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Ride the Winds
Topics: horses, riding
Posted by editor Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:20:57 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Tehachapi Western Events Association has picked sites for its two trail rides this year. The first on May 19 will be in the Old West Ranch area of Tehachapi. It will be staged at the home of one of its member's off Tehachapi-Willow Springs Rd. The ride will be in area where the windmills are in plentiful numbers. The October 13 Moonlight Ride will be at an old favorite, the Sheep Trail at the far end of Stallion Springs. Staging will be at the Jack Springs Ranch.

The group also made some minor changes to its July schedule. The July barrel race is now July 14 at the BO-V Arena and the sorting is July 21, also at BO-V.  For more information on this and other upcoming events, call John Nelson at 823-1114 or click www.tehachapiwesternevents.com.

The Lilac Ranch Riding Club is hosting a PlayDay on May 26 and a Trail Clinic on June 26. For more information call Melissa Moors at 822.7062 or visit www.lilacranchridingclub.com.

The Bear Valley Springs Dressage Club is hosting a Spring Schooling Clinic with Flora Jean Weiss on May 19-20. This clinic will give riders an informal opportunity to improve test riding or work on specific trouble areas. The cost is $40 for 25 minutes or $80 for 45 minutes. For more information contact Debbie Popolizio at 821-3410.

Also upcoming at the BVSEC, Matt Sheridan has a Horsemanship Clinic on May 4-6. The Buckaroos have the first of their five ranch sorting on May 20. The others include June 17, July 15, Aug. 19 and Sept. 16. For more information call John Rush at 821-1077. And the first of the Bear Valley Horse Show dates is June 3 in addition to July 1 and Sept. 2. Call CJ Magee 821-0202 for more info.

The High Spirits Therapeutic Riders recently received a $10,000 grant from the John C. Hench Foundation. The High Spirits use horses to work with individuals with handicaps. This is the second time the group has received a grant from the Foundation.

“I nearly fainted when they called to say we received another grant,” said coordinator Alice Coghlan.

Sandy Huskins, a trustee of the Foundation, attended an Open House for High Spirits last year and brought its good works to the attention of the board. She worked as an assistant for Hench, who was one of the original artists for Disney. Hench worked on “Fantasia” and was still working as a Senior Vice-President until his death at 95. He set-up a foundations to give to the arts and it was later amended to include those working with special needs groups.

The High Spirits Riders charges no fee to participate in the program.
“We're strictly donations,” said Coghlan. “We work with both the individuals and their families. It's so rewarding to see improvements by just riding horses. I plan to build some turnouts for our five horses and also be able to give some extra help to the families that participate in our program. We'll start riding again in May.”
If you know someone with special needs, no matter the age, give the High Spirits Riders and Coghlan a call at 822-7272.

ETI Corral 83, Tehachapi Mountain Riders have a lunch ride in on May 3 in Stallion Springs. There's also a ride to Golar Gulch on May 5. Call Susan Wellington at 822-8131 for more information.

It's always nice to know there's enough interest in horseback riding that the ETI Corral 65, the Kern Equestrian Riders was formed. “There was a Corral in this area about 25 years ago but it went by the wayside,” president Sylvia Chavez said. “We had a lot of people still interested in riding and having playdays that it grew from there.”

Corral 65 got its official paperwork to join the National ETI group last August. “It's been a lot of hard work but we've gotten lots of support for the local community,” Chavez said. “We hope to have events that riders will enjoy.”

Corral 65 has events planned for the coming months, including a Playday on May 20. For more information, call Chavez 366-3094 or visit www.eticorral65.com.
The PRCA “Showdown” Rodeo is May 31-June 2 at the Desert Sands Park, Palmdale. The rodeo will include bull riding (Thursday), “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night (Friday), “How the West Was Won Fun Day” (Saturday) and the PRCA Showdown (Sunday). There also will be music and concessions every day. For more information call 575-9899 or click www.showdownrodeo.com.

Don't forget, if you have any information to report on the horse community such as upcoming events, clinics, raffles or you've won an award, contact Jill at 823-1114, fax 823-1115, e-mail jillbn@yahoo.com, or drop material off at the Tehachapi News. Jill and her husband John operate the Bar Double J Ranch on Cameron Canyon Road, raising performance quarter horses (barjjranch.com

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