NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE TRAILS
Have you been on a special ride lately? Do you have some great photos or a short video to share? Send it to recreation@hcbc.ca and we'll share it with other trail users.
SILVER SPUR RIDING CLUB LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR RIDE
The Silver Spur Riding Club's annual Longest Day of the Year ride took place in Parksville on the 14th of June. On June 21st starting at 6:45 p.m. 15 members of the Silver Spur Riding Club headed off from Morningstar Farm http://www.cheeseworks.ca/ for the Longest Day of the Year Ride, a yearly event, although the club picks a different route each time. They rode 11 kms for 21/4 hours, and some rode even longer! Some of the photos are included in the gallery below All of them can be found at http://www.silverspurridingclub.org/apps/photos/album?albumid=11803786
Enjoy the Silver Spur Riding Club photo gallery below! Just click on any photo to enlarge and start slide show.
MANNING PARK HORSE CAMP PROJECT - HEADWATERS CORRAL
The Headwaters Corral Equestrian Campsite in EC Manning Park (behind Manning Park Resort on the road to Lightning Lake) had its official opening in conjunction with a celebration of BC Parks 100th Anniversary and the Back Country Horsemen of BC's 20th Anniversary. The celebration, which also honored the many volunteers who have contributed to the building of the horse camp, took place on July 30th, 2011.
Horse Council BC is responsible for a significant financial contribution to this project: $8000 from the 2010 Equine Canada/HCBC Recreation & Industry Grant and $7000 from the 2011 BC Equestrian Trails Fund, so HCBC President Orville Smith was invited to take part in the opening ceremonies. Thanks and congratulations to Back Country Horsemen of BC Yarrow Chapter and their small army of volunteers for initiating this project and making it happen! More amenities will be added in the coming years and it promises to be one of the most popular equestrian campsites in BC!
For more information about the Back Country Horsemen Society of BC and links visit the Back Country Horsemen page of this website. For more information on the Manning Park horse camp, visit the Horse Camping Sites page of this website.
OVER $20,000 RAISED IN ONE DAY!
The Vancouver Island Memorial Trail Ride against Cancer, hosted by the Silver Spur Riding Club, was held on the August 21st weekend at Craig Creek Ranch in Nanoose. Eighty riders helped raise over $20,000 for “Cancer Research for the Cure. The event started with a Friday night BBQ attended by 160 people who enjoyed a feast of smoked locally grown chicken, roast beef and fresh corn. After dinner, the crowd enjoyed a dressage performance by Nano and her 22 yr old horse, Viscount. as well as the Coombs Country 4h Horse Club Musical Drill Team.
Saturday, with quite pleasant weather, riders left in escorted groups of 10 or so and various routes were offered, from a very long 24 miles to a short one hour ride. Most riders crossed Englishman River and traveled on the paths in Englishman River Park. Others went in the opposite direction and chose the scenic vistas of the Ridge trail and Chuck's Hill, and some did both! After the ride, yet another barbecue. Top Prize of the saddle donated by Buckerfield’s was won by Jim Crawford, an 83 year old rider, who wants to see it raise more for the cause and is sending it to a pledge ride as a prize in Manitoba.
Photos of the ride are posted on the Silver Spur Riding Club's website, and on photographer Maureen Provencal's website.
THE 2010 HALLER RIDE
For the past 15 years, seasoned trail riders Hank McEwan and Larri Woodrow have gone for an annual ride on the Haller Trail near Clinton. In June 2010, they were joined by Leon Lebrun, VP Trails BC & hiker extraordinaire who, at 70 years young, hiked the full 23km loop with the equestrians, and Hon. Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture & the Arts. For more about their 2010 Haller Ride, view the article by Mark McMillan and Joanne Macaluso in the August 2010 issue of Saddle Up magazine. Click on photos in the gallery below to enlarge. More photos of incredible views courtesy of Larri Woodrow.
Enjoy the photo gallery below! Just click on any photo to enlarge and start slide show.
ISLAND RIDES
by Lynn Devries
Lynn Devries of Ladysmith, a participant in HCBC's Ride & Drive Rewards Program, has shared some short videos with us.
The first video shows the trails off Spruston Road, just north/west of Ladysmith. It is a prime riding area of crown land, situated between the Nanaimo River to the north and Haslam River to the south. They came across a herd of elk. The riders are Lynn on DA Propane and Bruce Christison on Sweet Georgia.
The second video is the Chemainus River/Copper Canyon trails off Mt. Sicker Road in Chemainus ...same horses and riders, on a 5 hour ride on BC Day 2010.
