North Tract website includes new horseback riding page thanks to work done by our area coordinator https://www.fws.gov/refuge/patuxent-research/visit-us/activities/horseback-riding

Hello TROT! I am the newly appointed TROT Patapsco Valley State Park area coordinator. I live in the Patapsco Valley and have been riding, running and hiking Patapsco’s trails for more than 30 years. I am looking forward to engaging more with the TROT community and advocating for horsey needs in the Park. I have three major goals for 2025 as PVSP coordinator: Speaking of McKeldin, if you’ve ridden there at all the last few…

Please use the link provided here to help select the topics discussed at The TROT Legal Equine Symposium. https://forms.gle/ztYcEiGAPHsTHG6L9 Thanks to a generous grant from the MarylandHorse Industry Board (MHIB), Trail Riders of Today(TROT) will be hosting “Defending Land-Use Rightsfor the Horse Community” an Equine Legal Symposiumat the Maryland Horse Library & Education Centerin Reisterstown, Maryland. Ross Peddicord, MHIB Executive Director notifiedTROT President Carolan Sharpe that the MHIB GrantProgram application she filed last October was…

TROT President—Carolann Sharpe TROT Vice President—Christina Micek TROT Secretory— Sandra Bourdeaux TROT Treasurer—Janet Leitzel General Board Members— Courtney Frye, Linda Neal, Meaghan McDermott, Seth Johnson & Tyler Frame Thank you to everyone who voted!

We are still looking for volunteers for trail work days, event coordination, action committee, county representatives, technology support, design and image support, ride leaders, etc. Contact trotactivity@yahoo.com if interested.

REMEMBER TO VOTE! Membership voting will close on December 28th, 2024for candidates seeking election for the 2025 – 2027 term. All members in good standing and of legal voting age shall be entitled to vote. The Board of Directors shall consist of no more than nine but no less than five directors. Refer to the TROT bylaws passed in January 2021 for additional details. Click Here to Access Your ballot

We at the TROT family are sad to announce former Trot President and Board Member Ron McNab has passed away. We wish him and those that loved him the deepest of our sorrow and hope his memory brings them joy in this time of loss.

Beginning on April 15, 2024, the east side access gate to Piney Run Park will be closed to vehicular traffic until further notice.  This will allow this area of the park to environmentally recover given its heavy use in recent years.  This access gate will continue to provide equestrian parking, since it is not permitted at the main park entrance.  The main park entrance located at 30 Martz Road is available for regular vehicular traffic…

MoCo Parks is building a new trial along Clarksburg Road in Little Bennett. It will connect the town to the main riding area. Our mountain biking friends could use some help doing finish work on this machine built trail smoothing and cutting out roots. If Interested, please sign up at Golden Volunteer at https://x.gldn.io/e/5loslr5YOLb

On Saturday, July 27th TROT members, Courtney Frye and Sandra Bourdeaux, joined forces with Iron Bridge Hunt Club members, Ann Moxley and Hanna Wharton, to reopen a beautiful ambling trail around the main pond in Patuxent River State Park. Read more about it in our next newsletter. We could use as much help as possible clearing trails here (Trails off Annapolis Rock parking area) since this is a designated wilderness area of DNR. If you…

What are they looking for? 1. Rebuilding or rehabilitation services for the equestrian property that includes a currently unsafe barn. The property has outdoor riding rings, paddocks and riding trails. 2. A manager/ management services so they can understand the market for these services. Does this request sound a little off? It might be because WSSC is in the business of water management in the area and just happen to own a horse farm and…

On June 9th, the MOHSS in Howard County, has chosen TROT as their charity recipient. Thank you so much to Kayla Dustin for choosing us! Please go out and support this show. It will be at Schooley Mill Park at 8 AM. https://mohssinfo.com/show-dates

TROT has again donated $100 for the portable toilet at Morgan Run NEA Ben Rose Lane. Carolyn A. Garber, Secretary of Carroll County Equestrian Council, thanks us for our continued financial support. Please remember, in order to keep the trails open and accessible, the Carroll County Equestrian Council has scheduled monthly trail work days, as approved by Patapsco Valley State Park management.  The dates appear on the website (www.carrollcountyequestriancouncil.org) and Facebook (Carroll County Equestrian Council…

Announcing TROT’s new Secretary! Trail Riders of Today (TROT) member, Sandra Bourdeaux, upon learning that the position was open, offered to step in and fill the role. At the April meeting, Sandra volunteered to create and run TROT’s new Mailchimp account to provide expe-dient email outreach for the membership. While discussing the details of that project, TROT President Car-olann Tackenberg Sharpe, mentioned that the Secretary role was open. Sandra immediately offered to help. “I used…

April 30, 2024 Dear Potomac Horse Center Community, It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the permanent closing of Potomac Horse Center (PHC),effective Monday, July 22, 2024. PHC is planning for lessons to continue uninterrupted through June16th, which is the last day of our Late Spring session. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold camp. Should PHC need to adjust this timeline we will let you know. Since 2017, PHC has tried to…