Welcome to NATRC Region 1
Our 2024 Ride Schedule is now posted. Take a look! We'll start with Cowboy Camp, in May, while the hills are still green, then we'll beat the the heat and head for the woods with the Eel River and Jackson Forest rides in the summer, and finish the season with rides at Lake Mendocine and Cool Canyon. Mark your calendars.
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.
In the absence of a Newsletter Editor (hint, hint), Linda Thomason will be sending out email updates. If you'd like to be added to Linda's list, drop her a note at Linda Thomason.
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 page that will tell you more about why you might want to join and how you can join for free.
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 2024 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
2023 Award Winners
Lists of our various award winners from the 2023 ride year can be found in the awards lists. Winners in the various categores are there, as well as the winners of our special awards, the Bob Smith Award for High Point First Year Novice or Competitive Pleasure Horse (Gold Dust and Diamonds / Sheri Smith), and the Pat Ersepke Award for High Point Novice Horse/Rider Combination (Daris Amir / Robin Dreshler). Go see who else won!
Region 1 Convention
Our annual convention is coming up on March 23 in Granite Bay. We've got some great speakers: Nancy Loving, DVM, on preparing your horse's legs, Diane Rhodes, DVM, on VSV in California, and Erin McChesney, an incredibly experienced rider and instructor, on how to use dressage to improve your horse's trail performance. Take a look at the Convention Newsletter for more details about the presentations. And if you decide to come and hear our speakers, here's the registration form.
Eel River Date Change
The Eel River ride, initally scheduled for June 15-16, has been changed to June 8-9. See all the ride dates on the Ride Schedule page.
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 the 2023 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!
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.