By Nathan Oster

Citing “a variety of reasons,” the biggest being road construction on North Sixth Street, the Patriot Guard Riders have cancelled their five-state rally which had been planned for later this month in Greybull.

Roy Swander, the Northwest Wyoming ride captain for the national organization, made the announcement Monday, saying the decision had come down over the weekend from regional captains. “It’s a frustrating thing, but (the regional captains) were hearing from people who’d been through Greybull and were saying that getting through the construction zone on their bikes was not a pleasant experience.”

Swander had a big weekend planned. Riders were expected to start arriving the evening of Thursday, July 26 for a series of rides and events planned for Friday, July 27 through Sunday, July 29. “We had rides and poker runs set up, as well as visits to the VA hospital in Sheridan and the veteran’s home in Buffalo,” said Swander.

As of Monday, he had commitments from 75 riders who were planning to attend. “We were estimating a turnout of 200, but in reality, we expected more than that,” he said, noting that it would have been a Rocky Mountain Region event, and thus, open to riders from Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, and, of course, Wyoming.

Swander said the rally will not be rescheduled and has been cancelled for this year. “We certainly have hopes for it coming back around (to Wyoming), but it won’t be next year,” said Swander, nothing that it will be Colorado’s turn to host the rally. “But it’s not unrealistic to think that in two to three years it might return. The question then will be where.”

The Patriot Guard Riders are a national organization of nearly 100,000 bikers who are committed to honoring the memories of fallen U.S. soldiers. Members of the group attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as special guests of the family, shielding mourners from interruptions caused by any protestors or group of protestors through legal and nonviolent means.

According to their Web site, the Patriot Guard Riders share a love for motorcycles and “an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security.” Swander said the organization does not want to alienate anyone in the community. “As the coordinator trying to pull it all together, it was a frustrating thing for me, too,” he said. “But the chips just fell where they fell.”