1. Green Corridor Horse Trails
Minnesota River Valley
• Who we are
• Horses have been in the MRV for centuries
• Creating a Premier Trail Riding Destination

2. Partnering Saddle Clubs
• Granite Falls Saddle Club
• Hawk Creek Saddle Club
• Triple T Saddle Club
• Renville Amigo Riders Saddle Club
• Redwood Valley Riders Saddle Club
• Sunktanka Riders – Dakota Wicohan
• Fairfax Saddle Club

3. Green Corridor Horse Trails Board
• Marvin Breitkreutz Renville
• Annie Tepfer Danube
• Mariah Heffner Morton
• Loran Kaardal Morgan
• Cindy Swierenga Redwood Falls
• Dave Woodford Redwood Falls
• Brian Minkel Hector
• Sarah Maass Fairfax
• Dick Brown Middle Creek (RWF)

4. Preserving the Legacy of Horses
in the Minnesota River Valley
Horses were present in the Minnesota River Valley:
• In the 1700’s when it was a French Territory
• In the 1800’s following the Louisiana Purchase
• In 1851 when it became a Dakota Reservation
• In 1863 when it was forfeited and opened to European settlement
• Into the early 1900’s with pioneer agriculture
• At Fort Ridgely State Park and USASP for the last 100 years
• In the 1940’s & 1950’s as saddle clubs organized local trial rides
• In the 1960’s as trails were developed in the new county parks
• For the last 70 years on a system of trails developed by the local
saddle clubs with cooperating private landowners

5. Creating a Premier Trail Riding Destination
Key assets within the MRV corridor:
• Existing horse trails on private property
• Local saddle clubs & cooperating landowners
• Bookend state park horse hubs at FRSP/USASP
• Renville County park horse hubs
• How to connect the assets?

6. Existing Horse Hubs
& Potential Connecting Trails

7. Key GCHT Strategy
Similar to the snowmobile trail system:
• Organize as a 501c(3) non-profit organization
• Secure partnering saddle clubs for trail
maintenance and enforcement
• Buy horse trail liability insurance
• Utilize “Temporary Special Use Permits” with
cooperating landowners that allow a public
horse trail from May 15th to October 15th

8. Existing North Redwood Trail System

9. Cooperating Landowners
Legacy Funding Challenge

10. Some of the Existing Whispering Ridge Horse Trails

11. Some Options for Saving the MRV Horse Trails
and Future Hike and Bike Trail Corridors
• Find unrestricted funding for trail corridor
acquisition – SF1564/HF2129
• Request legislative exemption on each parcel,
as it is acquired
• Request and advocate for changes in the state
outdoor recreation statutes that will allow
trails in designated corridors, even if they are
acquired with “Legacy” funding

12. $50
• The problem with Iowawegians is they come with
$20 and a clean shirt and leave with $20 and a
dirty shirt. (Ralphism)
• Every time the door swings at the casino the
register goes “cha-ching” and adds $50.
• Every day a horse trail rider stays in the MRV, he
leaves a $50 bill.
• We need more tourists to come more often, stay
longer and swing the doors on all of our
hospitality businesses.

13. Major League Summary
A major league horse trail system:
• already exists on private property
• will attract major league crowds, if we protect
and enhance it; and
• will be a major economic engine for the
Tatanka Bluffs Corridor Recreational Economy