Nebraskaland

Rinne said. With the exception of gates, bridges and permanent structures, challenges may not utilize man-made or fabricated objects. The horse's scorecard was completed by the veterinary judge, who evaluated the horse's stress and physical condition during the ride. These checks are helpful in detecting metabolic complications and lameness. Riders dismounted when they reached P&R checks. Teams had 10 minutes to recover before examination by a veterinary judge, during which riders did all they could to cool down their horses. Volunteers from the club and the park followed closely behind to haul fresh water to competitors on a truck. Sweaty saddles and pads were taken off, and the sponges and water came out. Many riders used water bottles to spray down their horses' necks and legs, while others cooled down their horses with hand fans. Sometimes, gently rubbing horses' ears and faces or speaking softly will help to calm them down; each person had a different method of cooling down their horse. If the horse's pulse and respiration count (breaths in a 15-second count) did not meet criteria after 10 minutes of rest, point deductions occurred. In extreme cases, veterinary judges may pull a horse from competition, though most riders will take this step on their own accord in the best interest of the horse, Rinne said. Upon completion of the ride on Saturday, which lasted fi ve hours for the novice and CP divisions and 6.5 hours for the open division, veterinary judges performed another thorough health check of all horses to ensure their fi tness for the next day's ride. A Saturday night briefi ng was held to go over the trail on Sunday. Sunday's ride was much like the fi rst day, but with a new set of trail challenges. All teams were on the trail for a total of fi ve hours, though the open division traveled farther and faster in that time. At the end, the veterinary judge conducted one last examination, which marked the completion of the ride. In the competitive trail ride at Indian Cave State Park in September 2014, the open sweepstakes (overall) winner was Pistol Annie, a mule ridden by Patti Dollarhide of Kansas, and the novice sweepstakes winner was T-Bone B Blacky, a Morgan, ridden by Kerri Ross of Nebraska. The competitive pleasure division took a high point combined horse and rider score; the prize was awarded to Lethal Status, a paint horse, ridden by Sharron Ankersen of Nebraska. Prizes were also awarded to the winners of each class. Join That a mule, a Morgan and a Paint Horse were the 2014 sweepstakes winners demonstrates almost any horse and rider can be successful in competitive trail riding, as long as teams possess soundness of mind and body. Though it may take months of training for a new member, CTR is a great sport to meet fellow equestrians and to keep horses and riders in shape throughout the year. The Nebraska Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding Association is always open to new members, both riders and non-riders. In addition to Indian Cave State Park, the organization has held CTRs at various locations throughout Nebraska including Rock Creek Station State Historical Park, Halsey National Forest, Chadron State Park, Branched Oak State Recreation Area, Turkey Creek Ranch and Fort Robinson State Park. Outside of CTRs, members also volunteer their time to maintain trails and amenities at many of these locations. "People do not have to compete to be an asset to our organization," Rinne said. "Our sport does not function without valuable volunteers, and each and every person's contributions are appreciated." ■ For more information, contact Sarah Rinne at saddle1up@live.com or Nectra.info. NECTRA's Influence on Indian Cave SP The Nebraska Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding Association (NECTRA) was founded in 1974. In addition to organizing competitive trail riding events and advocating the sport, the NECTRA has always been active in building and maintaining the existence of trails for all outdoor users. The founding members of the club were the same people who put in trails at Indian Cave State Park – prior to their work, no trails existed there. The organization has continued to donate both labor hours and fi nancial support to Indian Cave SP, including improvements to equestrian campgrounds by purchasing hitching rails, trail supplies such as culverts for crossings, and members also built a picnic pavilion in the horse campground, NECTRA Vice President Sarah Rinne said. "This is an important part of the work that we do – without trails we do not have a venue for our sport. We care about trail preservation and maintenance for all trail users," Rinne said. Today, Indian Cave SP off ers 16 miles of equestrian trails, 12 horse corrals and numerous tie posts at each primitive campsite in the equestrian area. Each campsite has a picnic table and fi re ring. A water wagon is provided during the summer and fall seasons (weather dependent), and a new vault toilet is provided in the camp as well, said Kevin Holliday, Indian Cave's park superintendent. OCTOBER 2015 • NEBRASKAland 45

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