If you love riding the equestrian trails at Lake Ray Roberts and would
like to see the trail between the dam and 428 repaired and reopened, there
is a very simple and fun way you can help.

On Saturday, September 29, 2012, the Greenbelt Alliance of Denton County,
together with Texas Parks and Wildlife and the City of Denton along with
other partners listed below, is hosting GreenFest from 2-8 PM at the FM
455 Greenbelt Park. Lots of fun activities are planned including a
kayaking, 3 climbing walls, a live reptile display, Birds of Prey from the
Blackland Prairie Raptor Rehabilitation Center, Backyard Bass fishing,
pony rides, a living history display featuring storytelling and craftsmen
of the Cross Timbers Region, archery, the Texas Game Warden Trailer
Display, an archeological dig, a dinosaur dig, bounce houses, rides on the
Wells Fargo Stagecoach and a display by Careflite including their
Equestrian Rescue Unit. Live Music will headline Bleu Edmondson along with
Dustin Perkins and Big Gus and Swampadelic.

The exciting thing is that all the proceeds for the day ($5 in advance
available from www.friendsofthegreenbelt.org or $7 that day) will be
dedicated to reopening the equestrian trail between Highways 428 and 455,
restoration of the Greenbelt restrooms, installations of a planned wetland
viewing deck and trail and support of the Greenbelt Alliance. The entry
fee will also get you a membership in the Greenbelt Alliance and its Lake
Ray Roberts Equestrian Trail Association. The Greenbelt Alliance has given
its full support this new committee which is dedicated to the restoration
of the equestrian trail and other future projects benefiting equestrians.

Here is your chance to become a Charter Member of the new LRRETA and sign
up for Careflite Insurance for your family at a special member rate. All
equestrians who love to ride at Lake Ray Roberts can now join a support
organization specifically dedicated to maintaining and improving those
wonderful trails.

You can see that it will take a few volunteers to help make things go
smoothly. To make it possible for you to volunteer and then also visit all
the activities, the organizers have set up two shifts; one from 1 PM-5 PM
and one from 5 PM – 9 PM. You can help raise money by volunteering and you
will receive a T-Shirt as a bonus. Look over the volunteer jobs listed
below and pick one out at call Tim Beaty at tbeaty@tbbuilders.com or
940-387-3275. When you call, please also tell Tim what organization you
represent or how you got this message so we can show the Greenbelt
Alliance that the horse community wants to be involved in helping.

Volunteers will be needed to assist at the kayaking site, the Backyard
Bass fishing activity, the living history area, the climbing walls, the
archery site, the Texas Game Warden, the archeological dig, the Birds of
Prey, the bounce houses, the reptile exhibit, the dinosaur dig, at the
information booth, at the bandstand, with the food and retail vendors and
for parking and cleanup. Pick one, make that call and bring your family
and enjoy a great day.

Other partners include Our Lands & Waters Foundation, CoServ Electric,
Newland Real Estate, The Upper Trinity Conservation Trust, 380 Guide and
380n News, Cabela’s and REI.

TTPA is doing a new fundraiser this year, we are hosting a ACTHA ride at Brockdale Trailhead. ACTHA stands for the American Competitive Trail Horse Association and it is an organization that promotes trail riding. Organizations can host rides to get a percentage of the profits.

There will actually be two back to back ACTHA rides at Brockdale the weekend of 26-27 May. The ride on Saturday is a fundraiser for Grace Lake Therapeutic Riding and the Sunday ride benefits TTPA.

The ride will be three miles in length and have six obstacles. You can sign up for the ride at the ACTHA website at http://www.actha.us/home.

It should be a fun event. Hope to see you there.

Buckskin horse navigates obstacle course

Registration will open at 8 AM and close at 9:30 AM. No registrations will be accepted at 9:30 AM. A participants meeting will be held at 10:00 AM.

Pre-Registration TTPA Members – $20.00
At the Gate for TTPA Members – $25.00 (closes 9:30)
Pre-Registration Non-Members – $30.00
At the Gate for Non-Members – $35.00 (closes 9:30)

Equestrian camping available at adjacent East Fork Campground
www.recreation.gov Sites:horse sites Near:Wylie State:TX Park Name: East Fork

For further information contact Tracy Matern at 214- 495-7493
or 214-392-2288 or e-mail bobtracy@dfwair.net

See details and registration information on the TTPA main web site at Obstacle Course information.

When: Saturday, June 18, 2011
Time: 9 AM to 1 PM
What: 20+ Challenging Obstacles & a Tack Sale
Location: Cowboy Church of Collin County, 2800 FM 3364, Princeton, TX
Cost: $25 Entry Fee (Additional Donations Welcomed)

Special Feature: In addition to an exciting obstacle course, Mustang Trainer Jerry Jones will be providing an obstacle training demonstration using newly trained mustangs

Negative Coggins Required
Lunch Included

RSVP to Suzanne Creel at 972-548-2016 or 205-807-2681

All donations are tax deductible and benefit Grace Lake Ministries a 501c3 that provides a Christ-centered NARHA therapeutic horsemanship program in the Anna/Blue Ridge area.

Directions to Cowboy Church of Collin County From 75:

Exit on Bethany Drive in Allen and go east.
Take Bethany Drive through Allen into Lucas (about 5 miles).
Continue straight through on Bethany Road, the road changes its name to East Lucas Road and intersects with FM 1378.
Go through the traffic light straight on Lucas Road.
In about ½ mile, when the road makes a sharp curve, you will see the Lucas Food Mart and Fina station on your left and a traffic light.
Turn left here at stop light on FM 3286 (aka Lucas Road) .
Go across two bridges and continue on Lucas Road until the road tees into F928. Turn left (north) and to until FM 3364 (there is a gas station on right corner). Turn right onto FM 3364 and go about 1/2 mile and you’ll see Cowboy Church of Collin County. This is the location of the obstacle course.

Note: This is not an official TTPA event, but it is a horse event with many TTPA members attending.

The TTPA Board has canceled the May 2011 Trail Ride. This decision was based on recommendations from the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).

Here is the latest statement from TAHC that is posted on their web site. http://tahc.state.tx.us/

Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) officials are continuing to trace exposed horses that attended the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Western National Championships event that ended on May 8 in Ogden, Utah. There are currently 26 known horses in Texas that attended the event. Those 26 horses and a total of 323 more cohorts (stablemates) of the 26 are currently being held under movement restrictions across the state.

Texas has currently only detected one confirmed case. That horse sought treatment at a veterinary clinic in far West Texas and has subsequently returned to New Mexico where it originated. A second horse located in Jack County has been classified as “suspect” and is pending further diagnostic testing. The TAHC is following the U.S.D.A. guidelines for clinical and suspect cases which have very specific criteria to meet the case definition, and for now suspect and confirmed cases will be the two types of cases reported.

The epidemiological investigation of all 300+ plus horses that reportedly attended the event continues nationwide, and the number of Texas horses identified as exposed may increase in the following days. Although mandatory cancellation of future events is not anticipated, the TAHC suggests that horse owners consider the risk of participating in upcoming events scheduled for this weekend and/or co-mingling their horses with other horses and equipment (trailers) of unknown history. Because the incubation period is usually about 4-6 days or less, even a one week voluntary stop movement may be enough to nip the cycle of transmission between horses before it grows in scope.

Horse owners should contact event organizers in advance to ensure that scheduled events have not been canceled. Some other states have established emergency rules for entry as a result of this situation, so if interstate travel is planned, owners and/or veterinarians writing health certificates should check in advance to ensure they meet all entry requirements. Finally, it is recommended that all newly purchased horses or introduced horses to a premise should be isolated to help prevent the accidental introduction of EHV-1 (and other diseases) onto the premise.

We will regroup and ride in June after the crisis has been contained.

Please use caution after you step through the white gate at the Highland Park Trail Head. There is a new water line that runs from the water trough to the new water spigot. There is dirt covering the trench for the water line, but after rain the trench becomes very soft and horses can sink down several inches if they step where the trench is located.

To see the trench, cross the white gate like you were going on the trail, and then look down. You will see deep horse tracks in the ground where horses have stepped in the trench.

Until we can bring out additional fill, please use caution.

Thanks

Workday
Date: May 14
Location: Brockdale Park Trail Head
Meet: 9:00 AM
Bring water, clippers, and gloves.

Trail Ride
Date: May 21
Location: Brockdale Park Trail Head
Arrive: 9:00 AM
Rideout: 9:30 AM
This is an informal trail ride with no organized lunch. After riding we plan to have a simple gathering to visit and eat sack lunches.
Bring sack lunch, beverage, and a chair.
Don’t forget your coggins!

Don’t forget the TTPA Trail Ride and Cookout this Saturday.

Join your fellow trail riders and TTPA friends for a trail ride and cookout on 23 April 2011. Shelley Van Duran will be treating the group to homemade hamburgers cooked over the fire pit, baked beans, chips, watermelon, and yummy cupcakes. Come out and enjoy the day.

Arrive at Brockdale Trailhead in Lucas, TX at 9:30.
Ride out at 10 AM.
Lunch will be served at 1 PM. Come eat like the cowboys and join us for a relaxing time.

Please RSVP to Lana Gilstrap at lanagilstrap@sbcglobal.net so we know how much food to make.

There will be a $5 donation to cover drinks and paper goods. Lunch will be served at 1 PM after the ride. Join us for some great conversation with other riders. You can adjust your ride to your own schedule.

The ride will be automatically cancelled if it is raining or if there has been so much rain as to make the trail extremely wet, muddy and dangerous. To check on trail conditions call Trail Steward Charlie Gaines at 972-824-3369.

Don’t forget your current negative Coggins Certificate for each horse, as state law requires us to check. You can’t enter the park without one. For safety reasons, dogs will not be permitted on the trail. They must remain tied at your trailer in camp.

Directions to Brockdale Park TrailheadLucas is northeast of Dallas, TX. From Dallas, go north on US 75 to the Bethany Drive exit in Allen and go east. Take Bethany Drive through Allen into Lucas (about 5 miles). Counting the light at the expressway exit, you will go through nine lights. The ninth light is at Bethany and FM 1378. Go straight. In about ½ mile, when the road makes a sharp curve, you will see a stoplight and the Lucas Food Mart and gas station will be on your left. Turn left here on FM 3286 (also called East Lucas Road) and go less than a mile to Brockdale Park Road. There is a brown Brockdale Park sign on the right just before the turn. It turns off to the right. If you get to the bridge over Lake Lavon you have gone too far. Follow Brockdale Park Road around to the trailhead. You will drive through three 90-degree turns. The trailhead is at the 3rd 90-degree turn on the right and is bordered by white pipe fence. If you get to the boat ramp you have gone too far.

Classes include Showmanship, Western Pleasure, Trail, and Western Horsemenaship. There is also a Reining jackpot for all ages. To register and detailed information go here.

Volunteers working on Workday near Brockdale Trailhead

Here’s a note from Jack Gilstrap who was one of the volunteers.

We had a very productive workday thanks to Wade and Jamie Hanchar, Kaetlyn and Kris McFarland, Lucy Estabrook, Maureen Miller, Katie and Lizzy Rosdorff and Jack Gilstrap. We policed the trailhead and entry area for trash and debri. Wade, Jamie, Kaetlyn, Kris and I took the Gator on the trail to install new signs and take down several dead trees too close to the trail. This group earned the title “WRECKING CREW!” We cleared alot in a timely manner.

Mission accomplished thanks to Great Volunteers.

Thanks to all,

Jack Gilstrap