Is it cold enough yet??!?!?!?!? I am putting on so many layers when I go to play with Jeepers that I can hardly bend over, let alone unhook the lead! She seems to be nice and warm, thank heaven. Has on her new lavender colored quilted blanket, she looks quite fashionable. Jeepers loves this weather, it means she gets to eat more hay….and no work. Hope you are all staying warm.

Plans are in order for the Banquet, and Pam is working on the final list of awardees. We will post the winners of the Year End Awards on the website. Don’t forget to send in your reservation form to Pam. If you don’t have one, just include name, address, phone, email info, along with a check made out to CRDA for $25 for adults and $15 for children (12 and under) and mail to Pam Murray. Her address is on the web site: crdressage.org (since she has a P.O. Box that I can’t remember the number of you will have to do a bit of work here yourself). The Banquet will be held at The Grille at Pinecrest Country Club in Holliston from 12- 3:30. Same place as last year. Address and directions should also be on the web site. Kelli has promised to raid her "wine cellar" for prizes for the Barnyard Bingo. Oh, we are looking for items for the Silent Auction. Do you have something or some service to donate? Do you know someone who has something or some service to donate? Would you be interested in soliciting donations? Contact Pam and let her know at
(508) 429-2096 or email murr56@erols.com.

The list of activities for next year, oops it’s this year already, is growing! We are adding a Used Tack Sale to Adult Camp. Oh, speaking of Camp, Big News Here – through the efforts of our trusty, loyal, and persistent president, we have been awarded a Grant from the USDF! This is Great News!!! Okay back to the Used Tack Sale. It is in the beginning stages of planning. Do you have any horse related items that you would like to move to a new home? Lots of things? Just one? We are thinking of setting aside an area at Apple Knoll during the Adult Camp, May 21 – 23, as the sale area. We will need help in setting this up, keeping track of the things, manning the sale area. You can fulfill your volunteer time this way, get first crack at the stuff, and even squeeze in a bit of auditing.

Adult Camp now includes a lecture/demo on each day during the lunch
break: Holly Mason on flexibility for the rider on Friday; Lisa Keer Carusone on equine massage on Saturday; and Dr. Steve Katz on chiropractic practices as well as saddle fitting on Sunday. Friday evening Jennifer Baumert will give a demo ride on her Prix St. George and Intermediaire champion Weltgraf. Auditors are welcome. Members $15/day or $35 for 3-days; Non-members $20/day or $55 for 3-days. To sign up for Adult Camp or to audit, contact Kelli Mason at (508) 278-9905 or email her at kelli@letterperfectfarm.com. A registration form will be mailed in the Omnibus shortly, or check our website crdressage.org.

We have the Centered Riding Clinic coming up sooner than you think, March 21. Centered Riding was developed by Sally Swift and fits in with every style of riding. It is a wonderful, creative way of understanding how to sit on a horse, how to control your body while riding, and how to communicate better with your horse through body language. This Clinic is suited for everyone at any level of riding, from beginners to advanced. Contact Carolyn Wolfe at (401) 353-1204 or email her at wylecoyote@cox.net. Semi-privates $45 for members/ $55 non-members. Auditors welcome, $5 for members/$7.50 non-members. Deb Moynihan, the Clinician, will begin the clinic with a lecture and unmounted groundwork. Everyone is invited to participate.

The list of events keeps going. The Musical Freestyle Clinic with Kelli has been moved forward a week to April 2 and 3. Friday night Kelli will discuss how to get started, covering everything from music selection to scoring. Videos of some of the best will be viewed and critiqued. Saturday is for trying out music with your horse. Once again auditors are welcome. Friday night only is $5 for members, $10 non-members. Lessons will be semi-privates at $55 for members, $65 for non-members. The price of the lesson includes the Friday night presentation.

Okay, so far we have covered the Banquet, Adult Camp, Used Tack Sale, Centered Riding Clinic and Musical Freestyle Clinic. And this brings us only through May! The Show schedule is May 2, July 25, October 10 and December 5 (hope there is no snow this year). Once again check our web site for contact information and show application.

And the list goes on! We are looking to have Sarah Geikie back in June, just waiting for her to confirm the date. Check with Barbara Gokey at
(508) 883-7511. Lynne Kimball Davis will be doing a clinic August 1, contact Carol Burkhart at (508) 359-9961 or email carol.burkhart@comcast.net. Donna Cameron is working on getting Betsy Steiner (!) for a clinic possibly in September. Stay tuned or contact Donna at (508) 359-5097. And Kate O’Brien has offered to set up a clinic with Melanie Tenney in November. You can contact Kate at (508) 650-4731 or email workmoor@hotmail.com.

Just in case you are interested in checking out one of our Adult Camp clinicians, Jennifer Baumert will be at Letter Perfect Farm for a Clinic, February 14 – 15 (Saturday and Sunday). Lessons $85 for members, $90 non-members. Check with Kelli Mason at (508) 278-9905 or email her at kelli@letterperfectfarm.com.

Just a quick note about the two hour volunteer requirement for eligibility for Year End Awards. Since 2003 was the first year for this, we, your elected officers, did our best to keep track of who volunteered and when. We filled out those pesky volunteer forms and collected them ourselves. We reminded people who had not volunteered, but who looked like they might have the points to win an award, and helped to find volunteer opportunities for them. It was a LOT of additional work. This year, 2004, we will not be doing that. You are on your own. You will have to fill out those pesky volunteer forms yourself, get them signed (at the show or event your are volunteering at) and mail them in to Carol Burkhart. We are including the form in the Omnibus, as well as on our web site. We will have the forms at shows, but it will be your responsibility to fill them out and get them signed and mailed to Carol.

I sincerely hope that each and every one gets the opportunity to participate in something this year. We do have a lot of activities coming up this year. If we are not offering something you are interested in, let me know.

See you in the saddle
Jamie

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