TROTWOOD, Ohio — The Ohio Horseman’s Council recently named its 2016 “Gibby” award winner, for contributions to the building, maintenance and preservation of bridle trails in Ohio.
Jerry and Mary Ann Basham, residents of Brookville, and long-time members of the Montgomery county chapter of OHC, received the coveted award for their contributions at Sycamore State Park, located west of Dayton.
The Bashams received their award before a large crowd of fellow OHC members and representatives from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources at a presentation ceremony held at Barkcamp State Park in Belmont County.
The “Gibby” award is named after the developer of the bridle trails at Barkcamp. In the early 80s, Wilbur “Gibby” Gibson worked with ODNR and numerous volunteers and land owners to establish a bridle trail system and horseman’s campground in the park.
Premier destination
Barkcamp is now considered a premier riding destination for horseback riders. Likewise, the same commitment by the Bashams to work with land owners at Sycamore resulted in recognition and appreciation from OHC membership for their efforts to establish the trail system at Sycamore and their commitment to the countless hours of personal time and effort to insure safe and enjoyable trail riding.
Since 1994, the Bashams took ownership and responsibility for maintaining the trails and over the years their great relationship with park management allowed them to spearhead efforts to begin adding to the length and location of trails within the park.
Eventually, the mileage grew from 6 to 21 miles of riding for horseback riders. Through use of their own equipment, such as skid steers and tractors, the Bashams have been able to fix areas that were too muddy or unsafe for horse and
