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American
Paint Horse Association offers four trail ride adventures for 2002
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FORT WORTH-A diverse
countryside, exciting history and unforgettable experiences on horseback
await trail riders who saddle up with the American Paint Horse Association
(APHA) as part of its recreational riding program in 2002..
APHA's recreational riding activities includes four outings in 2002,
as well as a program for riders who prefer to ride at their own pace.(photo
courtesy APHA).
APHA is sponsoring
multiple rides this year to make the outings more accessible to its members.
"With four rides around the country, most of our members will be within
about a day's drive of one of these fantastic outings," said Ed Roberts,
director of long-range planning for APHA. "It's our goal to introduce
as many people as possible to these rides and what they have to offer.
"Enhancing our recreational
riding program at APHA is very important to me, because of the high numbers
of our members - about 50 percent - who tell us they are primarily interested
in recreational riding with their horses.
"When I see the camaraderie
of the riders, witness the bonding that takes place between people and
their horses, and see how much enjoyment people derive by traversing our
nation's beautiful countryside on horseback, it reaffirms that we're doing
the right thing by strengthening our program for recreational riders."
This year, APHA will
sponsor four different trail rides across some of the most beautiful countryside
in the United States. Outings include:
The Philmont Scout
Ranch Trail Ride
April 29-May 3
Cimarron, N. M.
Recreational riding enthusiasts will venture into the rugged territory
in northeast New Mexico that has remained relatively untouched since legendary
frontiersmen like Kit Carson carved out some of the trails in the mid-1800s.
A century later, philanthropist Waite Phillips was responsible for preserving
the beauty of the area when he donated more than 127,000 acres of unsettled
territory to the Boy Scouts of America.
The Black River
Trail Ride,
Aug. 5-9
Lesterville, Mo.
Named after the waters that meander through this 1,200-acre riding area
about 100 miles southwest of St. Louis, the Black River Trail Ride offers
some of the finest trail networks in the Ozarks. In addition to a great
trail-riding experience, this mid-summer event, near the Mark Twain National
Forest, provides ideal conditions for canoeing and swimming.
The Fort Robinson
Trail Ride
Sept. 2-7
Fort Robinson State Park, Crawford, Neb.
Fort Robinson offers riders the opportunity to traverse an area rich in
the history of the American West. A military outpost from 1874 to 1948,
Fort Robinson is located in the heart of the rugged Pine Ridge region
of northern Nebraska. Crazy Horse, Red Cloud and Walter Reed were just
a few of the historic figures who helped carve the fort's place in the
history of the American West. The fort covers more than 22,000 acres of
majestic countryside.
The Natural Gait
Trail Ride
Oct. 15-18
Harpers Ferry, Iowa
For the first time since it began sponsoring rides in 1990, APHA will
venture to Iowa's rolling hills, valleys meadows and pristine streams
for the The Natural Gait Trail Ride. Along with exploring this beautiful
country on horseback, riders will have the opportunity to attend a special
clinic on trail riding.
Specific information
on the Black River Trail Ride, in Lesterville, Mo., can be obtained by
calling the Wilderness Lodge at 573-637-2295.
For information on
the Philmont Scout Ranch Ride in New Mexico and Fort Robinson ride in
Nebraska, and the Natural Gait Ride in Iowa, call APHA Ride Coordinator
Cody Weirich at (817) 834-2742, extension 439, or send an e-mail to him
at cweirich@apha.com. You may also visit http://www.apha.com/events/trailrides.html.
Ride at your own pace
In addition to its
trail rides around the country, APHA also serves members with its Ride
America® program. While participating in this innovative saddle-log program,
members earn rewards and recognition for their individual achievements
riding an American Paint Horse.
When riders enroll
in Ride America, they receive an official time log and a Ride America
patch. They record each hour spent riding their American Paint Horse,
and as they move through 11 achievement levels-from 100 to 5,000 hours-APHA
records their accomplishments and rewards them with special patches. Depending
on the number of hours accumulated, participants can also earn saddlebags,
halters, lead ropes and saddle pads.
For more information
on Ride America, write or call:
Amy Foerster, Ride
America Coordinator
American Paint Horse Association
P.O. Box 961023
Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0023
Phone: (817) 834-2742, extension 249
Email: afoerster@apha.com
Information on the
APHA Ride America" program can also be accessed on the association's Web
site http://www.apha.com/rideamerica.
http://www.apha.com/
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