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.
Event Details for May 30, 2026:
Join us 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. The ride will begin with a prerecording of a Currituck ride with festivities taking place at the Hertford site from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 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. You can cheer on the Camden County and Perquiman’s County 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 below. Some of the ride locations required a non-live prerecording.
Currituck County: (LOCATION TBA) Barco, NC – PRERECORDED. NO LIVE RIDE OR FESTIVITIES.
Camden County: Lamb’s Marina – 152 US Hwy 158 W, Camden, NC at 10:30 am – LIVE RIDE AT THIS LOCATION ON DAY OF EVENT
Pasquotank County: (LOCATION TBA) Elizabeth City, NC – PRERECORDED. NO LIVE RIDE OR FESTIVITIES.
Perquimans County: Harvey Point Road, Hertford, NC, between Planter’s Ridge Market and the Newbold White House at 12:15 pm – LIVE RIDE AT THIS LOCATION ON DAY OF EVENT
Plan to watch on Youtube and Facebook.
Meet The Riders
Listed below are the Betsy Dowdy riders and their horses for each county:
Currituck County Horse – Prerecorded (Not Live on Day of Event)
Ms. Kelly Curry & Chili
Camden County Horse – Live Ride
Ms. Kelly Curry & Chili
Pasquotank County Horse – Prerecorded (Not Live on Day of Event)
Brooke Baker on Zelley
Perquimans County Horse – Live Ride
Brooke Baker on Zelley
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.
