(Tentative Schedule)
Wednesday, May 12
8:00am – until - Early arrival check-in.
Trail Opens, please get your self-guided loop maps and have a great ride!
6:00pm – Burgers and Hotdogs on the patio
Thursday, May 13
7am – 11am — Breakfast at Saddlebrook.
9am – 12:00pm — Check-in.
· Horse check-in will be held at Vendor Mall/Registration Barn when you arrive.
· Registration check-in (for people) will be located in Covered Pavilion.
· Sign-ups for individual sessions with clinicians, Del Shields, Phil Whitson, Barbara Dixon and Lizzy Clayboss; individual cooking sessions with Campfire Cook, Johnny Nix; and SuperFly fly-fishing instruction classes with Jon Swaim will be held at Covered Pavilion.
· We will also be taking sign-ups for horse portraits with photographer Tommy White
~ Autograph sessions with Tom Seay, Johnny Nix, & Del Shields at this time too!
12:00pm — Welcome Lunch in Covered Pavilion. We will be going over the Trail System, the schedule for the weekend and answering any questions that you might have.
2pm – 5pm — Trail Club Member’s Only ride with Tom Seay and Del Shields.
2:30pm — Trail opened for self guided preview rides.
2:45pm – 4pm — SuperFly fly-fishing classes open with Jon Swaim, please sign-up in advance
3:30pm-4:30pm — Campfire Cooking Demonstration with Johnny Nix – no charge
4pm-5pm — Education Session with Lizzy Clayboss, Equine Trainer – no charge
4pm – 5pm—Trail soundness demonstration with Barbara Dixon and Arapadoodle – no charge
6:30pm — Southern Style Buffet at Saddlebrook.
Following Dinner — Bluegrass on porch with Leatherwood’s own Turkey Spurs.
By Appointment — Personal training sessions with Del Shields, Phil Whitson, Barbara Dixon, or Lizzy Clayboss. Sign-up in advance please
Friday, May 14
7am – 9am — Breakfast buffet at Saddlebrook.
Late check-in’s: Registration check-in (for people) and sign-ups for clinics/classes will be located in covered Pavilion.
10am – 3pm —Open Trail ride with Best of America Team, gather near the covered Pavilion. Lunch on the trail at 12:00pm.
3:10pm – 4:45pm — Campfire Cooking class with Johnny Nix. Cooking instructions for a full meal from start to finish, including dessert. $50 per person.
3:10pm – 4pm — SuperFly fly-fishing classes with Jon Swaim, please sign-up in advance.
3:15pm-4pm — Education Session with Phil Whiston, Equine Trainer —no charge.
3:15pm – 4pm — Education Session with Lizzy Clayboss, Equine Trainer & Instructor – $35 per hour, please sign-up in advance.
3:15pm – 4pm — Education Session with Del Shields, Equine Trainer & Instructor – $55 per hour, please sign-up in advance.
3:15pm-4:45pm — Trail Classes with Barbara Dixon and Arapadoodle - $20 per participant. Please sign-up in advance.
5:15pm – 6pm — Campfire Cooking Demonstration with Johnny Nix—no charge
6:15pm —Happy Hour by BOABH and Leatherwood Staff held in the covered Pavilion.
7pm —BBQ and Bluegrass dinner held at Covered Pavilion.
Following dinner -- Entertainment by Western Musician & Cowboy Poet, Del Shields.
Saturday, May 15
7am – 9am — Breakfast buffet at Saddlebrook.
Late check-in’s: Registration check-in (for people) and sign-ups for clinics/classes in covered Pavilion.
10am–3pm — Open Trail Ride with Best of America Team. Gather near the covered Pavilion. Lunch on the trail at 12:00pm.
12:30pm – 2:30pm — Campfire Cooking class with Johnny Nix. Cooking instructions for a full meal from start to finish, including dessert. $50 per person.
2pm – 4pm — SuperFly fly-fishing classes with Jon Swaim, please sign-up in advance.
3:15pm – 5:30pm — Personal training sessions with Del Shields, Phil Whitson, Barbara Dixon, or Lizzy Clayboss. Sign-up in advance please
5:15pm — Wine Tasting in Covered Pavilion
6:15pm — Best of America by Horseback Banquet Dinner in Covered Pavilion
Following Dinner — Entertainment by Western Musician & Cowboy Poet, Del Shields.
Sunday, May 16 American Competitive Trail Horse Association Ride Day!
7am—Breakfast at Saddlebrook
7am – 8:30am - Rider Check-in
9am – Rider Briefing Meeting explaining the trails, answering questions and reviewing course
10am – 1:30 — America Competitive Trail Horse Challenge. This will be a judged event with 6 obstacles on a 6 mile course. There will be cash prizes and prizes given. Please go to https://www.actha.us to register for the ride. See below for more details
2pm – TOM SEAY’S BIRTHDAY BASH!
3pm – Ride result announcements and awards
6pm – Farewell Dinner in Covered Pavilion
*We will have a vendor mall located adjacent to the covered Pavilion throughout the weekend. There will be local craft vendors as well as equine merchandise for sale. If you have an interest in becoming a vendor, please contact at bethany@leatherwoodmountains.com or stables@leatherwoodmountains.com Last Fall’s Vendor Mall was a great success, so please plan on attending!
**Be sure to keep an ear out for some live music throughout the weekend. The Leatherwood Mountain Boys, The Turkey Spurs and The Hillbillionaires will be pickin’ some great bluegrass around the covered Pavilion, the restaurant and the vendor mall area.
Ride Registration Fee:
$150 for Non-BOABH Trail Club members /$100 for BOABH trail club members and Leatherwood Mountains property owners. Registration fee includes Banquet Dinner on Saturday night, the weekend’s activities, and entertainment. You may register online at www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com or print off registration form and mail back with check. You can download the form at www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com or www.leatherwoodmountains.com
Join the Trail Club
Save $ now on your registration fee and enjoy added benefits during the weekend! Join the Trail Club! 12 months/$144. www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com/thetrailclub.html
Campfire Cooking Classes
Pre-signups for the Campfire Cooking Classes with Johnny Nix are welcome! Call Bethany or Susan and reserve your spot today!
America Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) Facts:
ACTHA’s Mission has evolved into the following:
*To provide an enjoyable venue showcasing the wonderful attributes of the great American trail horse, granting them the recognition they so richly deserve.
*To maintain a registry open to all breeds and a point designation system which will stay with each horse for its lifetime, thereby adding to their value and distinction.
*To enable the humane treatment of horses in need.
Please join with us, and have fun, learn, win prizes and most of all help us stop the neglect that thousands of horses find themselves enduring. There are wonderful rescues doing everything they can…but they need help. Let’s have fun and feel good doing it!
Fact list:
- All equines and all riding disciplines welcomed!
- Trail ride competitions throughout the United States. They are called 'Competitive Trail Challenges', or CTCs.
- They are a moderate distance (5-10 miles), and the pace is leisurely.
- Riders will encounter a minimum of 6 judged obstacles along the trail.
- These obstacles will be contained within mostly natural terrain, like crossing water, going up and down steep hills, opening gates and crossing bridges.
- Each obstacle has its own judge, alleviating partiality.
- ACTHA rides will usually be held on Saturday or Sunday mornings and should take 2-3 hours.
- All CTCs award cash to open winners and wonderful prizes and ribbons to all other divisions.
- ACTHA will keep track of your horse's registry and all of the points it earns from riding in the CTCs.
Let's give credit where credit is due....the Great American Trail Horse!!
Tours of Leatherwood Mountains Homes & Land Real Estate offerings will be conducted periodically throughout the weekend. Look for the Leatherwood Information Center in the covered Pavilion if you would like to sign-up. For more information about our listings please visit www.leatherwoodrealestate.com or call 336-973-5028.
Facility Amenities: RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
· 42 Luxury Rental Cabins (some have private barns) – go to www.leatherwoodmountains.com to review the available cabins.
· 21 Camp sites with 20 amp power & water hook up (along the banks of Elk Creek)
· Ample space for primitive camping in horse pastures (portable corral panels can be used for horses)
· East, West & Creek Barns (60 stalls) have showers (East & West Barn), restrooms, wash pits & tacking areas.
· 4 Paddocks adjacent to Annex Barn available at cost of stall rental. $20 per night, per horse. Max. 2 horses per paddocks.
· 2 Sand paddocks adjacent to the West Barn available at cost of stall rental. Max. 2 horses per paddocks
· 70’ x 120’ Lighted Covered Riding Pavilion and gathering space for meals & entertainment.
· 90’ x 200’ Show arena that adjoins the covered Pavilion
· 45’ Round pen
· 75+ Miles of horse trails – all very accessible and fun to ride!
Accommodations:
Arrangements (3-night min.) must be made through Leatherwood Mountains and are on a first come first reserved basis.
For People:
- Luxury Rental Cabins (some have private barn) – go to www.leatherwoodmountains.com to review the available cabins.
- Campsite with power & water hook-ups - $20.00 per night (horses are not permitted in this campground)
For Horses & People:
- Primitive campsite (located in pastures) - $15.00 per night (horses may be tied or portable corralled within your primitive campsite for $5.00/horse)
· Stalls - $20.00 per night (include a 35-lb. bag of shavings)
· 4 Paddocks located adjacent to Annex Barn. $20 per night, per horse. Max. 2 horses per paddock.
· 2 Sand paddocks located adjacent to the West Barn. $20 per night, per horse. Max. 2 horses per paddock.
If you would you like to extend your weekend to a vacation: Cabin accommodations, stalls & campsites may be reserved for dates in advance of the ride weekend, and/or extended for dates beyond the ride weekend. Based on availability.
PRICING FOR THE WEEKEND:
All prices are listed on the May Ride Sheet that you can download from here: http://www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com/images/May_Ride_Sheet_Final.pdf
Please call to make your accommodations with either Bethany or Susan at Leatherwood Mountains. Bethany@leatherwoodmountains.com or stables@leatherwoodmountains.com.
You can call 800-462-6867 or 877-736-8686 7-days a week 8:30am – 5pm EST
Payment is due in full at the time of your reservation. No refunds or transfers. Ride will be held rain or shine. Payment for the rider registration fee will be charged separately when you register.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR HORSES & PEOPLE:
Our rental homes are fantastic; most have amazing views, big decks and wonderful living space. Some of our homes are horse-friendly, you can rent the stalls and pastures for an additional $20.00 per horse, per night. Trailering to the equine facility trail-head may be required, or you can ride your horse down – depending on where your cabin is, it’s about a 20-35 minute ride to the Equine Facility. We also have some pet-friendly homes too, so you can bring your furry friend for an additional fee of $75.00 per pet.
Our campground is located on Elk Creek, which is a beautiful trout stream, and has 21 sites with 20 amp power & water hookups (no dump station). There are showers & bathrooms located in the EAST & WEST barns that can be used by any of our camping guests. Primitive camping will be in our pastures. Horses may not be kept in the campground, but, may be kept at the primitive sites.
You can't beat our beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain trails! We are sure you and your horses will love it. The roads into Leatherwood are good roads that big rigs travel year round. The last 20 miles are curvy country roads; so, you should be careful and take your time. There is very little elevation change when traveling from most locations.
A bag of shavings will be provided with each stall rental located in our Equine Facility – if you care to, you can purchase additional shavings while you are here. Feed and water buckets are also provided. If you wish, you may use your own buckets but please place our buckets back in the stalls upon your departure. You will need to bring your own feed and hay. You are responsible for feeding and taking care of your horses and cleaning their stalls while you are here. If you have stalls with your cabin accommodations, you will need to bring shavings with you or you may purchase them when you arrive.
We think you will love the facilities! The barns are spacious, with 12X12 box stalls & open air, covered slatted stalls, wash pits, bathrooms and a community tack room. We have sand paddocks for short time turn-out use while you are here. It is important to use the turn-outs for only a short time since other guests will be waiting for their turns to use them, also. Horses must not be turned out in these paddocks for the night. You may also want to keep in mind that some of our rental homes have their own stalls & pasture where you can keep your horses if you decide to rent one of our available homes.
For more information and reservations contact:
Best of America by Horseback:
Bethany Swaim ∙ bethany@bestofamericabyhorseback.com
Best of America by Horseback ∙ Corporate Headquarters located at Leatherwood Mountains
512 Meadow Road ∙ Ferguson, North Carolina 28624
Phone 336-973-2331 ∙ Toll-free 1-877-736-8686
Website www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com
Online registrations: http://www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com/upcomingridesevents/leatherwoodfallride.html
Leatherwood Mountains:
Abbie Hanchey ∙ abbie@goleatherwood.com
Leatherwood Mountains ∙ Home of Best of America by Horseback
512 Meadow Road ∙ Ferguson, North Carolina 28624
Phone 336-973-5044 ∙ Toll-free 1-800-4NCMTNS (800-462-6867)
Website www.leatherwoodmountains.com
Additional Best of America by Horseback Inquiries:
Becky Seay
Best of America by Horseback
www.bestofamericabyhorseback.com
becky@bestofamericabyhorseback.com
Phone 540-829-9555 ∙ Fax 540-301-0217
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