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.

An invitation to Kristy DeVries' memorial service

Dirk DeVries called this morning to invite us all to Kristy’s memorial service. It will be held at OHSU this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. All the information (along with a wonderful homage under 'OBITUARY') is listed at:

http://kittykitkristy.wix.com/inlovingmemory

Please note the request to RSVP if you plan to attend, so enough chairs and refreshments can be arranged.

Heavy hearts this Christmas

There is no good time to lose a spouse, a friend, a chapter member, a horsewoman. But there are truly terrible times to suffer such a loss, and this close to Christmas, this close to retirement and all the fun and freedom anticipated in that change, must be one of the worst.

On Monday we lost Chehalem Mountain Chapter member Kristy DeVries (local news report here).  She was new to our chapter, but had jumped in with both feet, volunteering to be our "Media Queen" by making sure our chapter news was distributed around the internet (and prompting the revival of this blog). She was with us at our annual Christmas party, in the thick of the cutthroat gift exchange, delighted to end up with winter riding gloves in purple, her favorite color. To learn that she was gone just eight days later came as a shock to all of us, from those who knew her well to those of us who felt a connection and were looking forward to getting to know her better. Our aching hearts go out to her husband, who is experiencing the biggest loss.

“So you must match time's swiftness with your speed in using it, and you must drink quickly as though from a rapid stream that will not always flow.”

—Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

Summery summary

Sorry for dropping the ball blog there for awhile; it's been a busy summer!

"Sometimes it just pays to show up!" says Suzi

Congrats to Suzi and Felino for winning their Fourth Level class and the Fourth Level High Point Award at the Letter Perfect show in June! They were the only one in their class, but Suzi reports that Felino was a very good boy and they received a very respectable score of 60.4% from Donna Longacre who's a tough judge.

Larry, the Danish x Arabian gelding that Michelle was leasing, sold at the end of June. The new owner kept Larry in training with Michelle and came down for lessons twice a week until the end of July, when he moved home to Tenino, WA. The stall didn't stay vacant for long; within days, Sylvia's horse Cohort moved in. Interestingly enough, Larry's former owner has been able to fill in some blanks on Cohort's lineage, since she is primarily a breeder of Holsteiners.

On July 3, chapter member Jo Ann Cooke fell and broke her left kneecap. Thankfully she has been cleared to ride again, as long as she mounts on the off-side.

Thanks to a lot of hard work, preparation and planning by Jane Baer, our Ride-A-Test fundraiser in July was very successful. The hot, sunny day was filled with rides from 8:15 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Judges Suzi Ronning and Estelle Keating worked with every rider to improve their tests and resolve any issues, and there was much positive feedback. Of course, we couldn't have had an event without a facility. Clover Valley Equestrian Center's Amanda and Chris James were so helpful from beginning to end, and of course they open up their facility for our monthly meetings and nearly any other time we need a place for events. Make sure you let them know how much you appreciate them!

The Wildflower Trace Stable Benefit Dressage Show was held last Sunday. The proceeds from this show – around $800! – go to chapter member Karina Molatore and her husband Paul, who were in a devastating car accident last November. A big thanks to Elyse Evans, her mom, and Bill Burke, who organized this benefit. Chapter members Sharon Knowlton and Marilyn Rodriguez supported it with their entries.

Also last Sunday, Brian McMillen (with four other youth ages 13 and under) competed at the State Fair in the Draft Horse Division after just three short evenings of practice – and won the class! If those big, black Shires look the least bit familiar, you might be remembering another of owner Duane's horses who competed in regional dressage shows – One Mile Joey.

Be sure to mark your calendar for our annual chapter picnic and election of officers on Sunday, September 30. We'll meet Suzi and Jim Ronning's Thornhill Farm outside of Newberg at 3:00 p.m.; CMC will provide burgers and brats, veggieburgers, soft drinks and water. Please bring yummy side dishes, salads and desserts to go with them, and any other drinks you prefer. Also, please RSVP ASAP to Sharon (wred.rider@frontier.com) so we know how much food to have on hand.

For our October 8 meeting, Dr. Jennifer Stoffer will be speaking on Chinese medicine and acupuncture and how she uses them for various treatments. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Clover Valley Equestrian Center.

CMC will once again be putting together a basket for the ODS Annual Awards and Silent Auction.  The theme is "Spa Day For Your Horse," so we need items (or a monetary donation) for pampering your horse. Please bring your donations to the picnic, or the October meeting!

Finally, remember to keep track of your scores from any League or recognized show you attend between January 1 and November 15 of this year. We present high-point awards for each level at the Christmas party, and we don't want you to miss out! We'll need your highest score per level, identified with level, name and date of show, your name and horse's name along with the score for consideration. (Collective marks will be used as tie-breakers if necessary, so hang on to those test sheets.)

Do you have any news or photos to share with the chapter? Send them to Michelle (mmcmillen@macnet). See you at the picnic!

Memorial

On March 3, 2012, our member Shannon Salyer had to say good-bye to her dressage partner Waylon at our annual Bears Show.

Shannon wrote: "Waylon was born Tiz a Roani on January 17, 2001. He was a successful racehorse at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita and Los Alamitos. He was a gift from my best friend Jessica, who drove him 1,000 miles to be with me. He was a kind, gentle soul that taught me so much. He showed incredible potential in the dressage court."

Shannon's brother wrote the following:
"The pain that I felt upon hearing about this is indescribable. My sister lost her best friend yesterday. I'm glad that I had the chance to meet Waylon before he left. Having witnessed Shannon's growth as an equestrian through the years, Waylon was the apogee of my sister's life-long dream. I'm nothing short of proud of her for working so hard over the past 18 years to earn having Waylon in her life. He will never be forgotten."

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We will be meeting for a potluck wrap-up of the Bears show on Monday, March 12, 7:00 p.m. at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. Bring something tasty and join us!

Meeting report

We had a well-attended meeting at Suzi Ronning's home on February 13. Although billed as a "movie night," we ended up taking care of a lot of business before watching a Jane Savoie video on "Rhythm and Relaxation." Fortunately, we had plenty of fabulous munchies brought by members to sustain us while taking care of said business!

The first order of business was welcoming new member Vicki Smith, who came with Maryann. Vicki rides her son’s Quarter horse and will be showing at our Bears show. Eric McKown returned to the fold, announcing that he just sold his young horse, Harvey. Also in attendance were Sharon, Carolyn, Janis, Andrea, Michelle, Patti, Sylvia, Jane, Kris, Joann and, of course, Suzi. Michelle announced that she again has a horse to ride, a Danish WB/Arabian gelding she is leasing. Sharon shared that she is starting to look for another Haflinger, and had photos of a beautiful mare in Wisconsin she is considering.

Sylvia announced that our Bears show is close to full. There may be an issue with haul-ins who have not purchased stalls. We will make sure that riders understand that no horses are allowed in the barn aisles unless they have a stall.

Suzi moved that we continue to use the ODS Bylaws as our chapter guidelines. The motion was seconded by Sylvia and approved unanimously.

We discussed the fact that ODS does not charge a non-member fee at ODS-approved shows. We feel that this should be considered by our parent organization as a way to increase income and more importantly, encourage riders to join ODS.

Jane discussed details of a basic business bank account with Key Bank which would only allow 50 transactions per month. We may run over that around Bears; however, the savings feature is still favorable. The chapter voted and approved it. Jane is also working on a budget for the chapter. We would like to generate some additional income beyond the Bears show, and talked about a ride-a-test event or a Pilates clinic. We decided on a ride-a-test at Clover Valley on July 29, at a fee of $30.00 for 30 minutes. Suzi will judge a half-day, and we will find a 2nd judge/instructor.

Our next event is the Bears show March 3 and 4, followed by a regular meeting on Monday, March 12. This is scheduled to be another “food event,” a potluck at Clover Valley to celebrate Bears and make plans for the summer.

Parting shot; Suzi's cat – shown here with JoAnn - was very much in attendance, too!

Hugs for our president

Wred

March 1997 to January 2012

Sharon Knowlton let Wred go to greener pastures last Friday after the veterinarians at OSU found a cancerous mass in his stomach. Truly, she gave him the best gift, at the cost of her heart.

Sylvia's new ride

He's tall-enough, dark and handsome, and his name is Cohort!

Sylvia wrote: "On September 26, 2011, I sent my beloved Thumper over the Rainbow Bridge. He reports that there are no flies in the pastures of heaven, there are carrots everywhere, and that he thinks he is 7 again like he was when I bought him.

"I had thought that Thumper was probably my final horse, as I had owned him (or vice-versa) for over 17 years. I would have been happy to have another 17 years with him, but he said he couldn't do it.

"So, believing my own adage, 'Don't be afraid to love another one, the magic can happen again,' I went shopping.

"The new boy is Cohort, age four and a half, a plain red bay with a glimmer of a star, standing about 15.2. He is very green. He had 5 weeks under saddle starting last March, then nothing all summer. However, his disposition and willingness to learn are outstanding, and he is sound (cross fingers and knock on wood for saying so) and a nice mover. His daddy is a dark bay Holsteiner who jumps in British Columbia. Mom is 'ISR' with the Oldenburg Society. From what I could find out, that means she was bay, had four legs and a uterus.

"Cohort joins the club at Janet Aungier Dressage, based at Sherwood Stables in Sherwood, OR, where he and I will train with Janet for dressage. I've figured out that Cohort and I can shoot for our Century ride in the 2027 show season, so we will start working toward that."

I think it would be most fitting if that happened at the show that Sylvia named - Bears Above the Ground!

Congratulations, Sylvia, and happy trails to both of you for a long, long time!

He's a real sweetie.

February meeting

We had a FULL house for our February 7 chapter meeting at Clover Valley Equestrian Center outside Newberg. The 25 in attendance included several visitors; we hope they decide to join us as members!

Sharon and Patty recapped the ODS retreat for us. One of the things discussed at the retreat was the Linda Acheson Education Fund. Since Linda was an active member of CMC until she died and we put on the first Benefit Shows, we decided to look into putting on a Ride-a-Test benefit for that fund this summer. Michelle is looking into a judge(s) for that, along with dates that will work. We plan to hold it at Clover Valley Equestrian Center, thanks to our generous hostess!

With the Bears Show coming up on March 5th and 6th, that was a primary item of business. The show still has rides available; the closing date is February 22. We are still in need of volunteers; if you haven't signed up to volunteer yet, please email Janis Worrall at will.janis.worrall@gmail.com.

Lastly we discussed upcoming meetings and events (in addition to the Ride-a-Test benefit). Our March meeting will be a celebratory pizza party at Abby's on March 14 at 7:00 p.m. Our April 4 meeting (back on the first Monday night of the month) will feature special guest Cydria Schaefer to discuss the training she does with body awareness and riding. Towards the end of April we are planning a thermography clinic with Miriah Stuart. On June 25 JoAnn Cooke will host a trail course play day at her arena/farm, and on September 25 we'll head back to JoAnn's for our chapter picnic (with trail ride and elections).

In member news, our treasurer Andrea Onstine is sporting a sparkly engagement ring!
The wedding date is September 17; congratulations, Andrea!

HHR results, meeting report, party promo

The Honkin' Huge Ribbon Show was a success again this year, thanks to decent weather, willing volunteers, and a full slate of competitors. It also added money to the chapter coffers, which is always a good thing!

Our November 1 meeting was a "show celebration" pizza party held at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. We had a great turn-out, and started work on our next show, which is Bears Above the Ground, March 5 & 6, 2011. Carolyn Ritacco has agreed to manage the show; our judges will be Paige Ruhl (Saturday) and Suzi Ronning (Sunday). Since we are returning to a two-day event and this show will be our chapter's only show in 2011, we need you to mark your calendars now so you'll be available to volunteer! It's not too early to let Janis Worrall (will.janis.worrall@gmail.com), our volunteer coordinator, know what job, which day, and what time works best for you. The funds we raise at this show allow us to provide clinics, events, and other educational opportunities for our members, so let’s all pitch in as best we can. Eric has volunteered to haul the show ring to the fairgrounds and to oversee its set-up on Friday, March 4. We’ll need at least four people on Friday night to set up the arena; let Janis know if you can be there to help with that.

We discussed the food vendor situation at the fairgrounds, since people were not happy with the vendor at the HHR show. Carolyn is going to make some inquiries into what other options we might have, in order to have a better menu and a more reliable vendor. We also discussed videotaping for the Bears show. We decided that we could pay the videographer $10 per ride, which would be covered by the office fee we charge, but we don’t want to pay more than what we collect from the office fee. We will seek bids from a few different videographers to get the best deal for the chapter. Carolyn will talk to a few videographers and report back to us in January on her findings and we can decide then how to proceed.

Clover Valley Equestrian Center is sponsoring a tack sale on December 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tables are $5. The sale will be set up in the indoor arena, so you don’t have to worry about rain. The sale is being advertised with flyers and on Craig’s List, so if you have things you’d like to sell, contact Ashley Bertell at aabertell@comcast.net or 503-936-6116 to reserve your spot.

Our annual CMC Christmas party is scheduled for December 5 at Thornhill Farm, starting at 4:00 p.m. The chapter will provide the main dish and beverages; bring a side dish or dessert to share along with a $20 gift if you’d like to participate in the always fun and exciting gift exchange. We'll also hand out awards* and draw the PowerBall winners for the year.

*Special award nominations needed! As yet your awards committee (Janet, Heather and Michelle) have not received any nominations for special awards, such as “Most Improved Rider," "Most Improved Horse," or any other award you can come up with. Be creative! This is your chance to honor your fellow chapter members for something they’ve done that you’d like to recognize.

If you took advantage of the chapter-sponsored opportunity to clinic with Julie Ronning and would like to ride with her again, please note that Julie will be in town during the Christmas holiday and will be available for private lessons December 28-January 2. Contact Suzi Ronning (503-537-6530) if you are interested in reserving a time.

Our first chapter meeting of the new year will be on January 3 at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. We plan to schedule a speaker for that meeting, so stay tuned for more information.

One final, sad note. This week Jane Bauer had to say good-bye to her long-time partner Hoby due to a severe colic. Most of us have experienced the pain of good-bye; we're hurting with you, Jane!