The motto of the Rockwood Trail Riders – horsemanship, Sportsmanship and fellowship – encompasses what the saddle club is all about.
The club is the oldest continuously run trail riding organization in Ontario – and it’s still going strong.
The club was formed in 1963 by Babs Ellis and Diane (Duncan) Lindblad, two Rockwood horse lovers and childhood friends. Lindblad passed away in 2012.
The first event was a trail ride enjoyed by 16 members. Membership increased to 24 riders by the end of the first year.
Now, with over 100 members, the club still sticks to its roots by getting together to have fun and learn with horses.
Longtime member Anne Dales said the club grew over time.
“We’re pretty proud of it,” she said.
The permanent home of the club, now located just north of Rockwood, is where Dales grew up.
Her family was involved from when the club first formed. When the club was looking to settle in one place, Dales’ father offered to build an arena on their property.
“Fifty years ago … we were looking for some place more permanent because we were going from pillar to post …
“So my father said, ‘Well, I’ve got some property, why don’t we build an arena here and have the horse shows here?’” Dales recalled.
By 1968, the club had its first full year at its new home.
Horse shows
The club puts on four weekend shows from May to August. In September the club holds the Trail Horse Trials, a friendly competition to finish off the year.
“(It’s) the best stepping stone for introducing riders to showing, but then also giving that avenue for people who already show or maybe adults and they’ve showed in the past, a nice comfortable, quiet, easy-going environment to show their horse and to just have fun,” said Wendy Swackhamer, club president.
Each show has an English and western saddle division with hunter, jumper, trail, reining and western pleasure classes, explained Swackhamer.
This year, the Rockwood Trail Riders celebrated 50 years of Trail Horse Trials.
Riders 12 and older competed in an obstacle course challenge. They manoeuvred their horse through various obstacles located on the property.
Riders are judged on their performance as well as on horsemanship, Sportsmanship and fellowship.
“To give that base level for people to be able to ride and show without that high level, high expense … you can bring any kind of horse,” said Swackhamer.
“It’s a building block, a foundation; just a clean, quiet, peaceful environment.”
The club has evolved over the last 54 years.
“For quite some time, there was a lot of trail riding and the shows were secondary. Then the shows became more prominent and less trail riding,” said Dales.
“It’s still the same core values: let’s go and learn stuff on our horses, let’s go and compete on our horses, let’s go and meet people.”
The club has faced some challenges over the years, mostly due to the loss of trails.
“We’ve lost a lot of trails with development and privatization,” said Dales.
The club used to ride on many properties all around Rockwood, but with its growth, Dales said it’s not as easy to bring the horses out on the roads.
Instead, the club uses the farm property as well as Camp Brebeuf, which is located behind the farm and farmland that stretches over to the 6th Line.
Dales added, like any volunteer-run organization, finding and keeping helpers can be challenging too.
“Doing a horse show is a lot of work, and it takes a lot of hands, and that’s the biggest challenge, having people step in,” she said.
Dales said the shows are still competitive, but it’s friendly, and the shows are not sanctioned.
“It’s where people start. A lot of people start here. They feel safe here, they feel that they can get their feet wet, they learn here,” she said.
“The horse world brings together such varied people, and we all share that common horse thing.”
Dales said the club has become a community – one where she has developed life-long friendships.
Rockwood Trail Riders will celebrate its 55th anniversary next year as well as the 50th year of the new arena.
For more information about the club visit www.rockwoodtrailriders.ca.
