The neartly 2,000 NATRC members receive a bi-monthly newsletter, Hoof Print, reduced ride fees, mileage patches for rider miles achieved in competition and eligibility for the year-end awards program.

The oldest distance riding organization in the United States, founded in 1961, NATRC holds an annual national convention during which members enjoy a large trade fair, seminars and workshops, and an awards banquet.

NATRC also organizes the yearly Championship Challenge Ride in which horses that have competed for 1000 miles in any form of distance riding is eligible to participate. NATRC competitions are judged distance rides organized by time and distance, not speed. Horses are judged on condition, soundness and trailability/ manners.. Riders are judged on trail performance.

HOW NATRC RIDES WORK

Competitive trail rides sanctioned by the North American Trail Ride Conference are judged events in which horse and rider travel across country on a predetermined course within a specified time period during which they are scored.

The allotted time for completion, distance of the course and stress level caused by the time, distance and terrain test both horse and rider.

"Our rides are held in beautiful trail settings," says Dr. Jerry Weil, president from Great Bend, Kansas. "Though the pace allows time for viewing the scenery, the rides are faster than pleasure rides in order to provide a challenge."

Rides vary according to terrain and management discretion. The course runs from 15 to 90 miles depending on the division and may be one to three days. The divisions are open, novice and competitive pleasure. A division may be divided for scoring purposes into heavyweight, lightweight and junior.

1 Throughout the ride certified officials judge riders on their horsemanship. Veterinarians judge horses on their condition. When they start out in the morning, each horse and each rider begins with a score of 100 points. Competitors follow trails marked with colored ribbons tied to trees or markers on the ground, and use maps to guide them.

Along the way they meet up with "p and R" stops where ride personnel record pulse and respiration or the veterinarian judge checks soundness and condition. In total, the horse is assessed 40% on condition, 45% on soundness and 15% on trail ability/manners, and the rider goes home with a score card detailing the result.

Also along the route, the horsemanship judge asks horse and rider to navigate natural obstacles in ways that demonstrate the rider's horsemanship skills. Examples:

1 Walk to the judge, do a forehand turn or 90 degrees and then back up the trail which has a slight upward incline.

2. Perform an on-side mount, off-side mount and dismount in front of judge.

3. Judge is at a creek on a hot day. He observes if riders dismount, cool and water horses.

The horsemanship judge fills out each competitor's ride card, scoring on grooming, in hand presentation, tack and equipment, trail equitation, trail care, safety and courtesy, and stabling.

Members of NATRC are eligible for year-end special achievement awards including the rider mileage award program, the 1000-mile horse program, high average horsemanship award, 4-H awards and the NATRC Hall of Fame Award.

Horses that have completed 1000 miles of competitive riding qualify for the yearly Championship Challenge ride open to all distance riding breeds and organizations.

To enjoy NATRC, "riders should enjoy working their horses in an exacting manner," says Dr. Weil. "Because of the score card system, competitive trail riding becomes not only a fun time with your horse and with your friends in a beautiful setting, but also a learning experience."

NATRC IS MORE THAN TRAIL COMPETITION

NATRC rides are fun, safe and yet challenging trail competition designed to promote good trail riding, conditioning and training, the best horse care, and the breeding and use horses suitable for the trail.

NATRC focuses on the development of a partnership between horse and rider. "To succeed in competitive trail the rider learns how the horse's body works and how it handles stress, and how to keep that horse healthy and happy," says NATRC president Dr. Jerry Weil, DVM, of Great Bend, Kansas.

NATRC competitions are designed to emphasize time, distance and stress, not speed. Most are held on park and/or private land where natural obstacles play a role in the course of the ride and its judging.

THE PEOPLE OF NATRC TRAIL COMPETITION

Who rides in the North American Trail Ride Conference competitions?

The simple answer is horse people who enjoy the trail. NATRC, however, attracts a wide variety of people and horses.

One rider wrote to the NATRC newsletter, HoofPrint, I'm having way too much fun in NAT'RC this year." Her reasons best describe the attraction of NATRC: she now had a seasoned, obedient horse, good friends in camp and on the trail, and she was riding with her 11-year-old daughter.

NATRC has attracted riders from all over the spectrum in age from juniors age 10 to 18 to seniors, like the 1997 Championship Challenge reserve champion who is in her late 70s.

Most NATRC riders enjoy working a horse in an exacting manner. For this same reason NATRC is appealing to riders from other disciplines. For example, show competitors and dressage riders who need a change of scenery from arena work, but want an activity that is a challenge may turn to NATRC. It's not unusual for trail riders to compete in both NATRC and endurance, depending on their horses and their stage of training.

The level of skill also varies at NATRC rides. Beginning trail riders just starting to learn riding and caring for horses find the clinics sponsored in NATRC regions as well as the competitive rides an opportunity to learn and develop a solid foundation in horsemanship and horse care.

The horses are about as varied as the riders. Any horse can compete in NATRC if properly trained and conditioned. A survey of the past national award winners lists Arabians, Half Arabian, American Saddlebreds, Missouri Fox Trotters, Morgans, Mules, Appaloosas, Quarter horses and Thoroughbreds. The horse that was the 1996 National Sweepstakes Champion was 20 years old. To compete in open rides, horses must be at least five-years-old.

NATRC rides are held across the country from Alaska to the southern borders, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts.

Further information on NATRC is available from the national headquarters at
P.O. Box 2136, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, (505) 751-4198:
e-mail address, natrc@taos.newmex.com.

NATRC's web page can be found at http://natrc.trailriding.com


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