On Tuesday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 4 the equestrian team organized a cleanup of Durr Road, a dirt road just off of Umptanum Road, where they cleaned up 1,400 pounds of trash. 

One day, the equestrian team’s barn manager, Maddy Ziegler and her husband were on an outing for shooting when they noticed how much litter and debris was on the trail. When Ziegler saw this, she decided to “take the reins” and enlist the efforts of her team.

“Durr Road is known as the perfect place to go and shoot. We chose this location because we don’t want to see it get shut down for future shooting and also because we want the local wildlife to not have to suffer from a few bad apples that choose to leave their garbage,” Ziegler said.

Locals have told the team people dump their old couches, TVs and lawn mowers on Durr Road. According to Ziegler, this year was not as bad as locals have put it.

Because of the potential gunfire, Ziegler and the equestrians did not bring their horses to the cleanup, but they hope to bring them in the future now that the trail has been cleared of debris.

According to the club’s President Alicia Mahler, the equestrian team is a fully student-run club for student equine enthusiasts of all levels. 

“People join this club to gain and share knowledge about horses and their care, as well as to get to know other students and broaden their social horizons; this club has helped me meet some of the coolest people I’ve ever known!” Mahler said.

At weekly meetings, club officers communicate club events, update and answer questions. Occasionally, the club will use this time for education sessions, trivia nights, ride nights, volunteer opportunities and more. The club has a team barn where students can bring their horses for events.

The Equestrian Club meets at 7 p.m. every Wednesday, and any CWU undergraduate student enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours in good academic standing can join.