Carmel Valley Trail & Saddle Club#br#Founded 1956

Board of Directors

The Trail & Saddle Club’s all-volunteer board works hard behind the scenes to keep the club running smoothly. If you’ve been curious about putting a face to a name or want to learn more about individual board members, click on any ‘Read more’ below.

Suggestion Box

Bill Reese

President

Ardith Tregenza

Events Coordinator

Chris Harrold

Vice-president

Susan Bancroft

Membership Chair

Nikki DiGirolamo

Treasurer

Gilan Read

Director at large

Kate Kennedy

Secretary

Bryan Jaeger

Director at large

FUN FACT: Each spring, half of the club’s eight board members come up for re-election. Odd years: Bill Reese, Nikki DiGirolamo, Susan Bancroft, Bryan Jaeger. Even years: Chris Harrold, Kate Kennedy, Ardith Tregenza, Gilan Read.

Visit our Members Only page to pay your dues online, download the most recent roster, or view other member-only information, including monthly board meeting minutes and emails sent exclusively to members.

Member portal

NOTE: Your Member Portal username will be the email address associated with your club membership. The password is sent in most emails sent to members. Can’t seem to locate the password? Send us an email.

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Carmel Valley Trail & Saddle Club
P.O. Box 521
Carmel Valley, CA. 93924

info@trailandsaddle.club

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BILL REESE
My wife Brenda’s family joined the club in 1969, and my father-in-law Stew Clough was a past club president in the early 1970s. Brenda and I joined the club in 1986 and our children grew up riding at the club. Daughter Alison now helps judge at the Western Playdays. I have been riding on and off since a kid, but didn’t buy my first horse until the mid-70s when I met Brenda. I bought a horse to ride with her and she bought a motorcycle to ride with me.

One of my favorite memories was riding bareback in the adult dollar derby class. It got down to just four riders to still have their dollars - Coral Armstrong, Ardith Tregenza, Larry Bacon and myself. When Larry lost his dollar bill I lost mine soon after (I just wanted to hold onto mine longer than Larry). Coral ended up winning the class. There is a photo in the clubhouse of Coral and Ardith on this very day.

Another favorite memory of the club was an early Rancher’s Days. I entered the Century Roping teamed up with Lawrence Berta- he was the header and I was the heeler. In this class, both ropers’ ages should add up to 100 or more. Since I was in my late 30s at the time, it meant Lawrence was at least in his early 60s. We won the class and it was Lawrence’s first ever award buckle. After that they made a new rule that both ropers had to be at least 40 years old.

I rode Western. Brenda talked me into entering the best dressed here at the club for a horse show grand entry. I also showed in the Stockhorse class at the King City Fair when Brenda was expecting our first child and too large to fit in a saddle. I rode at the Playdays while our children were young. I have attended the Salinas Hospital Ride, and have helped at local brandings. But team roping was my addiction. I have competed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Idaho, and qualified for Oklahoma but decided not to make the long haul.

My favorite horse would have to be ‘Ole Bucky’ (he had a AQHA name but I don't know it). Bucky was a colt from the Carmel Ranch Company during the time Sam Jury was the foreman. Lawrence Berta bought Bucky, and Bucky took Lawrence all over the ranch. That horse had grit! Bucky had feet like pancakes and I don’t think he ever wore a pair of shoes. One cold winter day I took Bucky to a branding, and Bill Askew (the grand dad) told me I better be careful because Bucky did not get his name from his color alone. It turned out that Bucky had bucked Lawrence off a few times over the years. When Lawrence retired he made it possible for me to get Bucky. I went on to win my first Ranchers Days buckle on Bucky. By the time our daughter Alison was 10 years old she was riding Bucky around in the corral at home.

My vision for the club is to see continued riding at the club for youth and adults of all disciplines and levels. We feel blessed our children and other youth have had the opportunity to grow up here in Carmel Valley with horses, livestock, 4-H and pets. So many life skills are learned through this lifestyle.

I hope the club and horses in general don't become a pleasure for only the rich. It seems we have less backyard horses than we did in the 70s.

ARDITH TREGENZA
- Board member since 2018
- Reservations & Events Coordinator
- I have enjoyed the club, showing and riding there (Western -equitation, trail, stockhorse) on & off over the last 40! years.
- One fun memory is being in a ride off for 1st place against Bill Reece in a Bareback Dollar Bill Derby class at a horse show. We finally had to switch horses and he won.
- My favorite horse was my 1st horse “Patches” 14 hand Welsh/Arab Pinto gelding. He was something and I had him until he died at 33 years old.
- I love the club and think it is an equestrian community treasure and being a Board member is a privilege. I am fortunate to be one of the stewards working on behalf of the members to keep the club in the best (physical, economic and social) shape possible. And I love organizing new events! Look forward to seeing y’all there!

CHRIS HARROLD
I’ve been a member of the CVTSC since 1990, and joined the board in October 2015. I’ve been riding horses since I was 8 years old, riding trail horses at summer camp near Quincy, California. My wife, Judy, and I have owned horses since moving to Carmel Valley in 1989. We ride working ranch horses as part of our small cow-calf operation (a partnership with club member and horse trainer Ray Berta). Regarding my role on the board of the CVTSC, my main goals are to help keep the club vibrant and financially healthy, and to ensure that the club meets the needs and desires of its members. During my time on the board I took the lead in revising the club’s by-laws (a real yawner, I know, but important nonetheless), replacing the wooden bleachers at the large arena with aluminum bleachers, and replacing the wooden picnic tables with new tables made of recycled plastic and steel. Currently I’m working with fellow board members to develop a 5- or 10-year master plan for improvements to the club grounds.

SUSAN BANCROFT
Member since 2000, board member since 2010.

I’m responsible for the club’s website and the emails sent to members. I also am the Membership Chair. So, when you register online for one of our club-sponsored events, send an email to info@trailandsaddle.club or renew your membership online, it’s me that responds.

Since 2008 I have been the show manager for the Ranch Roundup, the club’s September event, which is an annual community gathering promoting and supporting the rich and unique horsemanship traditions here on the California Central Coast.

I own and manage a 25-acre boarding facility 30 minutes east of the Village, in Cachagua, where I care for my own horses plus a few others.

The Trail & Saddle Club is truly a one-of-a-kind non-profit, dedicated to our Central Coast horse community. It exists only because of, by and for its membership. I encourage all to step up their level of volunteerism and involvement to preserve this treasure for its next 60 years.

Nikolina “Nikki” DiGirolamo, member since 2004 and Club Treasurer since 2018. Born and raised in Watsonville, California by Croatian immigrant parents who refused to raise any farm animal that couldn’t be served at the dinner table. Many chickens, goats and sheep passed through our yard, but no pony ever materialized. My early equine life was limited to neighborhood ponies that I begged to ride, and saving pocket change in a shoe box to someday buy my own horse. Some dreams don’t die. After twenty-five years as a banker, three children, and now restaurant owner, my wonderful husband David said it was time for me to indulge my dream at our new Carmel Valley home. Off we went to Arizona to purchase Pepper, a two-year-old roan QH-mix filly, from a Navajo Indian family. Classic first horse story by new horse owners! Remember holding a horse care book while staring at her hooves “Says here to pick the hooves daily.” Oh dear. Finally found some horse sense and hired club trainer, Kristi Whelan, who after witnessing me come off more than once, said on one occasion “Maybe if she had a different name”. This same trainer ended up finding the most perfect horse for me, an American Paint mare, “TucksPlanToTickleMe”, aka “Cosquilla” aka “Ellie”, bred by member Susan Bancroft and started by member Malia Aldrich. She’s beautiful, smart, patient, athletic, and my dream horse. I’m truly blessed! Pepper is now living the retired life at the Indian Springs Equestrian Center’s twenty acre pasture, doing what she does best – Boss Mare.

Through my years as a member, I’ve volunteered as a scribe at the Ranch Round Up, and Playdays, taken on a small landscaping project, and now keep the club books. A perfect day involves heading down to the club for a lesson, schooling or out on the trails. Ellie and I are diligently working on Western Dressage, and like to enter the schooling shows. I love watching the many talented riders and their beautiful horses that come through the club gates, and meeting long time members and feeling their affection for the club, as they recount their favorite horse stories. The club truly is a special place, lovingly maintained by a motivated group of member volunteers, and I feel very fortunate indeed.

GILAN READ
Member since 2015, director since 2018. More to come.

KATE KENNEDY
I joined the Trail and Saddle Club around 20 years ago so that I would have a place to drive my horse and carriage. At that time there was a small group of members that would drive together at the club, on the trails, and go to events together. It was really fun. I hope my horses, pony, and I have helped some saddle horses and their riders become more comfortable around the carriages! Now many of the drivers have moved on to other activities, but I still do a little driving at the club now and then. I have always loved being there and feel privileged to serve on the board. The membership has always been a special group in my life. Now my goal is to give back so that others may have the same enjoyment of the club that I have had.

BRYAN JAEGER
Member since 2002, director since 2019. More to come.