The High Hopes
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Inside this issue: Board Cha irman & Executive Director Message The Spiri t of Giving
Spring 2009
A
s a part of our 35th Anniversary Celebration we thought participants, staff and volunteers, both long timers and relative newcomers would like a peek at our humble beginnings with some stories about "Then & Now".
Partnerships
Spotlight On Success Participants Then & Now
Ways to Give Wish List Memor ial Garden
From the Horse's Mouth Horses on Trial: The First Phase
Kerry Christiansen
High Hopes Happenings
Pattie Peoples, an original volunteer writes:
Horse Show Days Hoedown Concert
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, The High Hopes Rider is available in alternative formats upon request . Please contact Wendy Knight at Ext. 19.
H I GH
HO PE S
Therapeut ic Riding, Inc. Phone : 860.434 .1974 Fax: 860.434 .3723 www.highhop
estr.org
IN THE BEGINNING... there was a small caravan of dedicated volunteers who believed in Sis's dream. Our jobs in those days were somewhat different from today's volunteers. The day wou ld start by loading our own horses and equipment into trailers and trucks and driving them to w hatever facility was generously giving us time on that particular day of the week. Somewhat like "If this is Tuesday, it must be Belgium." Only for us it was if this is Monday, it must be Westbrook Hunt Club and I will need to bring "Apple" and "Cranberry" and their tack. We had one instructor, Ann Wright, a handful of "horsey" people, a dozen or so steadfast volunteers and a visionary leader, Sis Gould. The numerous barns that gave us ring time or the facilities we leased over the years have incl uded : Westbrook Hunt Club, Huntersfield, Race Hill Farm, Sea Horse Farm, Cricklewood Farm and Kingswood to name a few. We thank them all.
As the program expanded, a grow ing number of volunteers participated and many formed committees which evolved into a building committee, site searchers and fundraisers. Most importantly, we had an ever increasing number of r iders participating in what was then called L.C.V.E.R.A.(Lower CT Valley Educational Riding Association), now known as High Hopes Therapeutic Ridin g, Inc. At last year's horse show I was close to tears watching some of my riders from the 70's and 80's still participating. Kerry Christiansen rode in an independent dressage class. Kerry was 5 when I first met her. Now she is a grown woman and still riding. Sylvia, perhaps one of our oldest riders, rode my own horse "Apple" in the early days, and there she was riding Apache in the 2008 show. Over thirty years have passed since our humble beginnings. What an honor it is to be working side by side with old friends and getting to know new ones. It' s a great pleasure to share some memories about how a grassroots caravan of ho rses and ded icated vo lunteers grew to fulfill not only Sis's dream , but the hopes and dreams of many others. Congratulations to all of you for being a part of this very special program.