Now that the snow has melted and the ground is dry (before the Spring rains) I have begun to enjoy the Bedford Riding Lanes Association trails which cover the Town of Bedford - Bedford, Bedford Hills, Katonah plus Pound Ridge.

I walk them with my bichon, Edelweiss known also as “Eddy.” I also admit to only enjoying a very small portion of them since Eddy likes to sniff more than anything else!

The trails are just on the other side of my stone walls. I also enjoy seeing the riders as they cross over from the John Jay Homestead, or come up from Beaver Dam Road. The trails are mainly across private property and dirt roads. It is known to be the best system of trails in the Northeast.

The members of the BRLA have two main events known as Paces. They use the grounds of the John Jay Homestead as both their start and ending point. One Pace is in the Spring and one is in the Fall. Over 300 riders have their start there. They have come on horseback from the neighboring estates or by car with horse trailers in tow.

There is also a clean-up day in April when the members get down and dirty as they clear the trails of any debris or branches that would impede travel for the new season.

There is a nominal fee for membership in the BRLA and “Eddy” wears his tag proudly on his dog collar!

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom