The Black Dog Ride has defied the odds, building a following in Seymour during years of COVID-19 restrictions.
Over the last three years a group of riders has gathered at the Royal Hotel for breakfast on the third Sunday of March, before jumping on their bikes to raise awareness for depression and suicide prevention.
The annual event provides a chance for people from all walks of life to get together and break down stereotypes around mental health.
However this year, Seymour ride organiser Kylie Comte has had no choice but to cancel the ride.
Kylie is a CFA volunteer who worked throughout the October 2022 floods and their aftermath.
She said that with the conditions of the roads as they were, it would simply not be safe to send such a large group out.
“It’s been a difficult decision I must admit, I had concerns last year and spoke to our Victoria coordinator about the conditions of our roads since the floods,” Kyle said.
“We talked about a shorter route but investigating and talking to people, there was no way we could make it safe.
“In the emergency work we do we constantly do risk assessment and everywhere I look there are risks.
“It’s just environmental, we can’t help the weather but it would be irresponsible of myself not to take that into consideration.”
On top of the poor conditions of the roads, the threat of fallen trees increases potential hazards for riders.
“Trees are coming down at least once a day, that’s just from the amount of rain we’ve had,” Kylie said.
She said while the roads might be okay for individual riders, the risk of riding in such a large group was a lot higher.
“Putting one hundred people out there, it takes just one thing to happen in a group … We couldn’t negate that so we decided to err on the side of caution.
“I know how important the ride is to for people around the community … I didn’t want to let anybody down but it’s my responsibility to keep everyone safe.
“[The roads] have been quite rough in a car, let alone being on a bike,” Kylie said.
For those who still wish to participate there are 10 other Black Dog Rides running in Victoria this year, all of which will welcome Seymour riders. The closest alternate rides will be in Bendigo and Wangaratta.
Each year along with the bike ride, a saw blade is auctioned off to raise money for the Black Dog Ride charity, which goes into a trust for a grant program that allows mental health charities to apply for funding.
As an alternative to the ride, Kylie is planning a family friendly social fundraiser with live music to auction off the prized saw blade, which is engraved with ‘Black dog ride 2023’, a decision supported by other Black Dog Ride coordinators.
“We are still getting together for the community … It’s open to everybody, not just for people who ride,” Kylie said.
“It’s fantastic because the message is getting out there, this connection is definitely expanding.”
Hopefully, the Black Dog Ride will be back in Seymour for 2024.
To find out more about the Black Dog Ride, or to apply for a grant visit www.blackdogride.org.au