By Stephen Appezzato
MIDDLETOWN – Facing soaring temperatures, the Colts Neck Trail Riders Club (CNTRC) member’s spirits remained high as Monmouth County’s equestrian community rode head-to-head in its May 22 Tatum Park Hunter Pace.
The CNTRC is a social club consisting of local horseback riders which hosts spring and fall cross country hunter style races for all. A nonprofit social club, the group raises money for charitable organizations through its hunter and pleasure paces – competitive and recreational horseback events derived from foxhunting – while promoting riding safety and good horsemanship.
In these events, teams of two to three ride along a marked course through wooded trails and fields, aiming to match a predetermined ideal time to complete the course. There is no uniform set distance for every course and riders do not know the ideal completion times before competing, adding to the challenge.
As riders of all equestrian interests and experience levels are invited to participate, the two separate paces are intended to accommodate everyone. Riders seeking a more leisurely experience can participate in the pleasure pace. Those who desire a more challenging competition can opt for the hunter pace, a faster division intended to simulate a real foxhunt.
“CNTRC riders regard hunter paces as an enjoyable way to spend a day out in Monmouth County parks with their horse and like-minded company,” said Ronnie Sullivan, the club’s president. “Riders help to keep the trails open for all kinds of activities – walking, running, etc.,” Sullivan added.
As preservation is also a major priority for the CNTRC, pace profits left over at the end of the riding season are distributed to other equine-related organizations, aiming to maintain Monmouth County’s equestrian trails and promote other similar nonprofit organizations. Reindancer Therapeutic Riding Center, New Beginnings Thoroughbreds and The Horse Park of New Jersey are a few of the organizations that the CNTRC has contributed to.
In their recent Tatum Park Pace, riders supported World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that combats food insecurity in regions facing humanitarian and climate crises. The organization has provided hundreds of thousands of meals to Ukraine in recent months. At the time of publication, the CNTRC had raised over $2,000 for World Central Kitchen.
“Every year at our first event we raise money for a specific charity. For many years we participated in Saddle Up for St. Jude and raised over $30,000 in donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year, due to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Ukraine, the club decided to raise funds for World Central Kitchen,” said Sullivan.
In the upcoming June 26 race, riders will compete in the Huber Woods Pace, also located in Middletown. According to Sullivan, more than 40 horses and riders are expected to participate in the Huber Woods Pace. Both members and nonmembers of all ages and riding interests are invited to compete.
For more information, as well as the complete 2022 pace schedule, visit cntrc.org.
This article originally appeared in the June 2 – 8, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
