Nature Coast Back Country Horsemen
NCBCH Current events
NCBCH Meeting
Thursday, January 21
Please join us for our meeting at Buffet City in Brooksville. We have reserved the back room that can hold up to 100 people to ensure all can social distance. Gloves will be provided prior to going through the buffet line. There will be a station where fresh food can be cooked in front of you. Bring $$ for 50/50, and your membership dues.
5:30 PM dinner
6:30 PM meeting Guest Speaker Gary Crews talking on pasture and weed management
Buffet City
13235 Cortez Blvd, Brooksville
Our Annual Membership Drive
NCBCH welcomes and depends on your involvement and support. Join us now to preserve our right to ride on public lands in Florida and across the nation.
Dues for 2021 are $25 for individual membership, $30 for family (2 votes during elections for family membership).
Click on the Membership button below to print an application.
Hunting in Croom Tract
November 30 - March 7 Small Game Season Small game (quail, rabbit, squirrel and migratory birds) may be hunted with dogs.
Wear bright colors!
NCBCH Newsletter
NCBCH News
Happy New Year!
We are planning a general membership meeting on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at Buffet City in Brooksville. Dinner and social hour will be at 5:30 with the meeting to follow at 6:30. We have reserved the back room that can hold up to 100 people to ensure all can social distance. Gloves will be provided prior to going through the buffet line. There will be a station where fresh food can be cooked in front of you. For those that are uncomfortable with eating at the buffet please join us at 6:30 for the meeting.
Our guest speaker will be Gary Crews who will speak on pasture and weed management. Gary is a state certified pest control operator, owns his own company - Professional Lawn Service and has been in this profession since 1985. He handles lawn maintenance services as well as pasture management. He sprays pastures for weeds, bugs and fertilizes. This should be an informative talk as most all of us deal with this on a daily basis.
A reminder to all members. Our elections will be held in February. We encourage and welcome anyone interested in joining our board in any capacity to let Martha Casisa know as soon as possible (cassia@att.net). Currently we have the following members running for:
President – Becky Card-Swerdloff
Vice President – Donna Black;
Secretary – Ann Hopta
Treasurer – Lorri Kindberg
Board of Directors (4 positions) – Lee Adams, Donna Allen, Martha Casisa, Charlie Kemp.
Lorri Kindberg will be accepting membership applications and dues at this meeting. If you have not renewed for 2021 we urge you to please do so at this meeting. This has been a tough year for everyone and Nature Coast Back Country Horsemen is no exception. We are doing everything we can to continue with our mission statement while keeping everyone safe. Our meetings have been few and our activities have been limited due to Covid-19 restrictions. Please know that your support is especially important during these tough times. A membership application is attached to this newsletter for your convenience.
On a happier note we would like to report that we have new camp hosts at Tucker Hill. Cheryl and Bob were the very first camp hosts at Tucker Hill years ago so they are familiar with the needs at Tucker Hill. If you are passing through Tucker Hill trail head please stop in and welcome them back!
Happy Trails to all!!!
January 21, 2021 NCBCH Meeting
Buffet City, Brooksville – 13235 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613
Social hour and dinner at 5:30 p.m.
Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
NCBCH's Most Recent Improvement Project for Equestrians
Volunteer of the Year 2021 - Charlie Kemp
Charlie Kemp and Molly Rider
Nature Coast Back Country Horsemen’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year awardee is Charlie Kemp. Charlie has enthusiastically given his time and expertise to better our organization. He has acted as a liaison with SWAMP (mountain bike group in Croom) and FFS. Although Charlie is not a ‘horse’ person but rather a ‘bike’ person he strongly supports his wife Vicki as an equestrian. He and his sidekick Molly Rider regularly travel Croom trails by either biking, hiking or on his quad (with a valid permit) to address and correct trail issues.
He identifies problem trail issues, creates safe and sustainable alternatives and submits these plans to FFS for their input and approval. He created plans for Smith Prairie Trail Head (where NCBCH won the prestigious Back Country Horsemen of America’s Double Diamond Award), worked with the FFS biologist to reroute the extremely eroded portion of the access trail out of Tucker Hill Trail Head to create a sustainable and safe trail.
He is currently on NCBCH’s board.
Becky Card-Swerdloff presented Charlie with a personalized biking shirt. Emblazoned with NCBCH’s logo and his Volunteer of Year status it also has a nod to his passions – his bike and Molly Rider! Thank you Charlie for all you do!
Please Support Our Sponsors
NCBCH thanks the following sponsors who made our 2019 Shindig a huge success
Ranch Hand Feed Depot, Giddy-Up Saddle Shop, Wagon Wheel, Fletcher's Tack Shop, Irish Trails Farm and Pet Supply
Remington Outpost, Capricci Healing Waters, Massage by Claire Larrson, White Daisy, Damsel in Defense - Phyllis Nolte, Photography by Ann Hopta
Tractor Supply Co. Brooksville, Pickett's Brooksville Ace Hardware, Toole's Groveland Ace Hardware, Rural King
Papa Joe’s Italian Restaurant, River Ratz, Luigi's Pizza of Brooksville, Mykonos II, Beef O'Brady's, Mallie Kyla’s, Country Kitchen, Glory Days Grill, Publix
Florida Forest Service
Please patronize these generous donors that support our local community
Back Country Horsemen of America
How to obtain parking passes for local Trailheads
Friends of Florida State Forests Annual Day Pass
Good for all Florida state forests that have fees at the trailheads. The day use fee at Croom's Tucker Hill trailhead is $2 per person. The annual pass is $45 which is good for any day of the year for up to 6 people. To order the annual pass on-line go to:
Friends of Florida State Forests Annual Day Pass
Purchase it locally at: Florida Forest Service
Withlacoochee State Forest Recreation/Visitors Center
15003 Broad St., Brooksville, FL 34601-4201
(352) 797-4140
Lake Townsen Preserve, Nobleton Parking Fee
The daily parking fee is $3.00 per vehicle. An annual parking pass is $45.00 per vehicle.
To get Annual Parking Pass Application go to:
Lake Townsen Annual Parking Pass
Read both pages, particularly the highlighted area, print, fill it out, make a check payable to Hernando Cnty Recreation Department, & mail to 205 E. Fort Dade St., Brooksville, FL 34601, or go to their office at same address to purchase one. Call 352-754-4027 for further info.