A MEMORIAL plaque commemorating the life of horse trail rider Gail Thomas was laid at the Heinemann Road bushland carpark on September 29, preceding a commemorative ride.
The date chosen was Gail’s birthday. Gail died of cancer on May 26 this year.
About 40 riders participated in the two-hour ride on one of Gail’s mapped trails from 9am. Attending was her husband Stewart and children Brett and Michelle.
Gail was a member of the Redlands Horse Trail Riders Club, which combined with the Logan Rivers club to become the Logan River Redlands Horse Trail Riding club in 2001, under the Australian Trail Horse Riders Association.
Club member Denice McKinlay said with the spread of suburbia, many riding areas were lost.
“In more recent years, Gail spent a lot of her time mapping new trails within Redlands and liaised with Redlands Council to have those trails identified and recorded. Councillor Julie Talty was very supportive of her work,” Denice said.
Cr Talty will lay the plaque. “Gail was an amazing lady, small in stature but passionate about horses, and she achieved so much to secure trails for future generations of riders,” Denice said.
