, the nation's touring black rodeo, hoped to cover about 30 miles a day. But the trip is taking longer than expected because they're something of a novelty. People tend to stop and stare--even during rush hour--when they see horses walking along the highway. Whenever the group stops for a break, as they did yesterday at Jo-Jo's Ice Cream in Dumfries, they draw a crowd. Owner Joe Ruhren thought he was seeing things when he spied 10 horses grazing behind his stand. "I had to do a double-take," he said. "I haven't seen a horse in a while. You don't see many around here." He gave the riders a donation while others brought buckets of water for the horses. Nearby residents came to pet the animals and take pictures. The two have gotten the same reception from Maine to Virginia. "It's been a wonderful journey, people have been so nice and so kind to us," Lockamy said. "When people find out why we're riding, they welcome us with open arms."
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