Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Updates from Leslie

Hello all!
A lot of updates from Ms. Leslie. So not to keep you waiting. Let's dive in!

First up: Our Hunter Pace and the Ruritan Club
Our Hunter Pace is September 11 with a rain date of September 18. This is a fundraiser for the SE Children's Home therapy riding program that we have hosted for nearly 10 years. We've put it on through the auspices of our Ruritan Club, which like Rotary, Lions, and Kiwanis is a civic organization with local clubs that do good works in their communities.  Middle Tyger Ruritan has a long, proud history, but typical of many such organizations, membership is down and members are aging out. Currently, there are not enough healthy enough Ruritans to put on the Pace.
So, 1. I am going to lean on the best barn family in the world to help, and offer a cut rate entry for riders whose parent(s), siblings volunteer while they ride, but 2. I am going to solicit membership in the Middle Tyger Ruritans.  It takes one dinner meeting a month on second Tuesdays, which would be a fun social time for us! Dues are $25 per quarter. Meals are cooked by members and reimbursed by the club, or BBQ is picked up by a club member and reimbursed.  We have a clubhouse and ballfield, and income from a bingo hall which we use to award three to four college scholarships. We also serve meals at Greer Soup Kitchen, help families referred to us by Holly Springs Fire and Rescue or Middle Tyger Fire and Rescue. We can take on other projects that interest members, and kids are not charged dues and can use the activities for Beta Club credit at school!  So rather than just count on you to help pull off this fundraiser, it seems a fun idea to see more of everybody and socialize!  Second Tuesdays at 7, done by 8:30 pm. 
Bob, Laurie, Junior and I, with help from neighbors with permission to ride on the farm, groom about 8 miles of trails, and mark the route with surveyors' tape. Last year we had 119 riders. We need help keeping the parking organized and under control, taking entries, serving the lunch, timing the teams ( this is not a race but the FieldHunters Division is trying to match a time around the course), and doing the half way point 3 min break and beverages.  You will see Engllish, Western, saddle seat and endurance saddles, and all kinds of horses!
 
On another note: Tricks' hunting bridle has not yet shown up. Any help anyone can offer would be much appreciated!
 
On to horse-y news!
August 21 there is a Dressage and CT in Aiken at Jumping Branch Farm. Dressage test $22, CT $45, trailering/coaching $50, horse use $30. I have to raise rates for going out to pay for all the replacement labor at home! Talk to me if you are interested!
Tot asked if Green Creek could hunt here in late August and I have suggesting Aug 28. That is a Saturday so I would like to prioritize riders who have not been able to hunt because they are in school on Thursday and otherwise occupied on Sunday! Please talk to me if you are interested in hunting!
I hope to do our schooling show in October and a three phase for just us in November, but looking at this and thinking about human limits, we'll see!  Paradise Farm in Aiken has a schooling event Oct 23, Jumping Branch a schooling event Nov 20, and Hickory Top is the first weekend in Dec. I would love to see riders who have been to Hickory Top a couple times move up to Paradise Farm and leave horses for new riders at Hickory Top!   
Whee!  Life isn't dull!
Love, Leslie

Sounds like it's going to be a whirlwind of a year! Also let us know if you have any barn announcements. Email Gwen at scotsgrovestables@gmail.com to get your story posted! We're open to guest bloggers as well!


All for now!
Gwen