OklahomaHorses Magazine January 2024

January / February 2024 • OklahomaHorses 21 A horseback view of the spectacular Ouachita Mountains is a bonus for trail riders. Photo by D’Anna Miller. Del said, “I got started with this orga- nization when I was hired as ‘the singing cowboy’ by the show’s creators, Tom and Patty Seay.” Developing a Show After a coast-to-coast horseback ride, the Seays decided to focus on America’s “best” trails. With their history of working in the television and cable TV industry, they wanted to combine their experience and their love of horseback riding to create a show. Pat Seay told the RFD-TV staff, “There’s a common thread among trail riders, which includes a love of the land, nature, and this magnificent country.” RFD-TV liked the concept and included the show in their lineup of quality horse- related programs, and it has become one of its longest-running series. A pilot show was filmed in 2004, and the show first aired in 2005, featuring a ride in Texas. The Seays’ vision of the show also included cowboy entertainment. After a recommendation from friends and an audition, Del joined the crew. Tom Seay’s heart attack in 2021 prohib- its him and his wife from managing the show, so Del and Shevawn took the reins and continue to travel, sharing their expe- riences with great horseback riding across the country. Shevawn now does most of the filming, scheduling trips around her vacation and weekend time off because she still maintains a full-time job as social worker at a Kansas hospital. “The logistics of making these rides happen is pretty involved. There’s a lot of factors that go into arranging and planning the trips,” Del said. “It’s not that easy, but we both love what we do and hope to continue riding the best of America for a long time.” Best of America by Horseback will return to Oklahoma in April 2024 with an event hosted by the Oklahoma Equestrian Trail Riders Association. The segment will be filmed at Cedar Lake National Recre- ation Area in the Ouachita National Forest near Hodgen.