Conference noted::equitation

    Another ex-Groton Pony Clubber here!  I belonged from I think around 
    '77 to '79, it seems like so long ago!!!  Since the mounted meetings
    at that time were held at Coolidges in Harvard, a lot of my friends
    from high school also attended.  From what I hear the Groton PC isn't
    nearly as large as it was in the seventies.  Any opinions on that???
    The Pony Club was such a great learning experience, both from a riding
    perspective and their in the classroom lessons and also allowed kids
    to meet others with the same interests.

    I was a member of the Rockingham Pony Club from 74-77.  Pony Club
    was an excellent learning experience, but I liked 4-H much, much
    better.  Rockingham PC is still going strong.
    
    Karen
    

    Ex-Jericho Forest Pony Clubber here, from '76 to '81.  I also was in
    4-H during the same period.  There were good things about both.  Pony
    Club was much more educational in horsemanship, both mounted and 
    unmounted.  The leaders and instructors were usually of a much higher
    caliber.  But frequently the cost of being in Pony Club (clinics,
    trailering, etc.) was really high for the average kid.  I felt like
    sometimes I was competing against $$$'s instead of myself.  4-H was
    fun, but rarely taught me much on the higher plane of horses.  However,
    it did send me (for relatively no cost) to Eastern States, etc., and 
    taught me a couple valuable non-horsey skills which I appreciate, like
    public speaking.  
    	- Kate
    

	I was in Musketaquid P.C. from about 1973 to about 1975 and loved it!
Our meetings were held at the Kahan's place in Concord, MA and Kathy Connelly 
was one of the lecturers and clinicians...

It seems too bad that membership in all horsey clubs for kids is going down...
4-H, Pony Club, etc are all showing a rapidly increasing decline with the loss
of land...

    I'd join! Nancy Peterson, who is here at DEC and reads/writes to this
    notes file from time to time, is the DC of the Groton (Mass) Pony
    Club, and I've helped her out on a couple of the things she has
    organized, and gone to watch her son do his thing. I am really
    impressed at the things the kids are taught, and the way they're
    taught. No hand-holding here!
    
    At any rate, I wish so much I had been able to do something like
    that as a kid - I'd love to belong to an adult version!!
    
    -julie
    

	I was in the Monadnock Pony Club from 1972-79.  I competed
	in the combined training, dressage, and show jumping regional
	rallies throughout that time.   I'm sure our paths crossed
	since I recognize our old 'competitor' club names!  

	Remember the flood at GMHA? 
	Remember the dreaded tack check one hour after cross country?
	Remember how we were ALWAYS BEING JUDGED by the stable manager judges?
	
	Melinda

    Oh, how I remember being judged all the time!  But, I owe alot of my
    stablemanagement knowledge to Pony Club.  I have worked at alot of
    fancy barns and my Pony Club training always comes back to help me.  
    
    Recently (within the last 3 years) I have been invited to Stable Judge
    at Pony Club rallies.  This was alot of fun because for the first time
    I was on the otherside of the fence.
    
    Regarding Adult Pony Club this would be a great concept.  I think the age
    limit of (21) is depressing because I didn't want to leave P.C.. I still
    would love to do rallies, etc.  I know that sometimes for fundraising
    the Groton P.C. hosts an "Adult Rally".  In the past it has taken place at
    Shelpley Hill in Groton or High Pastures in Boxboro.  This is great fun
    because alot of the adults are parents of pony clubbers and have
    never ridden before.   
    
    CIAO...Kerry :)

    Hey Kerry, did you have a sister Jane?!  I was in the Groton P.C. in
    the early 70's - the Coolidges and Goulds had a big part then -
    remember Susie Gould?  and Kathy Connolly doing clinics at that track
    in Groton that we used for clinics?
    
    I rode for Pine Fall Farm/Gail McAlpine in Littleton.  My maiden name
    is Smithwood in case it rings a bell.  I went on to show TB/QH through
    college - brought a TB colt with me to school - then rode for a while
    for Garth Bodkin (still a farrier but up in New Ipswich NH).
    
    I still have all my tack, tack boxes full of stuff, all my riding
    clothes, custom boots, EVERYTHING because I can't believe that one
    day, I won't be able to get back in to it!  It was just too much a
    part of me (24 hrs/day, 7 days/wk for 15 years!).  I'm sure you know
    what I mean.
    
    PC, 4-H and QH Associations were the best thing that every happened to
    me.  I feel so sorry for kids these days - all the $$ they need just to
    compete locally.  I look at my poor niece who's trying to get a foot
    hold in that 'world'... she's such a natural too, it would be a shame.
    She's riding for Pegasus/Westford/Stephanie O'Connor when she can. 
    There's another name from the past!
    
    Martha (Smithwood) Phinney
    another die hard!  

    Yes!  I just got off the phone with my sister (Jane) and she said she
    remembers you, not only from pony club, but you both worked in GIA about 
    6-7 years ago(?). 
    
    Do you remember a girl by the name of Pam Shricker?  She was a bigtime
    QH rider and rode for Gail McAlpine?  Speaking of Garth, I still use
    him as a blacksmith (we were one of his very first customers!)  He has
    warmbloods now.
    
    Did you know that Mrs. Gould passed away about 4 years ago.  She had
    had a stroke and got progressivly worse as the years went by.  Shepley
    Hill (the big house and barn) were sold along with (I think) 20 arces
    to a builder.  The rest of the land was donated to the town as
    conservation land (all the cross country still exists).  Betsey still
    has events there every year but, only novice and training.  I miss the
    big stuff they use to have, because all the BIG RIDERS would come from
    all over!
    
    Oh well enough said for now...Kerry :)

    I hope this doesn't offend anyone since I wasn't a pony clubber, but I
    think this note could be really interesting! Did anyone ever ride under
    Betty Morrison in Acton? Or go to her shows in the present-soccer field
    off 2A?
    					Ellen

    I was also a member of the Groton Pony Club.  I belonged in the
    early to mid 70's.
    
    Kerry - I remember your sister Jane and her black horse, Nomad.
    She may remember me and my horse, Star.   I also often wonder what
    Ginger Vorce, Tracey Toler, and all the rest are up to these days.
    It would be great to have one big reunion for all us "older"
    ponyclubbers.
    
    I did alot of rallies, pace events, clinics and just about everything
    you could do in ponyclub.  My favorite place to go, was the Goulds.
    I was very sad to hear that Mrs. Gould passed away.  She was somebody
    you would have thought would live forever.                                                       
    
    I can also relate to the stable management judging - it was such
    a drag!!  I do miss all of it though.  We had alot of great times
    in PC.
    
    Kris
    
                                              

    Kris,
    
    Syzygy Nomad has to be the Pony Club legend!  Jane rode him in pony club
    rallies, then I rode him for a year, then Lelo Reeves rode him (after
    we unretired him) and she qualified for Nationals and took him to
    Kentuckey for Dressage when he was 22 years old.  He also helped alot of
    pony clubbers earn the B and A ratings.  He also won Area I novice
    horse of the year that same year and the next year he qualified for the
    training  championships (for the 3rd time) but never got to compete
    because he died of colic in July 1986.
    
    As far as other GPCer's...Tracey Toler trained her Canada Throughbred
    (at the time she got him he was 3)  all the way to the Intermediate
    level of eventing.  She recently has sold him (2 years ago) and has
    gotten out of riding and is married.  Ginger Vorce stopped riding when
    she went to college, I believe she is living in Maine.  Cynthia Brown
    lives in Maine with her husband, 2 year old son, and one on the way. 
    Sherry Gabel is living in Sutton MA on a horse farm and teaches, rides
    at the preliminary level, etc..  Anymore people you remember?
    
    They had a parents reunion about 4-5 years ago when Mrs. Gravette
    (Marci's mother) was here in Mass. visiting.  All the older pony
    clubbers got together.  My mom went and said it was great to see all
    the mothers that use to sit around on Wednesday afternoons at Cooliges
    waiting for the mounted meetings to end.
    
    CIAO...Kerry :)
     

    
    
    	Hi, I feel like I must be the oldest Pony clubber to write in, this
    is a great note, and thanks for starting it!!!! I was in the Groton
    Pony club, 1965-70. I started my riding at Betty Morrisons, you guys
    are really bringing back some fond memories. I rode a pony called
    Puppet and I also rode Mother (who didn't!!!)
    
    	I had a young quarter horse mare named "Cocoa" who died Sept '88
    she was 26. We learned a lot in Pony club and I wish we could do it all
    over again. We did three rallies, clinics and best of all, were thoes
    sunday mounted meetings!!!! People in my era that I rode with were
    Martha and Lesley Buttrick, Pam Fessenden, Susan Gould, Jenny Wise,
    Brad Balis, Corey and Nandy Willets, Bunny and Ellie Morse, Linda Ward
    Any body remember these people? Thought It would be fun to name a few.
    Instructing were: Betsy Gould, Ranada Lansberg, Clem Russell, Scott
    McGinnis. I could probably name more, I'm sorry I may have mis-spelled
    some names, it's been a while.
    
    	I also took lessons from Jeannie Roberts. I'm looking forward to
    see who else writes this note!!! Thanks
    
    	Becky
    
    

    
    I was never in Pony Club, but I used to show two of Jeannie Roberts
    mares in the early 70's! One was a real nice mare named "Country",
    I can't for the life of me remember the other one's name, though...
    At the time she was working out of Spaulding's farm in Hollis NH...
    myself and a good friend who's grandfather owned the Hall farm next
    door used to ride Jeannie's horses a lot. My friend (Kim) had a
    gelding named Johnny that Jeannie trained for her, and I used to
    show my Morgan with them besides riding Country in classes...small
    world! I was in the Hollis 4-H for awhile, til I got too old....Jeanne
    also helped me with a young QH mare I had when I was about 18, after
    Country was sold and my Morgan was getting older...she was so much
    fun to ride with!....
    
    Linda
    

    Kerry,
    
    Thanks for the info on Sherri, Marci, Cynthia, Tracey, Ginger and Nomad.
    Sounds like he was a busy horse!!  Is your sister still riding??
    
    A few others that I remember are Kevin and Jane Curran, Bruce
    Hutchington, Susan (can't remember her last name, she lived right
    next to the Coolidges), Kit Perkins (I heard that she is working
    in Boston and has stopped riding), Helen Bird, and there was another
    girl named Sally and her pony was named Penny.  She was from Harvard.
    Also from Harvard is Della Jennings.
                                                                 
    It has been a real long time since I have seen any of these people.
    Once in a while I bump into Amy Shoemaker.  She is still riding
    and is doing fine.
    
    Thanks again for the info!
    
    

    Kris,
    
    Jane is no longer riding.  After Nomie died she really didn't want
    another horse.  From time to time she will ride my horse, but that's
    about it.  She use to work for Digital about 5 years ago in GIA and
    left to move to Florida with her (now X) husband.  She has since moved
    back and has an adorable 2 1/2 year old FUTURE PONY CLUBBING little
    girl.
    
    Do you remember Bruce Hutchinson's little sister (at the time she would
    have been 4 or 5) and she rode a little black pony Thunder?  Her name
    was Tori.  Well the Hutchinson family moved to VA on a horse farm and
    Tori is written about all the time in the USCTA magazine.  She is a
    great rider!  Susan...Amstrong is married and living(?).  I know her
    parents lived in England for a couple of years then moved back to
    their house in Concord, MA.  Do you rememeber Nina Pastahoff and her
    horse Nickerboker?  Last I heard she was studying International
    Relations.  
    
    I just got off the phone with Jane and she thinks we should to get
    everyone together for a reunion.  Bringing their kids, spouses, and
    pictures of the OLD TIMES!  Let me know what you think maybe we could
    work on this offline.
    
    Take care...Kerry :)

    I see Amy Shoemaker and Della Jennings still, we went to high school
    together.  We have Amys old horse Robbie at our barn he's 24 and still 
    still going strong!! Della still has that bay mare Nan that she competed 
    with, and from what I understand Nina isn't riding any more.  Amy
    started a horse brokering business, I put an ad in here for her
    somewhere!

    Kerry,
    
    I would be happy to help with some sort of a reunion....but, at
    this time I am 8 months pregnant and don't think I can commit myself
    to anything at this time, but maybe later on in the year.
    
    I do remember Nina and that was the Susan I was talking about. 
    No news on Kevin and Jane though??  Last I heard (and this was a
    long time ago) Kevin was working in Puerto Rico or some place like
    that.  I had that Jane got married.  I was wondering what happened
    to Xanadu.
    
    Thats great about Tory.  I do remember her and the pony.
    
    Thanks for all your input!
    

    I was on Musketaquid Pony Club from 1974-1979.  That was when the
    meetings were up at the Kahan's house.  Vicky Kahan and I had sister
    Welsh ponies.  Her mother was DC and mine was secretary.  We were the
    `test kids' for every PC program.  Pony Club was hard work, but I'm
    thankful now I attended for so many years.  Invaluable horse training.
    Not only was PC valuable for a horse education but also for
    friendships. Last night I got off the phone with Vicky Kahan to find
    out she was leaving to visit her parents in Florida where they are
    participating in Dressage events for the month.  What a small world it
    is.  
    
    I speak with Janet Read, who owns Syzygy Farms, also on a regular
    basis.  Her daughter Jiffy is doing really well with eventing.  I
    always see her in the headlines.
    
    Kit Perkins from Stow got married last summer in Vermont and is
    attending school in Seattle Washington for a couple of years.  She
    isn't riding currently.
    
    Just goes to show that when we all remember a little part of `the good
    old days', it turns into a huge wealth of knowledge.
    
    Schedule providing, I'd love to attend a reunion.
    
    Fondly remembering,
    Prudence Glover (aka. Schmidt)
    

    Musketquid Pony Club went "bankrupt" in the early eighties and just
    recently was restarted again under new direction.
    
    My sister owned a Syzygy horse for almost 11 years (until he died). Are
    you from concord?  Do you remember Caroline Biddle? She leased Syzysgy
    Cube from the Read's.  Her nickname was "little biddle"!
    
    As far as a reunion goes I think we should include all of this areas
    Pony Clubs.  I can start a mailing list so it is easier when the time
    comes to organize it.  If everyone wants send me mail with the
    following informaton:
    
    Name (include maiden name)
    Address
    Phone # (home and work)
    Pony Club attended and years
    
    Also, send information on the whereabouts of any of the other Pony
    Clubbers you may keep in touch with or know their address, etc.
    
    Send to : CASPRO::MCNUTT_K (up until 3/22/90 then I am leaving Dec) BUT
    you can send information to my mother at CASPRO::MCNUTT and she will
    pass it on.  I will keep everyone in touch!
    
    CIAO...Kerry

    
    
    Anybody remember me??...my name is Jenny Ciampaglia, my maiden
    name was Forbes.  I was in Groton Pony Club from 1972 - 1977.
    I rode Welsh ponies by the name of Frosty and Pride.  I still have
    both of them, Frosty will be 28 this month and Pride will be 27.
    I also rode a New Forest pony named Cicily.  I have kept track
    of her, she is doing great and loved by a family in Upton, MA.
    
    I don't read the notes file too often but when I saw this note
    I just had to read thru it and reply.
    
    Most of the names mentioned I remember.  This really has brought
    back some fond memories.  The Goulds, the Coolidges, the Lende's
    and of course GMHA will always be a big part of me.
    
    Thanks for starting this note - it was great to hear how everyone
    is doing!
    
    Jenny

   Hello Everyone!

     This is notes takes me WAY back.  I was in Groton Pony Club with Kerry 
     and Kris.  First I had my own pony Blondie who I rode for a few years
     in shows, etc., but I really lived for Games Team with Kerry and the 
     Brown's.  We were winning until Andrea McCarthy couldn't handle the 
     pressure and started swearing up a blue streak.  We were disqualified
     because of unsportmanlike conduct.  Oh well - Leave it to the kids in
     Rotten Phoney Club - never a dull moment.  Then I started riding Stormy
     the nut case and a variety of other borrowed beasties.  

     Here are some more people I remember that haven't been mentioned.

     Katie Shepard  - she had a grey named Biggs
     Ruth Shepard rode Rebel
     I guess Meg rode Ducky and the Kit Perkins bought him
     Amy Houghton and Little Grey Sailor
     The Kane's ( Jackie and Kathy)
     And Charles whatisname??  We used to pick on him unmercifully!!

     I also remember Kris getting knives thrown at her (or something like that)
     while she was riding (Star probably) in the Delaney Project.  We weren't
     supposed to ride there for a while, but of course we did anyway.  It's
     one of the best places I've ever been to go for a hack.

     And Kerry McNutt and Wendy were always getting themselves and ME into
     trouble.  Remember Tony Patt and his mom!!???  

     I was at GMHA when the flood came upon us.  GPC rented a house up the 
     mountain and what a storm we had that night!!  I can still remember the
     thunder and lightening.  When we came down there was a tree blocking the
     road and we had to go the long way.  By the time we reached stables, our
     ponies, we were told, were somewhere in a pasture on a farm down the road.
     
     All of the instructors had to evacuate the horses during the flood.  One
     instructor was short and had to ride a pony through the water because
     the water was 3ft deep and the current was so strong.  

     I could go on and on.

     See you in the funnies

                                Simone

    re: 14  starting riding at Betty Morrisons...
    
    You said you rode Mother (who didn't!!!) - you must mean MARTHA?
    The old mare? 
    
    Ellen

    
    
    	RE:24
    
    	No, there was definately an older horse that she called "Mother".
    Maybe it was just her nick-name for her, but I never heard her call
    her anything else. Sort of a liver chestnut I believe.(about 1963 or
    so)
    
    	Becky