On a beautiful June 26th, a group of riders participated in a pre-inaugural ride at Chestnut Ridge park in Orchard Park, NY. Although the park has been closed to riding or driving for years, the efforts of the chapter, the Horse Council, and local legislators like Jeannie Chase are about to pay off in the re-opening of the park for public riding. This ride, before the official opening was announced in our most recent newsletter and open to all chapter members. The purpose was a to combine our June meeting with a ride to evaluate the trail leading out from the Erie County Horse Ring on Chestnut Ridge Road. The riders were solicited for their feedback and this feedback will be provided to the park administrators for action.

The ride itself was a great success, with only a little "excitement" related to riders suddenly having no horse beneath them. The broad consensus is that the park is a beautiful place to ride, however it should not be considered an easy ride. People new to riding or even experienced riders on young or inexperienced horses should work on simpler trails to build confidence and experience and then "graduate" to this trail. We've posted a few pictures from the day. Anyone with comments can feel free to contact the officers to provide your input.