Happy New Year!
My name is Lynn Dow and I was happy and proud to be elected the new president of the Vermont Horse Council at the annual meeting in October. I am a backyard horse owner who has learned almost everything I know about horses from experienced horse people, most of who are, or have been VHC members. I was lucky to have known Clif Murray and Floyd Fuller, founding members, for a brief time. I think I learned things from them both through osmosis, because just being around them was an education. My first exposure to the Council was at the 1986 All Breed Show, at GMHA in South Woodstock Vermont. For years after, I regularly attended the show in different areas around the state. I hope that we can reinstate this annual event in the spring of 2003, and again provide Vermont horse people the opportunity to demonstrate their breeds, and parade their stallions and sale horses.

My goals in this coming year are to improve council communications, and to grow and expand the membership throughout the state.

As the VHC membership grows the organization will grow and strengthen, and regular communications are essential to achieve this. If you are interested in serving as a director for your area, or if you would like to volunteer for a committee or activity, please contact me anytime. Many talented and dedicated horse people join me this year as officers and directors.Vice President, Terry Rose, will head the membership committee. Secretary, Susan McNeill is in charge of our newsletters, and she serves on the safety committee. Sharon McNeil is our returning, most efficient, treasurer, and she assists with the annual trail ride. Karin Lewis chaired the annual ride in 2000 and 2001, and she will return for one more year in 2002. Thank you Karin, it has been the highlight of our past two years. Morris Lasell, Exc. Director and past president will oversee the variety of trail activities that the council is involved with. David Blow heads the Champion Land Trails initiative, and, Rama Schneider is chairing the new website committee. www.vthorsecouncil.org Check it out!

Lynn

Dear members of Vermont Horse Council,
I would like to report the following information regarding the current membership.

We currently have 52 members, including 2 Life Time Members:
Avis C. Bruce-Hurley from Woodford VT
Virginia Lancaster from Woodstock VT

Family = 18
Farm/Club = 2
Individual = 26
Junior = 1
Life = 2
Unknown = 3

Breakdown by County:

Addison = 5
Bennington = 1 Calendonia = 1 Chittenden = 4
Franklin = 2
Grand Isle = 1
Lamoille = 1
Orange = 11
Rutland = 15
Washington = 5
Windsor = 4
Out of State = 2

Specific Interests:

Highway Safety = 2
Education = 4
Horse Safety in General = 15
Legislation = 7
Horse Related Laws = 4
Trails = 18

If you are interested in being on the Membership Committee, please contact Terry Rose at rose@kdpyield.com

As this is a newly revamped committee, this is a work in progress and I encourage suggestions. Currently I am looking for anyone interested in making photocopies and spear-heading membership drives.
Sincerely, Terry Rose

VHC RIDING AND DRIVING PROGRAM

This program was developed for fun and is noncompetitive. There is a one-time fee of $20.00 per rider/horse combination. As long as you keep your membership current you are eligible to report your hours for actual riding and/or driving the horse you are registered with. Upon registration you will receive a VHC Riding and Driving patch along with log sheets to record your time on. Awards are presented at 50, 100, 150, 200, 350, 500, 750 and 1000 hours.
If you are interested in joining please contact: Brenda Lasell, 1031 South Hill Rd., Williamstown, VT 05679 or call 802-433-1344.

I have recently received the following new members into this program:

Karin Lewis with "Ivanhoe" of Claremont, NH
Lynn Dow & "Star Buck Sioux" , West Braintree VT
Robin Severy with "Takoda" of Shoreham,VT.

Award levels were achieved as follows:

* Gloria Mitchell and "Nugget" of Fairfax, VT reached 50 Hours on September 1, 2001.
* Brenda Lasell and "Dominator" of Williamstown, VT reached 2000 Hours on November 15, 2001.

Congratulations on your personal achievements with your horses.
*****************************************

This tale starts at the 2nd Annual VHC Trail ride held at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 22nd, 2001. Thomas Shangraw, a junior member, was attending his first over night trail ride with a borrowed horse named, Jackabee. He had been looking forward to this ride all summer. He helped mark the trail the weekend before with the Lasell's and had spent an evening helping clean stalls earlier in the week.
On this day he had been riding with the Lasell's and had decided he would take the short cut back to camp. (His mount was an older mare and he didn't want to tire her out so he couldn't ride on Sunday.) On his way back he caught up with some of the other riders. At the covered bridge, Jackabee, didn't want to go thru so Thomas got off and walked her across. After he was on the other side he took off his oilskin outback coat and put it across his saddle and walked the rest of the way back to camp. As he was unsaddling he remembered his coat, and discovered it was gone. He realized it must have fallen off the saddle. After he untacked, he got back on Jackabee bareback and rode thru camp looking for it. He couldn't find it anywhere and was really upset by the time the Lasell's arrived back at camp.

Thomas had received this coat from his parents last Christmas and felt real bad to think he had lost it. At the dinner that night, Morris Lasell, announced that Thomas had lost his coat and if anyone had found it would they please return it to him at breakfast. We learned from friends that they had seen it on the ground on the other side of the race track but didn't realize it was his so they left it there thinking the owner would come back looking for it. One party said they saw a pickup drive onto the fairgrounds and around the track, obviously curious about what was going on. A passenger got out, walked over to the coat and picked it up then returned to the truck and drove away. On Sunday, Morris asked again if anyone had found it, but no one spoke up.
Several VHC members and other riders that were on the ride offered to donate money to help Thomas replace his coat. At the end of the ride, Morris went around and announced what he was doing. Everyone he approached eagerly chipped in something. At the end of the day several members presented Thomas with $184.00 for a new coat. Thelma Murray from Murray's Tack Shop in Randolph heard about Thomas's story and sold him a new coat at cost. Thomas had $79.00 left and with much gratefulness he donated this to the VHC Cliff Murray Scholarship Fund. …a generous donation from a fine VHC teen. What a happy coat tail ending!
-submitted by Brenda Lasell