SL Riding Club & Equestrian Network

The Riding Club Academy & Rodeo Grounds (formerly known as the SL Riding Club) is a non-profit equestrian events and activities organization which conducts virtual horse shows, rodeos, trail rides, mounted colorguards and more. The SL Riding Club's volunteer staff are best known for guiding adventurous trail rides, and for introducing the international sport of gymkhana and mounted games, as well as developed authentic barrel racing and pole bending arena systems.

Many people in real life have never had a chance to ride, own, or compete on a horse. The SL Riding Club provides the virtual opportunity for avatars who love horses and want to engage in equestrian activities and lifestyle. The Riding Club Academy & Rodeo Groundsinclude show jumping arenas, barrel racing, bull riding, pole bending, and a race track. The facilities include western wear, English riding apparel, and prefab barns and stables. One can head out in any direction from the grounds to miles of trails and other horse related facilities and stores.

From 2006-2010, The Original SL Riding Club Stables was located in Azure Islands where equestrians could explore beautiful roads and venture through forests and public beaches. The popular "Volcano Ride" was a favorite for thousands of riders, which began at the stables, and with a free riding horse (provided by Lone Star Ranch Horses) and by following the map provided, you could find your way across 16 regions to SL's largest volcano made up of four sims. This "map ride" was featured in numerous blogs. In the spring of 2010, the multi-continent 200+ region Azure Islands was sold to a land rental company who deleted the volcano and a large percentage of the continents.

Because Azure Islands had such strict residential zoning, the Riding Club was not able to conduct activities outside of trail rides. In 2007, A land grant by the Wild Mustang Saloon of 1/3 full region was granted to the SLRC to host an equestrian center for western and english riding events and training.. There the SLRC finished developing its authentic barrel racing and pole bending systems, as well as installed jumping and jousting arenas.

In early 2008 Wild Mustang was sold to Utopia I-VIII Estates who then offered to procure an 8 region trails and ranch land project to expand the equestrian center and offer abundant riding trails and rural homesites. Within a month of after the first 4 connected regions were online and developed, the estate owner suddenly passed away in real life. Not only did the Riding Club lose a dear friend, all the land, labor, and expense was lost as well.

From 2008-2009 The Riding Club and its sponsor The Bolero Group, purchased and developed 14 regions in a collaboration with Balsa Airport. Besides offering equestrian communities, the Bolero Group were also aviation enthusiasts. This new continent solely funded and created by the Riding Club and the Bolero Group called Avia became the largest equestrian community land mass also offering other recreational activities as well, such as flying, motorcycling, and boating, as well as offered ranch homes with private airstrips.

In 2009 the estate owners of Avia began forcing police roleplay onto the roads and trails causing much conflict between the estate owner and the land developer. Uniformed police officers from Balsa Airport in official vehicles would set out and attempt to find reasons to arrest and fine people using the roads and trails on horseback or motorcycles. This appalling situation forced the Riding Club and its sponsors to start over once again at yet another major expense, costing thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours rebuilding the landscapes and facilities all over again on new sims.

With the help of land grants from Lone Star Ranch Riding Horses and Bolero Group high level sponsors, in October 2009 Aero Pines Park & Recreation Area was opened and the equestrian center, rodeo grounds, and trails were back in operation.

The SL Riding Club & Equestrian Network was founded in 2006 by avatar Cindy Bolero. Other founding members were LadyArtista Labrada and Delphina Audina. Cindy Bolero's real life equestrian background spans 30 years of riding, showing, training, show management, club management, 4-H Leader, horse/cattle ranch management, trail guiding, and clinician. Cindy's virtual land development team (The Bolero Group) creates and provides several multi-sim equestrian communities with expansive ranches and trails. The sims are sponsored by the residents who live on the sims as well as other contributions and donations from the landowners, vendors, and users.

Volunteers are welcome to join the SL Riding Club staff, whether one has real life horse experience or not.