Our History
Las Damas was established after several local ladies who enjoyed riding together met and formed the group in 1948. The club incorporated in January 1949. Nine riders (six members and three guests) rode from Wickenburg to the Ira Walker Ranch in Morristown. Inviting guests to enjoy the ride was the norm for this group of adventurers and continues today.
The ladies enjoyed monthly day rides as we do now. The third Thursday of the month, October through March, was reserved for a fine day of riding and friendship. The annual ride rounded off a great riding season occurring in late April or early May. Three days were not enough for our annual rides, and in the late 1950s the ride was lengthened to five days. Eventually riding point to point over nearly 100 miles changed as well. In the late 1960s the desire to see more of our beautiful state led to the development of the current 5-day ride style.
Trailering from Wickenburg to a base camp and taking daily rides out to explore the surrounding areas permitted the ladies to travel throughout central Arizona. Inviting guests from all over the US and abroad has always been encouraged. Beautiful scenery, great company and good food are the highlights of the week. Providing our own entertainment in the evenings with songs and skits adds to the fun.
Dana Burden, son of one of the founding Las Damas members, wrote a thank you to Las Damas in the Wickenburg Sun in 1986. "I would call it the ride of wide smiles; as it was five days of laughs, fun, grins and giggles, all spiced with great riding in beautiful country."
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
ORIGINAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President……………………….Lucy Bange Slater
Vice President……………………..……Fay Gaunt
Secretary……………………………Billie Fletcher
Treasurer…………………………..….Lena Knight
Pat Durieu, Edie Gant, Margie Kerr
Charter Members
Erlene Andes / Helen Haseltine / Lucy Bange Slater / Amy Barnes / Margaretha Kerr / Marcella Brallier / Lena Knight / Sophie Burden / Mike Lange / Grace Duffey / Sylvia Maguire / Pat Durieu / Lura Monro / Meta Eyerly / Gladys Park Billie Fletcher / Hazel Roach / Edith Gant / Hayman Marion St. Clair / Fay Gaunt Marie Trego / Muriel Gerber / Pat Winter Martie Hambaugh / Rowena Howard Sergeant
Alice Millar Trophy Winners
This Trophy is presented annually to the All-Around Horsewoman of the Year, as selected by the Board of Directors, 1992 - 2017; 2018 forward, the Board asks for recommendations by membership.
1992 - Vivian Helmsworth
1993 - Gerry Ballinger
1994 - Sylvia Hott
1995 - Carolyn Corbett
1996 - Barb Anderson
1997 - Lyn Green
1998 - Bonnie Johnson
1999 - Nancy Lauchner
2000 - Pam Horn
2001 - Elizabeth Jones
2002 - Suzi Killman
2003 - Joanie Meszaros
2004 - Wanda Miller
2005 - Bets Hobin
2006 - Caroline Markham
2007 - Sharon Smith
2008 - Carol Ghianni & Bonnie Ghianni
2009 - Peggy Rubel
2010 - Sheila Shaw
2011 - Clare Downing
2012 - Marilyn Leopold
2013 - Sally Allen
2014 - Wanda Miller
2015 - Carol Callahan
2016 - Ellen Rosenberg
2017 - Katherine McDonald
2018 - Larissa Hoch
2019 - Tina Shaw
2020 -
Past Presidents
Lucy Bange Slater: April 1948 - Jan 1950
Lena Knight: Jan 1950 - Oct 1951
Billie Fletcher: Oct 1951 - Oct 1953
Gladys Park: Oct 1953 - Oct 1955
Sophie Burden: Oct 1955- Oct 1956
Merle Bramson: Oct 1956 - Oct 1957
Mary Frick: Oct 1957 - Oct 1959
Veda Ackerman: Oct 1959 - Oct 1961
Ty Pollman: Oct 1961 - Oct 1963
Hester Hornecker: Oct 1963 - Oct 1965
Eleanor Blossom: Oct 1965 - Oct 1967
Sophie Burden: Oct 1967 - Oct 1969
Carolyn Johnson: Oct 1969 - Oct 1971
Nancy Wright: Oct 1971 - Oct 1973
Dorothy Berry: Oct 1973 - Oct 1975
Cora Talbott: Oct 1975 - Oct 1976
Betty Macheca: Oct 1976 - Oct 1978
Nancy Hopfer: Oct 1978 - Oct 1979
Sharon Smith: Oct 1979 - Oct 1981
Gerry Ballinger: Oct 1981 - Oct 1983
Carolyn Corbet: Oct 1983 - Oct 1985
Bonnie Johnson: Oct 1985 - Oct 1987
Suzi Nelson: Oct 1987 - Oct 1989
Sheree Pitrat: Oct 1989 - Oct 1991
Lyn Green: Oct 1991 - Oct 1993
Gerry Ballinger: Oct 1993 - Oct 1994
Nancy Lauchner: Oct 1994 - Oct 1996
Barb Anderson: Oct 1996 - Oct 1998
Joanie Meszaros: Oct 1998 - Oct 2000
Kay Keller: Oct 2000 - Oct 2002
Betsy Deibel: Oct 2002 - Oct 2004
Pamela Horn: Oct 2004 - Oct 2006
Marilyn Leopold: Oct 2006 - Oct 2012
Larissa Lovato Hoch: Oct 2012 - Oct 2015
Carlotta Soares: Oct 2015 - Oct 2019
Carol Callahan: Oct 2019 -
Past 5-day ride sites
1949 Ira Walker Ranch, Morristown
1950 A.F. Champie Ranch, Morristown
1951 Ira Walker Ranch, Morristown
1952-53 Casey Jones Ranch, Buckhorn Mtns
1954 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner
1955 Frank Macias Ranch, Secret Valley
1956 Goodwin Ranch, Wickenburg
1957 Casey Jones Ranch, Buckhorn Mtns
1958 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner
1959-60 Carter Ranch, Wagoner
1961-62 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Ty Pollman
1963-66 Quail Flat, Buckhorn Mtns - Hessie Hornecker
1967 Hawkins Ranch, Date Creek - Maureen Burden
1968-69 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Ruth Heine
1970 Jenner Ranch, Skull Valley - Joyce Sterling
1971-72 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Deanne Wittman
1973 Ritter Ranch, Hillside - Jerry Hardcastle
1974-75 Homer Dean Cattle Ranch, Wagoner -Nancy Wright and Marion Brandon
1976 Tom Chauncey Ranch, Mayer - Gladys Leach
1977 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Mary Frick
1978 Friendly Pines Camp, Prescott - June Hine
1979-80 Diamond 2 Ranch, Wagoner - Betty Macheca and Sharon Smith
1981 Ritter Ranch, Hillside - Dee McKenna/Pat Scott
1982 L Bell Ranch, Skull Valley - Debbie Gardner
1983 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Vivian Helmsworth
1984 Collier’s Y-4 Ranch, Kirkland - Vivian Helmsworth
1985 Bar U Bar Ranch, Skull Valley - Dee McKenna
1986 Z-3 Ranch, Skull Valley - Ruby Deupree
1987 Diamond 2 Ranch, Skull Valley - Nelda Gardner
1988 Diamond 2/ Cooper Ranches, Wagoner - Eleanor Gruidl
1989 L Bell Ranch, Skull Valley - Lyn Green
1990 Collier’s Y-4 Ranch, Kirkland - Mayo Voss
1991 Bar U Bar Ranch, Skull Valley - Claudia Conly
1992 L Bell Ranch, Skull Valley - Sharon Smith
1993 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Gladys Leach
1994 Rancho Diamante, Skull Valley - Eleanor Gruidl
1995 Verde Vaqueros Ranch, Wagoner - Caroline Shupe
1996 Pitrat Ranch, Chino Valley - Barb Anderson
1997 O-X Ranch, Congress - Kay Keller
1998 L Bell Ranch, Skull Valley - Gerry Ballinger
1999 Rancho Diamante, Skull Valley - Clare Downing
2000 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Suzi Killman
2001 Cross U Ranch, Prescott - Joni Hornecker
2002 Bar-U-Bar Ranch, Skull Valley - Caroline Markham
2003 Verde Vaqueros Ranch, Wagoner - Carole Bellmore
2004 Verde Vaqueros Ranch, Wagoner - Sally Allen
2005 Balow Ranch, Skull Valley - JoAnne Snavely
2006 Bell Ranch, Skull Valley - Karen Axley
2007 Rancho Diamante, Skull Valley - Cristy Varela
2008 Verde Vaqueros Ranch, Wagoner - Linda Skartvedt
2009 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Lora Neu
2010 L Bell Ranch, Skull Valley - Caroline Markham
2011 Collier’s Y-4 Ranch, Kirkland - Suzie Killman
2012 EZ Ranch, Cordes Junction - Katherine McDonald
2013 Cooper Ranch, Wagoner - Patricia Kirk
2014 Kelton Ranch, Cordes Junction - Bonnie Pollock
2015 Yavpe’ Ma’ta Ranch Skull Valley- Maureen Serrano
2016 Box L Ranch, Prescott - Shelley Anderson
2017 Bar D Ranch, Rimrock - Karen Barber
2018 Verde Vaqueros Ranch, Wagoner - Larissa Hoch
2019 Bar U Bar, Skull Valley - Mary Kanaga
2020 The Ride that Couldn’t Happen - Judy Rice