Santa Clara County Horsemen's Association - Home
- Corral Chatter 8_2024
| President's Message Dear SCCHA Members, As the summer continues to unfold, we reflect on a truly remarkable July and the memorable experiences we shared at the 80th Anniversary of the Santa Clara County Fair. Our association’s participation at this historic celebration was a testament to our dedication, community spirit, and love for horses. 80th Anniversary of the Santa Clara County Fair Our presence at the fair was nothing short of extraordinary. For eight days, we engaged with the public, providing them with an up-close and personal experience with our beloved horses. It was heartwarming to see the joy and wonder on the faces of visitors, many of whom were interacting with horses for the very first time in their lives. These moments of connection are what make our efforts worthwhile, and they serve as a powerful reminder of the impact we can have in our community. Our SCCHA educational booth, live horse interactive station, and participation in the parade (this was a tough one!) were a huge success, drawing crowds and inspiring many to learn more about horsemanship. The fair provided an excellent platform for us to showcase our club, share our knowledge, foster a greater appreciation for these magnificent animals, and support keeping horses in the valley for many generations to come. Special Thanks Thank you to everyone who came out and volunteered for this event. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Rachael Parakh for her countless volunteer hours and for putting her heart and soul into organizing our participation at the fair. Rachael's dedication and hard work were instrumental in making this event a success, and we are incredibly grateful for her unwavering commitment. A special thank you also goes out to Cathy Angell and Yvonne Lee for their invaluable assistance and for organizing the participation of our four-legged friends. They managed to get 4 horses to the fair for the display booth and for various reasons the horses trailered in and out each day! Their efforts ensured that our horses were well-cared for and ready to shine in the spotlight. **Looking Forward** As we move into August, we are excited about the upcoming events and opportunities to continue building on the momentum from the fair. Please stay tuned to our website and social media channels for updates on future activities, gatherings, and our 2nd Annual Open House in October. Your participation and support are what make our association strong and vibrant. Thank you once again for your dedication and support. Here’s to more memorable moments! Warm regards and happy trails, Tami Moore |
 Event CalendarThe 2024 Calendar is being organized with plenty of varied activities to interest both you and your horse. Click the links for detailed information and to register for the events!
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Events - August & Sneak Peek at September
Memorial Day Weekend Aug. 30-Sept. 2: Local Horse Camping at Costa Ranch - families invited too Camp at a private cattle ranch in the east foothills of San Jose. Plenty of easy trails. There is even a swimming hole! See a couple of photos here showing the locale and accommodations. |
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General Meeting and Dinner Aug. 16: Camping Aug 16-18: Potluck Aug 17: 6:30pm. Everyone is welcome. Bring a dish to share or pay $15 |
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Playday Aug 18: There is 1 more opportunity to log participation in a total of 2 Play days in order to qualify for a buckle in September’s show. Even if you're not aiming for the buckle show, come on out to a low-stress Playday where everyone supports learning and enjoying an experience with your horse. All riders, disciplines and levels are welcome. Riders under 18 must wear a helmet. Below are the events for August 18.
Poles 2 Single Stake Speed Barrels Big T Keyhole Quadrangle Barrels |
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Gaited Horseshow & Playday: This is our first gaited horseshow. We have a whole weekend of fun. Camping 9/6-9/8. Potluck 9/7. Poker Fun 9/7. Line Dancing Lessons 9/6 and 9/7. and 9/8 the Finale of the Gaited horseshow and Playday. Pre-Registration is required for the horseshow and camping. There are 7 stalls left, otherwise campers need to bring their own equipment (highline, portables, groundtie, tie to trailer....). See the details of these events on the event site. Gaited Horseshow and Playday (Plus Other Events....) Special thanks to Terry Zygalinski and owner of Gaited Pleasure Horses as well as Yvonne and Jim Lee (Case de Famalia) for donating 2 of the 6 buckles for the show. Gaye Derusso of Majestic Riders graciously volunteered her time to judge the show. Special thanks for her commitment and expertise. Sydney Vandenbrand, a horse trainer/lessons, is coming back for two nights of leading us in line dancing. Where else can you go for this fabulous fun for all ages? She has donated her time and experience to the club and we aren't charging for attendance. Sweet! Thank you, Sydney. The Poker fun will be, you guested it, super fun! Bring something nice (used or new) as your 'anti' and get something based on your poker hand ranking. Also free to play and have fun. It is kinda like a big white elephant gift exchange - based on your hand. Super fun, free. Make it nice by bringing a nice gift for your 'anti' to play. It could be anything you think someone wants. Contact Kathleen O'Neill (408) 590-3933 if you have questions or need help. |
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Take a look at Facebook for Pictures....or check out the pictures (Click the link and scroll down): Pictures |
Morgan Hill Freedom Fest Parade: The Horsemen's was represented by 6 impeccably turned out riders and horses at the 147th annual parade. Watch the video at right, from Kathleen O'Neill, to see the club in the parade.
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Almaden Lake Fireworks was a huge success even in 102o blistering heat. A big thank you to Tami, Jennifer, Liz and Michele Hiatt and especially to Rachael for organizing it. We had two booths, one for historic books and articles, the other for signups, event advertising and horse bubble wands for children . As evening brought cooler temperatures, children also used pony sticks with gallop and neighing sounds to race around our table. The evening was capped off with spectacular fireworks viewing. |
Santa Clara County Fair - SCCHA Education Booth and Horses: Under Rachael Parakh and Cathy Angell's organizational leadership, many members and junior member volunteers were involved in bringing together an excellent exhibit of the SCCHA's past and present involvement in equestrian activities in the valley. Fair goers seemed to unanimously love coming up and petting or feeding the horses, who were definitely the stars of the show. We delighted old and young alike and a few of our bravest horses participated in the Saturday evening parade with a lot of loud noise, a giant balloon guy right behind, and a swooping drone above. Everyone made it safely to the end unscathed and we were a big contribution to the parade. The fair appreciated having us and the horses (but mostly the horses) present on both weekends. There were actually many people who stopped and talked to us and learned about what we do and took pictures of the QR code we provided to send them to the website and invite them to the Open House Event. We hope to continue having a presence at our fair. There are so many volunteers to appreciate that we'll have to name them in the next General Meeting. You know who you are!!
Information booth under our new blue canopies and horses were shaded under big white canopies. Both were very much needed! |
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5D Playday: Thank you Yvonne Lee for hosting these fun playdays. It’s so wonderful to see all the beginners as well as the seasoned riders. And we couldn't do it without all the volunteers preparing the arena ahead of time, changing out the arena between events, announcing and playing music, opening the gate, and tallying up the scores. Thank you Chris Minkler for donating his June ‘winnings’ back to the club!!
Most of the winners posing on our patio. |
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The Membership Survey: To make the rest of the year as rewarding as possible, we want your feedback on any revisions or additions to the current offerings so our club feels more like family and a true horse community. Because we really want to know your thoughts, we extended the survey until August 5th. Folks who respond (and include their names) are put into a drawing for a free dinner at a monthly general meeting. We will have a drawing to give out three (3) free dinner tickets at the August General Meeting/Dinner. Check your e-mail and respond for a chance to win!Thank you, The SCCHA Board of Directors. Membership - Bring a Friend. Help Grow the Association: Tell your friends about the "Horsemen's". Their first dinner, as a guest, is free at the General/Dinner Meeting. Have them apply for membership! Membership Application New Members: We do have a couple of new members but their info wasn't available when we "went to press". We'll be sure to introduce them next month! |
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Donations: $$ Thank you Theresa Treanor for another generous cash donation to the Junior Program. Thank you to Luke and Danielle Babcock for donating the long hose by the camping corrals. |
| Photo Funnies and Classified Ads |
Did you know, there's a consignment store for tack in Gilroy?
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Want to submit something to the Newsletter? The Santa Clara County Horsemen’s Association publishes the Corral Chatter monthly for its members and friends. Please send articles of interest to jayne.hesley@gmail.com by the 25th of the month to be published in the next month’s edition. | Advertising in Corral Chatter |
