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Pre 2022 material from the old website

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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In The Time Before BCHA

archives, Archives-BCHA history /

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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