Clare Tone

BCHA Gallops Toward 50: The 1990s in Boulder County

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The 1990s opened by showcasing a horse-human relationship in a film that went on to win the 1991 Best Picture Oscar Award. When “Dances with Wolves” filled movie theaters (remember those?) hearts thumped loudly. But for horse lovers everywhere the question remains, did hearts thump louder for John Dunbar or the dun horse ‘Cisco’? It was clearly a dynamic, productive and energizing time for the Boulder County Horse Association, and horse folks throughout Boulder County. The BCHA archives for the 1990s provided me with huge stacks of material. In the BCHA Horse Services Directory from that era it lists: a bale of brome grass/alfalfa mix hay for $4.00 a annual BCHA individual membership for $5.00 horse boarding near Rabbit Mountain for $40/month ($50 in winter including hay)! In the early 90s, Randy Winter was at the helm as President of BCHA. He was followed by Creighton Stewart. After his stint as president, Randy continued to write articles with a philosophical bent for the BCHA newsletter. He cleverly titled his column Centered Writing, a nod to famed New England horsewoman of the time, Sally Swift. For example, in February 1990 Randy wrote: Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. There must have been something over there it wanted. Why does my horse, Gus, move on down the road? Usually it’s because he wants to get home quicker. Why do a group of dedicated people continue to travel the road? It’s to get to meetings….to discuss the future of a bunch of […]

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Local Horse Judging Team Earns National Championship

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For Immediate Release: November 16, 2020 Contact: Kendra McConnell, Coach 303-956-2885 The Colorado Arabian Horse Club (CAHC)/Region VIII Arabian Youth Horse Judging Team dominated the U.S. Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Youth Judging Contest on November 14, 2020. The contest is typically hosted during the national championship show held at Tulsa Expo Square, Tulsa, Okla., however this year it transitioned to a virtual format. The team members competed in both team and individual categories. As a team, they finished second in halter, first in performance, first in reasons and first overall, winning the National Championship by a significant margin. Team member Lily Thomas was named the Reserve High Individual Overall. Contestants from 4-H, FFA, Arabian Horse Association (AHA) affiliate clubs and collegiate teams from across the U.S. and Canada competed in the day-long contest split into three divisions totaling 23 teams and over 100 individuals. They evaluated ten classes of Arabians and Half-Arabians then delivered four sets of memorized oral reasons defending their placings in select classes which are scored on accuracy, terminology and presentation. CAHC/Region VIII team members included Madalyn Gabel of Lafayette, Colo., Jessica Jacobucci of Brighton, Colo., Moriah McQueen of Berthoud, Colo. and Lily Thomas of Longmont, Colo. Ava Wright of Erie, Colo. competed as an individual. Madalyn was ninth in halter, fifth in performance, first in reasons and fourth overall. Jessica was seventh in halter, eighth in performance, sixth in reasons and seventh overall. Moriah was third in performance, fifth in reasons and third overall. Lily was fourth in halter, first in

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A Fire Season of Historic Proportions

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By Clare Tone Photo: Joe LaFollette, temporary pens at Boulder County Fairgrounds It’s likely residents of Boulder County were in a heightened state of wildfire awareness as drought conditions persisted through October and historic wildfires raged elsewhere throughout the west. When the Calwood and Lefthand Canyon Fires broke out in Boulder County in mid-October, the horse community seemed on their toes and ready. Boulder County witnessed a late fire season of historic proportions, and to be sure, the equine community rose up in equal measure to provide support of epic magnitude. On Saturday October 17th, around mid-morning at my house west of Gold Hill in western Boulder County, my landline rang. It was my sister, Mea French, alerting me to a big plume of smoke she saw rising up in the foothills in our general direction. I scooted out to the end of my driveway to have a look. I watched as the wind, blowing strong and hard from the west, whipped the plume ferociously to the north and east. I made a quick call back to Mea. I could see the fire was more of a threat to her in west Longmont than to us southwest of Jamestown. Sure enough, by that afternoon the Calwood Fire had advanced rapidly to the east and by evening had jumped across Highway 36. Evacuations were ordered throughout the area, including the heavily horse-populated regions between Boulder-Longmont west of the Diagonal Highway. The largest-ever horse evacuation in Boulder County history was underway. Friday, October 16, 2020 Boulder County Fairgrounds

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Wildfire Smoke & Livestock

Archives-education /

From UC Davis Severe wildfires expose humans and animals to unhealthy air containing who knows what! These particulates can affect our respiratory systems. There is limited information available to horse owners, but the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine published Guidelines for Horses Exposed to Smoke. Quick takeaways (from UC Davis article Wildfire Smoke and Horses): Unhealthy air containing wildfire smoke and particulates can cause health problems in people and animals. Particulates from smoke tend to be very small, which allows them to reach the deepest airways within the lungs. Wildfire smoke can cause respiratory issues for horses. They may experience reduced lung function and difficulty breathing. Knowing what is normal versus concerning can help to know whether a veterinarian should evaluate your horse. Limit exercise when smoke is visible and give your horse ample time to recover from smoke-induced airway insult. For more information please visit the following links: Quick Reference Guide: Horse Owners Quick Reference Guide: Veterinarians

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The 1980s: Article No. 4 — BCHA Gallops Towards 50

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By Clare Tone Clare is a Boulder County Horse Association (BCHA) committee member and freelance writer living in western Boulder County. In this monthly column leading up to our 50th Anniversary she explores the rich history of BCHA. What does the 1980s conjure up for you—big hair, neon clothing, high-waisted jeans? For me, because I was in school throughout the 1980s, it represents the transition from analog to digital. The 1980s were a decade of acceleration, but nowhere near the pace of how things zip along today with smartphones and ubiquitous internet connections. In some odd, quirky, time-warp way the culture of the 1980s seems the mirror opposite of our culture today during this pandemic time. While the 1980s marked a kind of technical acceleration, here we are right now forced to slow down. Perhaps a slowing down that could bring us into contact with some of the better qualities of the 1980s. As a high school student in the early 1980s my assignments were typed on an old relic of a typewriter. By senior year things were clipping along a little better on an electric typewriter with an automatic erasure key! By college I was bogged down trying to learn MS DOS on the very first publicly available personal computers. Yes, computers were invented by then, but they were so much less efficient than the modes of communication I knew. Supposedly there was some form of e-mail, but most of us kids of the 80s still plugged along slowly to communicate. I wrote longhand letters

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The 1970s: Article No. 3 — BCHA Gallops Towards 50

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By Clare Tone “BCHA is nothing without you, the horse owner and enthusiast who cares enough about your equine friends and their future in Boulder County to join with us in our dedication to maintain our heritage.” –BCHA 1976 In 1971 there were roughly 67,000 people living in Boulder. You could go to the movies for a buck fifty. Rent averaged $150 per month nationally. A gallon of gas cost 40 cents. This was the year the Boulder County Horsemen’s Association (BCHA) was formed, and the first BCHA president, Judith (Judy) Lilly* was elected to the Board of Directors (Photo A). Text from the undated Boulder Daily Camera article states “A Horseman’s Association is being formed in Boulder County and all interested persons are asked to attend the initial meeting Tuesday, February 9th in the Bureau of Standards auditorium… First objective of the organization will be to work with various city, county and private interests to provide a network of bridle trails for Boulder County.” By April, 1971, articles of incorporation were signed and by-laws published for Boulder County Horsemen’s Association, a non-profit corporation: …This corporation is formed to provide an organization and association, not for profit; to stabilise and standardise and stimulate the horsemen of Boulder County…. Even in 1971 the bike vs. horse dilemma was a ‘thing’ in Boulder County. This photograph (Photo B) from the May 4th edition of The Boulder Camera features the 13-year-old son of BCHA president Judy Lilly on horseback next to a cyclist. Notice the external frame backpack on

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City of Boulder OSMP Irrigated Agricultural Lands—An Ecosystem Collapsing

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By Linda P In order to protect those from recent activities reported by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office of over $100,000 of damage to PD mitigation equipment on Boulder County Open Space Lands names and locations have been omitted. Many of us are deeply concerned about the health and future of our OSMP irrigated agricultural lands. Now more than ever it is time to preserve our soils, local food resources, and agricultural history for future generations. We must protect and encourage the purpose for which these lands were purchased. One City-owned Open Space Irrigated Agricultural Property About 30 years ago, our tax dollars funded the acquisition of this property for OSMP agricultural land use and practices. Since 1994, I have kept horses at this property. The pastures were once safe, healthy, and ecologically diverse (see Photo A). The impact of the current unprecedented growth of prairie dogs on these irrigated agricultural parcels is evident in this recent photo (see Photo B). This type of damage to our OSMP’s agricultural lands is unprecedented and unacceptable. This parcel was in poor shape when it came under management of the lease holder. The family worked hard, for several years, to bring it back to a sustainable and profitable operation (see Photo A). Fields were tilled, replanted and irrigated. With great care and respect for the land, the leased parcels became verdant and were able to support cattle, horses, and hay operations. This agricultural operation worked for both parties—it provided income to the family and the City of Boulder. But not only that! It

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In The Time Before BCHA

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Article No. 2: of the BCHA History Series “Galloping Toward 50!” [blockquote quote=”History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.” source=”John F. Kennedy” align=”left”] By Clare Tone Before there was Boulder County Horse Association (BCHA), before there was Boulder County and even before there was a state called Colorado or a place called Colorado Territory, there was this distinct place in the world. A place with geologic, natural and cultural heritage enough to make the mind spin. This heritage sets the stage for all that has and will happen since. To trace the arc of history here is to look through a lens at the interconnected history of horses and agriculture in order to better understand our place now and to create a future worthy of the inheritance of all that has come before. Before white settlers, farmers, and gold miners arrived to create Colorado Territory there were centuries of habitation in this area by native peoples. By the middle of the 1500s the Rocky Mountains of today’s Colorado had already been occupied by Ute peoples for nearly a century. Several distinct Ute bands roamed the Front Range in what would become Boulder County. Following the pattern of the seasons, summer was spent at higher elevations while autumn and winter encouraged migration to lower altitudes, following game to those milder climates. After the 1640s when the Utes obtained Spanish horses, the river valleys became important wintering grounds. By

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Baling Twine—what barn doesn’t have some!

Advocacy-public lands-resources /

By Linda P Recently, looking at a handful of baling twine, it made me recall a post I did quite a while ago, What do you do with all that baling twine?  I thought I would revisit this and share some recycling resources. Baling twine just seems to accumulate, with most of it winding up in the landfill. You can’t burn it, the polypropylene twine emits toxic fumes. Worse, is how it can impact wildlife. When wildlife and livestock ingest baling twine they can become seriously ill or die. Twine also poses a deadly strangling hazard to birds. According to Waste-Not Recycling, researchers have reported that baling twine is responsible for entangling and killing around 10 percent of osprey chicks annually in some states (photo right: © Idaho Department of Fish and Game). I reached out to Kennedy Roddy, Education and Outreach Specialist, Boulder County Resource Conservation Division. I was told that this material is NOT recyclable in curbside collections, and was directed to Waste-Not Recycling in Johnstown. I found they offered a great recycling program, list of collection sites by county, and  information about setting up a program at your barn.  They also offer “Bedder“, an animal bedding, that is dust and spore free. It is excellent for at home, stall or shows; and is 100% recyclable, rapidly composts and an excellent worm breeding environment. Please visit them online to find out more. In addition JAX offers baling twine recycling drop-off at their locations in Fort Collins, Loveland, Lafayette, and Broomfield. What Can you Do? Think about starting a collection area at your barn. We

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BCHA Gallops Towards Its 50th Birthday

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By Clare Tone Feature photo: the author riding Clooney, circa 1974 The year was 1971 and a five-year-old girl was growing up in love with horses in the suburbs of Chicago. She hadn’t yet started weekly horseback riding lessons with her sister, those would start next year. She was shy and butterflies darted in her stomach every time she thought about horses, which was almost every minute of every day. Across the country that same year, in a beautiful hamlet on the brink of a tumultuous transition from rural to cosmopolitan, 110 residents of Boulder County gathered on February 7th at the National Bureau of Standards to form the Boulder County Horsemen’s Association (BCHA). Perhaps it was no fluke that BCHA came into being in what is known today as The National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST on South Broadway in Boulder. This is the place that houses the clock by which all clocks in the country are set. A clock that has ticked just shy of 1,576,800,000 times to mark the near fifty years BCHA has done its important work of promoting, protecting and unifying the equestrian community of Boulder County through education, recreation and legislation. Fast forward to 2020 and that little girl is now 53. She can’t help but imagine back to February 7th, 1971 wistfully, picturing 110 people gathered at NIST dressed in flowing flower-patterned shirts and high-waisted bell bottom jeans nearly obscuring dusty cowboy boots. Although her imagination has always run a little wild she knows one thing for sure: If it weren’t

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