Indoor riding Arena and stables at Big Creek Riding Center in Big Creek Park, Decatur, Illinois. The wide part of the building is 100' wide by 200' long and contains unobstructed indoor riding arena which measures 80' x 200' with 10' on each side for bleacher seats. Outdoor arena is partly visible in the foreground.

Big Creek Riding Center

Harold J. Blankenship, Director of Administration

"They will never get that" — "A fancy dream" — "Too much money to spend for something of that kind"-these were some of the expressions heard after the meeting that night several years ago when a few horse fanciers requested the Decatur Park Board to consider construction of an indoor riding arena to cost about $50,000.

Just like many other things which we now have but which only a few years ago seemed only fancy dreams, the new Riding Center in Big Creek Park in Decatur is now a reality.

To make it seem more incredible, it is a very fine riding center with the latest ideas in accommodations for the horse loving public.

The Park Board realized for a long time that the potential for horseback riding and other forms of equestrian recreation in Big Creek Park were not being realized. Interest in horses was kept alive and enthusiasm flared from time to time as a result of efforts of members of the Trailriders Association of Decatur. These people spent many hours of volunteer labor and considerable sums of money to provide

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some facilities for people who wanted to keep horses. The Park District assisted with labor and funds from time to time, but even though the public could participate, there was never any great incentive to encourage it.

After the seed idea of an indoor riding arena was planted in the minds of the Park Board and Staff, it was watered and encouraged by bits of information relative to what was being done in other communities and eventually similar facilities were constructed by private interests in the area. Little by little, the idea gained credibility and was finally included in a five year development plan formulated by the Board and Staff and financed by the last bond issue the District could pass before the law changed to strip the District of bonding authority without referendum.

The outdoor riding ring which had been used by Trailriders and others for many years for their horse shows, rodeos and riding practice was located in a low area and many events had to be cancelled because of overflow of Big Creek and the resulting muddy grounds. The old Clubhouse being used for the Trailriders headquarters was also located on low ground and was in bad repair. The barns and stalls needed more maintenance than had been done on them. There was no doubt something needed to be done.

The Board realized that the park area offers some very fine trails and that the public should have a superior facility with the proper planning and some extensive capital improvements.

Mr. Theodore Walker, who was doing graduate work at the University of Illinois, experienced in landscape architecture and site planning, was contacted and he agreed to prepare a master plan for development of the Big Creek Park area as time and funds permit.

Mr. Walker was very thorough in his investigations of the needs of people who follow horse-oriented recreational pursuits. He met with interested individuals in the community several times and learned from them what their ideas were relative to what should be done at Big Creek. He met with the Park Board and received from the Board indications as to how far the Board would be willing to go in providing facilities in the park.

Mr. Walker then presented to the Board a well developed Master Plan for the development of Big Creek Park which includes several features which may yet be quite a distance from reality.

His plan showed developing a new center or riding complex on high ground in the park including an indoor riding arena a new outdoor riding ring, stables, clubhouse, parking area, etc. He also included in the plan some other recreational areas including a camping area and a marina.

It was decided to begin with the indoor riding arena and stable building, an outdoor riding ring and the necessary parking areas. A corrugated metal pole building 324 feet in length and 80 feet wide for 200 feet of the length and 70 feet in width for the remaining 124 feet of length was constructed by Moore Bros. of Charleston, Illinois for a contract sum of $39,000. This allowed for the construction of an indoor riding arena 80' x 200' with no supporting posts to interfere with riding activities. It is now possible to seat about 1,000 persons along the sides of the arena. The aisles were surfaced with hot mix asphalt to facilitate cleaning. The District has spent an additional $15,000 for the above mentioned interior development. The Park District now has stables for 34 horses in this building plus stables for horses in the old barns nearby. The District offers boarding for horses at a cost of $45.00 per month. All stalls are filled and there is a waiting list at the present time.

In addition to boarding horses, the District now offers rental horses for persons who like to ride but don't want to own a horse. Use of the indoor riding arena and the outdoor show ring are included in the monthly boarding charge. Persons desiring to use the facilities on a daily or hourly basis may arrange for same upon payment of a fee fixed by the Park Board. Riding lessons are also available and are taught by Mrs. Helen Parkinson who with her husband, Lyie, take care of the maintenance of the center.

It is anticipated that plans for development of a Clubhouse to serve the needs of people using the Riding Center and to be a headquarters for the Trailriders will be ready for study by the Board within the near future. Funds available at the present time will not accomplish much more than construction of the Clubhouse, but if and when more funds are available, it is intended that other facilities included in the Master Plan will be added. Living quarters for the Parkinsons are provided by a house trailer, owned by the District and parked near the Riding Center.

The operation of a facility such as this is quite an education to the uninitiated and there are many problems to be worked out. The Park Board obtained much guidance and help from a Riding Center Advisory Committee of six members who are people who are interested in different types of riding and who are good solid citizens with many years of experience in dealing with horses and affiliated problems.

Liability insurance coverage for an operation such as this is an item which needs to be thoroughly checked into because there is a real reluctance on the part of almost all insurance companies to take on the risks associated with horses. Mr. James C. Payseur of Alien T. Archer Company has been very helpful in this regard and has arranged for coverage of the Park District liability in the operation of the Riding Center, rental horses, lessons, etc.

Board members are gratified with the many expressions of pride and satisfaction with what has been done at Big Creek and it is believed that the facilities will be used more and more by residents of the community as publicity about the Riding Center becomes more widespread.

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