Recreation Center Updates

It's been a busy fall season at the Recreation Center! The Equestrian Program is wrapping up it's Trail Team Fall Season with over 25 riders of all ages and abilities participating as team members. The multi-generational group spent the season improving their riding skills in the woods and learning valuable horsemanship knowledge. Each week they focused on a different Recreation Center core value: Wellness, Respect, Integrity, and Growth. With the help of some guest instructors, the team participated in a yoga class, learned how to safely work with horses on the ground, reflected on goals and challenges, and learned how to better read their horses' body language.

Access Adventures continues to coordinate great events for LINC--Let's Involve Neighboring Communities. November 13th they hosted a Movie Night at the Dower House campus. Everyone enjoyed a fun game of bingo while watching Tomorrowland and eating some sweet snacks!

On November 22nd, we hosted our annual Trail Day event! The Southern Maryland equestrian community came out and explored Melwood's beautiful and accessible trails and attended a free Introduction to Competitive Distance Riding seminar!

A few elected officials also paid a visit to Trail Day. Commissioner President Peter Murphy and Commissioner Ashley Stewart from the Charles County Board of Commissioners were on hand for the event. During their visit they toured the barns and met some of the members of our Trail Team. The commissioners also met with one of our dedicated supporters, Steven Herzberg. They joined Melwood Board Chair George Watkins and Board Director Beth Liechti Johnson in thanking Steven and his firm, the Gudelsky Group, for their generous donation of 258 bales of hay to the Equestrian program.