With the exception of those in the serving trays, there were no chickens on Hudson’s fourth annual Chicken Ride as temperatures soared into double-digits for 67 riders departing on 25- or 50-mile routes.
Temperatures topped out at 105-108 degrees on Saturday, but the 7:30 a.m. start time had most riders back in Hudson’ Community Center enjoying a chicken dinner provided by Wheatland Café and swapping ride stories before the heat of the day really set in.
“Wanda Groves, 88, of Goddard was the oldest rider participating in the 25-mile loop from Hudson to Stafford and back.
“I’m pretty tough,” she said.
Groves, a retired schoolteacher, rode a high-end three-wheel tryke on the ride. She has ridden the event every year except one when she was off the bike due to a shoulder injury. She said the Chicken ride had a special attraction for her.
“I have family members that are from St. John,” she said. “When I first got married my husband and I moved to St. John so the ride is a little like coming home for me.”
Another thing Groves liked was the rural setting of the ride. Living in Goddard the riding is much more urban.
Groves has been a serious biker for about 20 years, but said it was something she had always done.
“When I was a schoolteacher I rode my bike into town every day to teach,” she said. “It was about a mile each way with a big hill.”
One of her fellow riders asked if it was “uphill both ways,” like their grandfather used to tell them.
Mike Welch, 70, of McPherson completed the 50-mile route with the lead pack. A seasoned rider, one of his compatriots described him as “having a real motor.”
Taking a little more leisurely pace, and for good reason, was Great Bend riders Terra Hull, Teresa Dutton and their ride partners Zeppelin and Annie, - a pair of Miniature Rat Terriers.
Dutton and Hull are mother and daughter while their terriers are father and daughter
A Yak bicycle trailer carries a water dish and provides for a rest spot along the ride if the dogs want.
“They ran part of the way, and rode part of the way,” Hull said.
Along with the ride and chicken dinner, door prizes of shirts, and catered meals were given away and riders were given a chance to express their creativity with the final question on a trivia quiz.
“Why did the chicken cross the road?”
One of the top answers was “to show the armadillos and possums it could be done,” but the top pick was, “I’ll just be glad for the time when a chicken can cross the road without her motives being questioned.”
