Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1542196
16 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com Diamond in the Rough Dual Sport Diamond in the Rough Dual Sport By Suzy Moody By Suzy Moody Photos By Shand Garcia Photos By Shand Garcia Come enjoy the 2 nd Annual Diamond in the Rough 3-Day Dual Sport Adventure ride in Jefferson, Texas! Early November is a perfect me of year to wan- der into East Texas and wind down from all the years' stress and responsibili es. The Diamond Don Empire, consis ng of Diamond Don and Francene Rainey, Manager Melissa Moit, and Bubba Laster, provided an idyllic se ng at their RV and MX Park for over 300 a endees to enjoy a laid-back week- end. Diamond Don events aim to support the com- munity, with proceeds benefi ng the Jefferson Adopt-A-Cop (JAAC) program. This year, $6,600 was donated, bringing the total to over $17,000 for law enforcement equipment, including guns, ammo, vests, boots, and u lity belts. Visitors are encour- aged to shop locally; the Shop-Till-You-Drop contest rewards those who spend the most in town. This year, Valarie Mosely and Heather Brazil received the honors. Valarie said, "There is magic in Jeffer- son. What a great experience it was visi ng this quaint town, s ll with cobblestone streets. It never disappoints with its wonderful shops, restaurants, and nice shop owners. We love camping at the Diamond Don RV Park, where Francine and Diamond Don Rainey always make our stay fun for both men and women!" Early in the week, several of the AHRMA Elder Statesmen rolled into the park to prepare for the fes vi es. Like Skip Kennedy, who prepped the Cri er Shack, has literally known Don since the early 70s and has been coming to Jefferson for over 40 years. Some of them even have their own designat- ed camping spots so they can see what is going on between the Pavilion, the MX track, and the Cri er Shack. What is a Cri er Shack? It's Don's private shop that he opens for a Thursday night cookout provided by local resident Chris "Chilli Pepper" Richardson for the sponsors, volunteers, and early birds. Early Friday morning, course organizer Bobby Pickard held a brief riders' mee ng to discuss the routes and area landmarks. There are around eight