Pink saddlepads. Pink manes. Feathered pink boa breastplates. If you happen by Great Meadow in The Plains, Va., on Sept. 21, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with a parade of horses and riders decked out in all pink everything, fighting the battle against breast cancer and enjoying a day of trail riding.

The Ride For The Cure Virginia is a fundraiser benefiting the Susan G. Komen foundation that brings together about 200 riders of all ages and experience levels for a two-hour trail ride, a silent auction and dinner.

This year will mark the fifth annual Ride, which has raised an estimated $500,000 for breast cancer research in its history. The event is the brainchild of Dr. Tena Boyd, who has worked as an equine veterinarian out of Old Waterloo Equine Clinic in Marshall, Va., since 1996.

“I had gone on a trail ride for a horseman who was a quadriplegic from an accident,” said Boyd of her inspiration to organize the first Ride in 2009. “There were a bunch of horsemen who organized it and just a very nominal fee to [participate], and they raised a good bit of money for him just with a really nice evening.”

“Around that time, in my practice we had just lost a client, Susan Kendrick, to breast cancer and had two more clients suffering from the disease as well,” she continued. “Then I lost an aunt, Betty Boyd, and it just seemed like we just kept getting hit with it. I thought organizing something with a trail ride and a nice dinner with a silent auction would be one way to do something to fight breast cancer, because it just seemed like when you’re on the outside, there’s nothing you can do.”

Boyd got together with Toni Flory, of Culpeper, Va., and organized the event to try to combat those feelings of loss, helplessness and frustration with a day full of fun, horses, and friends. That first year the event was held at Fox Chase Farm and Sunnybank Farm in Middleburg, Va. Boyd worked with Maureen Hanley, whose family owns Fox Chase, and many others to bring the idea to fruition.

Throughout the years, breast cancer survivors, those affected by the disease and supporters of the cause have jumped at the chance to raise money for Komen by enjoying a day aboard their horses and amongst friends.

Riders and their horses prepare for the Ride For The Cure Virginia, which has raised over $500,000 for breast cancer research. 

“It all means something different to different people, but any experience with breast cancer is very impactful,” said Boyd. “We take a few minutes before the Ride every year and honor those who have dealt with breast cancer [in a survivors ceremony], and it ends up being very emotional.”

But the atmosphere becomes a bit more light-hearted as riders line up to begin the Ride aboard horses with pink ribbons in their mane and tail, painted pink designs on their haunches and much more.

“We actually have a bunch of little contests for things like the most masculine pink, most pink rider, best decorated horse, things like that,” said Boyd. “There’s a lot of pink that day! One year, a team even made breast collars out of bras strung together for all of their horses. It’s all in good fun, really.”

“People really have fun with it and get very creative,” she added. “We had a very masculine electrician [participate] one year, and his wife and a team of women dressed him up and put him in a bustier and all kinds of pink. His outfit was kind of stuff of legends!”

Breast cancer survivor Cara McCormick formed a team cleverly called “Saving Second Base” for the first annual Ride For The Cure Virginia.

Riders can sign up for the Ride as either an individual or as part of a team, and each rider is responsible for raising $250 or more for Komen prior to the Ride. Friends and family are also invited to the dinner and silent auction at $40 per adult ticket and $20 for children.

“Most people are surprised at how much money they can actually raise, and seeing the riders out there having fun with their teams and riding their horses is really gratifying,” said Boyd. “We all know that animals help us deal with stress and disease, but you hear so many of these stories where getting up and taking care of their horse, just hugging a horse, or having that goal of getting on and riding was something that really helped them get them from one stage of treatment to the next. And as a veterinarian, that’s something I see often: that horses are so important.”

Boyd always shared a special connection with horses growing up riding in the western saddle in the Northern Virginia area. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in animal science, she went on to earn her doctorate at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She now specializes in equine breeding and neonatal and reproductive medicine, and received the Distinguished Virginia Veterinarian Award from the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association in 2013.

She and her husband, farrier Terry Corbin, keep four Thoroughbred broodmares at their home in Rixeyville, Va., along with two riding horses.

“We raise babies to try to get them to the race track,” said Boyd. “I also have a Tennessee Walking Horse and Terry has a Quarter Horse that we like to take camping and trail riding with our friends.”

Terry, who himself raises over $1,000 for the Ride each year, volunteers during the event to help things run smoothly.

“Our families and our co-workers are a huge part of us being able to do this,” said Tena. “If my husband and the other veterinarians and staff at my practice didn’t help put this on, I couldn’t do this at all. I think if you put together something where people can come and have fun and share something they love, they really jump on board to make it a success.”

“We would love for more people to join us and participate this year, join the committee, donate or just come to the dinner!” said Tena.