In 1998, Hope Jacob, our founder, began this club with four visionary members. Together, they outlined our goals and priorities with this club: To create a Club for the over 21 equestrian based on the high standards of the USPC, without excluding riders of disciplines outside the English hunter-jumper world.Check out the June 2001, October 2003 and July 2006 issues of Practical Horseman Magazine where you will find feature articles about us. Horse And Rider, The Washington Post, Equestrian Network Magazine, The Equiary, and others have also published articles about our club.

The Old People's Riding Club (OPRC) welcomes riders from all disciplines over the age of 21. We have English riders, Western riders, dressage riders, jumper riders, pleasure-trail riders, endurance riders, combined training riders, the full spectrum. We also have members who love horses but do not ride.  The purpose of the OPRC is to have safe, enjoyable riding activities, meet other riders with fresh new outlooks on the sport, and encourage knowledge of horses all around.

The OPRC has a national office located in Hollywood, Maryland with members who serve as president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Other members from throughout the country also serve as web master, membership coordinator, Rally committee, ratings coordinator, insurance coordinator. The Board of Directors reviews issues, creates policies, and updates the Bylaws. Each chapter has a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and membership coordinator, as well as other officers as determined by the chapter. Each chapter determines the direction their chapter will take. The chapters follow National OPRC safety standards and policies.

The National OPRC is a non-profit corporation, as described in Section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code, and has been recognized as such by a letter dated June 18, 2003, from the Internal Revenue Service. This status does not extend to the chapters. However, individual chapters are encouraged to attain a non-profit status.

Membership
The Old People's Riding Club (OPRC) welcomes riders from all disciplines and skill levels. All members must be 21 years of age or older.

We have English riders, Western riders, dressage riders, jumpers, pleasure and trail riders, endurance riders, combined training riders, carriage drivers--the full spectrum. We also have members who love horses but do not ride or own a horse. The purpose of the OPRC is to have safe, enjoyable riding activities, meet other riders with fresh new outlooks on the sport and encourage knowledge of horses all around.

The OPRC membership year is January to December. Individual chapters determine the amount of their annual chapter dues; the lowest possible dues are recommended. A total of $35 annually is a recommended dues amount, but some chapters charge higher fees to cover the cost of their chapter-sponsored functions, and others charge less if they have profitable fund-raising activities. Some chapters have developed family memberships (husband and wife, mother and daughter, etc.) with reduced chapter dues. However, the National OPRC dues rate is $15.00 for ALL members.

For each member, from the chapter dues, the chapter sends $15.00 annually to cover the National OPRC dues, which pays the National OPRC costs (web hosting, office supplies, postage, lawyer fees, Board of Directors insurance, Rally ribbons, year-end awards, riding club insurance, etc.). There is a $5.00 fee for late renewing members (mailed after 28 Feb see below).

The $15.00 annual dues for each new chapter member are payable by the chapter to the National OPRC within a month of the members joining the chapter. The $15.00 annual National OPRC dues for renewing members are due by 28 Feb of each calendar year. Dues mailings postmarked after 28 Feb sustain a $5.00 late fee per member, resulting in a $20.00 fee per member for late renewals.

You can join an existing OPRC chapter or form a new chapter in your area. To locate a chapter in your area, go to the "Chapters" link on the OPRC Home Page. If there is no chapter in your area, and you are interested in starting one, go to the "How to Form a Chapter" link on the OPRC Home Page.

Affiliated Individual Members (not a chapter member)
The Affiliated Individual Membership Program was implemented to enable individuals who wish to join OPRC but do not have a chapter in their geographic location. See "Affiliated Individual Membership under “Join Us” on this web site for more information.

1>	wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet

1111111

wear heeled boots designed for equestrian activities and wear a visible medical armband. If a guest does not own a medical armband, the OPRC has a medical form to be completed before the ride. Medical armbands are available for purchase at many tack stores. They are also available for purchase on the internet at many sites, including:

1111111111111>

US Eventing Association Amazon Dover Saddlery Individual chapters may decide to place a bulk order for all current and future chapter members. The armbands may also be sold, usually at cost, at OPRC activities open to the public. You can download the medical form for inside the plastic holder from your member portal.

Each year every member must sign an OPRC Liability Release Form which they can generate from their portal. Guests at open activities also must sign the OPRC Liability Release Form which is available through the chapter portal. The chapter president must have requested sanctioned event insurance if guests are participating. The chapter keeps the liability release forms on file.

Most OPRC activities are organized by the individual chapters--the ideas and activities are endless! For example, chapters have sponsored horse shows (English and Western); polocrosse; English clinics in jumping, combined training, and dressage (also enjoyed by Western riders); Western clinics in flat work, barrel racing, reining, cow penning (all of these also enjoyed by English riders), Working Equitation; and clinics in driving, trailer loading, vaulting, swimming with your horse, etc. Chapters also have sponsored trail rides and horse camps, as well as family days and open horse shows. Since a goal of OPRC is education, most chapter meetings include a speaker on horse topics such as nutrition, shoeing, veterinary care, emergencies, trail safety, etc. Chapters have also sponsored "field trips" to veterinary hospitals, horse races, etc. In many of these chapter activities, members of other OPRC chapters may be invited to participate. The bottom line - OPRC activities are endless and are determined by the needs, requests, and ingenuity of the membership and the thrust of local horse activities.

The National OPRC also sponsors activities for all OPRC members such as a national Rally and a Scavenger Hunt.

Although OPRC is primarily designed for members and member activities, chapters may sponsor a few mounted activities per year during which non-members are invited. Such public activities may include a family and friends’ day during which non-member family members, including children (if children are included the attending members must be made aware of the children's participation), may participate in mounted activities such as a fun show, a trail ride, a mounted treasure hunt, etc. Chapters may also hold a mounted fundraising and/or membership recruitment activity. During these non-member activities, all OPRC requirements must be followed: all riders must wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet, wear heeled boots designed for equestrian activities, and wear a visible medical armband or, for non-members without medical armbands, have an OPRC Medical Release Form worn conspicuously on the person (preferable) or inside the helmet. Additionally, guests must sign the OPRC Liability Release Form and the chapter President must apply for sanctioned event insurance through the National office.

Thank you for your interest. If you have any questions, feel free to Contact Us.

Welcome to OPRC and have fun safely!