Submitted by Alberta Back Country Horsemen
In 1989, in Langley, a small group of equine enthusiasts were sitting around Jim and Marilyn McCrae’s kitchen table with the intent of forming what would become the Back Country Horsemen Society of British Columbia (BCHBC). While riding the Pacific Crest Trail, Jim had learned of a group called Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA), which was founded in Montana 1973.
BCHA’s members were trail riders, but this was not your typical riding club. BCHA was (and still is) a volunteer-driven organization that worked hard to protect equestrians’ right to ride on public lands, did trail building and maintenance, education, community collaboration, environmental stewardship, and more. It now has about 13,000 members in 30 states. McCrae felt that a similar group was needed in BC.
With McCrae as the driving force, BCHBC became an official society in 1991 and now has over 1,000 members in 19 chapters across British Columbia.
Fast forward to 2024, and a handful of like-minded folks across Alberta are sitting at
computers, attending Zoom meetings, with Brian Marriott, Past President of BCHBC, leading the charge.
BCHBC Past President, Brian Marriott is spearheading the formation of Alberta BCH.
During his tenure as President of BCHBC (2021-2022), Marriott noticed that the organization had about 30 members from Alberta. He felt that there was also a need in Alberta for a united voice to keep the wilderness open to equestrians.
Being located near the provincial boundary in Cranbrook, BC, and being the founder of the East Kootenay chapter of BCHBC, Marriott had many connections with backcountry riding
enthusiasts in Alberta. And the power of social media helped expand his network even more. In early 2024, his persistence to launch BCH in Alberta paid off. Kevin Van Kleemput of Czar, Alberta, agreed to participate by starting a Facebook group and helping with some of the initial set-up. Terri Perrin, of High River, stepped up as interim secretary. Perrin had been a BCHBC member for 12 years and had considerable knowledge of the organization and administration skills to share.
The Facebook group launched on January 18, using the name Back Country Horsemen of
Alberta. It wasn’t long before the founders realized that the acronym, BCHA, could be confused with BCH of America. So, the operating name was changed to Alberta Back Country Horsemen (ABCH).
The response to the Facebook group was astounding. By mid-March, the group had surpassed 2,500 followers. Note that Facebook calls them members, but ABCH is not accepting memberships yet, so they are considered followers.
“We now have 11 volunteer interim directors diligently working at finalizing documents to apply for official society status,” adds Marriott. “It’s important to mention that we would never be as far along in the process if it wasn’t for the amazing support we’ve received from BCHBC. They’ve shared their constitution and bylaws, liability waivers, and more. They allowed us to use their logo, so there is consistency in the BCH brand in Canada. And giving up their space in Saddle Up Magazine this month, so we could tell our story, is further demonstration of their support.
“BCHBC and ABCH will be completely separate non-profit societies. However, we believe that being associated with the Canadian BCH brand speaks to the spirit of collaboration that will be the foundation on which this new organization will be built,” adds Marriott.
Hats off to BCHBC for supporting efforts to establish ABCH. Photo by Thomas Valentine near Whisky Lake, AB
For insurance purposes, just as BCHBC members must also be members of Horse Council BC, ABCH riding members will need to secure membership with the Alberta Equestrian Federation (AEF). ABCH hopes to start forming chapters in the coming months. Some will be brand new groups and others may be existing clubs who choose to amalgamate with ABCH, recognizing that there is strength in numbers when it comes to grant writing and other initiatives.
“We await the approval of our Society application with great anticipation and look forward to what the future holds for Alberta BCH, thanks in no small part to the support of BCHBC,” concludes Marriott.
Follow ABCH on Facebook. Search for ‘Alberta Back Country Horsemen.’
Email us at AlbertaBackCountryHorsemen@gmail.com.
BCHBC is privileged to have Saddle Up Magazine as ‘the official voice’ of our province-wide organization. We value this partnership and encourage you to check out Saddle Up magazine online and consider supporting this BC-based publication by purchasing a subscription. You may also pick up printed copies of Saddle Up in 156 cities/towns with 340 outlets, mainly in BC and Alberta, as well as other parts of Canada and the US. It’s free!
Read the April issue of Saddle Up, including the BCHBC story. Or enjoy our feature story right here.
