Equine association marking paths for expanded rides
 

12:43 AM CST on Tuesday, March 22, 2005

By ANNETTE NEVINS / Special Contributor to the Dallas Morning News

WYLIE – Tracy Slater brushed the shiny brown coat of her horse as Western music pounded from the cab of a truck and a barbecue grill sizzled, white smoke swirling into the blue sky.Her horse, Tanner, swished his tail and munched hay, oblivious to the line of horse trailers turning into the East Fork Park trail head along the shores of Lake Lavon.

 

JASON KINDIG/Special Contributor

Members of Trinity Trail Preservation Association enjoyed a ride March 13 at East Fork Park. The volunteer group works to preserve and extend horse trails in Collin County. It has plans to extend Trinity Trail north 15 miles.

Ms. Slater was among about 60 riders who saddled up on a recent sunny Sunday for a monthly trail ride sponsored by the Trinity Trail Preservation Association. The volunteer organization, which draws about 150 families from towns across North Texas, works to preserve and extend horse trails in Collin County – where open spaces are disappearing as fast as a bulldozer can turn dirt.

"I thought Texas would be nothing but wide open land, and I was surprised to see so much development," said Ms. Slater, 39, who moved six months ago from Maryland to Caddo Mills. "I love horses, and I want to help preserve this beautiful land."

Across the way, construction barriers line parts of FM1378 where farmland is being converted into houses.

Members of the Trinity Trail Preservation Association are making sure there will still be enough open space to ride horses.

 

After forming their group in 1997, they built two trail heads – or gathering spots – and they gather monthly to maintain the trail, which is almost 10 miles long.

Volunteers have spent countless hours installing culverts, mile markers, hitching posts, exercise rings, restroom facilities and pipe fencing at both trail heads, one at East Fork Park and another at Brockdale Park in Lucas.

They have plans to extend the trail north 15 miles to Fairview over the next two years, said Charlie Gaines, a founding member of the organization.

The current Trinity Trail runs between Wylie and Lucas along the shores of the western prong of Lake Lavon. Collin County leases the easement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Mr. Gaines said the group plans to ask for $50,000 in grant money from Collin County Parks and Open Space and $50,000 from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to extend the trail from Lucas to Highland Park on Lake Lavon.

If approved, the money for both grants would be issued on a matching, reimbursement basis. The association would receive money as it turns in receipts for donated material, equipment and volunteer hours.

This first phase of the plan, which could be approved by the end of the summer, would take about one year to complete, Mr. Gaines said. The second phase would involve applying for more grants to extend the trail from Highland Park to just east of Stacy and Orr roads in Fairview. It would take another year to complete this phase, he said.

Some preparation work is already being done for the trail extension.

Collin County Parks and Open Space is spending $200,000 to build a trail crossing under a bridge that is being replaced on FM 3286.

Association volunteers are busy marking out the new trail, which would be used for hikers and riders.

The current Trinity Trail has been leased from the Corps of Engineers since 1988. It was almost closed for lack of funds to maintain it when the association contracted in 1997 to take care of the trail, said Jeff Durham, parks and projects manager for Collin County Parks and Open Space.

"The Trinity Trail Preservation Association is a great volunteer group that has put a lot of effort into developing a trail system that probably wouldn't be there without them," he said.

Back at camp, Spirit, Mr. Gaines' horse, had nudged open the top of the ice chest and was nosing around in the ice. Mr. Gaines' friends laughed.

"The best thing is being with friends, and riding on the back of a horse," said Martin Ingram, 78, who drove in from Mesquite to ride the trails.

Heather Proctor walked beside her daughter, 14-month-old Charlee, who held tight onto the saddle horn as she bumped along confidently.

"Riding horses is something we do a lot as a family," Ms. Proctor said. "We want to preserve the trails so that she will have a place to ride in the future."

Annette Nevins is a Plano-based freelance writer.