E'Leese Madgett-Manrique and her horse
Chips N' Salsa at the Elysian rest stop.
One girl. One horse. One big dream.
In a few short days, kids will say goodbye to summer and head back to school. It’s a sure bet Plymouth 12-year-old, E'Leese Madgett-Manrique, will win hands down when it comes to having the best ‘What I Did On My Summer Vacation’ story.
Madgett-Manrique has had the adventure of a young lifetime - riding around the state on a horse. Her mission - raise millions of dollars to create a respite for Minnesota veterans.
Her inspiration came during an August 2007 trip to the Grand Canyon. E'Leese noticed flags on mailboxes and homes and asked her mother, Kerry, why people displayed the flags and why there were so many.
When she learned it was to show support for the troops, an idea came to her in a flash. She saw horses, she saw a lake, campfires, and veterans resting and recovering from their service to the country.
And she saw a mission she had to go on.
She envisions “The Ranch” as a resort where veterans can step away from the world and heal. She already has a flag to fly over the place compliments of Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Kerry Madgett shows the flag proclamation received
for The Ranch from Rep. Michele Bachmann.
(Photos by K. Burns for Elysian EDA)
Big dreams take big dollars. E'Leese and her mom made choices to pursue both including selling personal possessions and moving in with family to be able to direct financial resources to pursuing the dream.
On August 11, their journey brought them to Elysian and the Sakatah Trail.
While she tended to her horse, Chips and Salsa, her Mom filled in interested residents and the local media about her incredible ride.
It started in Buffalo on June 7 and is planned to end at the State Capital on August 31. Her goal is to ride 860 miles across the state in 86 days.
A saddlebag hanging on her horse held donations. According to Kerry Madgett, approximately $7,000 has been raised so far.
At the end of the month, they’ll decide if E'Leese wants to continue the ride once school begins. If not, E'Leese will join her 7th grade classmates at Wayzata East Middle School. Madgett says she may home school her daughter if the ride goes on.
“The mission she’s on, the people she’s meeting – these are life lessons she can’t learn anywhere else,” said Madgett.
To learn more, visit www.onegirloneride.com.
