January 2008

Greeting to all from MHJA into the New Year!  I can’t believe we are already planning for another show season already.  And it is shaping up to be another busy year for MHJA.  There are some changes coming this year to how we do things and also some new divisions to look for at the shows.  At the year end members meeting, we on the board tried to listen to what you, the members, wanted and we are working very hard to try and deliver some of these wishes.  This is the only way that our organization can continue to grow and get better.  Thanks to all of you that took the time to attend the meeting and work to make these changes.

RULE CHANGES
Some of the major rule changes concern how memberships are received and also amateur status certification.  Memberships are now due by April 30th of each year.  A new membership form is enclosed with this newsletter so please look it over carefully and fill it out completely..including signing the Amateur Status portion if this applies to you.  No points will be awarded retroactively, so don’t plan on signing up at the first show. If you attend the first show and do not have your MHJA membership card, you will be assesessed the $15.00 non-member fee.  If your application is in process, but you have not received your card, this fee will be refunded.  If you have not sent your membership as of the first show, the non-member fee will not be refunded nor applied to your MHJA dues. Show managers will have membership form available at the shows, but they will NOT be accepting them for you at the show.  These forms MUST BE MAILED to MHJA in order for you and your horse to be registered with MHJA.  If membership forms are received after April 30th,  there will be a $5.00 office fee assessed to the member.  We will continue to offer a $5.00 discount every year at the Year End banquet for memberships for the following season.  All memberships expire on December 31st of  that year.   This all arose from memberships being lost or misplaced at shows and then surfacing months later, after points from other shows had been awarded.  This has been a huge headache for the Points person and we are trying to make things easier on both the show managers and the points keeper.  We know there will be rocky times as we try to implement this, but we are sure it will all work out.

Amateur status is very important to many people who show under other organizations than MHJA.  MHJA has tried to develop guidelines to follow the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) membership guidelines.  Every person who has reached his/her 18th birthday and completes in classes for amateur riders must have signed a current amateur certification issued by MHJA, found on the back of your yearly membership form or downloaded from our Website.  Upon certification, an amateur continues to be such until he/she has notified the MHJA Board of Directors in writing of a change from amateur to professional.  If a rider is found to be riding in amateur classes and is in truth a professional, all points accrued under the incorrect status will be stripped and the member fined $50.00.  There are many restrictions regarding amateur status that are stated in the Rulebook.  Please acquaint yourself with this, or contact a Board Member if you have any questions regarding what your status may be.

There are several other minor changes in rules that were voted on, and the Rule Book is currently updated and available on the Website.  Rule Books will be available for $5.00 hardcopy from any board member.

A list of the current board members is included with this newsletter . Please feel free to contact any of us at any time if you have questions or concerns.

One other rule change that we think people will be excited about is we dropped the language about small classes being awarded ½ points if there were less than 6 horses in a class.  Full points will be awarded for any class and double points will continue to be awarded for classes with more than 15 entrants.

RANDOM COMMENTS
One of the biggest concerns of the members at the year end meeting was the handling of the gate at many shows. Often the gate is being run by a volunteer for the show that has very little experience with horse showing.  The language in the Show Managers packet is currently be reworded so the gate person is aware of the protocol of the gate.  This is really a management issue but many members felt if it were brought to the show management’s attention,  maybe the shows could run a little smoother.  We are very aware this is a problem at many shows.  Also, please remember that these folks are just volunteers and they are giving up their weekend so we can have a show.  Please continue to remember to be courteous to the show volunteers and also to our fellow competitors.  Also, along these same lines,  a new award will be added for the Year End Banquet.  This will be “SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR”  award, given to someone who truly personifies the spirit of MHJA.  This does not have to be a rider, it can be a friend, a mom, a groom, anyone who is helpful and cheerful and works tirelessly (does this ever happen??) at horseshows.  This person will be nominated and voted on at the year end, so be thinking about this as the show season progresses.

Please note on the show schedule included with this newsletter that the PHA series usually held in Corvallis have moved to the Missoula Equestrian Park in Missoula.  Pending sale of the Sapphire arena has necessitated this move as the current owner could not guarantee the new owners would honor existing contracts.  We wish the owners success in the sale of the facility, but we are saddened by the possible loss of such a wonderful show venue.

NEW PARTERSHIPS AND OLD FRIENDS
This is a portion of the newsletter that I am going to try and include new horses and/or horses with new homes, and any news about our members that I stumble across.  If you want anything included in this, please forward to me and I will keep a file for the next newsletter.

Miss T-Bird-previously owned and shown by Lacey Davidson from Butte, has a new home in Billings.  I don’t know who bought her, but I understand she is living like a queen in a heated barn there.  I believe her new owner is a young girl and they are getting along like gangbusters.

Tex, Barb Pearson’s faithful horse show companion, is recuperating from ACL surgery earlier this year.  He currently sports a Mohawk style clip on one leg, but he is getting around nicely and looking forward to once again guarding the horse trailer for Barb when she is at the arena area.

Jenny Carbonari-Ford has lots of new horses and partnerships in her barn in Kalispell. 

Jill Bentley-Lobban  has Sikora a 8 year old mare by Heartbreaker purchased in Germany this summer to do the high junior jumpers
Kayla Seaman has Diamond Gemini a 8 year old gelding by O'Leary's Irish Diamond. Plans to do 3'6" jumpers
Jim Leary has O'Leary's Kidd Diamond a 4 year old stallion by O'Leary's Irish Diamond for Jenny Carbonari-Ford to show in the jumpers
Madison Seaman has Pandora a welsh pony mare to show in the pony jumpers
Rebecca McDonnell has Mowgli a 6 year old Dutch warmblood gelding to show in adult jumpers
Shelby Scoggins has How You Bean a  8 year old warmblood x gelding to show in children's jumpers
Hannah Peterson has Let's Make Magic a welsh pony gelding to show in the pony hunters.
 
Leg Up Stables will also be traveling south to Tucson for 3 wks in February bringing 10  plus horses to show. Melissa Cason with her 2 stallions O'Leary's Irish Diamond and Taarlon. Shelby Scoggins with How You Bean, Jill and Mackie Bentley-Lobban with there horses Sikora, Dream of Diamonds and Beezey.  Jenny Carbonari-Ford with Rumspringa, Cassandra 13, and O'Leary's Kidd Diamond and Rebecca McDonnell with Mowgli.
 
Leg Up stables also had 3 clinicians in this winter,  December 1,2, Rob Gage January 11, 12, 13 Dayton Goresline and February 2,3 Rob Gage again. Monthly schooling shows.  

The following here is from Wanda Rosatti and Full Sail Farm at Polson

My youngster is Coastal Confessions aka Coaster.  He is a 4 yr old Holsteiner by Courage.  My student Ursula may be bringing her 1/4 horse Drummer to the barn.  Our new barn horses are Everlasting Moon ( a 12 yr old POA in her 1st year), Little Miss Magic aka Pearl (a 12 yr old American Indian Horse (pony) in her 1st year) and Hula Girl at Heart aka Calypso ( a 4 yr old Halflinger Mare in her first year). 
Calypso and Moon are both for sale.

Also....Knapweed and Sprite (who won the AHIF youth hunter challenge with Ursula for the Western US) are both for sale.

From Kate Templeman:  Introducing Spacely Sprockets!  I'm very excited about this coming four year old.  Registered with the American Pinto Association, "Astro" (Montego Bay/Frosty) was bred by Teresa Cullis in Ronan.  We purchased him as a weaning knowing that his grandsire, Rainbow, was an imported Oldenburg with both a jumping and dressage performance record.  He has grown into a charming youngster with a great attitude about everything.  Astro will start tagging along to shows in 2008 -- if there is room in the trailer!

CLINICS AND HAPPENINGS
There are currently 2 clinics scheduled for the upcoming season.  The first one is with Gardner Powell, the judge for the MDCTA schooling show, and the second is with Meg Schulman, the judge from the Corvallis show last year. Both of these clinics have contact information listed on the Website.

Gardner Powell will offer a one day clinic in Missoula May 11th.  Gardner is a USEF ‘R’ judge in Hunters, Hunter Breeding, and Equitation.  As a Junior, she won the Governor’s trophy of New York (Equitation Championship) and competed at Harrisburg and Madison Square Garden. Gardner has competed that the Grand Prix level in Show Jumping, and coached Junior riders to numerous Zone and State champions in Hunters, Equitation and Jumpers.  In her early professional career, Gardner trained and competed two Preliminary level event horses.  Her philosophy is to find the right job for each horse and help riders do develop them as athletes through solid and sensible basics.  Horsemanship, Integrity, Fun.

Meg Schulman will conduct a Hunter Jumper Clinic at J/S Sporthorses in Dillon MT on June 28-29.  Please contact John X for information.  This is also detailed on the Website.

MHJA BOARD OF DIRECTORS- click here

UPDATED January 7, 2008