ALTOONA OBSTACLE CHALLENGE

Mike and I competed in the annual Altoona Trail Riders Obstacle Challenge at Rocking Horse Ranch. Despite pulling a shoe Friday afternoon, Tucker navigated all 15 obstacles and received a perfect score for the course. This is his second year in a row for winning this event! Rusty decided he had never seen milk jugs on the trail, and refused to walk over them on one obstacle. He did all the other obstacles, but that one falter was enough to take him out of the ribbons. Keeping up the family competition, Mike vows that next year is his year to win! Click here if you would like to see pictures of all the competitors!

SPRING IS HERE - LET'S RIDE

Several noteworthy items to share.... As a testimony of Jennice's abilities, Lisa is thrilled with the progress that her Appy gelding, "Storm" has made during his training with Jennice. She got to ride him for the first time in two years and was amazed with the transformation that has taken place, thanks to Jennice's skills and determination. We look forward to seeing Lisa and Storm on the trails soon!

Also big news, Kim purchased a horse trailer that meets her needs perfectly, so we will be seeing alot more of Kim at the rides and club events.

Each of you is encouraged to participate in our club events... both as a participant and worker. We need all the help we can get to make things run smoothly. Your contributions are appreciated and rewarding.... pitch in and do something for and with YOUR club!

Mystery Map Ride

Several LARA members supported the SHADO Riders Mystery Map ride at Rodeheaver Boy's Ranch on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a 3 hour ride that stretched from the Boy's Ranch property, to Caravelle Ranch and back to the Greenways trails. The course had various obstacles along the way that were fairy tale themed, including the Mad Hatters Tea Party, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star, and the Three Little Pigs.

Following the ride there were drawings for many prizes and a great BBQ lunch. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to put on the event and thanks to all the riders who came out to support their efforts!

LARA Ride at San Felasco

Crummy weather on Saturday helped us decide to change our ride day to Sunday. It was a good choice, because we could not have asked for nicer weather. Ten riders enjoyed the varied scenery and terrain at San Felasco State Park. Half of the riders arrived around 10:30 to find that the others were running late. The first group went ahead and hit the trails, and ended up meeting up with the others at the lunch stop picnic table.

The meeting didn't last long, as there were some pony express riders who preferred the fast and furious pace, versus the geriatric riders who enjoyed a leisurely ride with no speed to blur the scenery. Our paths crossed in several places, and we all ended up at the parking area around the same time at the end of the day.

There were plenty of deer hanging out in the sunny spots, and there was evidence of lots of wild hogs in the area. This is a beautiful park and offers plenty of trails for exploration. Click here to see some of the pictures from our ride... Here are the rest of the pictures. and here are some more

Rewards of Ground Work

We had a BEAUTIFUL day for Saturday's Group Practice at the LARA Arena. Lisa and her young mare, Jewel, got in some good ground work in the morning, and then Lisa climbed aboard for the first time. Jewel was not afraid and didn't offer to buck. We led Lisa around the round pen several times and ended the session on a positive note. Before you know it, Miss Jewel will be on the trail!

Yard Sale Chilly but Fun!

Thanks to our brave members who came out in the cold and wind to check out the deals at the LARA yard sale at Lisa's house. We had some drive by customers who got some really good deals, but it appeared that most of the "wheeling and dealing" went on amongst club members.... remember... one man's junk is another man's treasure! Quite a few customers were interested in horsey items, so we hope to schedule another yard sale when the weather is better. Gather up all that stuff you don't use and we will let you know when the next sale will be held!

OBSTACLE CHALLENGE A HUGE SUCCESS!

If you missed our first Obstacle Challenge, you missed a lot of fun and learning! There were 23 participants with all different skills and backgrounds. The morning clinic was a valuable learning tool, and introduced some basic ground work that helped participants with controlling their horses and getting used to obstacles.

Thanks to Lisa's culinary talents, the particpants enjoyed some good cookin' and shared some social time before the big event.

After lunch, participants navigated through a course of 12 obstacles that challenged their riding skills and horse's confidence. The braveness and enthusiasm of each participant was well-noted! There were some really good riders and horses, and everyone seemed to have a fun day! Click here to see pictures.. you will wish you had been there to share in the fun! More Pictures Album 1, Album 2, Album 3, Album 4

... and the winners are...
Youth
1st- Dalaney Arabie on Diamond
2nd -Brooke Adams on Dooley

Adult
1st -Stephanie Stalvey on Gus
2nd -Lynn Pingel on Louie
3rd -Liz Ferguson on Monarch
4th -John Mc Coll on Andy

In Hand
1st -Catrina Willison with Simon
2nd -Sharron Cribbs with Countess
3rd - Dalaney Arabie with Diamond