Horses, horses … motorcycles?

Illenna Hamaker, 7-1/2, of Garvin was lucky enough to be able to pet one of the many horses that stopped by Bitton’s Roadhouse in Garvin on Saturday.
At the other end of the parking lot stood dozens of motorcycles, the mode of transportation for the annual Balaton Veteran Run.

By Per Peterson

Scott Thomasson is all about motorcycles. Jeremy Trulock is all about horses. Put these two local men together and the result is a creation of an eye-catching Sturgis-meets-Dodge City scene.
In this case, the backdrop was Bitton’s Roadhouse in Garvin, where dozens of motorcycles that were part of the annual Balaton Veteran Run pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot about the same time as roughly a dozen horses trotted in, directly from Garvin Park, just a few miles north of Garvin.
“I met some friends from Minneota and we decided to go camping,” Trulock said. “We went for an early-morning ride this morning and rode around camp. I introduced myself to a bunch of people. I said, ‘I’m gonna ride into Garvin later, anyone want to come with me?’”

The juxtaposition of cycles and equines was nothing more than a flukish coincidence. While Trulock and his gang of riders spontaneously decided to head into town for a drink, the motorcycles were there for a more serious reason as part of the Veteran Run, which takes place every year to raise money for military veterans.
This year’s run was likely one of the biggest ones ever with more than 200 bikers taking part.

For more on this article, see this week’s Headlight-Herald.