Annual Tabby Tails Poker Ride

Saturday, September 12, 2026.

@ Defa's Dude Ranch in Hanna, Utah.

Tabby Tails is celebrating three years of helping animals in our community. 

🎉 Help us celebrate Tabby Tails 3rd Birthday! Get ready to be part of something extraordinary at Tabby Tails Corp's fundraising event. It's an event like no other, and we want you to be there! 🎉

Please join us at the 3rd Annual Tabby Tails Poker Trail Ride! A 7-mile scenic horseback trail ride through stunning fall foliage — and don’t forget to keep an eye out for the legendary Aspen Heart! Best and worst hands at the end win cash and prizes! All proceeds benefit the Safe Haven and Pet Health Programs, helping more community pets. Beautiful trails, crisp autumn air, and a great cause — don’t miss it!

The set up at the ranch will be a little different this year because there is a wedding scheduled for this weekend, but don't fret, we have a plan!  

The game is easy, ride your horse on the trail and stop at each of the five stations and draw a card from the deck to create your poker hand. Best and worst hands win cash and prizes. We will also have some random prize winner drawn from the list of participants, games for the kids, and event more chances to win prized if you can answer the ride trivia questions. 

Check-in at the tack shack (north of the pavilion by the corals) starts at 1:00 pm and will go till 3:30 pm. You must be on the trail by 3:30 pm and off the trail by 6:00 pm. The ride is about 2 hours long without stops but we encourage you to have fun and visit with our volunteers running the stations, they may even have a game for you to play😉. After your ride, come back to check-in to turn in your poker hand. You will have the option to dump the card of your choice for a bonus draw (not required) for $25.

Rodney is cooking his famous chili again this year! We will have chili, cornbread, and all the fixin's. There is no charge for the dinner, but donations are greatly appreciated. If you'd like to bring a side or dessert, please do! The more the merrier:)

There are three USFS camp sites in the area Aspen, Hades, and Iron Mine that can be booked through recreation.gov. However, some are not showing up in the search, and all are saying they will close after Labor Day. I called Ashley National Forest to see if this is accurate and they said the gate will be open after Labor Day and camping is first come, first served, so pay at the stations. There are a ton of dispersed camping areas (and free) surrounding the ranch, basically the possibilities are endless. Plenty of locations to camp with your horses, all are close to the North Fork of the Duchesne River so there is water close by. 

If you need any help finding the perfect spot, just give me a call 701-388-4695. 

Awards will be at 7:00pm. We will announce the poker hand winners (and losers) in addition to the winners of the silent auction, random draw, and trivia items. The raffle drawing will be later during the music entertainment. There will be more games (roping dummy, horseshoes, cornhole, etc.) and activities. Unfortunately, we are having troubles finding a band available to play this year....we have the next best thing...drum roll please.......a JD and karaoke!!  

Here are some answers based on questions I've received:  

This is NOT a speed event, take it slow and enjoy the day. 

The area is rocky so having shoes on your horse is best, but you know your horse better than I do so do what's best for your steed. 

Children under 18 must wear a helmet.

There are multiple locations to water your horses on the trail, and you will have access to the river as well. 

The Dude Ranch has limited corrals for rent so call Steve to reserve asap. 

We will have folks to help organize parking but if you plan on staying overnight, please let us know so we can give your rig and horses enough room. 

Bring a lawn chair.

Dress for all weather, Utah can do anything this time of year, but we are tough trail riders! We've been sunburnt and rained on in the past. 

Our mission is to provide compassionate care, shelter, and advocacy for all animal companions during times of crisis and hardships through our Safe Haven Program. We promote responsible pet ownership through education, vaccinations, and spay/neuter services through our Pet Health Program. So far in 2026 we have organized multiple spay/neuter clinics, one event resulted in 53 feral cats transported to Park City and returning to their homes but without the ability to produce more offspring!  This hugely reduces feral cat colony sizes and unwanted pets in our community. We couldn't offer any of these lifesaving events without our partners, Best Friends Animal Society and Nuzzles & Co. Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate and healthier lifestyle for animals in the community.

Your support of our fundraiser is invaluable,

Jessie Stegmeier and Rodney Winch - Tabby Tails Founders 

Questions? Call or Text Jessie at 701-388-4695 

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. @tabbytails_utah

Thank you! Your support of our yearly fundraiser is invaluable,

Jessie Stegmeier and Rodney Winch - Tabby Tails Founders