Lewisboro Horsemen’s Hunter Pace Continues Fall Tradition

LEWISBORO, N.Y. – It’s an event that has become an annual tradition in Lewisboro, a community well known for its horse farms and riding stables.

The Lewisboro Horsemen's Association will have its 2012 Fall Hunter Pace Sunday at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. 

“We’ve been doing it for quite a while now – around 15 years,” said Callie Bauer, president of the association.

The event is a competition where you don’t want to finish first.

“It takes place on a marked trail that’s eight-miles long. You don’t want to be the fastest or the slowest,” Bauer explained. “You want to have the average time. Teams go out at three-minute intervals and are timed.”

The teams are broken down into divisions, including Hunt (the fastest pace), Pleasure (the slowest pace), Junior (at least one rider 18 or under), and Western (at least one Western rider). Each team can have two or three riders. Riders under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult. All gaits are incorporated in the event, from walk to trot to cantor.

The event is part of the Associated Bridle Trails Fall Pace Series, which includes Bedford, Greenwich, Middlebury, Newtown, Pawling, Putnam and Rockefeller State Park in Sleepy Hollow. Ribbons are awarded from first to 10th place with winners earning points toward trophies in the Fall Pace Series.

Proceeds go toward helping maintain horse trails throughout Lewisboro.

“The [money] helps support LHA programs including maintenance of over twenty-five miles of riding trails that run throughout Lewisboro across private, public and land trust properties,” Bauer said. “[Those trials] adjoin the North Salem Bridle Trails Association to the north and run south through the Lewisboro Town Park to Ward Pound Ridge Preservation and the Bedford Riding Lanes Association’s trails.”

Entrance fees include a hot buffet lunch and admission to the park for one tow vehicle and trailer. Pre-event registration fees are $65 for adult member riders, $75 for non-member adults, $45 for junior member, $50 non-member junior, $25 for “munchkin” riders and $30 for lunch for non-riders. A $10 surcharge is added to registrations on the day of the event. Start times are from 8 a.m. to noon, with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The awards ceremony is at 2 p.m.

Now celebrating its 22nd season, the association hosts events throughout the year, including its Spring Poker Run, family barbecues in the summer, trail clean-up days, and educational seminars at its winter holiday party. The organization welcomes riders of all disciplines. Trail membership is $55 per year for an individual and $65 per family. Supporting membership for those who do not ride but want to support the trail system is $30. Juniors are encouraged to join. Members will receive a registration discount for the Fall Hunter Pace.

For more information about the event, including directions and registration forms, go to the association's website, www.lhatrails.org, or call 914-763-5742 or e-mail keithandcallie@aol.com.

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