DRAWN TO THE SPORT Part 2
Aly Levinson and her Mom, Rhonda, ready for a day’s competition. Photo a snapshot by a friend.
40 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Why NATRC?
The North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) sanctions long distance competitive trail rides and clinics for riders of all equine breeds and disciplines in six regions throughout North America. We promote safety, sportsmanship, education and trail horse care through qualified evaluation of horse and rider by veterinary and horsemanship judges, in a fun, family-friendly environment. We also offer educational events to provide continuing education year-round.
Since 1961, NATRC has helped riders of all ages learn the sport of competitive trail riding. Alongside other equine enthusiasts, you can deepen the relationship with your horse while learning new skills and setting your own competitive goals. There’s no place better to do this than on the open trail.
Our mission is to promote horsemanship and horse care as they apply to the sport of distance riding by offering a variety of challenging and educational experiences designed to strengthen horse and rider partnerships.
NATRC welcomes riders of any equine breed, including grade, and from any discipline
www.natrc.org
Alexandra Levinson
Photo Credit: Jim Edmondson of Optical Harmonics
This is the second of a four part series
of different and entertaining
perspectives from four people drawn to
the sport of distance competitive trail
riding (CTR) in the North American Trail
Ride Conference (NATRC). These
women range in age from 10 to 62.
Next up presenting her
perspective on what drew her
in is Alexandra Levinson. At
age 10 years and 11 months,
she wrote:
Why do I love NATRC? There are a lot
of reasons.
I love being with my horse; having
time to bond with her. I love being
with my mother and her friends, who
never treat me as a child. I love getting
up in the morning before the sun has
risen, taking care of my horse,
knowing that in a hour or two, I will be
able to ride!
I love that I can learn and compete at
the same time. I love cantering along
the grassy fields and struggling up the
rocky hills.
But most of all, I love the way no one
plays dirty; it’s friendly rivalry for
each and every member. If a
competitive pleasure (CP) competitor
turned to another CP and asked which
way to go, the CP would tell her/him
the right answer. Why? Because in
NATRC, almost everyone is friends,
and if they aren’t, they are polite
anyway.
Ever since I was small, 6 maybe, I
wanted to be a member. Now that I
finally am 10, it’s just as good or
better than I imagined.