Chico and The Man

By Jody Shackelford – The past few years have been good to Hardy’s Main Street. The Main Street Hardy Association welcomed Kim Wilson as Chairman, many buildings sport new remodels and beautiful new paint jobs (thank you Mike Miller with We Paint!), and even eye-catching new signs have added to the lofty visual. There is one new addition that is turning heads and giving people one more reason to visit Hardy’s Main Street – free horse drawn carriage rides for all.
Don Qualls has been a horseman his entire life and now lives on the Strawberry River near Evening Shade. Growing up in Sharp County, he is a familiar face to many longtime residents. Now, nearing his seventh decade, Don enjoys delighting children, families and new Hardyholics with his horse Chico, as they offer tours of the Hardy area via carriage.
“I love horses, wagons and buggies and I love to make people happy,” he said tugging the reins.
Chico, the son of a walking horse and a Missouri Fox Trotter, has taken up the position of one-horse-power motor in Don’s gift to the public. At six years old, Don has groomed Chico to pull the carriage for the past four years. “We worked the first year with a homemade sled made from road grater blades,” Don said.
Now, Chico trots around Hardy with ease, but Don said the whole idea was nearly relegated to the drawing board.
“I have always wanted to do this. I have seen it done in other places but people told me I couldn’t do it here because of insurance purposes. I went and saw a lawyer and they told me what to do. I just had to put some signs up where people could see them. Here we are, having a great time,” Don said.
Other places that offer carriage rides are much larger areas such as New York, Chicago and closer, in Memphis. None of which are free. In fact, one carriage ride in Memphis from Beale Street to the Comfort Inn just a few blocks away demanded a $50 bill plus tip. Main Street is proud to have a rare service for its visitors that brings so much joy. The fact that it is free only bolsters the sentiment.
From an economic standpoint, Don and Chico not only add a tourist-grabbing service, but also add to the overall atmosphere of Main Street Hardy. Just seeing Chico stroll by with a carriage full of smiling children can put a smile on anyone’s face. This increases the value of the total Main Street experience, which leads to more visitors and return visitors, which lends to an increase in tourism dollars fueling our local economy.
“The response has been really good. This is the third year I have done this. I go down in Loberg Park with most folks. Everyone wants to ride right alongside the river on the blacktop walkway, especially the folks from out of town,” Don said.
Currently, Don has been told to stay off of the river walk with Chico. He said, City Hall told him the horse would leave marks on the road. But that doesn’t stop Chico from spreading joy.
“An airplane pilot from Chicago, Illinois came through town and saw Chico and me and wanted to ride sometime. He couldn’t walk but his wife flew him into Little Rock and they came up here. I spent all day with him riding around. This really makes people happy,” Don said, patting Chico.
While Don is all smiles, one man wasn’t smiling after he dipped into Chico’s donation box last fall.
“That joker came across the street there and said he wanted a ride. Well, he seemed a little intoxicated but I give everyone a ride, donation or not. He got in the back and didn’t get up here in the front with me. Somewhere during that ride, he pulled Chico’s bag around the side and took all the money out of it. I didn’t know it at first. We stopped and he talked for a second and then he ran across the street. I noticed the bag and hollered at him. He just took off like a turkey,” Don remembered.
Lucky for Chico, Hardy has a police chief that has been in the business of catching villains for over thirty years. Chief Ernie Rose got the information and had the carriage robber in the paddy wagon in no time.
“Tuesday morning, Ernie had some mug shots for me to look at and before noon, they had him in jail,” Don said.
“I don’t know how he did it but Ernie got him out of jail and he earned that money back,” Don said with a laugh.
While all rides are free, Don does accept donations for Chico. This allows Don to buy feed, ice blocks for hot summer days, carriage maintenance and, of course, lots of apples and carrots – Chico’s top favorite foods.
The local merchants have shown Don appreciation in many ways, including meals, verbal praise and even carriage repair.
Rocky McCollum with Rocky’s Auto Repair at the end of Main Street, even fixed the wheel bearings in Chico’s carriage at no charge.
“All the merchants in town really show us kindness. They really do,” he said.
Don, Chico and the Main Street Hardy Association, are working together to make Hardy Main Street a family destination for visitors from across the country. As far as Don and Chico are concerned, they’re a dream team with no plans of disappearing.
“If the good Lord lets me live, I plan to keep on going. I have a ball riding these people around – young or old. I have had a 93-year-old woman in here, even 98, it brings back memories for these folks.”
So, next time you’re on Main Street in Hardy, look for the new kid in town – Chico, your everyday, friendly, one-horse-power motor.