They did some serious horsing around at the Annual Meeting of the Oakland Land Conservancy (OLC).

The meeting took place in "horse country" just north of Oxford at Kingsbury School. More than 50 members and Metamora/Oxford-area residents attended.

Outdoors, the Pinecrest Percherons and Carriage Service, based in Lapeer, gave horse-drawn carriage rides along the dirt roads in front of the school.

Indoors, keynote speaker Georgianna McCabe, president of the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, discussed what a land conservancy can do to preserve land for horseback riding and other equestrian activities.

"I grew up riding ponies on a farm near my home," McCabe explained. "I also learned to milk cows and feed chickens on that farm. By the time I was 30, that farm had 199 condominiums on it. That was very painful for me."

McCabe saw farms, meadows and horse trails vanishing under wave after wave of development, so she decided to do something to preserve land for equestrian activities.

"I looked around and found there was no organization for protecting land for equestrian activities," McCabe said.

Ten years ago, McCabe started an organization, the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, in an attempt to address this need. McCabe, however, found that the "horse world" was fragmented.

"They weren't in touch with one another," she explained. "Our first job was to create communication between horse owners."

McCabe's organization has partnered with the U.S. Equestrian Federation, land trusts and other horse people to attempt to set aside land for equestrian activities.

McCabe points to Highland Township as a place that has designated itself to be an equestrian community. In Highland, residents have decided that horses are a part of their community. And they are willing preserve horse trails and land to continue that lifestyle.

Oxford and Metamora have an abundance of high quality natural areas for horses, said Donna Folland, executive director of the Oakland Land Conservancy. And working with equestrian owners associated with the Metamora Hunt (which spans some 100 square miles across northern Oakland and Lapeer Counties), OLC now holds easements on two parcels in Metamora and Oxford, which total 47 acres. In addition, the OLC has identified other parcels for preservation in Metamora, Dryden, Oxford and Addison that have potential for trail and conservation easements that could contribute to a network of protected natural corridors for equestrian use.

Several parcels are in the Oxford area.

"Both Kingsbury School and Seven Ponds Nature Center are very interested in preserving the natural and cultural features of the area and have been supportive of our efforts," said Folland.

In other business, the OLC elected to its board: Staci Brodeur of Orion Township, Robert Schulz of Farmington Hills, John Tatum of Bloomfield, John Thurber of Birmingham and Deborah Wagner of Rochester Hills. The OLC re-elected Ed Coe of Bloomfield Township and Fay Hansen of White Lake Township.

Awards were handed out to Ralph Richard for Outstanding Service, the Charter Township of Waterford for Outstanding Community Partner and the Clinton River Watershed Council (Outstanding Nonprofit Partner Award).

Community Partnership Awards were given to DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, DENSO International America, Inc., Silverman Development, Gordon Advisors, PC, Detroit Lions Charities and Palazzo di Bocce.

Oakland Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax deductible as provided by law. Its mission is to preserve, protect and connect natural areas and open spaces to enhance the quality of life in and around Oakland County. It depends on the financial contributions of members and friends to accomplish it mission.

For more information, call (248) 601-2816 or e-mail folland@wwnet.net. The OLC web site is www.oaklandlandconservancy.org.