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!
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 2013 rides are listed along with contact information to get signed up. 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 if you've just discovered NATRC riding, and are wondering if it's the right thing for you, check out our Stories & Articles page where there's a "New Riders" section to provide answers to some questions, links to information for first time riders, and first-ride stories on the web.
Region 1 News
Round Valley Photos
Kimberly Naugle opted to take pictures of us all instead of riding at Round Valley - Thanks, Kimberly. And here's a link to her photos. It was a great ride: it was warm, but way better than last year and the trail markings were superb: even I couldn't get lost. Take a look. If you like a particular picture, drop Kimberly a line at ksnaugle@gmail.com and Kimberly will clean up the photo and send it on to you. It doesn't get much better than that!
Doug Brown Tributes
Most of you have heard that Doug Brown, a wonderful Region 1 NATRC rider, died recently. We've put together a page where we can collect written tributes to Doug. The tributes can be stories or memories or why you'll miss Doug. If you want to see the tributes we've collected so far, they are at Doug Brown Tributes. To enter a tribute of your own, go to Input a Tribute to Doug. Take the time to make an entry; we hope to smile at your story.
NATRC Clinic at Cowboy Camp!
On the first day of the Cowboy Camp ride, May 18, there will be a sanctioned NATRC clinic. Click here for the Clinic entry form.The clinic will feature
- A mock ride briefing,
- Explanations and demonstrations of the correct way to handle your horse at the initial veterinary exam, Pulse and Respiration (P&R) stops, lunch breaks, etc.
- Demonstrations on the best ways to mount - judges always watch you mount.
After that, the participants will handle their own horses in a practice Check-In, and then head out on the trail for a 9-10 mile ride. There will be a lunch stop and a P&R stop to try out the new skills, then there will be a Check-Out exam back in camp. A few trail obstacles may be offered, as well.
Participants are encouraged to stay and watch the competitive trail riders return and check out with their judges and are also invited to stay for the raffle, dinner and awards held after the ride to meet and talk with current NATRC members, volunteers and riders.
So, if you have friends who are interested in NATRC, but are uncomfortable about just jumping in, this is a great way to introduce them to the NATRC culture and the NATRC community.
A Rules Change that Might Make NATRC More Attractive . . .
As a result of a NATRC rules change, portable panels that are securely anchored to the trailer or to a tree will be allowed as a stabling option at NATRC rides. There are situations where ride management can't allow them - space constraints, not allowed by the park or water district where the ride is being held, etc. - but the CMDTRA ride (May 4)) and the Georgetown ride (June 22-23) are both offering this option. Jamie Dieterich, NATRC Rules Interpreter, elaborates on what the rule change actually means in the Judge's Corner
2013 Region 1 Convention Registration
The 2013 Region 1 Convention will be held on March 9 at the Bothwell Art Center in Livermore. Click here to get the registration form. Information about the convention speakers is here.
2013 Ride Schedule
The tentative ride schedule for 2013 is now available. Take a look and save the dates.
A Ride Manager's Point of View
You thought riding your first NATRC was scary? Ha! Laura Harvey, who's first foray into ride management was the 2012 Georgetown ride, exposes the gritty truth about what goes into making a competitive trail ride happen - and it makes me even more grateful for the things that our ride managers do. Laura is planning to put two (2!) rides in 2013.
Kay's Lakota
As anyone who saw them together knows, Kay Lieberknecht and her young gelding, Lakota, had something special together. Lakota recently had a horrible accident. Here is Kay's tribute to him. Please take a look; it certainly reminded me to treasure the time I have with my goofy little mare.
Jackson Forest Adventures
Catherine de la Cruz, a fellow graduate of the White Dog Ranch Ladies Trail Camp, finished her first NATRC ride at Jackson Forest. At age 74. Here's her story . . .. There are more ride stories in the Ride Stories section of our Stories and Articles page.
Round Valley Wrap-Up
If you happened to miss it, the 2012 Round Valley NATRC was epic: on this ride, just getting down (or up) the trail truly was the obstacle. It was 107 degrees in ride camp on Saturday and 102 on Sunday, the hills are crazy on any day, and the trails are technical. Gene Boicelli, ride manager; Carol Ormond, vet; and Jamie Dieterich and Jim Ferris; Horsemanship Judge and Rules Interpreter, kept us all safe by adjusting the route to match the conditions (don't worry - it was still
New Rider! New Ride Stories!
Okay, so Mary-Ellis Arnold has ridden NATRC in the past, but this is the first year for her horse, Sebastian. Ellis has written two
Mt Diablo Spring Ride Story
A blog has been posted about the Mt Diablo Spring Ride that took place on May 7. You can find a link to it and quite a few other ride stories here, in our Stories and Articles page.
Dressage on the Trail
Catherine de la Cruz, who is training to make Jackson Forest her first NATRC ride, has gained some insight into why a trail rider might be interested in learning dressage. Here's a link to her article, where she describes her epiphany. More stories and articles can be found on our . . . Stories & Articles page.
CMDTRA Mt Diablo Ride is History
If you weren't at Mt Diablo on May 5, you missed the first ride of the season - but 38 riders made it, including 10 first time riders and 9 juniors! As usual, the route was gorgeous and challenging - but all the teams seemed up to it, and finished looking tired but ready for the traditional tri-tip dinner and crazy raffle. We have a boatload of Jamie Dieterich's photos from the ride here. Your next opportunity to ride with us is the Region 1 Benefit Ride at Cowboy Camp on June 2 - 3. See you there?
How is a horse like a car?
Two of our Region 1 juniors, Karlie Johnson and Jodie Nelson, have evidently been giving some thought to this problem and have published their results in an article called Horses and Cars - take a look and learn a few things.The Convention is over, and Region 1 won!
Well, Vicki Boicelli, a Region 1 rider, won a trip to Machu Pichu, in Peru, in the national raffle. Congratulations, Vicki! All the convention photos are on line in the Region 1 Gallery - Convention. See if you're in there.The ride season is about to start . . .
with the Mt Diablo Ride on May 5. Kay Liebernicht has written an intro and "review" of the ride - read it here.
Emma McCrary
Emma McCrary, a legendary Region 1 NATRC rider, ride manager, and trail blazer (both figuratively and literally), died recently. Information about her ongoing legacy, as well as some photos of Emma are on Emma's Page.See you on the trail!