The West Desert Back Country Horsemen club keeps the Old West alive by preserving the union of horse, rider and wilderness

Carol Nudell says she was born horse crazy. She was raised in the Salt Lake Valley and didn't have horses.

"I finally drove my parents crazy enough to buy me a pony when I was 9," she said.

Her family moved to Vernon in 1972 and had a ranch. Since that time, she's lived all over the county in Dugway, Grantsville and now Erda.

"I have absolutely no interest in moving back to Salt Lake," she said. "I love the wide-open space and all the land and just being able to get on my horse and ride."

That love of horses and wide-open spaces also translates into her work as the vice president of the West Desert Back Country Horsemen, an organization dedicated to keeping the back country open for recreational stock use.

The West Desert Back Country Horsemen — essentially encompassing Tooele County — has 27 members, although that includes families or a couple, not just individuals.

The first Back Country Horsemen organization was formed in 1973 in Montana. Now there are chapters all over the country and 11 chapters in Utah involved in the Back Country Horsemen of America. It began when it seemed legislation was going to cut equestrian-use in the back country, Nudell said.

She says the group continually watches for any kind of legislation that deals with the back country, so they can make sure public lands will remain open to recreational stock use.

In addition, the group is involved in education and service.

They participate in a program called 'Leave No Trace,' which educates horsemen on how to minimize their impact on the back country, which can include how to tie horses properly and how to keep camps clean.

The group is also a service organization, participating in trail maintenance. This includes cutting off overhanging branches, re-routing trails to reduce erosion and putting up trail markers and kiosks.

One of the projects they will be doing this summer is to GPS all the trails they ride. They're also now coordinating with Kennecott for trails in the Oquirrhs.

By coordinating with other organizations — the Tooele County Trails Committee, Forest Service and BLM — they ensure two groups aren't doing the same thing.

The West Desert Back Country Horsemen typically hold one or two rides a month. When the weather cooperates, they will even ride in the winter. On Feb. 23, the group will hold a ride south of Stockton to see the elk.

There aren't any real requirements in order to become a member of the Back Country Horsemen.

"Anyone can join, and it really is more a willingness to put in volunteer hours and maintain back country trails," Nudell said.

One doesn't even have to own a horse, and many people have extras. Nudell, for example, has nine horses. It's also a popular organization with mule owners, she said, as the animals often carry equipment in for trail maintenance.

The West Desert Back Country Horsemen hold meetings on the fourth Monday of every month at the Tooele County Courthouse at 7 p.m. Anyone interested can attend a meeting, or attend an event happening this weekend that will focus on all sorts of horsemanship topics.

The Utah Back Country Horsemen Extravaganza will be held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Davis County Legacy Center. It's free and open to the public. There will be all-day clinics on things like knot tying, trailer safety and round corral techniques. The Tooele Chapter will have a booth on all the Tooele rides done last year and they will be presenting the schedule for this year.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com