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On Saturday, a different sort of race took place in the Gallatin Valley, high up in the mountains at the Bridger Bowl Ski area, where it was all about halters, hats and a hand of cards.

The Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen held their 24th Annual Poker Ride today. The event is the group's only major fundraiser of the year and dollars raised help fund their efforts to maintain trails, cabins, and bridges on public land as well as promote pack and saddle-stock activities.

The goal of the ride is for each rider to draw a five-card poker hand from a series of stations along the ride.

The riders with the best hands win from a collection of about $3,000 worth of prizes.
Organizers say the event is meant to be fun while promoting the group's mission to keep public lands open to the public.

ich Inman, Vice President of the group says, "That we are out there, in the woods, trying to make it possible for them to go up and down trails safely."

The horsemen and women, will be helping the Forest Service rehabilitate some cabins this summer as well as hold a class on how to run a horse pack train.