Sports

"Best of America by Horseback" Will Highlight Brecksville, Northeast Ohio in an Upcoming Episode

The show is filming in the Cleveland Metroparks this weekend.

It’s lights, camera and action for Northeast Ohio this weekend as the cast and crew of TV’s β€œBest of America by Horseback” rides through the Cleveland Metroparks.

The trail-riding television show is in the Greater Cleveland area to film three episodes, including the milestone 1,000th episode. The festivities kicked off Thursday night in the , as the threw a reception to welcome the crew.

Ken Skoczen, a Valley View resident and president of the , is the ride director for the weekend. Skoczen said he’s a fan of the show, and when the opportunity arose a few years ago to join one of the rides, he took it. But just taking part wasn’t enoughβ€”Skoczen wanted to bring the show to Cleveland. He said he’s been asking host Tom Seay to make the trip for a few years, and when Seay agreed, he was impressed with what the area had to offer.

β€œIt’s a pretty good compliment,” Skoczen said.

Seay said Skoczen had been asking him to visit the Cleveland area for the past three years, but that he ignored the idea for a while. Once he visited, he thought it was a beautiful place and said he couldn’t think of a better place to do the 1,000th show.

β€œOf all the places I’ve ridden, this is probably the nicest bunch of people I’ve ever met,” Seay said with a smile, sitting at a picnic table among fans on Thursday. He spoke of the importance of treating fans well and said he thinks it’s one of the reasons for the show’s success.

The weekend’s rides started Friday at the Bedford Reservation, Skoczen said. The ridersβ€”there were going to be about 125 to 150 horses and riders from all overβ€”are traveling to the South Chagrin Reservation to camp Friday night, and will spend Saturday there. There will be a parade and other activities throughout the day. That night, participants will put on their β€œbest duds” and head over to the for dinner.

The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with β€œCowboy Church,” followed by a ride in the Brecksville Reservation. The full schedule can be found on the show’s website.

Skoczen said there has been a lot of support from the communities to make this event happen, including help from about 65 local volunteers. And the chamber’s event on Thursday had a lot of support, including sponsors , Becker Signs, , , , and Home Restore Pro.

Mark Laney, the show’s CEO, said the crew will be filming and interviewing participants throughout the weekend. Interested viewers can look forward to seeing the show on TV about three to four months after the ride, Laney said.


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