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!

No hoof, no horse....

That would have been a fitting title for our last chapter meeting, held Monday evening at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. Pamela Smith, certified barefoot trimmer, gave an educational presentation, complete with slides and bones, on the structure of the hoof, the importance of balanced feet, and what to look for in a healthy, balanced foot. We all came away with a greater awareness of what to watch for in our horses, to assure they stay balanced and sound.


Other chapter business discussed Monday follows.

1. It was suggested to the chapter that we schedule a clinic with Kelly Cecil. Kelly is a trainer that works with natural horsemanship methods for groundwork and riding, teaching people how to build a stronger bond with their horse, gain a better understanding of how to 'speak' to our horses, and how to get the most out of our time with them. Kelly works in a group setting with up to six horses (and unlimited auditing). We don’t have an exact price or time yet (sometime in July is what we're shooting for), but Sharon does need to know how many people would be interested in such a clinic. If you’re interested, send her an email at wred.rider@frontier.com. She will let everyone know as soon as we get the time and cost worked out.
2. Clover Valley is hosting a Tack Sale on Saturday, June 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost for a table is $5. Please contact Myla Natvig at 503-260-9425 to reserve a spot. The sale will be advertised via local media. Their previous sale was a huge success for everyone that participated, so this is a good opportunity to sell things you no longer need, or to pick up things you may need.
3. We discussed having a trail clinic at Clover Valley Equestrian Center this summer. More information to follow.
4. Clover Valley is considering bringing in Debbie Spence for a dressage clinic. Because Debbie travels from Washington there needs to be a commitment for 18 rides over a Saturday and Sunday.  If you are interested in riding with Debbie, please send Sharon an email (wred.rider@frontier.com) so she can get a headcount of those interested.
5. Our next meeting is Monday, June 11, at Clover Valley Equestrian Center starting at 7:00 p.m. This will be a business meeting to finalize plans for the Ride-a-Test, and to complete the events calendar for the year. Please bring your ideas for clinics, speakers, or events that you would like to see happen.
6. Don't Forget. The Ride-a-Test is scheduled for July 7. If you have time to volunteer, please contact Jane Baer at englishrose@embarqmail.com.

Hope to see you at the June meeting!

A new partner for our president

In case you haven't heard, our president has a new pony!

Sharon went to Wisconsin to look at a Haflinger mare, but the mare just didn’t work out; they didn’t connect. The owner had this little guy hidden away. She thought he would be a good match for Sharon, and decided to make him available.

His name is Stepke; Sharon says she'll probably call him Steppy for short. He was imported as a weanling from Germany, hence the German name. Sharon was told Stepke means little guy, which is what she used to call Wred. He's five years old now but was just gelded in October; still, he’s very sweet and Sharon thinks he's going to be a lot of fun. He’s been trained to drive and ride, and Sharon had a chance to both ride and drive him while she was there.

Sharon says Stepke should arrive around May 10; she can hardly wait. It’s bittersweet, but she thinks Wred would approve. Both Wred and Stepke were both born on March 31; Wred in '97 and Steppy in '07. Do you believe in magic?

Sharon says, "How could I not have loved this face?"

"He will definitely need some cleaning up."