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NEECA News
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80 Riders Participate in
NEECA Lake Dennison Ride
on 5/15/10!

NEECA's annual spring trail ride up
at Lake Dennison in Winchendon
once again resulted in a group of
happy horses and riders coming
together to enjoy the gorgeous trails
of the Otter River State Forest.

It was the biggest turnout for this
ride ever, with over 80 riders
showing up to take part in this
event.  Mother Nature didn't
disappoint, giving us a sunny and
cool day, with just enough of a
breeze to keep the bugs at bay.  
Lunch was provided  for the hungry
travellers upon their return to the
parking/staging area.

Many thanks to Jean McCurdy for
once again organizing a well-run
ride.  We'd also like to thank
Rosemary Lyman, Monte Roberts,
Helen Hills and Althea Bramhall for
volunteering to help sign folks in
and prepare the food, and Mike
Seitz for helping to organize the
parking  and working the water stop.
 All of the events NEECA sponsors
throughout the year are organized
and run by volunteers.  The money
raised from these activities is used
to help develop the equestrian park.
 If we didn't have  dedicated
members willing to give so
generously of their time and talents,
we would not have the funds to
continue work at NEECA.

Please click here to see pictures
from the 2010 Dennison Ride.  .
RAINY WEATHER
DOESN'T DAMPEN
SPIRITS AT
NEECA'S FIRST
BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL!
In spite of the fact that Mother
Nature decided to gift us with a
week's worth of rain in one day,
a large number of die-hard
music fans and dedicated
NEECA members turned out,
raincoats and umbrellas at the
ready, to enjoy the very first
Bluegrass and Country Music
Festival held up at NEECA.  The
hardy souls that showed up
weren't disappointed because
organizers had put together a
terrific event, including some
great music, good food and
fantastic prizes.

Althea Bramhall and Elwin
Bacon, along with plenty of help
from Julie Caouette and Laurie
Neely,  lined up a bunch of very
talented entertainers, and made
sure there was plenty of good
food available. The event,
featuring bluegrass stars
Southern Rail, the "golden age of
country" sound of Old Country
Road, and the local Knapp Boys
went on as planned with an
enthusiastic audience putting
away their umbrellas by mid
afternoon and enjoying the
music, food and drink served up
at the Equestrian Park arena.
Local banjo player Gerry Stone
and self described "jam player"
Julie Caouette finished off the
day with an informal
performance of bluegrass,
country and old-timey music.
This has been a very busy and
productive year for NEECA so far.  
We've hosted a number of
successful events for our members
to enjoy, raised nearly $5,000
through our fundraising efforts, and
work up at the park site continues
with a lot of exciting new goals being
met.  Following is a brief list
outlining the progress made so far
this year at NEECA:  

*Culverts installed on portion of trail
loop to help dry it out and make it
more passable.
*Safety fence professionally
installed on both grandstands.
*White PVC fencing currently being
installed on side of warm-up area.
This fencing was donated by
Wish-Me-Luck Stable in
Hubbardston a few years ago.
*Elysium Farm, located in Harvard,
MA generously donated a 20 X 60
meter dressage arena that they no
longer were using.  
*Open area at back of park has
been bulldozed and raked.
*NEECA sign installed at end of
existing driveway.
*Information board placed up next to
grandstand.
*Construction of the main access
road into NEECA has begun.  This
new road will be our main entrance
eventually.  We hope to have it
completed by the end of the year.

We have PA speakers and lights
that have also been donated and will
be installed when we get some
poles up near the arena.  We are
also awaiting a solar generator that
is being given to NEECA.  Lots of
exciting developments taking place,
both now and in the months to come!
PARK PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS...
PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR FALL RIDE
Grab your cutlass and eyepatch because this year we're having a Pirate Theme!

Our fifth  annual autumn pleasure ride is currently being organized by Beth Erviti and Susie
Feldman again. As previously, it'll be held at Cutthroat Brook Tree Farm, Athol (the Feldman
place). The date will be October 17, with a rain date of October 24, in order to both enjoy
the glories of an October day and not interfere with hunting season. Registration will begin
at 9 a.m, with ride-out to follow around 10.





Maps will be provided, and the route is self-guided. You may meander around for as long or
as short a path as you like, finding and gathering pirate booty from as many locations as
you can find. Prizes will be awarded to the most successful plunderers.

Trails vary from well-worn gravel truck roads to more adventurous paths through the  
woods. These trails are all color-coded as to difficulty, named,  and referenced on the map.
It's really hard to get lost!

Volunteers are needed to man this operation, as always. Folks who wish   to  attend but
don't want to ride could sign up to manage registration.  A person who can set up a coffee
maker and arrange breakfast would be nice ( then you can ride afterwards!). We need
someone who's willing to collect a lunch count, call a pizza order in, and receive it. A helping
hand or two to assist with parking in the fields would be appreciated, too. If you're interested
in setting out buckets and prizes the day before, or helping to clean the woods up the
following day, that can be done by horseback if you choose  (that way you get to know where
all the prizes are hidden!)
For further information, contact Susie Feldman at 978-249-3096,
bfeldman@mass.rr.com
or Beth Erviti ,  Erviti@GCC.Mass.edu, 978-544-3250.

CLICK HERE FOR TRAIL RIDE REGISTRATION FORM
PICNIC AT THE PARK RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 18TH
EXTREME "WANNABE" COWBOY CHALLENGE

As part of this year’s annual Picnic at the Park, we will be offering riders and their
mounts the opportunity to try their hand (hoof?) at competing in an event similar to the
Extreme Cowboy Competitions that have recently become so popular throughout the
country.  Pete Whitmore from It’s a Pleasure Training, who has competed in regional
and national Extreme Cowboy competitions, will be setting up the course.  He, along
with Ben Buckland, will be there to help participants practice obstacles in the morning.

After lunch there will be a judged, but very relaxed, competition with prizes being
awarded.  The goal is to make it a fun day, and maybe help your horse learn a little
something along the way.  Cost to compete in the competition is $10/NEECA
members, $15/non-members.  Riders under 18 years of age must wear ASTM
approved helmets. All participants must sign liability waiver form, riders under 18
years old need parent/guardian signature.   Please bring water for your horse as there
is none currently available at NEECA, and we ask that everyone please pick up and
remove any manure deposited by your horse in the parking area.

In addition to the Cowboy Competition , we will have a grill going and participants are
encouraged to bring food/snacks and have lunch up at the park.  You may also like to
check out the new trail that has recently been completed.  It will be well-marked and
you can do it in about 30 minutes at a moderate walk. Let your friends, neighbors and
family know about this event, all are welcome to come up and watch the competition,
check out NEECA,  hike the trail, and enjoy lunch with us.

Although pre-registration is not mandatory, we would like to have some idea how
many folks to expect for the Cowboy Competition, so please contact Althea at
takacde@yahoo.com if you are planning to participate, or have any questions.
We encourage everyone to come up and try this event.  It will be a great learning
experience for you and your horse, not to mention lots of fun.  And remember, no
pressure and low-key is the theme of the day.  
          IF THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN, IT WILL BE POSTED HERE BY           
7:30 THAT MORNING.

Entry  fees will be $15 for NEECA members, $20 for
non-members. Breakfast snack goodies will be provided before
the ride, and pizza  will be available afterwards for a $5 fee paid at
registration.
CELEBRATE THE HARVEST
Town of Orange BiCentennial Parade
NEECA will be represented in this year’s upcoming
Orange BiCentennial Parade, scheduled for Sunday,
Oct. 10th.  If you would like to participate in this
parade as a NEECA member, whether riding, walking,
holding our banner, or as pooper scooper (the most
IMPORTANT job of all!!), please contact Lynne
Goodnow, 978-249-7400, email:        
lgoodnow@yahoo.com.

Please note that if you are planning to ride, your horse
MUST BE PARADE SAFE.!    Plans presently call for
riders to wear matching vests, we have 6 or 8 of them,
over white shirts and jeans.  We also have matching
polo wraps that we would like to put on front legs of
horses, and we’re looking into getting some kind of
matching saddle pads.

Parade starts at 1 pm, so participants would need to be
there by 11:30 in order to prepare.  Please let Lynne
know if you’re interested in participating in this event as
soon as possible.