Wisconsin Desert Horse Association www.wdha.net Volume 1, Issue 2 Jan/Feb 2015 Presidents Report Inside this issue: Happy New Year and welcome to all our Wisconsin Desert Horse members and their families. I have been making the transition into my new role as your president and wanted to take a moment to thank our outgoing president, Polly Bonfigt, for all her help making the transition go as smoothly as possible. Thank you Polly! I know I have big shoes to fill and that Polly has worked diligently these past years in office working on many of our committees and being instrumental in the successful events WDHA has held I have been a member of WDHA since 1992. Let me see, that is approximately 23 years now. Wow. That surprised me as well. In that time I have volunteered and participated in many different events from our Rated Show to Horse-a-Rama. I have also been a WDHA Board member and project chair for many different events. My time spent with these events has been a positive reminder of how dedicated and passionate our members are about their Arabian horses. That is why I ran for and was thankful to be selected the president position. I am completely dedicated to the positive promotion of the Arabian horse. Banquet Reminder 3 Horse-a-Rama 4 Club News 6 Bios 7 Calendar Of Events 13 Classifieds 14 Membership 16 Upcoming Events: Region 10 Meeting March 8, 2015 General Meeting March 14, 2015 -Noon
Page 2 A few weeks ago, I was discussing Arabian horses in my barn with a young woman who made this comment: Arabian have the stigma similar to pitbulls for being bad and if I would have never come to your barn and been introduced to your horses, I would have always thought that was a true statement. I was taken aback. It made me realize it was time for the negative stigma to change. We as members, breeders, trainers, and owners of Arabian horses need to step up and change the perception. My challenge to our members is to become more involved. We can make a difference and it is time to start thinking outside of the box. Please come to our meetings, voice your thoughts and share your ideas. The agenda has some very exciting projects and welcome all of our members to participate in these new ventures. I am honored to work with the diverse and talented members on the WDHA Board of Directors. I am excited at the prospect of so many ground breaking projects brought forth by our members. I am especially looking forward to meeting with our members and sharing thought on the future of our breed. The annual awards banquet and gathering is February 14th at the Holiday Inn, Fon-du-lac. In addition to the fabulous awards, we have a wonderful meal, socializing and dancing to a great DJ. I hope to see many of you there! Thank you. Gail Rentmeester WDHA President The next WDHA General Meeting will be held on March 14th at the Pizza Ranch, N139 Eisenhower Drive, Appleton, WI 54915
Page 3 Right around the Corner!
Page 4 Horse-a-Rama WDHA has participated in the past years at Horse-A-Rama with a breed booth and a breed demonstration. We have always had the best stall decoration and breed demonstration of any of the breeds there (as evident by the trail of people following us back to our stalls). The past two years we had even offered a T.A.I.L. program that attracted quite a number of kids. We did a paint the horses so kids could get up close to the horses and hand paint on two great geldings. Last year we offered a hippology event up by the booth that was well received. This year we will be having a breed booth again and are looking for interest in the breed demonstration and / or T.A.I.L. program. We would be interested in adding other disciplines as well. We have had costume, western, english pleasure, dressage, showhack and hunt. If you have an interest in participating we want to hear from you. We even did a western dressage vs. english dressage which worked out well. Horses need to have their coggins and shots and be reasonably turned out for public viewing. The opportunity to introduce and promote the wonderful qualities and versatility of our horses in any positive venue helps inspire our future horsemen and potential Arabian horse owners. Thank you for your consideration.
Page 5 Horse-A-Rama will be held May 2 & 3, 2015 at the Manitowoc County Expo Center in Manitowoc, WI. Set up day has usually been the Thursday with the curtains and big items. The haul in date and final set up is Friday, May 1st. If you are interested in bringing your horse for the breed demo or T.A.I.L. program, please contact Polly Bonfigt or Gail Rentmeester by February 15th. If you would like to help out (in any capacity) and not bring a horse, you are very welcome to do so as well (please contact Polly or Gail for this as well) or if you have any questions. Below is some information on what Horse-A-Rama is and does (copied from there website). Polly Bonfigt 920-973-2425 or pjb_libertyarabians@lakefield.net Gail Rentmeester 920-536-0447 or riding.master@yahoo.com Horse-A-Rama exists to improve the equine facilities on the ground of Manitowoc County Expo, Inc., to promote and maintain an interest in horses, and to expose the public to the varied aspects of the equine industry. It is the purpose of Horse-A-Rama to: Create and improve the horse show facilities on the grounds of Manitowoc County Expo Inc. Promote the safety of horse owners & exhibitors using the equine facilities and to generate interest in and educate the public about horses and the equine industry. Horse-A-Rama, Inc. is a volunteer organization with a 501 (c) (3) status, and a public charity to which donations are tax deductible. All profits from our annual event go directly into the building and maintenance of the equine facilities at Manitowoc County Expo.
Page 6 Club Announcements Be sure to have your banquet RSVP into Shelly Lehman by February 7 th at the latest. Hope to see you there!! The Tack Swap and Fire Safety event held on November at WDHA members Dani and Randy Shaw s Desert Vision Arabian was a great success. After setting up tack and other horse related items in the indoor arena, members and the public enjoyed viewing the Shelia Varian film. WDHA and Spirit of the Arabian Horse Society are planning a spring clinic celebrating health and harmony between rider and horse. Be sure to watch the WDHA Facebook page and upcoming newsletters for details Wanted: Breeding, Training, Lesson or other horse related advertisements. Email information or business cards to the Newsletter editor, Vikki Dalton at: greyhawk323@hotmail.com- Thanks! WHDA Wants You!! As the New Year starts for WDHA, volunteer opportunities are becoming available. Announcements will be available on the Facebook site, WDHA.net, and upcoming Newsletters. Please contact any of the officers or board members or Vikki Dalton with any questions. Thanks!
Page 7 Meet the 2015 Officers and Board of Directors Below are the results from the new Meet the Board and Directors section of the WDHA newsletter. More to come in future volumes. Gail Rentmeester WDHA President How long have you been involved with Arabians? I have been a member of WDHA for 23 years. Tell us about your first Arabian. My introduction into Arabian horses was the purchase of a Half-Arabian mare when I was 11 yrs. old. Competition started for me in 4-H at the local and state level winning top ten honors in Western Pleasure. In 1987, I received my Associates degree in Equine Management and secured by first job with Maranatha Arabians, Round Lake, IL. My love for the Arabian horse was fueled by the magnificent horses and their trainer Juli Goder-Larson. The next position was closer to home at Impressive Arabians, Oneida, WI, working with trainer Andy Amsden.
Page 8 Who was your biggest influence in the Arabian industry? The most memorable experiences working at these farms were the opportunities to attend the larger shows. I guess you could say I had the time of my life. Horses like Hallelujah Bask, Khemosabi, The Chief Justice and Keepsake V all made a lasting impression on me. What are your goals/visions for WDHA for 2015 and the future? To challenge our members to become involved, volunteer and make a difference for the benefit of our club and the Arabian breed How long have you been involved with Arabians? I began showing Arabians at the age of 5. Tell us about your first Arabian My first Arabian was a 3/4 Arabian pony, LV Contessa, aka "Tess". We competed in halter, showmanship, country pleasure and equitation, hunt pleasure, and western pleasure. She taught me a great deal about riding and competing.
Page 9 Who was you biggest influence in the Arabian industry? I don't necessarily have one big influence in the Arabian industry. Each person's advice and instruction have been an influence to my growth and knowledge as an amateur and owner. What are your goals/visions for WDHA for 2015 and the future? I would like to see more of the WDHA membership get involved on the board and at WDHA events. With more involvement, I believe will lead to the growth of our membership. How long have you been involved with Arabians? I have been riding horses since I was 5 years old. Took a break for several years when I was first married and got back into horses about 18 years ago. I have owned Arabian and half Arabian horses as well as many other breeds.
Page 10 Tell us about your first Arabian I bought my first Arabian 15 years ago. He was a two year old gelding, rose grey and green broke. Maybe not the best choice for your first Arab but he is going to be 17 this Spring and has done pleasure riding, showed halter, dressage, hunt, western pleasure as well as trail riding and parades. He has been Kasey s horse for several years now as they made great riding partners. I had a Quarab for many years named JJ that was my best friend and enjoyed english riding, western riding, trail riding, parades, parking cars at fair and did everything I asked of him. He developed Melanoma cancer and I lost him four years ago Who was you biggest influence in the Arabian industry? My biggest influence in the Arabian industry is my sister and brother in- law, Debra and Chris Gray who work on the Michael Byatt Arabians Horse Farm in New Ulm Texas. They had previously worked in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and took Siesta, my first Arab, in for training. They are a wealth of knowledge with Deb doing the breeding program and records and Chris training class A halter horses. They had previously trained horses for riding at other facilities What are your goals/visions for WDHA for 2015 and the future? My vision and goals for WDHA in 2015 and the future is to see the love of the Arabian spirit continue to grow. I would also like to spark interest for the breed in the youth riders out there. We got looks when we unloaded Arabs at youth and 4H events years ago. I would like to reeducate people on the breed and their versatility so the old way of thinking of the Arabian breed is a thing of the past.
Page 11 How long have you been involved with Arabians? I have been involved with the Arabian breed since 1981. Tell us about your first Arabian. My first Arabian horse was 1/2 Arabian/Saddlebred cross by the name of Barons Wild Child, aka Willie, from John White Stables in 1995. I showed him at the rated and regional levels in country, costume, and show hack to the age of 19. He was a strong horse and had a lot of charisma. Who was your biggest influence in the Arabian industry? My biggest influence in the Arabian Industry was not one person or horse but it was the Arabian partnership itself and it members. Let me give you a little history. We, my family, had been showing Quarter Horses, American Saddlebreds, and the 1/2 Arabian pony at Outagamie County 4-H, Open Shows (primarily at Zablockis in Green Bay & Shawano Area Horseman's Assoc), quarter horse shows, and class b rated Saddlebred shows from 1975-1993. We were very active in the Outagamie County 4-H association and I held the position of president of the club and also was involved in the NEWQHA and was a BOD and spearheaded the 'volunteer award".
Page 12 In 1993-1994 we came to a cross road if we wanted to continue on this multi-breed path or specialize in one breed. It was the versatility & sincerity of the breed and most of all it was the people we met associated with the Arabian horse industry that I decided to transition ourselves to the Arabian horse. What are your goals/visions for WDHA for 2015 and the future? In such hard economic times we have been experiencing and the influx of so many breed & cross breed choices we need to be innovative on what we can do to invite people to want to own the Arabian - 1/2 Arabian horse as their breed of choice. We need to continue to promote the Arabian horse through events such as Horse-a-Rama and Midwest Horse Fair, Clinics, Futurity/Maturity Program, High Point Program, Arabian Breed class sponsorships, and supporting our Open Show, Badger Classic, and Dressage/ SHS Shows. You're BODs and committee members have already been discussing options and opportunities at the December and January meetings on different prospects and will look if these can be implemented in 2015-2016. I would like to extend a challenge to "you" to be become a part of these WDHA visions by volunteering at one of the events, attend WDHA meetings, and do what you can to promote the Arabian breed as your breed of choice.
Page 13 2015 WDHA Calendar of Events December 31 2015 WDHA Futurity Nominations due Heather DeVooght January 10 WDHA General Meeting- Stone Toad, Menasha, WI 18 Region 10 Meeting- Clarion Inn, Eau Claire, WI February 14 WDHA Annual Banquet- Holiday Inn, Fon-du-Lac, WI. Contact Shelly Lehman March 14 WDHA General Meeting- Noon, Pizza Ranch, Appleton, WI April 17-19 May 2-3 Midwest Horse Fair Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI- Vikki Dalton greyhawk323@hotmail.com Horse-A-Rama Manitowoc Co Expo, Manitowoc, WI Gail Rentmeester ridingmaster@yahoo.com 9 WDHA General Meeting- Location-TBA 22-24 The Badger Classic Jefferson, WI This is ONE three-day show co-sponsored by WAHA and WDHA. Judge: TBA Prize list at www.wdha.net and www.wisconsinarabian.com June 1 WHDA Maturity Nominations due Heather DeVooght June 10 Region 10 Pre-Show St. Paul, MN Contact 11-14 Region 10 Championship Show St. Paul, MN For prize list & complete information, to www.region10arabians.com WDHA Dressage & Sport Horse Show Waukesha Expo Center, Waukesha, WI Contact Kristin Urban, 920-863-8253 urbankristin@msn.com or Show Secretary Candy Ziebell 18-19 20-21 262-363-3640 tazeq@aol.com Region 10 Sport Horse & Dressage Championship Show Waukesha Expo Center, Waukesha, WI Contact Nancy Miller nmfr7@isp.com or Show Secretary July 11 WDHA General Meeting- Location-TBA 18-25 AHA Youth Nationals Albuquerque, NM Contact AHA for show information
Page 14 August 16-22 AHA Canadian Nationals Brandon, MB Canada Contact AHA for show information WDHA Open Show & Futurity Festival Sunnyview Expo Center Oshkosh, WI Contact Heather DeVooght 920-775-4309 heatherhall@tds.net September 15-20 AHA Sport Horse Nationals Contact AHA for show information 12 WDHA General Meeting- Location-TBA 2015 WDHA Calendar of Events Cont d October 23-31 AHA US National Horse Show Tulsa, OK Contact AHA for show information WDHA Annual Meeting - Location-TBA November 14 Elections held at this meeting December 31 2016 WDHA Futurity Nominations due Heather DeVooght Classifieds Stubben Cutback Saddle 20 wide tree black cutback. Purchased three years ago practically brand new and need to sell, as it no longer fits horse. My loss = your gain. Stubben originally retailed this saddle for $1,900. Asking $500. Contact Vikki Dalton at 20-540-5081 or greyhawk323@hotmail.com
Page 15 Advertising Rates: All advertising is for a six (6) month period. Members: Free Classifieds Free Business Cards $10 Half- Page Ads $25 Full Page Ads Non-Members: $5 Classifieds $10 Business Cards $25 Half Page Ads $40 Full Page Ads Newsletter Editor Vikki Dalton Greyhawk323@hotmail.com 3024A Conesta Dr #7 President: Gail Rentmeester 920-123-4567 ridingmaster@yahoo.com Vice President: Polly Bonfigt 920-758-3990 pjb_libertyarabians@lakefield.net Secretary: Kris Apitz 920-284-2929 krisapitz@yahoo.com Treasurer: Heather DeVooght 920-775-4309 heatherhall@tds.net Directors: Lori Adams (15) Kasey Duzeski (15) Shelly Lehman (15) Danielle Shaw (16) Theresa Ohlrogge (17) Region 10 Delegates Gail Rentmeester Vikki Dalton -Region 10 Treasurer Alternates: Danielle Shaw and Kris Apitz Green Bay, WI 54311 920-540-5081
Page 16