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POPE COUNTY (WSIL) � Pope County Sheriff, Jerry Suits, recounts some of his most recent memories of the Nine Day Trail Ride, an annual event that’s been around for more than 50 years. 

“I was out here yesterday, I had one horse that got away from them, and man they was chasing that horse, I just stopped my squad car and here come two or three guys that just out of nowhere, they had a lead,� Suits said. 

He says he’s seen generations pass through the trail ride over the years, “I’ve seen them grow up and then they got kids, and they got grand kids, and they’re coming right back out here and you know enjoying nine days.�

Tami Gates, a camper this year, says she sees a lot of the same friends every year, “It’s great, it’s like a big reunion, just to come up here and enjoy ourselves, and ride, and have fun.�

Suits says its an opportunity for families to ride horses, and meet up with old friends. 

“You know we got little guys out here, we got big guys, we got big cowboys and little cowboys… I think the number over there was close to twelve hundred campers, maybe close to a thousand visitors," Suits said.

Campers and visitors can do more than just ride their horses though.

“You can buy and sell and people ride around with their horses with for sale signs on them, and you can sell your horse trailers, and campers, and just about anything down here," Gates said. 

Sheriff Suits and others around Pope County say they notice and appreciate the increase in economic activity in the area from the trail ride. 

“Grocery stores, and you got to have groceries, you know if you’re going to be out here nine days, you’re going to have to go buy some groceries, so is that positive for Pope County? Sure it is, it’s good thing for us,� said Suits.

Nine days in rural Pope County also seems to be a good thing for campers like Gates. 

“Yeah, I look forward to coming down here every year, It’s like part of my vacation,� Gates said.

“You know you can just see it on people’s faces. They don’t have that phone in their ear, they’re not doing that texting, and they’re out here riding them horses, and seeing people they haven’t seen forever,� Suits said. 

Sheriff Suits says he enjoys seeing people getting together to enjoy the beauty of rural Pope County, a place he says he is proud to call home.