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eNewsletter
- October
2008 In this issue:
“The Great Escape”
Ultimate Trail Challenge
The NVCEO, in partnership with Fairfax 4 Horses and the Fairfax Co.
Park Authority, has developed and planned what we feel is the “crown
jewel” of trail challenge competitions for the Mid-Atlantic region, to
be held at the site of the future Laurel Hill Public Equestrian Center.
This top-notch event was scheduled to occur on November 8. However, we
have reluctantly decided to postpone the “Great Escape” Trail Challenge
at Laurel Hill until Spring ‘09.
I am sure everyone is aware these are very difficult economic times.
Not only have our 401Ks, IRAs, and savings in general suffered a
tremendous financial downturn, but many businesses are also trying to
weather this slowdown in business and uncertain financial hardships. The
businesses that we had spoken with and had counted on as being sponsors
of our event are reluctant to commit to any significant sponsorship
funds at this time. Likewise many interested ride participants have
expressed that they are reluctant to pre-register due to the uncertain
economic situation. Many riders and businesses have expressed an
interest in both supporting and participating in the event but are
hesitant to do so at this time. We feel that it is in the best interest
of having a successful fund raising event for the Laurel Hill Public
Equestrian Center Fund that we must make the decision to postpone our
event until Spring.
We are confident that both potential riders and sponsors support the
Fairfax County Park Authority efforts to begin improvements to the
public equestrian facility at Laurel Hill, and that they will be able to
participate in this event as soon as the economy turns upward. We expect
that to be not to far into the near future
As a means of showing an equestrian community support for the Laure
Hill Public Equestrian Center we would like to host a charity trail ride
and tail gate event on November 8th. There is no set fee for the charity
ride. We are more interested in sharing this property with the horse
community than we are with raising funds through a ride fee at this
time. We want you to come out and experience this beautiful site, the
initial trails that are being developed, and the vision of the future
Laurel Hill Public Equestrian Center. Pitch a dollar into the hat when
you get there or save your dollar for the rescheduled
Spring “Great Escape” Trail
Challenge, it’s your choice. The only requirements are that you show
up and bring a tail gate dish to share. I think everyone will be very
impressed with the new trails that the Fairfax County Park Authority has
completed. We are working on a course map and a parking area and will
distribute that shortly with more details of the Nov. 8 Charity Tail
Gate Ride.
We hope that you will support this November 8th event even if you
don’t plan to ride. Come out – show your support and be impressed with
what has already been accomplished.
NVCEO
Executive Committee Elections
The Northern VA Coalition of Equestrian Organizations (NVCEO) was
formed as an association of equestrian organizations dedicated to the
preservation and prosperity of the equestrian community in Northern
Virginia. The member organizations of the NVCEO can vary from equestrian
social groups to riding clubs, breed clubs, youth groups, service groups
and other equestrian organizations, such as therapeutic riding
organizations, based in Northern Virginia. In addition to creating a
conduit for sharing successes and building essential relationships
between the member organizations, a functional goal of the Coalition is
to demonstrate the vitality of our region’s equine community and educate
the non-horse community of the importance and value of horses in
Northern VA. Our member organizations do this at the local level day in
and day out through their activities. However, it was recognized that
for our equine community to continue to be recognized this must also be
done regionally from the top down as well.
The successes of the NVCEO are dramatically enhanced by the
participation of the member organizations in the Coalition. The
Coalition is not just another club. The NVCEO is YOU. Your organization
IS the NVCEO.
Each year we ask that you appoint up to 3 persons to represent your
organization on the Board of the NVCEO. This is your VOICE. The NVCEO is
yours. From these Board representatives, an Executive Committee,
comprised of President, 1st and 2nd Vice President, Secretary and
Treasurer are elected to direct the activities of your Coalition for the
upcoming year. It is that time of year again. We need you to submit your
names, of up to 3 people, to represent your organization on the Board of
the NVCEO. Secondly, if any of those folks would like to volunteer to
serve on the Executive Committee for the upcoming year please let us
know.
Please email the names of your organization’s representatives to the
Board of the NVCEO (up to 3 names) to our current Secretary, Anne
Wohlleban, at mtfalls1@msn.com by
Tuesday, November 18. Please also let us know if your representatives
would like to sit on the Executive Committee for the upcoming year.
3rd Annual
Educational Trail Ride
One of the great successes of the NVCEO has been the Annual
Educational VIP Trail Ride. The purpose of this event is to share the
love of horse back riding that we all enjoy with very special invited
guests. Your organization invites influential persons from your
community to enjoy a trail ride with your organization’s leadership at
the Marriott Ranch in Hume. Typically NVCEO member organizations invite
their County Supervisors, key Parks and Planning staff, Park Authority
Board representatives, Economic Development, Tourism directors, etc to
spend a day with the leaders of your organization at the Marriott Ranch.
This is a great opportunity to get some of these key individuals and
their family on a horse, maybe for the first time. We have found this
event essential to building those necessary relationships between the
horse community and folks in our local governments that make decisions
that affect us. At last year’s ride, a Planning Commissioner for Prince
William County said, “after today, it is really starting to make sense”.
Our invited guests spend time with you to learn more about horse and
our activities. They see us trailer in, tack up and get our horses ready
for a ride. The Marriott Ranch provides the gentle broke hoses for the
VIP guests, again, most who have never ridden before. After the ride we
enjoy a fabulous lunch prepared by the Marriott Ranch staff. The NVCEO
provides a guest speaker to have a open Q&A discussion about horses and
our community.
This year’s event is tentatively planned for Spring ’09. Please
consider making this event another success by pledging funds to pay for
the event and plan on participating. If your organization has particular
guests that you want to make sure are invited please send those names to
Anne Wohlleban, at mtfalls1@msn.com
New
Commercial Members to the NVCEO
Our horse community is made up of, you, the horse owner and the
businesses that are necessary to a vital horse community. We encourage
businesses to become commercial members of the NVCEO to support the
mission of the Coalition and help us further our goals.
We would like to thank Leslie Gottesman of “Miles
of Smiles Training” for becoming a new commercial member of the
NVCEO. For more about Leslie and her training program, go to
www.NVCEO.org and click on the link at the bottom of the home page.
We would also like to thank Anne Clark of Keller Williams Realty of
Manassas and Donna Martin of
Blue Ridge
Trailers for their continued support of the NVCEO. For more
information for Anne or Blue Ridge Trailers, go to our website at
www.NVCEO.org and click on “Business
Directory” from the menu.
Fairfax 4
Horses “Entertainment Books”
Once again Fairfax4Horses is selling the “Entertainment Book” to
raise money for the Laurel Hill Equestrian Center. This is a great
money-saving set of coupons. The book costs $25 and it’s easy to save
$200 or more. The general format of coupons in the book is “buy one get
one free” coupons. There are many restaurants from Arlington to Leesburg
to Manassas, and all points in between. Also included in the book are
lots of discounts to area activities and attractions. Papa John's and
Domino's pizza both have coupons in the book, as do retail stores --$10
off a $50 purchase at Dick's Sporting goods, 10% off the total at
Modell's etc. In the entertainment department, you can get tickets at
reduced prices, or a free ticket to George Mason Center for the Arts,
valued up to $54. Coupons for Potomac River cruises and Washington tours
are also included in the book.
If you live in the Vienna area, contact Judy Lamont at
jlamont@sprintmail.com and
she will arrange to get you a copy. You can also order online. Go to our
website at www.fairfax4horses.org , click on Donate, and scroll down to
the Entertainment button That will take you to the website where you can
purchase books online, not only for our area but as gifts for people in
other metropolitan areas from Boston to Denver and San Francisco.
Upcoming
Community Events and Important Dates to Remember (Events are
subject to change! Click on each group’s website link to view status of
the event)
- November 2
- Final Leg of the NVCEO “Crystal Crown Judged Trail Ride
Series” hosted by Nokesville Horse Society at Sky Meadows State
Park
- No. VA Therapeutic Riding Program “Horse Leader Training”
- November 7
- Clifton Horse Society Monthly Meeting
- USTR Monthly Meeting
- November 8
- NVCEO “Laurel Hill Public Equestrian Center Fund” Benefit
Trail Ride at Laurel Hill
- Frida Icelandic Riding Club Schooling Show
- Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Program “Ride-a-thon”
- November 9
- Annual Clifton Horse Society “Bombproofing Clinic”
- November 11
- Loudoun Horse Association Educational Meeting - Alternative
Support Therapies for the Horse and Rider
- November 12
- Nokesville Horse Society Monthly Meeting – Tri-County Feeds
“Early Bird Special Holiday Shopping”, Marshall, VA
- November 18
- Your organization’s appointments to the NVCEO Board are due
- November 19
- NVCEO Monthly Meeting – Elections of the 2009 Executive
Committee
- November 20
- Tri-State Riding Club Monthly Meeting
- December 5
- Clifton Horse Society Holiday Pot Luck and Meeting
- December 9
- Clifton Horse So`ng on Horseback
- December 10
- Nokesville Horse Society Christmas Party, Southern States,
Manassas
- December 13
- December 17
- NVCEO Annual Calendar Planning Session & Christmas Party
- January 31, 2009
- NVCEO Crystal Crown Awards Bruch
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