A sign on Sheffield Road directs wagon train participants to the chuck wagon camp hosted by the Coffee Ranch just north of Miles City.
Roger Sprague’s restored Peter Schuttler roundup wagon with water barrel attached to the side.
A bucket of axle grease swings from the bottom of Sprague’s roundup wagon.
A team of two large Percheron draft horses owned by Pat Breene of Mildred, Montana, being “led” to water before the Thursday wagon train.
The first ride on Thursday was fast-paced. The horses were excited and the teams were ready to pull. The only shots Alexis could get were with her tiny GoPro camera, since she was on horseback. This shot shows Bart Bilden, a rancher from Lavina, and his horse Whiskey from the first stop on the trail to let the horses rest.
Whiskey and Buddy check in on the wagon train ride.
Here's a group shot of the wagon train, shot Thursday with the GoPro, from horseback again.
Roger Sprague relaxes next to his wagon for a short nap after lunch on Thursday.
Shortly after Roger lies down, another rider, Brad Sauer from Forsyth, decides that seems like a pretty good idea.
Roger Sprague’s horses graze on their pickets after Thursday’s wagon train.
Sprague gets his team ready Friday morning for the wagon train ride into Miles City.
Janet Haughian, of Kinsey, waters her Halflinger team Friday morning.
Bart Bilden and a group of riders move one of the wagons into position.
Mike Scott of Billings, Reyer Rens of Miles City, Gary Haughian of Kinsey and Bart Bilden of Lavina move the stove and break down camp Friday.
Two teams of Halflinger horses are hitched up and ready to go Friday morning.
A team Percheron horses and their driver Pat Breen are ready to go Friday.
Gusty Sauer, 18, gets ready to ride into Miles City.
Wendy Fordyce, of Manhattan, watches the train as it begins moving.
The train prepares to climb the longest hill of the ride.
The train emerges out of Sunday Creek valley four miles outside of Miles City. Roger Sprague has the lead wagon.
Roger Sprague has the lead wagon and Bonnie Sprague serves as his outrider. An outrider’s job is to steady and gentle the horses and to be extra eyes for the driver, to make be sure the horses aren't having any problems.
Sprague leads the wagon train on the final stretch before entering Miles City.
The Percheron team has no trouble pulling its wagon up the hill.
The wagon train takes a short break at the top of the hill. Two family members are along for the ride in the back of Janet Haughian’s wagon.
After the rest, Sprague starts the train again for the last push.
The wagon train enters Miles City with a police escort.
The train makes its way toward Main Street.
On the home stretch, headed for the fairgrounds.
Off they go, the horses and mules all well-behaved.
Taking it easy in the camp after a long ride.
Bonus photo: This photo shows Roger Sprague's grandfather, Ernest Sprague, pulling into Miles City on July 4, 1913, with the same wagon that Roger uses. He had just delivered a herd of remount horses to Fort Keogh and was bringing the boys into town for a drink.
