A Texas veteran in the middle of a 1,000-mile horseback trail ride around the state hopes to reach Elm Mott this week and continue on toward Waco and then to Austin.
Jeremy Robinson, who served in the Texas Army National Guard from 2003 through 2009 and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during those year with units of the 36th Infantry Division, began his journey in East Texas with his horse, Trooper, on Veterans Day. Robinson’s goal is to ride 1,000 miles through the state, ending at the Capitol in Austin, to raise awareness of homelessness among his fellow veterans and raise donations to establish a working veterans ranch for his fledgling nonprofit.
“I want to have a self-sustaining ranch for veterans, where they can grow crops and raise animals and learn vocational skills,” Robinson said. “We’ll have equine therapy horses. The ranch will invite successful veteran entrepreneurs to mentor other veterans.”
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Veteran Jeremy Robinson works out with his horse, Trooper, in West this past week. He plans to head toward Waco in the coming days on his 1,000-mile ride around the state to bring awareness to veterans issues.
Robinson’s veterans service organization is a nonprofit called RP-1, Texas, short for Rally Point One.
Robinson and his wife, Kimberly Zotz, also said many homeless veterans may also need mental health and medical treatment.
“We’ll help them get to their appointments,” Zotz said of treatments for the veterans on the ranch she and Robinson want to build one day.
Robinson and his horse Trooper ride about 10 to 12 miles at a time. Zotz drives a follow and support pickup truck packed with water, food, hay and pen for Trooper.
The couple generally plot their stops at the end of each day’s ride to coincide with American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, Zotz said. They set up a pen for Trooper in the parking lot and set up camp for themselves inside the post overnight.
Jeremy Robinson is riding 1,000 miles on horseback through Texas to raise awareness of veterans issues. He made a recent stop at the West Fair and Rodeo Association grounds and is heading toward Waco this week.
Jeremy Robinson saddles his horse, Trooper, for an afternoon of exercise at the West Fair and Rodeo grounds this past week. He is tackling a 1,000-mile ride around the state to raise awareness for veterans issues and his nonprofit, RP-1, Texas.
Beginning on Veterans Day, Robinson and Zotz covered the first 500 miles to Maypearl before taking a break for cold weather and holidays from Christmas until Easter. On Easter they resumed their travels, reaching West on May 9 where they said another driver attempted to pass Zotz while she was turning, leading to a collision.
Before the pandemic, Robinson worked in security. During the pandemic he decided to take on the 1,000-mile horse ride to end veterans homelessness in Texas. He established his nonprofit, RP-1, Texas with the state last year.
The couple want the ranch to not only be a self-sustaining source of recovery for veterans. They also may use it as a venue for equestrian events to bring in revenue, and intend to host farmers markets to trade and benefit the community near the ranch.
Jeremy Robinson prepares to saddle his horse, Trooper, during an afternoon of exercise at the West Fair and Rodeo grounds this past week. The handmade saddle was donated by a woman whose husband was a Vietnam veteran he met while riding near Iredell.
