News & Events COMPETITIVE TRAIL NEWS IN THE SOUTHWEST


REGIONAL COMPETITORS EARN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS


Two competitors from the Southwest (Central)


region have earned their North American Trail Ride Conference 2019 National Championships already in May. Jonni Jewell with her Arabian gelding Tezuby and Fran Muench with her Half-Arabian gelding Gi- acomo have both compiled the requisite placings and number of total points to achieve the annual recogni- tion to be awarded in February 2020 in San Antonio, Texas at the NATRC National Convention. To earn National Championship honors, horse


and rider teams compete in NATRC-sanctioned events around the country and must win either two first places or one first place and two seconds, one of which must be out of the rider’s home state or region. The team must also accumulate at least 75 total points. National Championships are available in two di-


visions. The Open division features events of 50-60 miles over two days, and the Competitive Pleasure di- vision features events of 30-40 miles over two days, both with judged soundness and conditioning as well as on-trail observations. The schedule of upcoming competitions may be


found at www.natrc.org. w


SECRET SAUCE OF TRAIL TRAINING


by Laurie Oehlerking


It seems everyone has their own “secret sauce”


to produce the perfect trail horse. So, when you have a training question, how do you to know what’s right, especially when you hear conflicting opinions? First, let’s address the idea that there is only one


right answer. What if, instead, we said the right an- swer is the one that works for you and your horse? Your safety, and your horse’s safety, should be your primary concern. If your training issue involves a fractious horse, don’t risk it—seek professional help. Break training issues into fundamentals. Where is


the communication lacking and how can you bridge the gap? Be creative. If you make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard, you’ll make progress to- ward having your own perfect horse, and your own brand of “secret sauce”. If you’re interested in learning more about horse-


manship fundamentals, check out https://texas- trailchallengeclub.com. You’ll find a group of like-minded horse enthusiasts working hard to im- prove their skills and, in turn, the relationship with their equine partners. w


Jonni Jewell on Tezuby


COMPETITIVE TRAIL A FIT FOR ALL The North American Trail


Fran Muench & Giacomo


Ride Conference (NATRC) was founded in 1961 as a non-profit or- ganization to promote distance competitive trail riding and the de- velopment of the distance horse through education of the rider. Many unfamiliar with NATRC and CTRs often conclude, wrongly, that the sport must be for Arabians under endurance-type riding equipment. The universal attraction of


NATRC CTRs is that any sound horse in anyone’s backyard under any type of saddle can be success- ful at the regional and national level. From the retired Thorough- bred off the track, to the world- wise Quarter Horse ranch gelding, to the rescue mare of questionable breeding, to the ring-sour show ring beauty, any horse can be care- fully conditioned and trained for competitive trail by its owner. Are there Arabians under


horn-less, featherweight saddle pad-type saddles on the NATRC trail? Of course, right next to the Missouri Fox Trot- ter and the Paint, standing to- gether in the winners’ circle. The 45-pound roping saddled horse with the 5-inch width breastplate competes equally with the expensive, custom-fit dressage saddled horse when on the trail. If the saddle fits, use it! Competitive trail is about using the horse and equipment you own to develop a partnership based on solid horsemanship skills and knowledge. Come and see for yourself what you can accomplish on the trail. Visit www.natrc.org or


email Elaine Swiss on swissranch@earthlink.net. w


June 2019 SouthWest Horse Trader 25


Optical Harmonics


Optical Harmonics


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