Summit Riders Bids Farewell

With great sadness, the directors of Summit Riders Horseman’s Association voted at the end of 2025 to discontinue their beloved club, citing dwindling numbers of participants and equestrian properties in the Summit area. In its heyday, the club had a robust membership and a busy year-round of events. We enjoyed trail rides, shows, playdays, and a full program of activities for youth. Families gathered at the Summit Riders arena at Parker Ranch on Miller Hill Road for hours of fun and camaraderie. As original members aged and young participants moved away to new opportunities, participation declined. The COVID-19 quarantine had a devastating impact, along with rising real-estate pressures that do not favor equestrian facilities.

At a closing event in December, I recognized the final SRHA Board. Vice president Jill Cole grew up in Summit Riders and served as a judge at the club’s last playday. Her mother is Summit Riders royalty, Nancy Cole. Secretary Melany Moore was a Summit Riders parent, and served numerous terms on the board. She made the playday ribbons by hand with her children, brought lemonade and ran the barbecue at our events, and served as president for multiple terms. The club owes her an enormous debt.

Treasurer Jodi Louderback kept track of club finances and carefully guided the club through the winding trails of non-profit dissolution. Board member Rebecca Smith was a Summit Riders parent and a riding member who contributed huge efforts to the club. On playdays, she drove both children and their horses to the arena.

Board member Chris Smith wrote articles for our club newsletter, and board member Jen Haas was a playday judge. Jen is creating a group chat list (Summit Equestrians) so members can stay in touch and ride together. We also recognized a number of long-time volunteers and supporters in attendance: Sue and Randall Landaiche, Nancy Cole, Diane Enderle, Neil Wiley, and Roger Mason. I offered a toast to past president Marlene Takle, who was unable to attend. Some of the club’s special items, including the revered Perpetual Trophy for the Costume Class, will be donated to the Loma Prieta Museum. All remaining funds will be donated to non-profits Friends of Bear Creek Stables, DreamPower Horsemanship, and Summit Horse Rescue.

Past president and long-time SRHA volunteer Marlene Takle with her horse Niffer. (Left to right) Melany Moore, Rebecca Smith and the late Michael Hudson unveil the new Summit Riders sign Hudson made in 2022. Even the work parties were fun.

Playday fun and exercise Summit Riders was always a special place for children and horses.

U N D E R N E W O W N E R S H I P ! 23291 Summit Road • Los Gatos, CA 95033 • (408) 353-1113 Join us on May 30!Join us on May 30! neighborhood Summit Deck Doctor, I was the Hilltop Handyman, based off Radonich Road. After being asked to stain a deck or two, I realized there are thousands of decks in the Santa Cruz Mountains, so I changed my company name and focus. That was 23 years, 1,400 decks, and almost 2 million- square-feet ago. I have learned a few things over the decades, and I want to share some of my hard-won knowledge with you.

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My son is completing his master’s degree at Arizona State University, and my daughter is working on her Ph.D. at the University of I enjoy internal medicine and preventive medicine, as well as nurturing the bond between people and their pets. I think communication is key, and I strive to educate and inform so that everyone is part of the best care team for their pets.

When I’m not in the clinic, I can often be found in my home art studio, painting or sculpting wildlife. I am a professional artist and a leading conservation-art safari guide to countries in Africa. I volunteer as a docent at Año Nuevo State Park and also enjoy hiking that are a mixture of oil and water. You’d think it wouldn’t work, but it’s more like oil and vinegar at an Italian restaurant. They Matching your existing deck color with your new stain is important. When your deck starts to get gray breakouts, it is time to Many decks have areas where the stain is in good condition, usually shady areas under porches or vertical surfaces like handrail posts. The best solution is to stain the deck the same color as the decking that is still in good shape. This can avoid a two-tone look, and makes everything homogenous. It also saves you the money of staining areas that are in good shape. (Handrails are expensive to redo.) We often match the color of an oil- based stain into a hybrid, so it is helpful to have the old stain in liquid form. Make sure your deck-refinishing contractor leaves you some and store it in a cool place.

Some people want to change the deck color a bit. We don’t recommend this. Imagine the boards under the porch are tan, and you put new red stain on the whole deck. The shady areas won’t change color and will stay tan, but the bare boards will now be red. It’s not a good look. In a less extreme case of a worn deck, it is best to Unfortunately, deck stains are not yet scannable and computerized like paints. We get to the right color by trial and error. Very few deck-staining specialists match colors, and some offer only three standard colors.

We have several custom colors and the A final tip: compare potential stain colors brushed out onto wood or a white card against existing stain in the shade. The sun will bleach out the differences between two If your deck has gray breakouts or is totally gray, it needs stain. Get it done now so you can enjoy it all summer. Call me at 408-353-