Glendale Equestrian Club: Celebration of Our
Founding Member, LeAnn Wertz
Glendale Equestrian Club shares some memories of its founding member LeAnn Wertz
Submitted by LeAnn Wertz
Edited by Deb Blankenship
L
eAnn founded The Glendale Equestrian Club in
the early 1990’s. LeAnn was looking for horse
lovers who liked riding and gymkhana. GEC
members would set up an obstacle course and invite
mostly children to come and ride their horses through
the obstacles. GEC would offer ribbons to whoever
completed the obstacles, there was never any nonwinners everyone got a ribbon.
As Glendale Equestrian Club evolved through the years
our direction took a change and GEC became more
of a riding club for adults. GEC became incorporated
nonprofit and the club focused on helping adults
become better riders by providing trial rides at various
degrees of difficulty. Camping out also became a real
treat to spend time in the wilderness and exploring
Arizona on horseback. Today Glendale Equestrian Club
has over 50 members thanks to LeAnn.
A Thank you to Leann
“I would like to say LeAnn is a great women and helps
anyone she can. She is a very active senior and has
donated much of her time to many organizations. I have
known LeAnn since the Glendale Equestrian Club
was started by her back in 1994 when I first moved
out here and met her. She has never given up on the
club and kept it strong till this day, 20 years later. I love
LeAnn and her spirit for the horses and only hope I can
keep up with her when I get her age. Congratulations
again, and hope to see you at many more meetings.”
Diana Fichtner
“Leann has been one of the most gracious ladies that
I have had the pleasure of knowing. She has accepted
the changes of GEC over the years with the grace of a
very grand lady. Very supportive and always with that
beautiful smile of hers. Camping out and riding with
her these past few years has been fun. Do not under
estimate this lady, she will surprise you at every
turn. Leann, you will have my admiration always.”
Karen Mott
History of Glendale
Equestrian Club
In 1994 Lee Waldron, of the Glendale Parks &
Recreation Department put an article in the Glendale
Star asking for people interested in horses, preserving
trails and other horse issues to come to a meeting at
Glendale City Hall.
Fifteen people showed up and the Glendale Equestrian
Advisory Committee was formed. For two years Lee
Waldron worked us through the process of setting up
the By-Laws and getting us registered as anon-profit
Corporation with the AZ Corporation Commission, at
the end of those 2 years Lee says, “I am going to· turn
this club over to one of you to form an Equestrian Club”.
And as there was no one else who wanted the job LeAnn
Wertz became President in 1997 Ruthann Stark Vice
President, Anne DeFranze Secretary, and Diana
Fichtner Treasurer.
38
June 2014
Ruthann came up with the name for our monthly
newspaper, “Na-A-AY-BORHOOD NEWS”, which
I thought was