- Honorary and Appreciation Awards Deadline October 1 st – Regions have until
Wednesday, October 1 st at 10:00 p.m. CST to submit their 2025 Honorary and Appreciation
write-ups. These write-ups must be sent to Ruth Mesimer RuthM9496@gmail.com prior to
the deadline.
Brainstorm with your follow regional members and prepare write-ups for deserving folks in
your region. Submit those nominations and write-ups to your region’s board of directors for
approval by the due date that your region has set. Be sure to keep the word limit in mind on
each nomination and submit it in Word format. Then forward (by a person designated by
each region’s board) the approved nomination write-ups to Ruth ahead of the October 1 st
deadline. - 2026 Ride Schedules – Multiple regions have already started the process of planning out
their ride schedules for next year. We will once again be encouraging each region to
schedule a minimum of two clinics next year. NATRC clinics are a lot of fun and are easy to
do. There is a direct correlation between clinic participants and new members and riders to
our sport. Clinics also provide a fantastic opportunity for any rider to hone their skills. Include
a LeD ride the same weekend and location of your clinic and new riders can immediately
apply what they learned. Put together an advanced clinic that targets experienced riders.
The first two clinics sanctioned in each region will be reimbursed $100 for insurance costs. - National Committee Opportunities – Volunteering to serve on any of our national
committees is an excellent way for you to give back to our favorite sport. The more members
that we can get involved in the work of our organization the better. Sharing your enthusiasm,
expertise, and time for the betterment of NATRC by serving on one of our national
committees is extremely rewarding. Click here for a listing of our standing and special
committees. Email me and let me know what you might be interested in, and we can go from
there. Now is the perfect time to volunteer as we will soon be updating our committees for
2026. - NATRC Logo Gear – Shop online today for some serious new NATRC drip! (Just in case
you were wondering, that’s slang for exceptionally cool, stylish, and impressive.) Thanks to
an enhanced sponsorship with long-time sponsor Distance Depot, you can order customized
NATRC logo gear. Click here for the current selection of available items then check back
often as more items are introduced! - Heritage, Harmony, and Hill Country – The 2026 National NATRC Convention will be in
Austin, Texas with the Holiday Inn Austin Town Lake as our host hotel on February 20-21
with Region 4 as our convention host. If you have not attended one of our national
conventions, you should. You will come away inspired as well as motivated for the upcoming
ride season.
The educational seminars this year will focus on developing balanced riding skills for
healthier and stronger horse and rider partnerships. You will learn from experienced NATRC
horsemanship and veterinary judges who will share insights to elevate your competitive trail
riding experience.
September 2025
Meeting and getting to know other NATRC members from across the country is extremely
rewarding. Continue to stay tuned for more exciting convention information.
- 2025 National Sponsors – Please be sure your regional websites and newsletters reflect
our current NATRC national sponsors. The current list of our sponsors can be found at the
end of every month’s membership update. - 2026 National Sponsors – We are always on the lookout for additional NATRC sponsors. If
you have an idea for a potential sponsor, please let me know. It is always extremely helpful
to include a contact person along with your suggestion. - Breed Association Memberships – You are encouraged to keep your breed association
individual memberships current for the horse(s) you are competing NATRC with. By doing
so, you will be eligible for end of the year high point breed awards. Do not miss out on this
opportunity. These breed associations provide some extremely nice awards. It also helps
NATRC continue to build our relationships with them. - Reminder: 2025 NATRC Raffle Tickets – Tickets are now available for our 2025 NATRC
Raffle! Purchase your tickets from any national board member for your chance to win. The
drawing will be held at the 2026 national convention in Austin, Texas. You do not need to be
present to win.
First prize is a Clingman 16” Gaited Western Endurance Saddle donated by our new
national NATRC sponsor Tennessee Saddlery. The second prize is a 1-year premium US
Rider Membership. For third prize, one winner from each of our six regions will receive a
$100 fuel card. - Follow NATRC on the Web: Be sure to make our NATRC webpage natrc.org the startup
page for your internet browser. When you do, each time you open your browser, your
opening tab will be our NATRC webpage. It is an effortless way to stay current with NATRC! - Stay Current: Keep up to date with NATRC by following us on social media.
a. Follow us on Instagram @natrc_ctr. There are now 455 NATRC pictures on here!
b. Follow us on Facebook with our North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) page. - Subscribe today to our NATRC (North American Trail Ride Conference) YouTube
channel. Be sure to check this resource out. We currently have thirty videos posted here
that are specific to our sport. It is a wealth of extremely helpful information. All previous Let’s
Ride webinars are here as well.
Follow me on Apple Music @j_zeliff
Follow me on Instagram @johnzeliff
And then be sure to follow me to that next NATRC ride!
John Zeliff, President
