2018 Bears Above the Ground prize list

Sorry for the wonky sizes; I had to take screen shots of the .pdf pages. I think you can click to biggify the pieces.

Party in the park!

The Chehalem Mt. Chapter held it’s annual summer picnic on September 17. This year’s location was Willamette Mission State Park, so some of our members opted to come with their horses and camp (thanks, Karina, for reserving the campsites!); others hauled in for a day ride; the rest came for the food and socializing. We had excellent representation from spousal units and canine friends as well. A total of seven riders got a little wet, but the bit of drizzle wasn’t too bad and kept the dust down.

The meal was held at a picnic shelter with the main menu provided by Wetmore Quality Dogs, a gourmet hot dog stand with something tasty for everyone – even the vegetarians! Members brought lots of side dishes to round out the meal. It was nice to catch up with everyone on their summer activities – even if we did need jackets and blankets!

Sadly, one of our long-time members, Suzi Ronning, is moving with her family to Aiken, South Carolina. Suzi has been a huge part of our dressage/horse community for decades. Aside from competing herself, Suzi has judged, trained, coached, and mentored many of us on our journey with our horses. She’s served in various capacities in ODS, has worked with 4H and OHSET, and has volunteered whenever she wasn’t busy judging or showing. Her bright smile and kindness will be greatly missed, but never forgotten, and hopefully she’ll come back to visit us often. Our chapter is hosting an open house for Suzi on October 8th at Clover Valley Equestrian Center, 14275 NE Tangen Rd, Newberg, OR 97132. Please mark your calendars and plan to stop by any time between 2 and 4 p.m. for some snacks, and to wish Suzi well on her new adventure.

Our chapter Christmas party, a highlight of our year, will be at Jorine Rietman’s house this year (since Suzi is moving), at 14715 SW 133rd Avenue, Tigard OR 97224-8235, on Sunday, December 3, at 4 p.m. We hope to have a big crowd for this fun event!

Check our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Oregon-Dressage-Society-CMC-144815775560523/) for the latest updates to all activities.

The end of an era

This photo of Jo Ann Cooke and her horse Tong Shan was shot just a year and a half ago at Perrydale Trails. Jo Ann was an active and inspirational member of the Chehalem Mt. Chapter of ODS for over two decades. She was inducted into The Dressage Foundation's Century Club as its 160th member in 2014.

Sadly, our oldest member passed away on Saturday, February 25 after suffering a brain bleed that was most likely related to trauma sustained earlier in the winter. Jo Ann's service will be held on March 25 at the St. John Catholic Church, 445 N Maple Street, Yamhill, OR. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Catching up on chapter news

Time to catch up on a couple months' activities!

Our November meeting was an educational one. Patty Cameron from Gallops Saddlery in Tigard joined us for a presentation on bits and bitting. She brought a wide variety of bits to pass around as she talked about their structure and uses. The bits in the photo, although quite varied, are all legal for USEF events.

Our December meeting is always our popular Christmas party, one of the highlights of our "social calendar." On December 11 we gathered in Suzi Ronning’s beautifully decorated home for a festive potluck meal, and followed that with a cutthroat gift exchange and drawings for our “Powerball prizes.” For those who don’t know; CMC members put a ticket in a box for every chapter event they attend, and tickets are drawn at our Christmas for cash prizes; it’s a nice incentive for being an involved member!

Our January 11 meeting had to be postponed until January 18 because of the winter weather. We will be working on everything needed to ensure another successful edition of our annual Bears Above the Ground League Show. This year's show is scheduled for February 25 and 26 at the Yamhill Co. Fairgrounds in McMinnville. Our show is a great warm-up for the show season and we hope you’ll join us. If you aren’t interested in competing, we welcome volunteers!