- Technology Project Update – Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to support our
NATRC technology update project to date. Phase 2 is currently under construction, which
will result in a new Ride Management System (RMS) that will make it easier than ever to
sign up for rides, manage entries, and view results. We are currently fine tuning all the RMS
business rules and implementation details as we work through the build requirements for our
data in this new system.
Individual donations of any size are appreciated and extremely helpful. Donations can be
made on our website at natrc.org/donate. Be sure to note that your donation is for the
Technology Fund. Your donations are tax deductible. - 2027 Rule Proposals – During the August national board meeting the board voted to
reconsider Proposal 1c to add Leisure division national championship and then voted
unanimously to approve this rule proposal. - Last Reminder: Honorary and Appreciation Awards Deadline – Mark your calendars
now for this year’s deadline for all regions to submit their Honorary and Appreciation write-
ups. This year’s deadline is Thursday, October 1 st at 10:00 p.m. CST. Write-ups go to Ruth
Mesimer RuthM9496@gmail.com This is a hard deadline. Write-ups received past this
deadline will not be accepted. - Leg Protection Pilot – Exciting news for 2027! Beginning with the first ride of the 2027
season, we will be implementing our Leg Protection Pilot in which protective leg devices can
be applied on equines in ALL divisions without being required to compete Distance Only
(DO). This option was previously only available for the Leisure Division. At each ride, ride
secretaries will have a form at rider check in to collect some basic data on each competitor’s
leg protection choice and be one of our ground level data points.
The pilot is approved for a two-year period to collect data over the 2027 and 2028
competition seasons prior to potential introduction of a permanent rule change. An impact
survey regarding leg protection can be found on our website:
https://form.jotform.com/262386211721149
We encourage your participation in our survey and thank you for being a part of our pilot! - Electric Pen Containment – There have been recent discussions circulating on social
media regarding the request for reconsideration of the use of electric pens as a containment
method at our rides. This has been a topic that has come up several times over the past
decade and was a recent rule proposal that was not approved. We understand that some
equines do well in electric pens and for some this would be their preferred method of
containment, however, it is NATRC’s stance that safety is paramount and the use of electric
pens in group environments increases risk and in turn liability.
There have been several unfortunate and tragic examples in recent years involving equines
and electric fence containment which has increased other organizations event insurance
exponentially. NATRC has been able to maintain very low event liability insurance rates due
to our safety standards and stance on electric pens, which keeps costs lower for ride
September 2026
management, and in turn lower entry fees. NATRC has made the conscience decision to
protect our equ8nes ride managers and organization as a whole financially, but more
importantly, from an overarching level of safety and well-being for all participants.
6. URGENT – Hoof Print Editor Needed – Bev Roberts has dedicated hours and hours over
many years towards the publishing of our beloved Hoof Print magazine as it’s editor. She
recently informed us that she is sadly stepping back from this position in order to spend
more time with family. Therefore, we need someone to take over her role as soon as
possible.
Hoof Print is the official annual publication of NATRC and is available electronically from our
website. Each issue celebrates the accomplishments of the previous year and contains
updated information from committees and board meetings plus informative articles on trail
riding and horse care to educate and inform the competitive trail rider.
This is an urgent need if we want Hoof Print to continue. Bev, of course, is very willing to
assist the new editor in transitioning. However, if nobody steps up to fill this position, we will
not have a Hoof Print.
7. MS Publisher Deadline Reminder – Beginning October 1 st Microsoft Publisher will no
longer be supported as part of Microsoft 365. Many common Publisher scenarios are
available in other Microsoft 365 apps, including Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
Before October 1 st , convert your existing Publisher files to PDF or Word format. After this
date, you will no longer be able to open or edit these files with Microsoft Publisher.
8. 2027 National NATRC Convention – The Margaritaville Hotel Kansas City is the site for the
2027 NATRC National Convention to be held in Kanas City February 19-21. Region 6 will be
the convention host for this exciting event with Catherine Gast and Jeff Zeller our convention
chairs. Be sure to save that date and stay tuned for additional information. Make plans to be
there, it will not disappoint!
9. Reminder: Join the Fun and Support NATRC – Sign up now for the 2026 NATRC Virtual
Mileage Challenge. It is not only motivational, but it is also a whole lot of fun to do! So far
this year, collectively we have logged over 1,480 active rides totaling just under 9,250 miles!
Sign up today at Top Trail Horse. (First, join Top Trail at the Top Trail Regular Membership
level ($35/year). Then, join the NATRC group membership separately for $25/year.)
10. Reminder: It’s Raffle Time – We are extremely excited about this year’s NATRC raffle. Two
of our new national NATRC sponsors have stepped up to really enhance this year’s prizes.
Equescapes Equestrian Adventures is donating a $500 ride voucher for our 1 st prize winner
and US Rider is donating a 1-year Premier membership valued at $385 for our 2 nd prize. Our
3 rd prize winner will receive reimbursement for their registration to either the 2027 or 2028
national NATRC convention. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased from
your national board members. All proceeds go towards supporting our favorite sport!
11. Reminder: Breed Awards – Keep your breed association individual membership current for
the horse(s) you are competing in NATRC with. By doing so, you will be eligible for end of
the year high point horse awards. Many of the breed associations provide some very nice
awards. Your support also helps NATRC continue to build our relationships with them.
12. 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!
13. Stay Current: Keep up to date with NATRC by following us on social media.
a. Follow us on Instagram @natrc_ctr.
b. Follow us on Facebook with our North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) page.
14. Subscribe today to our NATRC (North American Trail Ride Conference) YouTube
channel. Be sure to check this resource out. 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
#chasindreams #NATRCfamily
#NATRCpride #NATRCfun
#NATRC #ComeRideWithUs
