- National Convention 2026 – Heritage, Harmony, and Hill Country did not disappoint! Kudos
to Region 4 and convention co-chairs Linda Reilly and Fran Muench for putting together a
fantastic national convention. Outstanding speakers, a wonderful silent auction, an
inspirational awards banquet, and a whole lot of Texas hospitality. If you have never
attended a NATRC national convention, you need to. You will come away inspired and
motivated. - National Convention 2027 – Planning is already underway for the 2027 national
convention. Region 6 will be our convention host, with Catherine Gast and Jeff Zeller as our
convention chairs. The convention location will be in the Kansas City area, and we are
looking at the same corresponding weekend of February 19-21, 2027. Hotel negotiations are
underway and once that process is completed, we will make an announcement. Meanwhile,
pencil in that weekend on your calendar. - New Website Launched – Our updated website went live February 28 th . Huge thanks to
Alex Braun for all his time and effort in making this possible. This was a large undertaking.
There are still a few items that need to be updated and that is being worked on. We know
that the ride schedule is not what we ultimately want to have, but it is what we have for now
until we get the new RMS system in place (Phase 2).
To report any technical problems, content updates, or if you have a feature request, click on
“contact” from the upper right-hand corner of the website then scroll down and complete the
technical assistance form. - Technology Phase 2 Is Underway – We have been meeting with the development team
that is building a brand-new Ride Management System (RMS) that will make it easier than
ever to sign up for rides, manage entries, and view results, all in one seamless platform. Our
goal is to have this completed for the 2027 ride season. - Technology Fund Donations – As we build the future of NATRC, we invite you to join us on
this journey through your donations which can be made on our website at natrc.org/donate.
Under the label online donations, click on Technology Fund. Your donations are tax
deductible.
If you have not already, be sure to view our NATRC Technology Update Webinar
that can be found on our NATRC YouTube channel. This webinar goes through our
technology initiatives for our new website, RMS, and digital scorecard!
Together, we are paving the way for the future – modern, connected, and ready for what is
next. Thank you for your support and partnership in making it happen! - Membership Renewal Incentive Winners – Congratulations to our three membership
renewal drawings winners.
a. January 15 th drawing – Cathy Cumberworth from Region 3 won a $100 ride
voucher.
b. February 1 st drawing – Joan Belvin from Region 4 won a $100 gas voucher.
March 2026
c. February 19 th drawing – Maria Glinski from Region 5 won a 2027 competing
membership.
If you still need to renew your NATRC membership for the 2026 ride season, Click here
- 2025 NATRC Raffle Winners – Congratulations to the following individuals whose names
were drawn at our national convention during the awards banquet.
a. Winner of the Tennessee Saddlery saddle was Amy Mason from Region 3.
b. Winner of a US Rider membership was Elaine Swiss from Region 4
c. Winners of a $100 fuel car were:
i. Region 1 Angie Meroshnekoff
ii. Region 2 Part French
iii. Region 3 Linda Johnson-Conne
iv. Region 4 Laurie Dunlap
v. Region 5 Patty Lucas
vi. Region 6 Ruth Schnidler - Sign up for the 2026 Virtual Mileage Challenge – Join us for the 2026 NATRC Virtual
Mileage Challenge. Sign up is underway now at Top Trail Horse. First, join Top Trail at the
Top Trail Regular Membership level ($35/year). Then, join the NATRC group membership
separately for $25/year.
All GPS recorded ride tracks, ridden and posted to your Top Trail account through
December 31 will be included on the challenge leaderboards. Rides must be posted to Top
Trail within 10 days of the ride’s conclusion.
The top ten riders nationally along with the top three riders from each NATRC region will be
recognized at the 2027 national convention.
Join the fun, log those miles, and get your horse ready for the 2026 NATRC ride season! - Retired Trophy Auction – Congratulations to Betty Wolgram, the winning bidder for the
Polly Bridges Memorial trophy. Auction proceeds will be applied to our NATRC national
awards program. - 2027 Proposed Rule Changes – The national board of directors met during national
convention and finalized the wording for the 2027 proposed rule change proposals. The
proposed rule change subjects are:
#1a: Add national Leisure division awards for:
o Grand Champion High Average Leisure Experienced Team
o Grand Champion High Average Leisure Adult Team
o Grand Champion High Average Leisure Junior Team
#1b: Add national Leisure division awards for:
o High Point Leisure Division Rider
o High Point Leisure Division Horse
#1c: Add Leisure Division National Championship
The proposed 2027 rule book clarification subjects are as follows:
#1: Defines adult class the same for all divisions for simplification and consistency.
#2: Clarifies current practice for regional awards
The complete wording of these proposals can be found on our NATRC webpage under
Members and then Rule Changes/Proposals. Please be sure to visit with the national board
members from your region between now and the first of July regarding these proposals so
that they know how they should vote to represent your region. The NATRC board will vote
on these proposals during their July meeting.
- Follow NATRC on the Web: Be sure to make our NATRC webpage natrc.org the startup
page for your internet browser. When you do, each time you open your browser, your
opening tab will be our NATRC webpage. It is an effortless way to stay current with NATRC! - Stay Current: Keep up to date with NATRC by following us on social media.
a. Follow us on Instagram @natrc_ctr. There are now 472 NATRC pictures on here!
b. Follow us on Facebook with our North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) page. - Subscribe today to our NATRC (North American Trail Ride Conference) YouTube
channel. Be sure to check this resource out. We currently have thirty videos posted here
that are specific to our sport. It is a wealth of extremely helpful information. All previous Let’s
Ride webinars are here as well.
Follow me on Apple Music @j_zeliff
Follow me on Instagram @johnzeliff
And then be sure to follow me to that next NATRC ride!
John Zeliff, President
