The horses were the first thing the guests saw. For the 19th Annual Gala at the ‘Gait on Saturday, October 17, more than 950 supporters arrived at ManeGait’s newly expanded 24-acre campus in McKinney, Texas, and walked through The Stephens Greth Foundation Stable, where the herd stood in new stalls. By the end of the night, the room had raised a record $1.34 million.
The setting was the argument. ManeGait had spent two years holding its gala off-site while the campus was rebuilt, and this year the event came home to a new administration and therapy center and an Event Plaza presented by the McKinney Community Development Corporation. Nineteen local restaurants served a tasting menu. REX Real Estate presented the gala for the third consecutive year, Landon Darling Schneider and Stephanie Tomes co-chaired, top-tier sponsors included SOI Group, Perry Homes | Britton Homes, and Tomes Auto Group, and more than 70 sponsors signed on in all. A video in the program told riders’ stories. Then a paddle raise and a live auction did the heavy lifting before the Josh Abbott Band closed the night with a concert.
From four riders to a waitlist of 500
Board member Mike Scovel led the program and paid tribute to co-founder Priscilla Darling and to Patricia Nelson, the president and CEO. The numbers they were celebrating are stark. ManeGait began in 2008 with four riders and two horses. It now serves 150 riders a week with 27 horses, and more than 500 people are waiting for a place. The plan funded by this gala is to double the program over the next 18 to 24 months.
Nelson put the transaction in plain terms. “As our guests arrived, they were immediately greeted by our horses in their brand-new stalls and could see exactly what this community built,” she said. “Every dollar raised at the Gala brings more riders off our waitlist and into the arena.”
What the record buys
ManeGait provides equine-assisted therapy for children and adults with disabilities, and it runs a dedicated program for military veterans and first responders. The gala proceeds go to the unglamorous inputs that growth requires: more staff, more trained volunteers, and feed and care for a larger herd. Money also supports the growth of its equine-assisted counseling program. The organization, founded in 2007 by Priscilla and Bill Darling, was named Organization of the Year in the midsize category at D CEO’s 2026 Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards, and thousands of volunteers pass through the campus each year.
The waitlist is the figure that outlasts the evening: more than 500 people in line for 150 weekly places, and a barn now built to close that gap.
The Social Register’s event directory tracks the season’s galas, benefits, and society evenings. Plan your next evening there.
