Cowboy Parade & Horseback Social
October 4th 2025
2025 Cowboy Parade – Grand Marshals
Lisa and Loren Skyhorse
Lisa and Loren are a husband and wife saddle making team. They have been building saddles full-time since 1974 and together with no employees have built over 1300 hand-made one-of-a-kind Western saddles of all styles.
The journey began in 1973 when Lisa began saddle making and opened her own saddle shop – the Arcata Saddle Co. in Arcata, Ca. Loren worked as a trapper and when they got married in 1977, Loren learned saddle making and they began Skyhorse Saddle Co. Their passion for horses has always been a driving force in their lives. They raised and bred Arabian horses for 20 years in the Pacific Northwest. They were avid endurance riders and finished five World Championship Ride & Ties. The Skyhorses moved to Durango in 1996, loving the mountains and canyonlands on their gaited horses. Skyhorse saddles are ridden and exhibited all over the world and are proudly shown in Durango at TohAtin Gallery. Their story and saddles can be viewed on their website www.skyhorse.com.
Lisa and Loren feel strongly about giving back and passing on the Western tradition of saddle making. They have done projects all over the world – Mongolia, Siberia, Peru, Portugal and at home with 4-H, the Navajo Arts Council, At Risk Youth programs and numerous apprenticeships. They have been featured numerous times in Western Horseman, Cowboys & Indians, Art & Architecture and numerous trade magazines.
They are the proud parents of 2 children and 3 grandchildren. Their oldest granddaughter, Violet, just graduated from DHS and has ridden in the Durango Cowboy Parade with her Grandma and Grandpa for the last 10 years!
Cowboy Parade & Horseback Social Information
The Cowboy Parade is the largest and most spectacular event in the Durango Cowboy Gathering. Historic wagons and carriages, fashionable ladies and gents dressed in period costumes, buckaroos on stick horses, dancers, walkers and lots of horses, mules and burros make this parade a family favorite.
Six blocks of historic downtown Main Avenue (from College Drive to 12th Street) will be parade-barricaded* so that hundreds of horseback riders can hang out, socialize, and ride with friends.
Spectators can meet real cowboys, cowgirls, and horses up close. As special area will be set up to give free horseback rides to kids age 12 and younger under the supervision of their parent(s) and professional wranglers.
There will be LOTS of street activities and events along Main Avenue to showcase our western culture and the agricultural heritage of our community.
Downtown merchants and restaurants will be open and eagerly await your visit!
• 8:00AM – 10:30AM: Chuckwagon Breakfast (8th Street & Main Ave.)
• 8:30AM – 10:00AM: Horseback Social (Main Avenue from College Drive to 12th Street)
• 10:30AM: Cowboy Parade
*Parade barricades will be set up the full length of the riding area to keep spectators separated from the horseback riders. With the rider’s permission, spectators may reach across the barrier to pet horses and take photos.
Parking Information
Street Closures (5:00 AM to 12:30 PM)
Main Avenue from 5th Street to 12th Street (7 blocks)
2nd Avenue from 5th Street to 12th Street (reserved for horse trucks and trailers only)
7th Street between Main Avenue and 2nd Avenue
8th Street from Main Avenue to Narrow Gauge Alley and Farmers Market
8th Street between Main Avenue and 2nd Avenue
10th Street between Main Avenue and 2nd Avenue
11th Street between Main Avenue and 2nd Avenue
7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th Streets are closed between 2nd Avenue and the ally between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Parking – General Public / Spectators
Transit Center and all other public parking spaces not listed on the closed streets are open for public parking. Arrive early to get a convenient location.
Parking – Horse Trucks and Trailers
2nd Avenue from College Drive to 12th Street is reserved for horse trucks and trailers.
Enter at 12th Street and drive south until directed to park.
Both sides of 2nd Avenue will be parked with trucks / trailers pointed south.
Horses must be tied to their own trailer on the street side.
Parking – Parade Entries
Parade Entries not parked on 2nd Avenue may park on 5th Street and nearby streets between Main Avenue and 3rd Avenue.
Cowboy Parade & Horseback Social Forms
ENTRY DEADLINE – Entries for Cowboy Parade and Horseback Social must be received by Thursday, Oct 3. 6:00 PM
Every person participating in the Cowboy Parade and / or Horseback Social must complete a “Participation and Release Form” below. The forms are valid for both events – No need to fill out twice. The Participation and Release Forms serve as entry into the Horseback Social. There is not a separate entry form for the Horseback Social. You Must Read The Horsemanship Requirements.
Cowboy Parade Entry
Form
One per parade entry in addition to “participation forms”. No cost to enter.
Adult Participation & Release Form
Both Parade and Horseback Social. No cost to enter.
Child Participation & Release Form
Both Parade and Horseback Social. No cost to enter.
Street Events and Exhibits
Individuals, organizations, and businesses are encouraged to host a compatible Street Event or Exhibit during the Cowboy Parade and Horseback Social. Examples: blacksmithing, saddle making, 4-H youth programs, Colorado Mustang Rescue, Farm Bureau, veterinarians, etc. Application Form
Wristbands
All participants in the 2025 Cowboy Parade and Horseback Social will receive a wristband to serve as proof that a liability release has been signed. Pick up at check-in on Saturday Morning.