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OET was founded in 1970 when a group of very dedicated horsemen and women met at Pete's Mountain Arena on a high hill
near West Linn, Oregon, overlooking the Willamette River. One of the reasons for this meeting was because of the "no horses
allowed" signs that were appearing all over at public campgrounds. At this time, there was quite a negative attitude toward
horse people using public lands. This attitude needed to be turned around if future generations of equestrians were to continue
enjoying Oregon's many scenic trails and campgrounds traditionally open to them. That attituded needed to be replaced with
a postive vision of horsemen and women working together as a united group. A group dedicated to protecting not only the rights
of riders throughout the state, but also protecting the lands held as public trust for all to enjoy. This was the challenge
to the small group at that meeting. Under the leadership of Earl Flick, the imptus for change that day resulted in the birth
of "Oregon Equestrian Trails."
Columbia County Chapter of OET began with a public meeting to see how many in our community would be interested in a
local chapter. On April 15, 2003 sixty-three people came to show their interest, many of which joined that night! Our chapter
is now over 100 strong and growing. We are proud to be a part of Oregon Equestrian Trails, and we hope you will join
us too!
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