| Toll Rides (Off-Road) Trust –
formerly South Eastern Toll Rides was established in 1990 by Dora
Pilkington and some other like-minded riders, who were concerned at
the growing amount of traffic on their local roads. Their approach
to local farmers, with the help and encouragement of the NFU, the
Country Landowners Association and East Anglian Farm Rides, led to
the first toll ride being opened on agreed tracks and headlands.
What started out as a germ of an idea on a kitchen table in Surrey
soon began to outgrow its humble beginnings. In just a few years,
dozens of networks of toll rides opened in the South-East. The success
of TROT in the South East subsequently led to growing interest nationwide.
The West Midlands was the next region to embrace the scheme.
Fast forward to late 2005. Eight counties under the TROT umbrella,
a grant awarded by Defra for a Development & Expansion project.
The funding that was awarded in 2005 allowed the charity to not
only develop new routes and expand existing ones, but also employ
a small team of part-time staff. This team of staff continue to
manage an ever growing membership, support the Local Agents, deal
with the day-to-day administration and promote the organisation
- forming a truly rural enterprise.
The scheme works by riders/carriage drivers paying a fee according
to how many miles of toll routes are open in their ‘hackable’
radius. Once a rider/driver becomes a member of TROT they can use
ALL other farm or forestry routes nationwide for no extra fee (Full
& Reduced Rate Members only). Seventy percent of the members’
fees go to the farmer/landowner, with the remaining thirty percent
going towards the costs of administration.
Over the years other schemes have tried to imitate the TROT model,
but none can replicate its success. Avoiding dangerous stretches
of road and providing enjoyable riding in areas where public access
for horses is limited still remains its philosophy 18 years on.
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