A Note from Our Chair
Dear fellow NATRC enthusiasts!
I hope you are all enjoying the summer. We are currently looking for an editor for our publication, The Leadline. Until we find someone to take on this job, I will try to send out periodic updates. If anyone has an article or ride story to contribute, it can be sent to Donna Stidolph to be published on the Region 1 website.
This letter finds us midway into the ride season with our ride managers facing a number of issues which are out of their control.
First, many of the trails we use for our rides are currently not available due to damage from the wild winter that we experienced. The various agencies are working to get trails cleared of fallen trees, mud and rockslides, and severe erosion of trails from the heavy rains.
Second, there have been outbreaks of VSV and EHV in California (and a few other states) to be concerned about. With the help of veterinarians and State of California protocols, ride management has implemented biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of these diseases. Ride management will provide the most up-to-date information as we approach each ride.
In spite of these things, our fearless ride managers are pressing on to put on wonderful rides for us in some of the most beautiful places.
Cowboy Camp, our 'flagship' Region 1 benefit ride in the Cache Creek wilderness, had to be rescheduled from its usual May date to September 16-17 this year due to permitting issues which now require an environmental impact review that takes months to complete. This issue is impacting other organizations which use State and Federal parklands, not just NATRC.
Thanks to the folks at CMDTRA for putting on the first Mt. Diablo ride in a few years. It was a Leisure ride, which drew a number of riders. It was cool and moist, just right for the first ride of the season! Many of us are hoping next year they will offer a full ride with Open, CP, Novice and LeD offerings.
Thanks also to Angie and Steve Meroshnekoff, and Maria Pilgrim for putting on the Eel River ride June 17-18. If you didn't make it, put it on your calendar for next year - the road into camp is challenging, as is the ride, but the trails and views are absolutely gorgeous, and after the ride (all on private property), you and your horse can cool off in the river!
Looking forward to the Jackson Forest ride August 19-20, I'm hoping to see many of you there in the cool shade of the Redwoods. It promises to be a respite from the heat, as well as offering spectacular views from some of the ridges. This is a ride not to be missed!
Stay cool and ride on,
Your Region 1 Chair,
Stephanie Swain
In the absence of a Newsletter Editor (hint, hint), Linda Thomason will be sending out email updates such as Stephanie's note above. If you'd like to be added to Linda's list, drop her a note at Linda Thomason. Don't worry if you don't sign up - we'll be posting them on the website, as well.
On to Other Important Stuff . . .
If you need to join NATRC or renew your membership, the membership form is right here. If you're a joining as a new member, you can join for FREE - here's a flier that will tell you more about why you might want to join.
If you're renewing and you download the form from this site, you have to fill it out, find an envelope, address it . . . It's also available on the National NATRC site. If you go to the National site, you can fill out the form and pay electronically - but you have to create an account if you don't already have one. Either way, go ahead and join us - it's worth the time.
Stay safe and we'll see you on the trails this year!
After that news - Welcome!
NATRC Region 1 consists of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, Alaska and part of Nevada. So, if you love trail riding, would like to meet more people who share your passion, and you live in Region 1, or are within commuting distance - come join us!
If you'd like to interact with NATRC riders (and prospective NATRC riders!), take a look at our Facebook page and join our CTR discussion group on Facebook. The conversations are wide-ranging and the participants run from trail riding newbies to old hands.
Our goals for our website are to keep our members informed about NATRC Region 1 activities, and to keep us all motivated to get out and ride. So, if you're looking for the next NATRC ride, go to the Ride Schedule page, where our 2023 rides are listed along with contact information to get signed up. If you want to get in touch with fellow trail riders even before you join us for a ride, take a look at the Region 1 CTR (Competitive Trail Riding) discussion group on Facebook. And if you're stuck at the office and trying to remember how you feel when you're riding, check out our Stories & Articles page, where we have links to
- Region 1 ride stories,
- "Reprints" of interesting articles,
- Tips for first time riders,
- Archives of Leadline, the Region 1 newsletter, and
- PDFs of NATRC documents that riders might want to refer to, such as the Rule Book, and
- a link to the Membership Form!
And if you've just discovered NATRC riding, and are wondering if it's the right thing for you, that same Stories & Articles page has a "New Riders" section to provide answers to some questions, links to information for first time riders, and first-ride stories on the web.
Come Ride with Us!
Region 1 News
Round Valley has bee Re-Located!
Repairs to the Round Valley trails couldn't be finished in time for the ride to be safely staged - so it's been relocated to the CMDTRA trails, in Clayton! (Thank-you, CMDTRA!) THE RIDE IS STILL ON! So continue to register. If we have to change things in RMS, ride management will take care of it for you. This will now be a ONE DAY ride as CMDTRA also has limited cleared trails. Thank you for your understanding, this is challenging for all of us! Additional information will be sent out as soon as it's available
Round Valley Entries are Open!
The entry forms for this beautiful and challenging ride are here.
Want to ride Jackson Forest? Too Late!!
You can check two sets of photos, though, in our photo gallery!
Blast from the Past!
Here's an article from the March, 1978 Leadline, with a little history of our organization - I liked it a lot - take a look!
Joan Throgmorton Rememberance Page
Joan Throgmorton passed away peacefully February 3, 2023. Joan and her husband, Bill Throgmorton, DVM, were instrumental in promoting NATRC when it began in the 1960's. Through the years, Joan was secretary, newsletter editor, judge, trail ride manager, and competitor. A strong advocate for horses and trails, she not only blazed trails, she maintained those trails. Joan was responsible for involving junior riders, including her own daughters, who each won the President's Cup. Joan's work, dedication, and sharp sense of humor will be greatly missed.
Jec Ballou's Presentations from Convention
Jec Ballou, author of several books on how to create and maintain horse fitness, did two presentations at our National Convention in Sacramento on February 18: Conditioning the Distance Horse and Rehab for Horses, and she let us put them up on the website. If you were at the presentations, these should be good reminders for how to get ready for this ride season. If you weren't at the presentations, they'll still be helpful - and, hopefully, encourage you to come to convention next year!
2023 Year-End Award Winners!
It's 2023 now, so the 2022 winners, of special awards and horse and horsemanship, in all our divisions have now been calculated. Take a look at the special awards and high points winners.
The 2022 Cool Canyon Leisure Division ride was a success - again!
Photos from the ride are here. It was a perfect one-dayer: good weather, good parking, good trails. You should probably come next year. While you're in the photos, take a look at some of the other rides and start planning your 2023 season. I am.
The 2022 Jackson Forest Summer Ride was Beautiful!
Photos from the ride are here. Take a look and either find the pics of you and your horse/mare/equine or see what you missed!
Need a (FREE!) Cookbook?
Carol Ormond recently found a Region 1 Cookbook, which she and Jamie Dieterich cleaned up and turned into a pdf. Take a look: it's got NATRC info, cooking tips, and actual recipes.
2022 Mini-Convention Photos
Our Mini-Convention went off pretty near flawlessly, click to see a summary of the action or the award recipients.
Looking for a couple of suckers - WAIT, I mean volunteers
Yeah, VOLUNTEERS are what we're looking for - due to this being 2023 and filled with crazy things, we need to replace two of our Region 1 Board of Directors. It doesn't take much time - meetings are usually held at rides - and we need as many different voices as we can get when we make decisions, so please consider applying for the job. It's easy to submit a resume. Linda Thomason made up a form that covers all the bases so you don't have to think them through. Take a look, fill out the form, and get your name on the ballot for the R1 BOD!
A Couple of Interesting Articles . . .
One of our old Leadlines has a breath-taking article from Nancy Kasovich about the two terrifying fires she survived; one in 1964 and 2017. She includes teeth-clenching descriptions of getting out safely, and tips for how to do it, if it happens to you. With summer coming on, it might be worth taking another look at.
And Linda Thomason has given us a list of barn-preparedness tips in her article Barn Fire Prevention. In addition to tips, she also included her sources, where you can go for more info. Thanks, Linda!
Check Out the Resources section of the NATRC National website
There are lots of interesting things on the national site: a set of past webinars on conditioning, judging . . . pretty much all aspects of our sport. And they're planning to have more webinars this year, and events such as virtual mileage challenges and virtual obstacle challenges that you can sign up for and participate in virtually. Watch for announcements on the Region 1 CTR (Competitive Trail Riding) discussion group.
See you on the trail!