Four Horsemen Poker Run Boasts Larger-Than-Planned Turnout

Heading into last weekend’s Four Horsemen Poker Run in Oshkosh, Wis., the organizers had capped the event at 50 entries. But the final boat count for the 12th annual happening on Lake Winnebago turned out to be 60-plus, and the run went off—under blue skies that started gray on Saturday morning—without a hitch despite the larger turnout.

The 12th annual Four Horsemen Poker Run fleet included this 2021 Outerlimits SL 52 owned Wisconsin’s Don Verkuylen. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

In 2019, the 10th annual Four Horsemen run attracted an event record-setting 86 boats. Held in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s event still managed to draw 51 entries. The organizers capped this year’s event based on still-evolving, though loosening pandemic restrictions during the planning stages in the early part of 2021.

For the third year in a row, speedonthewater.com chief photographer Pete Boden captured the weekend-long event. Boden arrived Friday after shooting the Kuttawa Cannonball Run in Kentucky on the weekend prior.

“It was a good event,” said Boden. “I think they had 64 boats.”

“They didn’t wait for the start, but I think I got most of them,” he added, then chuckled. “I had a great pilot.”

Enjoy more images from the 2021 Four Horsemen Poker Run in the slideshow above.

Boden faced another unexpected challenge, one entirely beyond his control, during the shoot.

“The pollen was out of control,” he said. “The lake was yellow.”

Gary Swanson, the general manager of the event’s Sweetwater Performance Center and Marina host venue and one of the event’s organizers, confirmed Boden’s boat count.

“We also had 14 sponsors,” he said. “We had a great turnout and a great time. It was awesome.”

Proceeds from the event will go to the Oshkosh-based, nonprofit Christine Anne Domestic Abuse Services organization. The final donation total is still pending.

“We’re not sure how much money we raised yet but we had one large cash donation from Oshkosh Dock and Lifts and also had a record sale on our auction item,” said Swanson. “It was a blast, one of our best events ever.”

Starting in the Fox River, participants headed to Lake Winnebago for the the poker run.

Related stories
Photo Essay: The Hardware Of Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen Poker Run Sold Out
Four Horsemen Poker-Runners Brave Early June Chill
Four Horsemen Poker Run Turns 10 In Style