Old Dominion Hounds Spring Rides Begin Sunday
The Old Dominion Hounds will host a series of spring trail rides beginning this Sunday, April 18. The first ride is at the hunt’s racecourse at Ben Venue Farm in Ben Venue. The ride begins at 10 a.m. There will be one group, with the ride at a slow pace with optional jumping over the club’s hunter pace course. A potluck lunch will follow the ride.
Other rides are slated April 25 at Col. Dickey’s farm in Huntly, which will cover land west of the ODH territory; May 9 from the hunt’s kennels in Orlean; May 23 from Houyhnhmn Farm in Hume; and June 6 from Hunter’s Rest in Flint Hill.
All rides begin at 10 a.m. and are followed by a potluck lunch.
Details and directions are available online at http://www.Old-Dominion-Hounds.com or call (540) 364-3995.

Historic Trail Ride
There will be an open trail ride at historic Morven Park in Leesburg on May 9. The ride will be about five miles, with periodic stops around the estate for costumed historic interpretation and discussion of the property’s significance. Morven Park was the scene of a Civil War encampment, and was home to Virginia governor Westmoreland Davis.
There is no public riding access at Morven Park other than this guided ride.
Details are available at (703) 777-2890 or log onto http://www.MorvenPark.org.

Double-Dose of Steeplechasing This Weekend
The Middleburg Spring Races open Virginia’s sanctioned season this Saturday, with the April 18 Fairfax Hunt Point-to-Point rounding out the local racing double-header. Post time Saturday is 1 p.m. for the first of six races. The Middleburg Spring Races are at Glenwood Park, just north of town.
Sunday’s Fairfax meet is at Morven Park, just north of Leesburg. Post time is 1:30 p.m. for the first of at least six races.
Complete entries for Middleburg are online at http://www.NationalSteeplechase.com, for Fairfax at http://www.CentralEntryOffice.com.

Trailer Seminars Slated
The Virginia Cooperative Extension and Blue Ridge Trailer Sales will host a workshop on truck and trailer safety April 16 in Ruckersville and April 17 in Middletown. Experts will demonstrate and lecture on trailer safety, maintenance and driving considerations while hauling, as well as teach mini-clinics in backing and turning with a truck and trailer.
There will be talks on bumper-pulls versus goosenecks, considerations when buying used, towing requirements, brake controllers, maintenance,
For more information, call (540) 635-4549.

Healthy Horses, Healthy Water
The Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting a workshop entitled “Healthy Horses, Healthy Bay” on April 24 in Madison. Topics include mud and runoff management, hay feeding and conservation practices.
The event runs 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.  Log onto http://www.Culpeper.Vaswcd.org or call (540) 825-8591 to register.

Call For Volunteers
The Blue Ridge Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship and Long Brance Therapeutic Riding Center are looking for volunteers to help with their equine therapy programs. Prior horse experience is helpful, but not required. Call (703) 598-6715 for information on the Blue Ridge Center in Boyce; (540) 837-2208 for information about the Long Branch center in Millwood.

Steeplechase News
The new Morningside training center near The Plains will host junior field masters ‘chase clinics in June and in September. Steeplechase trainer and organizer of the junior race series, Regina Welsh will teach. Log onto http://www.MorningsideTrainingFarm.com for details.
The North American Point-to-Point Association championship races will move to Great Meadow in The Plains this year, with the meet slated for May 23. Details are online at http://www.NAPTP.com.