Community News

By Mea French, Easy Riders volunteer and Horse Leader’s Council member   A big “congratulations” to current Boulder County 4-H horse member Anna Thomas and alumnae Delaney Helgans (both a part of Easy Rider’s 4-H club) for doing so well in their Ranch Horse Mentor Match Up competition at the National Western Stock Show in early January. Delaney (with her mentor, Jesse Jolly from Agate, Colorado) took 4th place. Anna (with her mentor, Steve Schwartzenberger from Longmont ) was reserve champion earning $1,000 in scholarship money. They both had a good cheering section from their Boulder County 4-H friends and family! These selected riders get to work with talented industry horse professionals in the disciplines of ranch riding, ranch trail, reining and cow work… then compete against each other in this match up between 9 other riders. It was an exciting event all around. Congratulations to Anna and Delaney!

What We Accomplished In 2023:   Expanded Board of DirectorsWe welcomed Liz French (Secretary), Vera Antonucci (VP-external), Randy Winter (VP, Trails Committee) and Jodi Fowler (Treasurer). So now we’re a six-horse team pulling into 2024! 2nd Annual Emergency Preparedness ClinicCollaborating with Boulder County Mounted Search and Rescue, Boulder County Animal Control, Boulder County Fairgrounds and Boulder County Office of Disaster Management we offer this free clinic every year to better prepare community members to protect our beloved horses and our farms.   Outreach programs at trailheadsWe continued our important and popular “How to safely share trails with horses” program. This year our team was invited to present at Boulder Mountainbike Alliance patrol training. We also put together a unique and effective opportunity for horses to learn not to be afraid of bikes in a hands-on forum at the Beech Shelter. In all, five programs provided meaningful interactions to approximately 255 people. Annual Member GatheringOver 60 dinners served while we socialized and learned from the amazing team at Hatha Equus at the Altona Grange. Fun ShowWe welcomed about 60 riders at the Boulder County Fairgrounds—along with a great turnout of volunteers! BCHA Appreciation AwardPresented to Dr. Mark Fitch (posthumously) for his outstanding lifetime contribution to the equestrian community of Boulder County.  Social Gatherings/Trail TalksOver a hundred of us showed up at various locales through the year to relax, catch up and chat about all things trail riding including an educational session on de-escalation of trail conflicts. Facebook Member Chat RoomA forum for casual and insightful conversations among our horse-loving membership. Ongoing work of the organizationWe held

 ~By Megan French & Clare Tone   The 96th National FFA Convention took place Nov 1-4th in Indianapolis and BCHA & 4-H member Megan French was there. FFA stands for Future Farmers Of America. It is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. FFA develops members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, giving members tools to achieve real-world success. Megan is a senior at Silver Creek High School and attended the National FFA Convention as part of the horse judging team. Here is her dispatch:   My team from St. Vrain Valley School District went to Indianapolis to compete in the horse judging event at the National FFA Convention. We were representing the only Colorado horse judging team at the convention, competing with teams from all over the United States. Our members were (pictured from L to R above): Jack Dolbeare (placing silver), Anna Thomas (placing gold), Shaena Putman (placing silver), Megan French (placing silver). Collectively, our team placed 8th nationally! At the annual National FFA Convention, FFA members and their advisors come from all over the country to compete or just learn more about agriculture. Examples of some events people compete in are livestock judging, dairy cattle judging, meat judging, horse judging, public speaking contest, and so much more. There are also events like a rodeo, concerts and expos put on just for the kids at the convention. This was my first time ever at the convention and I competed with horse judging. It was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I