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Cowboys Against Cancer ride for St. Jude

By Stephanie Byars - bio | email

STE. GENEVIEVE, MO (KFVS) - The Cowboys Against Cancer are traveling 150 miles on horseback to raise money for St. Jude Children's Hospital.  The three men from Ste. Genevieve, along with a cousin from St. Louis, began their ride Friday morning in Bardwell, Kentucky.  They'll end in Memphis at the hospital. 

It's an effort that started last year, but this year's ride takes on a new meaning for the cowboys.

"I'm going... and I hope again next year, I'm going to fight it," said Curtis Amsden. 

Amsden took the long ride last year.  In an unfortunate twist, just one week before this years ride, he found out he has pancreatic cancer. 

"It's a personal thing to me now, it really was last year, and now it's even worse," he said.

His cousin, Bob Boyer, also got a difficult diagnosis in the past year. 

"I have lung cancer," Boyer said.  "They give me two years remission." 

It's personal for the other riders, Glen Shelton and Mark Ketcherside as well. 

"I myself lost my wife to cancer and it's been tough," Shelton said.  "We're going to do what we can." 

"I've had a lot of family and friends that passed away from cancer," Ketcherside said.  "I know it's hard for kids who are sick, so we decided to take a ride." 

Ketcherside took the ride last year, raising more than $25,000 for St. Jude Children's Hospital.  He knows how physically and mentally deamnding covering 150 miles on horseback can be.  

"It's not a walk in the park by no means," Ketcherside said. 

He says support along the way keeps him going. 

"There was people along the way," Ketcherside said.  "They'd give us donations...give us water or something to eat."

The Cowboys Against Cancer are hoping for the same support this year as they ride, not just for kids who fight cancer, but their own personal fight.  

"You've got to be strong enough and I hope I am strong enough.  It's going to be tough on me but i'm going to make it all the way through," Amsden said.  "I got very good friends going with me and they'll protect me all the way." 

His friends are ready for the task.  

"We're mentally and physically fit," Shelton said.  "We've done a lot of riding to get horses in shape, so we look to have a pretty good time."

Boyer says it's a fantasy come true for him.

"I'm living it and I hope I can live through it!" Boyer said.

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