About Us
OUR MISSION:
Providing support for all equestrian pursuits in the Sleeping Bear Region.
OUR VISION:
As a 501c3, our club will promote stewardship, education, volunteering and leadership opportunities. Our club efforts are focused on, but not limited to, equine sport, equine tourism, educational programs.
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OUR STORY:
The idea for the club came from Michele Morris and Gretchen Knoblock, founders of the Empire Pony Pal program. In trying to find ways to create scholarship funding to allow under-privileged kids to participate in the program, it turned to a discussion about becoming a non-profit, and that by doing so, they could support a wider range of programming. As trail riders themselves, another frequent topic was the lack of safe trails to ride, especially in Leelanau county, and maybe they could figure out a way to change that. They started looking at resources that could help them towards these goals and it quickly became apparent that equestrian interests in this region were woefully under-served, considering there was such a large community of equestrians, both local and visitor alike. The idea was then born that a well-funded and well-organized equestrian club would be just the thing to bring the regional equine community together for the betterment of all. They wanted to create a sustainable foundation of support for the future of equestrian activities and pursuits in the area, for horse enthusiasts of all breeds and disciplines, ​​
