26 minute read
Partners
Bay State Trail Riders Association
In 2021, BSTRA supported its mission to ensure trails are open and safe for all users, especially equestrians, through numerous ways. Nineteen rides were held in 11 towns and three states with a total of 719 riders in attendance. Local trails benefited from 307.48 hours of work at the following locations: Douglas State Forest, Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) in Douglas, BSTRA Property in
Douglas, West Hill Dam in Uxbridge, Peppercorn Hill in Upton, Hodges Village Dam in Oxford, Inman Hill Wildlife Conservation Area in Mendon, as well in Hubbardston, Athol, Barre, and Thompson, Connecticut.
Seventeen-plus acres in Douglas were purchased to connect the SNETT to town-owned trails behind the schools, keeping the property preserved for future use.
BSTRA donated to support bridge and trail improvements at Mount Jefferson in Hubbardston and the preservation of the Kelly property at Peppercorn Hill. Improvements to the parking field at Inman Hill were paid for by BSTRA.
Let’s work together to make 2022 even more impactful! BSTRA plans to complete the BSTRA property connector trail and the Red Pine Trail improvement, as well as support other areas. We cannot do it without you. Please save the dates for trail workdays scheduled for April 10, April 16, and May 21.
Volunteers are essential to fulfill our mission. Many hands are needed to put on an event. Can you represent BSTRA at a local meeting, mark trails, or help with clean-up after a ride? Assist with fundraising? If you answered yes to one or all these questions, we want to hear from you.
We’re also looking for someone to organize our National Trails Day Ride in June.
The BSTRA volunteer program is a great way to support trails. Volunteers with four or more hours qualify for yearend awards and earn $0.75 per volunteer hour that can go toward membership fees, AGM tickets, ride passes, BSTRA clothing, gift certificates, or be donated back to BSTRA. But the best part of volunteering is you have fun working with others toward a common goal. To learn more, visit bstra.org.
In other news, we would like to welcome Stefanie Covino, Phil Rutledge, and Jane Rutledge to the Trails Committee!
The 2022 ride calendar is posted at bstra.org. Check it often to keep informed and sign up for events. Be sure to like us on Facebook so you don’t miss updates. And, if you have not done so already, please renew your membership.
If you are not a member, consider joining. Not only will you have fun at our events, you’ll also be supporting trail riding and preservation. BSTRA membership also includes our monthly newsletter, The Bugle, reduced ride fees, and the opportunity to purchase excess liability insurance. To learn more and to join, visit bstra.org.
See you on the trails!
Mary Ellen Coyne and Karleen Mohn, winners of the Bay State Trail Riders Association 2021 Trivia Ride.
y Annamaria Paul
On January 23, the winning riders of 2021were recognized during a Zoom Year-End Awards Ceremony.
A complete list of all the award recipients can be found at cdctaonline.com. The Ernie award went to Susan Hawkins and Harmonicat; Trainer of the Year was Jennifer Braiden of Spring Valley Farm; Barn of the Year went to Bit by Bit Stable. Congratulations to everyone!
The 2022 CDCTA Dressage and Combined Training Schooling Show Series will take place on Sunday, May 8, July 10, and October 2 at Treasure Hill Farm in Salem, Connecticut. Everyone is welcome — all ages and skill levels, members and nonmembers. Schooling shows offer the opportunity to polish skills, try a new level, and introduce a green horse/rider to the excitement of competition. CDCTA sponsors day-end, high-point awards, the Thoroughbred Incentive Program, and participates in the United States Dressage Federation’s Regional Schooling Show Awards. Connecticut Dressage Association (CDA) members may use CDCTA shows toward CDA year-end awards.
Treasure Hill Farm offers an excellent showground atmosphere with GGT-footing arenas. Plans are coming together for clinics and events, including the 2022 Youth Dressage Festival. For updates, membership forms, and more information, visit cdctaonline.com and follow us on Facebook.
y MaryAnn Smith
Connecticut Morgan Horse Association
CMHA is home to horses that thrill, and we have an exciting lineup of events for 2022. We’re excited to announce two changes to our programs. First, we’ve eliminated the horse nomination fee for year-end awards. All horses owned by members are eligible for year-end awards. Second, we’ve extended the Morgan Time Recreational Riding Program to match the club year — from November 1 through October 31.
Our club events begin with the Annual Awards Banquet every March. Our annual Hot Chocolate Ride at Hammonasset Beach in Madison is Saturday, March 26. Our Spring Trail Ride is at Pachaug State Forest on Saturday, May 1; members Linda Krul and Celeste Santos-Rivera have a fun ride and lunch planned for us.
The 61st Annual Connecticut Morgan Open Horse Show is June 8 –11 at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. Our committee works hard all year to plan for the show and make it a
memorable event. In addition to a varied selection of classes in the main ring, we also offer a Therapeutic Lead Line class, the Youth of the Year Contest, a silent auction, and parties every night.
There will be two inductees to the Connecticut Morgan Open Horse Show Hall of Fame on Friday night — Stephen Kinney, editor of The Morgan Horse, and Equinox Bossanova, world champion western pleasure horse owned by Christine Nava-Moulthrop of Timber Hill Stables.
In 2021, we added another trail ride to our lineup. This ride is held in October at Patti Brooks’ Hallelujah Hill Morgan Horse Farm in East Lyme, and is organized by Wanda Stazick, our trail committee chair. We’ll ride on the farm’s private trails over to Nehantic State Forest. The 2022 ride is dedicated to the memory of Lance Wetmore, past president of our club, and the date will be announced soon.
Mary Palumbo on Trixie and Erica Korper on Chance at the Connecticut Morgan Horse Association 2021 Hammonasset Beach Ride.
Our annual Turkey Trot to benefit the Sue Brander Sport Horse Scholarship is held the Sunday before Thanksgiving each year at Bluff Point State Park in Groton. Bundle up and join us for a fun ride with friends on Sunday, November 20. All breeds are welcome at all our trail rides and the rides are all affiliated with New England Horse and Trail.
Finally, our club is excited to welcome a new slate of officers and board members for 2022, including Mary Tesla as president-elect, Adam Lagosz as vice president, Colleen Tondalo as secretary, and Jessica Dempsey as treasurer. We also express our sincere gratitude to our continuing and retiring officers, board members, and volunteers.
To learn more about our events and initiatives, visit ctmorgans.org. We’ll see you at a show or on the trail!
y Stacey Stearns
Connecticut Renegades Cowboy Mounted Shooters
The Renegades are anxious to put the winter weather behind them and get back into their saddles. We’ll start with a New Horse/Rider Clinic on Saturday, April 23, at the Old Bethany Airport in Bethany. If you’re interested in mounted shooting but not ready to ride in the clinic, we welcome you to come and learn what we’re all about. The first portion of the clinic is an unmounted introduction to the sport and safe gun handling skills. Clinic participants will learn how to load, unload, carry, and fire a firearm. The mounted portion of the clinic will involve both new and experienced horses and riders. The method of surrounding newer horses with seasoned ones has proven very successful. A gradual progression of gunfire, while monitoring the behavior of both horses and riders, is completed until all the horses demonstrate their acceptance to the new sounds. Those proving their competence will end the day riding at least one simple pattern.
The competition season officially begins on Saturday, May 14, with Smokin’ Guns. Horses and riders will run four different patterns, known as stages, and strive to shoot all 10 targets in each stage. Riding a clean match (no missed targets) is everyone’s goal. Each season welcomes new riders, new horses, and others starting the season at a new level.
Our younger generation of competitors ride as Wranglers until age 12. Riders in the Wrangler class run the same pat-
tern as the adults, but they carry cap pistols or unloaded firearms. This year, the Renegades are proud to welcome a recent Wrangler graduate into the Ladies 1 division. Willow Hicks, niece of club secretary Heather Hicks, has competed with the Renegades since 2015 and will be competing in the Adult division beginning this spring. Her entire shooting family is looking forward to seeing Willow’s progression.
The Renegades always welcome new members. If you have an interest in horses and would like to find out more about our sport, please come to an event and introduce yourself to one of our many friendly members. Riding or owning a horse is not a pre-requisite. Several of our members are nonriders and just enjoy being part of a fun group. For more information about our club, including
Connecticut Renegades member Willow Hicks and her horse, Arwen, will move up to the Ladies 1 division in 2022. Congratulations!
Jeanne Lewis Images
clinic and membership forms, please visit ctrenegades.com or our Facebook page, CT Renegades – Mounted Shooters.
The Renegades would also like to take a moment to remind everyone that life is short — so buy that horse and ride your ride!
y Allison Forsyth
Connecticut Trail Rides Association
CTRA has another busy season planned. We’re planning a number of rides that are still to be finalized, so check cttrailridesassoc.org often for updates!
We have several new members and are hoping to interest more on each ride. New this year is a change to our membership. Due to the rising cost of our insurance coverage for guests on our rides, we can no longer invite guests. However, we are now offering a new way to try us out! If you want to attend a ride or an event sponsored by CTRA, you may purchase a trial membership for $15 for that ride or event. If you decide to join CTRA within 30 days of your trial membership, $15 will be applied toward your yearly membership.
Besides our scheduled rides, we are expecting to have rides at Wadsworth Falls State Park, Tyler Mill Preserve, Bluff Point State Park, Steep Rock Preserve, Pistol Creek in Berlin, Upper Salmon River, and Lower Salmon River State Forest. We’re also planning more activities at Camp Boardman in Goshen.
In addition to trail riding, we also enjoy camping with our horses. This year, members can enjoy camping at CTRA’s Camp Boardman and will also have two more opportunities to camp with their horses, both in June. The first will be at Natchaug State Forest, and the second will be at Machimoodus/Sunrise State Park.
We are hoping more new members will get involved in some of the activities and that some of our more experienced members can pair up with them and show them the ropes. Come and join in the fun!
Connecticut Trail Rides Association members Debra Strickland on Buddy and Donna Santos on Jack at Wadsworth Falls State Park. y Christine Mard
Granby Horse Council
The Granby Horse Council is a riding club based in Granby. We are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate horse owners and the public and promote and support charitable causes in the community. The public is welcome at our
meetings, held the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. In the winter months we meet at the Holcomb Farm Workshop and in the warm months the meetings travel.
Some of the many events planned for 2022 include a parade practice, a sharethe-road event, an obstacle day, an open farm day, and several trail rides, including a beach ride in October.
To learn more, visit granbyhorse councilct.com. We look forward to seeing you at our meetings and events.
Granby Horse Council members Andrea Galuska on Blaze and Allison Forsyth on Tigger in the Southwick 250th Parade.
y Heather Hicks
Since its inception in 1946, the mission of HCRC has been to foster interest in the use, care, breeding, and protection of horses, particularly to foster and support educational media for a general increase in the knowledge of horses and horsemanship. True to this mission, in 1967 the club purchased the house and 48-acre
property of the oldest residence in Goshen, and with many hands, tools, and a bulldozer, began the transformation of abandoned pasture into a field for trailer parking, two large riding rings, and, more recently, two miles of woodland trails with an obstacle course. The original farmhouse, the center of club activities for many years, was dismantled to be reassembled and restored in a new location.
Through the years, the club has offered events for equestrians of all ages and disciplines including open shows, dressage competitions, gymkhanas, obstacle competitions, scavenger hunts, competitive and pleasure trail rides, hunter paces, and a variety of clinics. This year, we’ve scheduled a number of club events including two new clinics designed to complement the evolving interests of our equine community. We’re offering a Jay Quinlan Ranch Riding Clinic on May 28. Jay, a lifelong resident of Western Massachusetts, grew up competing as a 4-H’er and went on to coach successful Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) and college equestrian teams. His current interest is in the western horse performance disciplines such as reined cow horse, reining, and ranch riding. He holds a National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) judge’s card. The clinic will focus on the individual pattern class in the ranch riding discipline, and will include approaching and riding a successful pattern, exhibitor expectations, and showing on the rail.
The other exciting new clinic is being presented by Harmony Horsemanship instructor and co-owner Melissa Ellis. Melissa presents the Understand Yourself, Understand Your Horse, and Understand the Language That Connects You Clinic. She believes this method builds a solid and trusting partnership with your horse built on communication and passive leadership. At this time, no date has been set for the clinic.
The Versatility Clinic and Competition with clinician Peter Whitmore has become an annual favorite. On June 26, the morning session will include instruction on skills and practice with obstacles of varying degrees of difficulty, followed by an afternoon competition in beginner and advanced divisions.
June 12 is the date for the HCRC Fun Day, featuring horseback games, old and new, with divisions from beginner to serious competitor and all ages, including a Lead Line division for the youngest riders. Another Fun Day, hosted by the Hilltown Misfits 4-H Club, will take place in the fall.
Last year, we held our first RideCritique-Ride Dressage Clinic with judge/clinician Suzanne Mente, open to all horses in all disciplines. There was so much interest and enthusiasm from riders that we’ve scheduled two clinics for this season, the first on June 5, then again on August 7. Suzanne is an instructor with more than 20 years of experience teaching riding, equine management, and coaching the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Dressage Team at UMass. She’s been inducted into the Intercollegiate Hall of Fame, is a Certified Level 1 Instructor through the U.S. Eventing Association, and judges school-
The Beehive at the Hampshire County Riding Club’s Hawley State Forest Ride in 2021.
ing shows across New England. The clinic format offers each rider time to perform their chosen dressage test, followed by feedback and advice from the judge. Riders then have the opportunity to repeat the test working to improve the elements discussed with the judge. Entries close on Monday prior to the clinic.
Club-organized trail rides, open to HCRC members and their guests, the Chesterfield July 4th Parade, and a camping weekend will round out our schedule. Our first trail ride is at the Chesterfield Gorge on May 22, when we’ll ride from the Chesterfield Four Seasons’s Club along the Westfield River to Indian Hollow Campground for a trail lunch. On July 24, riders will travel on dirt road and woods trails from the HCRC grounds into the DAR State Forest to the fire tower for a trail lunch and stop for a splash in the lake on return. Watch for more rides to follow in the fall.
Camping weekends will be shared with Barre Riding and Driving Club at Felton Field in Barre and Wagon Wheel Camp-ground in Warwick. Our grounds remain available to members and guests for ring use (including obstacles, gymkhana equipment, and jumps) and impromptu rides throughout the riding season.
Monthly meetings, on the third Wednesday of every month, are devoted to either a directors’ meeting or open to the public with an educational presentation or guest speaker. Meetings are held at a local library or on Zoom.
In 2021, we introduced the HCRC All-Round Horse and Rider Recognition Award. The purpose is to recognize members and their horses for the activities and events they participate in during the year that demonstrate their versatility and involvement. A member can accrue points for a variety of activities and earn medals/certificates for point accrual in various categories ranging from competitive to on one’s own and that include almost anything one might participate in related to horses.
To learn more and to join us, visit hampshirecountyridingclub.org. y Diane Merritt
Massachusetts Quarter Horse Association
We welcome our incoming president, Emily King, as well as several new and many returning officers and board members. We’re grateful for the time and efforts of our outgoing president, Kristen Trudell. Noteworthy is a sad farewell to Toni Gregoire who has served the club for 30 years! It’s the commitment and time of our volunteer members that help keep the club running smoothly. We thank each and every one of you!
We have our lineup of shows for 2022 and would like to thank the management team of Marge and Andy Tanner for their ongoing efforts behind the scenes helping to secure everything we need to make these shows possible. April 8–10 is the Massachusetts Novice/Open/All-Breed Show in West Springfield (Ranch and Ranch Rail classes added); May 5–8 is the Massachusetts Annual Spring Show in West Springfield; July 19–24 is the Region Six Show in West Springfield.
Please see our Facebook page and massqha.com for the additional pointed shows including our annual Amanda Putney Memorial Show, which helps to raise money for our annual scholarship awards. We thank the Putney family for their time and generous hearts.
Wishing you all good strides moving forward.
y Lori Mahassel
Middlebury Bridle Land Association
Is it just me, or did this January and February seem to go on forever? Most likely it was the combination of unexpected negative single-digit temperatures, bone-chilling windchills, treacherous ice, and snow. It made a lot of us reconsider our decision to call the Nutmeg State home during these past two months. But take heart, the calendar tells us it won’t be much longer before warmer weather arrives and we can forget about all the
challenges Mother Nature has thrown our way. It’s safe to say that the reappearance of spring and the opportunity to ride on some of our state’s most diverse and gorgeous trails will make our bad memories of winter disappear.
So, if you’re anxiously looking forward to getting back in the saddle this spring and exploring some of these awe-
some locations, consider joining the Middlebury Bridle Land Association. The MBLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of some of the most spectacular private trails in Middlebury. Working in partnership with the Larkin Family, our members work to upgrade and maintain existing trail systems as well as acquire and expand our riding territory and bridle trails for generations to come. We can always use some help from our members on our trail system, and volunteers are greatly appreciated and welcome.
The MBLA welcomes all disciplines of riders to enjoy our country trails and join in our efforts to preserve and defend our equestrian heritage. Your support is vital! Each day we are losing more and more open space to development, never again to be claimed for riding. Your membership strengthens our efforts in safeguarding our treasured bridle land.
Single membership is $40, and a family membership is $60. Family membership includes up to four riders per household; names and ages of the children are required. Supporting membership for nonriders is $25. Membership and waiver forms are available at middleburybridle.org. Your membership also entitles you to a discounted rate for our Annual Fall Hunter Pace held every September at Larkin Farm.
Our Annual Membership Dinner Meeting, usually held in April, is on hold for now, but we’ll review this decision at a later date. Of course, any updates and changes will be posted to middleburybridle.org and our Facebook page. Current members will be notified of updates via email.
MBLA members extend their heartfelt gratitude to the many generous landowners, especially the Larkin Family for the privilege of riding on their land. Thank you for your support!
Kathy and Anna Lombardo won the Junior division at the Middlebury Bridle Land Association’s 2021 Fall Hunter Pace. y Sally L. Feuerberg
New England Equestrian Center of Athol
NEECA’s board of directors has been hard at work scheduling NEECA’s calendar of events for this year. While we’ve kept some of the golden oldies, we’re excited about the new events we’ll be offering. Following is a brief overview of some of the events taking place at NEECA
in the coming months. For more details on many of these events, go to neeca.org.
The first gymkhana of our sevenevent series will be held on April 24. Lise Krieger of New England Saddle Fit will be doing a saddle fitting demo for us on May 7. On May 21 and 22 we’ll be hosting a
Caroline Mansfield
two-day English/Western Dressage Clinic with Devin Burdick. For something totally new, NEECA will be hosting a Triathlon on June 11, in cooperation with the Athol YMCA. Teams will consist of a horseback rider, bicyclist, and walker/jogger. Times for each team will be combined to decide the winner. We are extremely excited about this unique event and think NEECA is the perfect place to host it.
The Donkey and Mule Show will be held in our back field and on our confidence course on June 25. Then we’ll be heading down to Barre on July 10 to host one of the horse shows in the Barre Riding and Driving Club series at Felton Field.
We were so overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response we received for a Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) Equine Rescue Clinic that we’ll be offering this clinic twice — July 16 and 23. It’s wonderful to see so many horse folks interested in these clinics.
Two more new events are the Micro Chip Clinic on September 10, followed by a Hunter Pace on September 17. Add in a couple of Cash Gymkhanas in June, August, and November; a Poker Ride; the Elwin Bacon Day and you can tell we have a busy year ahead of us. And we are still working on more!
NEECA is a nonprofit organization consisting of nearly 200 members who are developing a municipal equestrian park on 250 acres in Athol. Currently the park offers a 240' x 100' main arena, a 200' x 200' warm-up ring, a round pen, an enclosed confidence course, and miles of trails. The mission of NEECA is to preserve and protect land for equine interests while promoting good horsemanship and educating equestrians for the betterment of the horse, now and for the generations to follow.
A NEECA membership is just $25 a year and comes with money-saving benefits. For more information and to join us, visit neeca.org.
How about a nice massage? For your horse!
Redding, CT (203) 297-3008 kathy.curran@snet.net
Call or email for your introductory offer!
y Caroline Mansfield
Old North Bridge Hounds
We’re hoping you can join us for some fun this spring with the Old North Bridge Hounds. Our club is conveniently located in central Massachusetts and we ride in the areas of Stow, Berlin, Concord, Lincoln, Groton, Westminster, and Carlisle. Our hunt is a drag hunt; no animals are harmed. The hunts include groups that allow riders to choose the intensity level of their ride in the hunt. All guests can call ahead and discuss any questions or concerns with our Master and Huntsman, Virginia Zukatynski. Her number is (508) 751-3315.
Spring hunting starts in mid-April, with rides on Tuesday and Saturdays through Memorial Day. The last hunt is hosted by Virginia at her farm in Berlin. And next year you can always join us in February and March to play and work with the hounds.
We’re having a beach ride at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire on April 9, and we may be participating in a
parade in April as well. Our spring rides kick off with a Poker Ride on May 15 at Great Brook Park in Carlisle. This is always a fun day for riders of all disciplines
Our Hunter Pace series starts with a ride at Great Brook on June 19, with an additional ride on July 17, again at Great Brook with a different course, including new jumps. The series ends October 9 with the last pace event at Red Rail Farm
in Lincoln. The pace covers the Walden Pond area and beautiful woods with lots of appealing jumps. All jumps are optional. The Hunter Pace series, along with providing the regular ribbons, will be adding champion and reserve champion ribbons in all divisions to the highest-scoring riders in the series. More information is available at oldnorthbridgehounds.org.
And, in case you need something else for fun, my favorite, the New England Hound Show is being hosted by the Tanheath Hunt Club at Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, Connecticut, on May 22.
All information, including the fixture card for spring riding and events, will be at oldnorthbridgehounds.org. We hope you can join us for some fun in 2022!
Old North Bridge Hounds Virginia Zukatynksi, Master and Huntsman, with the hounds and Bartok.
y Pat Jackson
Reddington Rock Riding Club
RRRC is a fun, family-oriented horse club whose members enjoy trail riding and community in Stafford Springs. The club is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and the 50th year at its Camp Glazier horse camping facility.
The club was organized in 1962 when a small group of local horse owners decided to ride together as a group and work to develop bridle trails in the area. In 1972, members raised the funds to purchase the 18-acre property located on Handel Road in Stafford Springs. Camp Glazier directly abuts the Shenipsit State Forest with its extensive horse-friendly trail system. The camp has approximately 30 camping lots with corrals, which can be rented for the season by club members. The camp also has running water, a pavilion, kitchen, bathroom, and easy parking for horse trailers.
The club encourages and promotes the sport of trail riding for all ages and protects and improves the equine trail system in the Shenipsit State Forest and around the Stafford/Somers area.
Our season runs from mid-April through November with trail rides, fun days, barbecues, game nights, holiday parties, guest speakers, and other special events such as the Blessing of the
Mounts. The club also participates in parades and National Trails Day.
Our first big event of 2022 combines a National Trails Day ride with the Blessing of the Mounts. Taking place on June 5, we welcome guest horses and riders.
We welcome new members and guests. For more information, visit reddingtonrockridingclub.org.
Reddington Rock Riding Club members from left Eliza Sawyer on Alice, Heather Cunningham on Eden, Chris Harris on Tango, Jen Jacobson on Eve, and Wendy Cahoon on Remi at a trailhead of the RRRC horse camp .
y Eliza Sawyer
Pomfret Horse and Trail Association
On a snowy February day, more than 50 horse lovers braved the cold to watch a
natural horsemanship demonstration at Stargazer Farm in Woodstock. Natural horsemanship emphasizes the use of body language to affect horse behavior. PHTA sponsored the clinic with trainer Danielle Rigby. Danielle began her study of natural horsemanship while working on the film The Horse Whisperer and meeting horse
expert Buck Brannaman. She now specializes in starting young horses and retraining troubled horses.
In a large indoor ring, Danielle demonstrated groundwork exercises for safety and confidence in the saddle. She taught that maintaining a “bubble” of space between trainer and horse was key to teaching respect.
Reviewers commented that Danielle inspired them “to return to groundwork” and that “she was clear, encouraging, and very knowledgeable.” Long after the demonstration was over, Danielle patiently and thoroughly answered questions about training in the 20-degree weather.
PHTA sponsors clinics and trail rides to promote education and trail preservation in the Pomfret area. To learn more, visit pomfrethorseandtrail.com.
Pomfret Horse and Trail Association clinic organizer Dr. Jane Toomey introducing trainer Danielle Rigby in the indoor arena at Stargazer Farm.
y Lisette Rimer
Tanheath Hunt Club
Although it was a cold winter with a limited number of unseasonably warm days, club members have been out riding. We’ve also been busy planning our 2022 schedule of events. We will have three hunter paces this year —April 24 at Douglas State Forest in Douglas, Massachusetts; June 26 at Cedar Rock Farm in Hampton, Connecticut; the final hunter pace, to be held in September, is still in the planning stage.
Luckily, we were able to hunt into December, capping the 2021 season with our Christmas Hunt, held at one of our newest venues — Glen Farm in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. We’ve had two events there and all members attending agreed it was a great location. Riders are able ride through woods, fields, and a vineyard, all with a spectacular view of the Sakonnet River. We look forward to returning this year.
Depending on weather, we hunt throughout the winter but this year’s extreme cold and the accompanying ice precluded that.
Nonmembers are welcome to cap in for a hunt or come to observe, and we encourage riders and nonriders to attend
as spectators. We have hunts starting in April and running through June, and we’ll add more in the coming months.
Despite the weather, Huntsman Sherri Colby and her team have been working with the hounds regularly. It’s important that the hounds get out to exercise, play, and work with each other and the hunt staff. Sherri has been joined by members John and Bonnie Ryan, Leslie Cashel, and other volunteers. The club is always looking for volunteers and help in all areas. Please contact Masters Darcy Johnson or Kara Waldron if you are interested.
Our biggest event of the season will be the New England Hound Show on May 22. The Tanheath Hunt Club will sponsor the Hound Show this year and next. Each
Tanheath Hunt Club Whippers-In John Ryan and Leslie Cashel working with the hounds.
