As clouds loomed over Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood Saturday morning, dozens of trail riders sporting cowboy hats and boots saddled up on horseback or rode in wagons for an unconventional celebration: T90’s 47th annual Martin Luther King Jr. trail ride.
Named after its founder Henry “T90” Davidson, the trail ride usually dominates the streets of Sunnyside on MLK Day, attracting hundreds to thousands of riders on horseback to celebrate the achievements of Dr. King. But this year, only a fraction of riders participated as it was one of many celebrations that were postponed in Houston due to freezing temperatures .
While most Houstonians know about the city’s original MLK day parade, T90s trail ride has long been known to be a staple celebration in Houston’s Black community, routinely drawing people from across the U.S. to tailgate, camp out and enjoy zydeco music. In fact, it was Houston’s inaugural MLK Day celebration, launching even before the city’s MLK Day Parade in 1978 , which was also the first of its kind in the U.S.