In December of 1775, according to local legend and oral history, 16-year-old Betsy Dowdy rode her Banker horse nearly 50 miles through the night from Corolla to Hertford, NC, to warn General Skinner and his militia that British troops were advancing on Great Bridge, VA. Her fearless ride rallied the patriots and proved that courage and bravery, can change history.

Join us on October 12, 2025 at the Newbold-White House in Hertford, NC and witness Betsy ride in to warn General Skinner and his militia encampment that the British are coming. Festivities will begin at 10:00 am with Betsy appearing around 12:30 pm. Betsy Dowdy made her courageous ride through four counties that include Currituck (origin), Camden (crossing Lambs’ Ferry), Pasquotank and on to Perquimans where she encountered General Skinner.  Each county is sponsoring its own Betsy for the ride and you can cheer on your county’s Betsy at the following locations (times are approximate and could be earlier or later as horses have their own “ways” at times – plan to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled start time:

Currituck County:  The Currituck Animal Shelter on Aviation Parkway, Barco, NC at 9:30 am

Camden County:  Lamb’s Marina, 152 U.S. Hwy 158 W, Camden, NC at 10:15 am

Pasquotank County:  Albemarle School, 1210 US-17, Elizabeth City, NC at 11:00 am

Perquimans County:  Harvey Point Road, Hertford, NC, between Planter’s Ridge Market and the Newbold White House at 11:45 am

Plan to watch live on Youtube and Facebook on October 12.

This project was produced with assistance from the America 250 North Carolina initiative, administered by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the State of North Carolina.