archives

Pre 2022 material from the old website

Liz & Stitch

archives, Archives-Guest articles & contributions, Archives-Youth /

This BCHA Share Your Story is by Liz French Liz French was awarded the BCHA Teen Scholarship in 2018. In her scholarship application she wrote about using the $250 award to further her dream of adopting a wild mustang. Fast forward several years and now Liz is a senior at Silver Creek High School in Longmont with applications out to numerous Universities. Before attending college, she plans to take a gap year to enjoy time with her adopted mustang and to travel abroad. BCHA is delighted to share this Here is an update from Liz on her experience adopting her wild mustang, Stitch. After attending a mustang makeover competition about five years ago, I started learning everything I could about the process of training a horse from scratch. I attended clinics, read books, watched videos, and generally furthered my horsemanship by riding and working with as many horses as possible. When the pandemic hit, I knew I wanted a project to keep me occupied during my senior year in high school and so I took to upgrading my facility to contain a wild horse (when I say “I,” I really mean that I oversaw my ever-supportive father as he built an overhang off our barn and extended the panels to reach the 6 foot minimum required by the BLM… thanks, dad!). Purchasing such building supplies is where my BCHA Youth Scholarship funds were allocated. Once the adoptions started opening back up was when the real work began. The process to adopt a mustang is a lengthy […]

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BCHA Gallops Towards 50: 2010 to the Present

archives, Archives-BCHA history /

A couple of  weeks ago I put the last of the physical archives back in storage. Without tangible clippings, photos and newsletters in my hands I feel my grip on the magic of the past loosening—and perhaps that’s fitting. I turn now to the digital landscape and our amazing boulderhorse.org website. I have to dig a little, but thanks to the vision and technical know-how of recent leaders, I can travel back in time online all the way to 2010. I pick up the thread of history there, and begin to weave together the most recent decade and the years leading up to our pivotal moment in time as we gallop into our 50th year! Floods, Fires, VS, and a Pandemic—Really? The Floods How could any of us forget September 2013. Between September 11–15 more than 18 inches of rain fell in Boulder County and the neighboring front range areas. The historic flooding along Boulder’s 15 drainages, earned its designation as a Federal Disaster Area. In all, 17 counties were affected in Colorado requiring the biggest airlift rescue operation since Hurricane Katrina. Boulder County horse owners had to cope with extremely scary weather conditions, on top of concerns about the health and wellness of their equines and the land they lived on. Foothills communities were cut off and experienced extensive damage. Emergency evacuations were ongoing over the course of several days. Sitting above the floods at an elevation of 9,000 feet, the hilltop pasture at Broken Arrow Ranch provided an impromptu helicopter landing area for crews performing

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BCHA Gallops Toward 50: 2000 – 2009 in Boulder County

archives, Archives-BCHA history /

Against all odds—or so it seemed at the time—the Boulder County Horsemen’s Association (BCHA) survived Y2K. BCHA delivered itself safely into the first decade of a new millennium as a freshly minted 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Shortly thereafter, in a nod to more progressive times ahead, a minor name change reflected major cultural shifts when the organization’s name was changed to Boulder County Horse Association. The new millennium launched with a standing room only crowd at the BCHA’s annual meeting in February 2000. At that time 17 members graced the board. Suzanne Webel was at the helm as President, with Judd Adams, Margaret Lewis and Cathy Swanson in various VP roles. At the meeting: Mary Midkiff and Margot Nacey presented Fit to Ride: Body & Mind The annual achievement award was presented to local equine veterinarian Dr. Nancy Loving The gorgeously glossy millennium edition of the BCHA Horse Services Directory was distributed Notable trends of the BCHA Horse Services Directory showed: 9 listings for acupuncture/herbal medicine/massage and chiropractic 9 listings for Natural Horsemanship (including Tai Chi for Horsemen) 5 listings for equine supplements and vitamins A whopping 10 listings for ‘horse therapy’ Horses and the New Millennium in Boulder County In the years 2000–2003: The  Colorado Horse Rescue moved to its current location on 65th Street in Longmont Local hay cost only $4/bale (but the price was beginning to be unsustainable for some farmers growing and harvesting it) Mounted Search & Rescue was in full swing in collaboration with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office BCHA launched its

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BCHA Gallops Toward 50: The 1990s in Boulder County

archives, Archives-BCHA history /

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

archives, Archives-Guest articles & contributions /

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

archives, Archives-BCHA history /

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

archives, Archives-BCHA history /

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

archives, Archives-Advocacy & public lands /

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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