NWahja newsletter

NWAHJA
9/1/2013
Issue 3, Volume 1
NWAHJA NEWSLETTER
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
By: Heather Swope
I hope everyone had a good summer – we got very
lucky by having a nice cool beginning and plenty of rain
for the hay pastures before the heat set in. School has
started for most and hopefully everyone is settling in to
a new routine.
I wanted to let everyone know that NWAHJA this
year is going to try something new and work on electing
new board members at the Harvest Run show. In the
past this has been done at the annual meeting during the
banquet in January. By moving the annual meeting to
November it will allow the newly elected board
members to attend 2 months of meetings with the old
board in order to aid in a smoother transition of duties
and more continuity of leadership.
In order for us to elect in November, the nominating
committee is getting together as we speak and looking
for individuals that want to be a part of the NWAHJA
board. There are 12 positions open with various duties
and requirements to each. The Executive Board
includes President, Vice-President, Treasurer and
Secretary. The other eight (8) elected board positions
are Show Secretary, Awards coordinator,
Sponsorship/Marketing Manager, Banquet Committee,
Website/Newsletter/Prize List coordinator, Show
Positions Manager, Volunteer coordinator, and Summer
Classic Derby Manager.
NWAHJA has worked to keep the board more
cohesive by making 6 of the 12 positions elected in even
years, and the other six in odd years. That means that
each year there are 6 returning board members and 6
new ones coming in. This makes for a board that is
constantly getting new ideas, and yet still has the
foundation of the years past to remain consistent.
There are many opportunities for you to help in
NWAHJA, there are a lot of skills required to make our
organization successful. If you feel that you can help
and want to be a part of a great group, please contact
Karen Davis, head of the nominating committee at
[email protected] . Deadline for nominations is
October 1st. The slate will be presented to the
membership on October 9th via email and on the
website at www.nwahja.com
Look forward to seeing everyone September 21/22 at
the Isuba Valley show!
Heather Swope
2013 NWAHJA President
HORSES FOR HEALING BARN NEWS
By: Karen Davis
Summer was so exciting this year! Our summer
camp ran all summer long every Thursday, with
beginner private lessons being offered throughout the week. Katrina has been busy!! All of the
riders (and horses!) at summer camp loved
learning “The Seven Games” of natural
horsemanship. It was a great way to further our
communication skills on and off our horses.
Ryan’s handsome horse, Lucky, continues to
move forward with his English training every
day. He really is Lucky. Ryan is a great horse
owner! Katrina is attending an Equine
Chiropractic Seminar mid-September in SE
Texas and is very excited to gain more
knowledge in this area!! Debbie is beginning to
work on the October horse show and I’m sure
she will create some fun Halloween themed
classes. Hope to see you all there!
Last Day of Summer Camp
Pictured: Ainsley, Elizabeth, Molly W., Molly D., Megan, Ryanne, and Katrina
DEER CREEK FARM BARN NEWS
By: Megan Morris
More new and exciting things are going on around
Deer Creek Farm. We are glad to welcome our new
members Jessica Killenbeck with horse Sherman, and
Melissa Hatfield and horse Madison. Katy Cushman is
getting back into the hunt field on Fara Furgeson’s
Double Ott, which is very exciting for everyone
around the farm.
Classic, placing 5th out of 15. “It was one of my
favorite shows to ever compete in, “said Megan. We
can’t forget about our amazing “groom” McKenzie
Ford for volunteering to travel and help out. We love
you McKenzie! Our cheering section of the Killenbeck
family, the Erwins, and Sally Lobb cheered us to
victory!
Three Deer Creek Farm riders attended the GO
Preview in Oklahoma City in July. Paige Erwin on her
horse, Honest To Goodness, competed in the
Modified Child/Adult and Thoroughbred Hunter
divisions, bringing home two seconds over fences out
of 21 and a blue ribbon in the Hunter Under Saddle as
well as other ribbons. Maddy Brown riding Pseudo
Secretariat was a star competing in both rings. Maddy
and Durango showed the first day riding in the 3 foot
GO Hunter and Thoroughbred Hunter at 3’ with
beautiful rounds. Lastly, Megan Morris and her horse,
Flicker of Hollywood, competed in her first “A” rated
show. Megan and Flicker were in the Bit O’ Straw
After a lot of hard work at the jump-painting party,
the Deer Creek Farm jumps got a brand new coat of
paint! It was a great way to get a lot of work done.
Then, of course, we had to celebrate by going
swimming. Even though it took a lot of hard work
everyone managed to have a good time.
Deer Creek Farm riders begged for a chance to walk
hounds every Wednesday with Ms. Diane. We had a
blast riding and swimming the horses in the river!
Mrs. Diane’s beautiful filly is just as pretty as ever
and is getting bigger every day! See the Deer Creek
Farm riders in the show arenas soon!
Paige Erwin and Honest To
Goodness
Megan Morris and Flicker of
Hollywood
LM EQUESTRIAN RIDING
ACADEMY BARN NEWS
By: Laura McKenzie
All of our horses and riders are settling into our new
home. We were very busy this summer, moving in,
running day camps (barn camps and YMCA), and
going to horse shows. We had a blast at the 2013
summer classic. It was a great weekend for all of our
show team!
As we are near an end to the summer season, we
look forward the last few shows. We continue to gain
new students and new schooling horses. In addition,
we have recently started our 8-week NWACC
beginner horseback riding course. There are ten
wonderful students learning the basic of horseback
riding and proper care of horses (hopefully we can
keep a few a as working students). Our Facebook
page (Laurel Manor Equestrian) is up and running. We
will continue to add new photos and updates on
horses, students and future events.
RICO ENTERPRISES BARN NEWS
By: Lauragale Ralston
It’s time for another installment of the Rico Barn
News! Our summer has been packed with many
activities and fun. Rachel would like to welcome
Rhiannon Amory's new horse, The Silver Sister to the
barn. Rhiannon and "Reese" are a perfect
pair! Congratulations Rhiannon!
in Modified, champion in 2' Hunter, and champion in
2' Medal! Way to go Kelsie! Jen Sweeny won
Equitation Champion on Sea Kelp. Lauren Maynard
won the Beginner Hunter championship on Prince
Caspian and Lily Hester rode in her 3rd NWAHJA
show on Prince Caspian as well. Great job, riders!
It has been extremely hot here at Rico with little rain
this summer. Near the beginning of the summer, Rico
had their two weeks of camp for both beginner and
advanced riders. During camp we made a hay fort,
took horse quizzes, made lots of crafts, got to ride
many different horses and much more!
We are wrapping up the summer with a show in
Tulsa this weekend. Rico riders are excited to attend
their second HJEO show at River Run Farm. Good
luck, ladies!
In the middle of the summer, Rico riders attended
the NWAHJA Summer Classic and placed very well.
Seventh Heaven won 7 out of 7 classes including the
Baby Green championship with Rachel. Atlas won
Maiden Championship with Rachel as well. A big
congratulations to Kelsie Collins who won champion
Lastly, Rico is proud but sad to report that rider,
Allyson Wettengel, has taken a job in Australia and
will leave in a few short weeks. Allyson has been a fun
and exciting presence in the Rico barn. She is an
inspiration and encouragement to all of the girls and
will be greatly missed. Many blessings to you Allyson
on your new adventure "down under"!
LEGENDS EQUESTRIAN CENTER BARN NEWS
By: Elizabeth Versluis
Over the Summer LEC has been able to take a
rest from shows and traveling which is a good
thing because September finds us with every
weekend full! Morgan Moore and Beauxsoleil are
up first, heading to OKC to compete in Novice at
the Feather Creek horse trials. This is always a fun
location to ride at especially since there is a really
neat duck jump out of the water! Following they
we have the LEC show team going to the
NWAHJA show held by Isuba Valley. Alyx,
Kerbie, Haley, and myself have all been working
hard over the last few months perfecting our
equitation and horses outlines. The last week
Heather and Indy will be heading to AEC's
(American Eventing Championships) in Tyler,
Texas where they will represent Area V in the
novice division.
As NWAHJA's show season winds down, foxhunting and the IEA seasons are just gearing
up. There are still open spots on the Ozark
Legends team for riders capable of only walk trot
canter, cross rails, 2' and the 2'6" classes. Middle
School grades 6-8, and high school 9th - 12th.
Check out their website www.rideiea.org. Shows
are held in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. The
first show in Zone 7 will be in Mt Vernon
Missouri on October 6th.
DAVIS STABLES BARN NEWS
By: Sandra Davis
Davis Stables had an exciting summer with
shows and camps. The new school year has
started and we are looking forward to the
NWAHJA shows to start back up. A few Davis
Stables riders went to Sapulpa OK for a horse
show in August. We all had a great time and
were blessed by unusually cool weather for
August. Sherrill came home with a reserve
champion in short stirrup hunter and some blue
ribbons for her equitation. Courtney Ulrich,
Ashlyn Dillard, Mariel Cooper, Elizabeth Spicer,
and myself all came home with ribbons from
our hard work.
Two of the Davis Stables crew (Ashlyn
Dillard, Mariel Cooper) are going to be leaving
us September 10 to attend Savannah's College
of Art and Design in Georgia. I do not know
what I am going to do with them gone. I could
not have asked for two better people to have
ridden with me for the last 10 years. I am so
excited for them to go out and have this great
experience, but will miss them greatly.
MORNING STAR EQ BARN NEWS
By: Sydney Winburn
Morning Star is in full swing while finishing up
there summer. Ashley Carvin, Abby Stearman and
Sydney Winburn have been working hard and
practicing for upcoming horse shows. This
summer they went to the NWAHJA Summer
Classic and went to Oklahoma City in July.
Emma Claire is now into the world of cantering
and cross rails on Eva Kenevil! Her and Eva
make a great pair and are learning so much.
Jandji Lynn Campbell rode Gulf Lite and
Morning Star Surfer Girl in Oklahoma City. Both
were very successful. Ashley Carvin rode Native
Talent in the jumper classes and in two mini
medals coming out of the medals with a first and
a
third. Abby Stearman rode in the Intermediate
division and 2 mini medals and got first and third
and Sydney Winburn rode in the intermediate and
2 Mimi medals
and got two seconds. They all qualified for the
OHJA and HJEO medals from the fall finale in
Tulsa. Right now they are preparing to go to
Bixby in September.
Emma Claire is now cantering and jumping
cross rails and is doing great! Ashley is also
enjoying her first semester in college.
ISUBA VALLEY HORSE PARK BARN NEWS
By: Cortney Rogers
Isuba Valley Horse Park has been bustling with events.
Please join us for the NWAHJA sanctioned show Sept
21st and 22nd as well as Horses for Healing's NWAHJA
show Oct. 19th and 20th. There is an equine event pretty
much every weekend. Oct. 5th is the ANWARC Gaited
Horse Show and barrel races are every Saturday in
November as well as the popular Isuba Valley Dash for
Cash Winter Barrel Series every other Thursday night
starting Nov. 7th. There is something at the Horse Park
for all disciplines. Like us on Facebook to keep up with
our busy schedule.
Horses For Sale
Isuba Valley Horse Park
Isuba Valley offers these beautiful and talented equines
for sale.
Akatschi's Peace-9 yr. old Chestnut Hanoverian with
blaze and stockings. Beemer has the biggest heart and is
very willing to please. He is happy toting beginners over
cross rails or jumping 4'. He has a very round bascule
when he jumps and a nice lead change. He is a very flat
kneed and floaty mover. Beemer has shown very
successfully in his career winning multiple Champion
awards in Hunters and Jumpers and does amazing in
Dressage. $10,000.
Prideandpoise- 11 yr. old Bay thoroughbred. Pride is a
very sweet boy. He has been used in jumping
demonstrations in front of hundreds of kids and is
unflappable. He is trained and has competed very
successfully in Eventing, Hunters, and Jumpers with lots
of Champion awards. $7,000.
UA Dirty Dancing- 6 yr. old Chestnut Appendix
Quarter Horse. Dancer is brave and an amazing mover.
She has nice flat knees and great ground manners.
Dancer received a year end award for her very first year
of showing. She is an uncomplicated ride and was ridden
by a 15 year old in her maiden year. Dancer is a talented
jumper with a great personality. $6000
El Silverado- 12 yr. old. Gray Thoroughbred. Silver
competed very successfully his first year of showing. He
moved quickly to the 2' 3" level. I use him in my lesson
program. He is a favorite because he is such a nice horse
to ride. He has lead changes and places well on the flat.
He has also been roped off of because he is just that easy
going. $6000
Don't Judge Me- 10 yr. old Chestnut with blaze and
stockings Thoroughbred. Judge has good ground
manners and is brave. He has been on trail rides and has
gone over cross rails. He is always complimented on his
movement. He is green. $2000
Contact Isuba Valley for more information at
479.215.7333. These horses are available to try at Isuba
Valley Horse Park by appointment.
Akatschi’s Peace
PrideandPoise
El Silverado
Don’t Judge Me
HISTORY OF FOXHUNTING
By: Elizabeth Versluis
With the fox hunting season coming up this year
why not know a little bit about it. Fox Hunting
originated in England as a pest control for foxes.
Hunt Masters followed foxhounds or other scent
hounds on foot or horseback. 1855, in Australia,
European red foxes where introduced for the sole
purpose of hunting. In present day America it isn’t
necessarily “fox hunting” it’s more like “fox chasing”,
they do not kill the fox for it is not considered a pest.
The hunt season usually start in late October and ends
in late March.
Attire: In England and Wales, only Masters and
Hunt Servants tend to wear red coats or the hunt
livery whilst out hunting. Men tend to wear black coats,
with or without hunt buttons. Ladies generally wear
colored collars on their black or navy coats. These
help them stand out from the rest of the field. The
Masters wear a scarlet coat with four brass buttons
while the huntsman and other professional staff wear
five. Amateur whippers-in also wear four buttons.
Some people where stock-ties, they are long pieces if
cloth folded and knotted to where it keeps you warm
and look nice. It was originally warn in case of
emergency, it could be used as a sling, bandage, wrap,
rein, or anything else helpful.
A VISIT TO REMEMBER
By: Jessica Killenbeck
It’s always interesting to see how other hunter
jumper associations run their shows. It’s even
more interesting to look at and assess their riders
and their horses. This August a group of us were
able to go to a rated show sponsored by the South
Florida Hunter Jumper Association. Even more
exciting was the fact that the show was at the
Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
Four of us were in Palm Beach and went to the
show: Paige Erwin, Jessica Killenbeck, and Megan
Morris from Deer Creek, and our dear friend Ellie
Toothaker from Always August Farms. Ellie is
primarily a three day eventer who once rode in
NWAHJA shows, so we feel like she is part of the
NWAHJA family.
The Palm Beach International Equestrian
Center is an incredible facility. It has multiple
regulation size rings with extraordinary footing.
The jumps are well made and the courses were all
challenging. It was an incredibly hot August day
in Florida and everyone was concerned about the
heat. But the show organizers did a great job of
pacing the competition and everyone seemed to
enjoy the event.
Two things were especially interesting; first the
chance to see and assess riders and horses who
were competing in an event held in the heart of
the hunter jumper centers of the nation. The
Palm Beach International Center is actually in
Wellington, Florida, a town that gives new
meaning to the phrase horse crazy. All of the
roads leading to the Center had signage and speed
bumps dedicated to one thing: horse and riders
have the right of way, and cars and drivers should
watch out for them!
It was quite clear that many of the horses at the
show were the kinds of horses that frequent the A
circuit. They carried themselves in the way one
would expect of high quality stock. It was also
quite clear that the riders, while having the
advantage of their location and their horses, were
just like us: people who cared about riding and
competing, sharing our love or horses. At the
same time, it seemed clear to all of us that the best
of us from NWAHJA could hold our own in
terms of our riding ability and our dedication to
doing our best.
The most surprising thing was our collective
judgment that the South Florida Association
certainly did not do any better than NWAHJA
running its show. Quite frankly, they did not do
as good a job as we do. There were far too many
delays and not very much communication in
terms of announcing the classes and the schedule.
This may be “horse country” and the people and
horses may have been “top drawer,” but they
certainly had nothing on us!
SHERMAN, THE RESCUE HORSE
By: Jessica Killenbeck
My friend, and one of my long-time horse mentors,
Ms. Le Ann Box of Eagles Nest Draft Rehab and
Sanctuary (ENDRS), introduced me to Sherman this
past June. Sherman is now a nearly four-year-old
Haflinger-Warmblood cross who, as a foal, had been
discarded by his owner. He came from a “nurse mare
farm” where mares are kept pregnant for the purpose
of causing them to lactate. The mare’s milk is the
desired product of the nurse mare industry and the
foals they produce are a mere byproduct. The
lactating mares are leased out to nurse “high quality”
foals whose mothers either died or went back to work
in a show arena.
Thankfully, dedicated rescue volunteers across the
country save as many of these discarded foals as
possible. Sherman was one of the lucky ones. We
believe he was first picked up when he was just a few
weeks old, then came to Eagle’s Nest located in
Northwest Arkansas when he was approximately ten
weeks old. During the early weeks without his mother,
he was bottle fed. At ENDRS, Le Ann used
medication to bring Trixie, a gentle draft mare who
was the reason ENDRS was created, into lactation so
she could nurse Sherman. Trixie went on to raise
Sherman as if he were her own, giving him a loving
start in life.
This past spring, Sherman was sent to a Western
trainer for four months who said Sherman is a lovely
horse, but did
not seem to
like Western
tack and
training so he
suggested Le
Ann try English training. That is when Ms. Le Ann
thought of me!
My trainer, Diane Gooderl, kindly agreed to keep
Sherman at Deer Creek Farm so we can teach him
how to be a nice little English horse. Our first job is
to teach Sherman that he is a horse. I don’t know if his
days as a bottle-fed foal taught him that he is a human,
or if this is just his personality, but he is such a
character. He is not just “in my pocket,” rather he
would prefer to sit on my lap and watch the other
horses work in the arena. When we start our training
each day he always looks completely disoriented, like
“why do you want me to act like those creatures over
there? . . . let’s play our own game!” Those “games”
have been productive. He has moved up to enjoying
following Ms. Diane over poles between the standards!
Hopefully he will learn to do this on his own so we
don’t wear out my trainer!
My life with horses has forever been changed by
Sherman. I did not realize such lovely, healthy foals
would ever be given life, just to be thrown away.
I am fostering Sherman for ENDRS in hopes of
preparing him for a loving forever home. I honestly
do not know if I can give up this little horse who has
taken over my heart, but I know he needs a job and a
long term home. We hope to bring him to some
NWAHJA shows, perhaps at this stage just to hang
out at the trailer. Please stop by to see him! He loves
people and will surely nuzzle you from head to toe!!
BE KIND TO YOUR HORSE’S TAIL
By: Diane Gooderl
Did you know it takes about seven years
for a new tail hair to grow to full length?
Recently, I read an article in Practical
Horseman and this fact caught my eye.
Wow, SEVEN years! We must be gentle
with our horse’s tails! Here are a few tips
from the article to help you with proper
tail care:
1. Pick out shavings and hay and
untangled knots daily with your
hands, not a comb. Be careful not
to pull out hairs!
2. Brush the tail only before a special
event using a boar-bristle brush.
Begin at bottom and work your way
up.
3. Wash the tail about every other
week using shampoo and
conditioner, and then spray on a
detangler while the tail is wet.
4. Trim the bottom of tail so that your
horse does not step on it.
All horses look more beautiful with a
pretty, full, long tail. I hope these tips will
help you achieve that extra polish for the
show ring. Remember, SEVEN years is a
long time, so be kind to your horse’s tail!
SEPTEMBER WORD SEARCH
By: Elizabeth Versluis
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Contributing Writer
Contributing Writer
Editor
Elizabeth Versluis
Jessica Killenbeck
Paige Erwin