E’leese Madgett Manrique, a 12-year-old from Buffalo, was tired and dusty when she arrived on horseback Tuesday afternoon at West River Park in Hutchinson. Her purebred Arabian horse, Chips ‘n’ Salsa, was ready for a break, too.
Manrique was escorted by members of the Meeker County Sheriff’s Posse.

Tuesday’s stop in Hutchinson is just one of many Manrique is making on her 86-day, 860-mile ride to raise money to start a ranch where any soldier in need of a place to heal can go for free.

Manrique started her ride at noon, Sunday, June 7, at the Buffalo Rodeo Grounds in Buffalo. She’s attended Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, the Judy Garland Festival in Grand Rapids and the Hamel Rodeo. From Hutchinson, she’ll head south to Mankato and Faribault with the eventual goal of ending her ride at noon Sunday, Aug. 31 at the State Capitol in St. Paul.

To read the entire story, see the print edition of the Hutchinson Leader for Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008.

(Kay Johnson is a staff writer at the Hutchinson Leader. She can be reached at johnson@hutchinsonleader.com [2]).