The History of the Diablos Trail Ride

In May of 1968, during one of the very first meetings of the newly formed Tempe Diablos, they spoke of the need for a trail ride to build camaraderie and the first trail ride was born.  With the help of a riding stable east of Apache Junction they loaded horses with food and rode out to Tortilla Flat one hot and humid September day, each carrying his bed roll and personal gear on his horse.​

They made camp under mesquite trees and cleared brush, snakes, and scorpions to make room for sleeping bags on the ground.  The next day, they rode to Stewart Mountain Dam at Saguaro Lake and spent another night.

Since then, we’ve ridden every year in every corner of the state and have come a long way to get to the elaborate trail ride of today.

The Diablo Trail Ride has become a cornerstone of the brotherhood and camaraderie within the Tempe Diablos.

View highlights from past trailrides!

About This Year’s Ride

Hold onto your hats, Diablos! We’re excited to be heading up to Carnero Lake for Trail Ride 59, a favorite trail ride destination and the perfect spot for you to join us!

We’ve focused on making Trail Ride 59 easier to attend by removing some of the obstacles that have kept people from making the trip. We’ve also made a few changes along the way while staying true to what has always made this weekend special. At its heart, the Diablo Trail Ride is still about spending time with friends, making memories, throwin’ ’shoes, and sharing stories around the campfire.

One new idea this year is working with local RV companies to offer delivered RV rentals right at the ride site. Just show up, unpack your gear, enjoy the weekend, and head out when it’s all over.

Of course, riders can still count on incredible food from our Five Alarm Chefs, DeGraaf and Glaser, Helmer’s famous Horseshoe & Bags tournaments, Calcutta betting, TVs under the tents, and the legendary Diablos Trail Ride Bar.

Sign up for Trail Ride 59. Come make a few new memories, tell a few old stories, and help us keep this great Diablos tradition riding strong for another generation. We’ll save a seat for you.

Trail Boss Ottinger

59th Annual Diablos Trail Ride Agenda

• Wednesday, August 26th – Charlie Clark’s for Pre-Ride Meal
  • 6:00pm – Dinner at Charlie Clark’s
• Thursday, August 27th
  • 9:00am – Arrive & Setup Camp
  • 12:00pm – Lunch
  • 1:00pm – Bags Tourney – Double Elimination
  • 5:00pm – Rookie Race
  • 6:00pm – Appetizers, Casino Tables, Bar, TV Under the Tent
  • 7:00pm – Dinner, Casino Tables, Bonfire, Tent (TV and Games), & Calcutta.
• Friday, August 28th
  • 7:00am – Breakfast
  • 8:00am – Diablos Memorial
  • 8:30am – Group Photo
  • 8:45am – ATV Riders Depart
  • 12:00pm – Lunch
  • 1:00pm – Horseshoes – Double Elimination
  • 6:00pm – Appetizers, Casino Tables, Bar, TV Under the Tent
  • 7:00pm – Dinner, Casino Tables, Tent
• Saturday, August 29th
  • Early Breakfast
  • Wrap Camp & Head Out
  • 5:00p – 8:00pm – Dinner at the Agnew’s. Cook-out, socializing, and awards.
    The address is: 3089 Deep Forest, Pinetop, AZ

A Few Things to Know about Horseshoes

• Entry Fee is $50 per person.
• Random draw for teams.  Draw to take place Thursday afternoon.
• Teams and bracket are announced at Thursday dinner.
• Double elimination.  First, Second, third, and fourth paid $40%, 30%, 20%, and 10% of the pot respectively.
• Calcutta is done Thursday night after dinner.  Each team is “auctioned” in the order they were drawn.  Forced bids begin at $40 with the team participants starting the bid.  Bidding goes in increments of $10 until the final bid is reached.
• Play in the first rounds are to 15.  You do not need to win by 2.  Double elimination.
• Final four plays to 21 and you must win by 2.