Time for Camp!

May is always a challenge with virtually all the students gone (Amber – thank you for staying!) and all the horses still in residence. This week we started shipping horses out to the various summer camps. Monday Peggy, Dale and I hauled 8 up to Roaring Gap Country Club near to Mt. Airy. Heather and Betsy are spending the summer with the horses running the riding program and staying cool in the Mountains.

Yesterday Carla and Ashley made the first of two trips to Camp Seafarer in Arapahoe, NC. They hauled 12 horses and tomorrow Lindsay and I will take another 12. Katie Lavery is heading up that program. Sarah Rhymer also works for Camp Seafarer so they will be in good hands. Jessica from Camp Keystone in Brevard NC picked up five horses on Monday and another 20 or so will shipping commercially to Camp Rockbrook in Brevard over the weekend. Cara Thompson is running the Rockbrook program as she has done for the past several summers. That should bring the numbers down to a manageable amount for the barn managers during June and July. Next project…pressure washing the barns!

IHSA Western Final Results

Congratulations to Coach Carla Wennburg and the IHSA Western Team on their third place at IHSA Nationals. On the final day Brittany Powell placed 2nd in Intermediate Western Horsemanship and Kelsey Moody was 3rd in the Open Rail Horsemanship resulting in 18 points for SAPC and a tie for third place with Middle Tennessee State.

Individuals Megan Stiles placed second in Intermediate Western Horsemanship and Shannon Leggett placed 6th in Novice Western Horsemanship. Yesterday Kelsey placed 2nd in individual Open Western Horsemanship. Congratulations to all SAPC IHSA riders on a job well done – Go Knights!

IHSA Western Team Update

SAPC western team lies in 4th place going into the final day at IHSA Nationals. Leah Davidson placed 4th in the Team Beginner Western Horsemanship and Kelsey Moody was 9th in the open reining. This gives the Knights 9 points right behind Berry College with 10 points. Ohio State has 20 points and Findlay 22 points.

There are 3 more classes to be decided today. Good luck to Kelsey and Brittany riding for the team and Megan and Shannon riding as individuals today! Go Knights!

Graduation

The weather was kind for graduation, although it was hot there was a good breeze which helped keep things cool. Many alums, current students as well as family and friends were on site to share the joy of graduation. Pebbles was recognized as distinguished faculty for this year during the ceremony. This is an honor that is reserved for faculty members that have made a difference not only in the lives of their students, but have served as mentors and leaders for their colleagues as well as serving the college in multiple capacities. Pebbles is in good company, the other professor recognized this year was Dick Prust for his 40+ years of service and leadership.

Kelsey Moody placed 3rd in NRHA Individual Open Reining at IHSA nationals today, waiting on IHSA updates for team placings from today.

IHSA Update

Kelsey Moody placed 8th in AQHA Western High Point Rider Phase 1 with 72 points in a class of 22 riders. Megan Stiles placed 3rd in AQHA Novice Western Horsemanship and Kayla Hay was 5th in the AQHA Advanced Western Horsemanship. This gives the SAPC western team 6 points and a tie for third place with Middle TN State behind Findlay with 11 points and Ohio State with 8 points. Still to show for the team Kelsey in the Open Reining, Leah in the Beginner Western Horsemanship (they ride Sat.); Brittany in the Intermediate Western Horsemanship and Kelsey in the Open Rail Horsemanship (showing Sunday).

Good luck to all SAPC IHSA finalists, Coach Carla Wennburg and the Western Team this weekend. We’ll be thinking about you as we graduate the class of 2010!

IHSA & Graduation

Instructors, students and horses are representing SAPC at IHSA Nationals at the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend. Dill, Glenn, Happy, LJ, Tony and Sailor shipped out early this week to participate in the national championships. Heather drove out solo to meet the commercial shipper and Ashley, Peggy, Lindsay, Carla and our riders joined them the next day.

Thursday Audrey Bolte placed 3rd in the Individual Intermediate Equitation on the Flat and Jenn Callahan was 8th in the Individual Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation. Today Kelsey Moody, Megan Stiles and Kayla Hay compete in the AQHA High Point Rider Rail Phase, the AQHA Novice Western Horsemanship and the AQHA Advanced Western Horsemanship respectively. Over the weekend Kelsey will be competing in the NRHA Individual Open Reining and the AQHA Open Reining. Leah Davidson will ride in the AQHA Beginner Western Horsemanship, Brittany Powell competes in the AQHA Intermediate Western Horsemanship, Megan rides in the Individual Intermediate Western Horsemanship and Shannon Leggett will show in the Individual Novice Western Horsemanship.

Meanwhile at home we are getting ready for graduation and the end of the semester. Horses that are going home with students are shipping out, the boarders are leaving and the barn staff is down to the bare bones – barn managers and any willing volunteers that they can find! Tonight is baccalaureate and tomorrow’s graduation will be followed by a lunch for graduates involved in the equestrian program in the party palace. (One last chance to enjoy Pebble’s brownies and the staff’s cooking!)

Graduation is always bitter sweet – we are excited to celebrate our student’s success as they go out into the world, but sad to see our friends leave as they move onto the next phase of their life’s journey.