National Ability Center’s Barn Party raises funds for equestrian program

People with disabilities in Summit County and nearby communities will benefit when the National Ability Center’s Barn Party returns Saturday, June 6, to raise money for adaptive horseback riding and equine-assisted learning at the organization’s Park City campus.

The family-friendly fundraiser will run from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 1000 Ability Way in Park City. Event listings say it will include dinner, live music, a mechanical bull, an auction and a saloon, a mix designed to draw families and donors while supporting the center’s equestrian work.

For the National Ability Center, the Barn Party is not just a social gathering. The money raised will help sustain specialized lessons, horses, facilities and staff for a program that has served people of all abilities for more than 30 years. The nonprofit says its equestrian offerings include adaptive horseback riding, equine-assisted learning and therapy-focused sessions led by PATH Intl.-certified staff using adaptive equipment for a wide range of abilities.

That programming has deep roots in Park City. A Visit Park City account says the equestrian program began in 1988, four years after the National Ability Center was founded, and that an indoor riding arena was built at The Ranch in 1999 to allow year-round equestrian activity in Quinns Junction. The facility has become a key part of the organization’s local presence, especially for riders who need consistent access to adapted recreation and therapeutic experiences.

The broader organization says it is rooted in Park City for nearly 40 years and also operates a satellite location in Moab. It serves more than 5,500 participants annually, spanning competitive athletes, children, active-duty service members, veterans and others. That scale underscores why a single fundraiser matters: community donations help underwrite programs that can be expensive to deliver but central to NAC’s mission of making recreation accessible to people of all abilities.

Tracy Meier, the center’s chief program and education officer, has previously framed the Barn Party as a celebration of participants, staff and volunteers. This year’s event again puts that idea into practice, using a hoedown atmosphere to support one of the organization’s most specialized and long-running programs.