Warfield Equestrian Community Center
A private property facility available for use through annual membership
Greetings to members and friends of Warfield Equestrian Park! Attached to this mailing are your 2010 enrollment form and liability release. Please complete these forms in their entirety. Don’t forget to sign the liability release (incomplete forms will be returned). Please note: members 18 years of age and over must sign their own liability release. Thank you for your past membership and please invite interested Equestrians to become part of the fun at WEP.
Submit your membership by April 1, 2010 and receive a $15.00 discount.
Fencing from an old Friend
A heartfelt thanks to KAY JUNGBLUT who donated more than 200 steel fence posts to help in our effort to keep the horses in and the riff-raff out! Kay has always been a supporter of “projects” at the Park and her donation came at a critical time. Kay also donated many cans of paint that will continue her legacy of keeping the jumps shiny and new! Thank you Kay for continuing to give so generously to the Park. Make sure to drive-by and enjoy “your” fence!
A Tribute and a Gift
“Sherlock’s Bank”, funded by the Carman Family as a gift to the eventers of our community, was named to honor Sherlock Holmes, their beloved 14.2 hand chestnut gelding. Sherlock was in the truest sense, a pony. Trained to be a child’s eventing mount, he was trustworthy, patient, honest, kind, talented, and beautiful to watch. Ridden by all three of the Carman girls, Chan, Macy and Drew, he brought them safely round the course time after time, and brought them home to blue ribbons and good day celebrations. He endured foo-foo grooming, hours of bandaging and successful pony club ratings from D1- C2. He died in September 2007 from alsike clover poisoning.
Sherlock’s Bank is a remembrance of this faithful pony who threw his heart over fences for his girls. May it always remind us of all those ponies who safely teach our children the love of galloping Cross Country.
Water at Warfield…What a Windfall!!
In the tradition of getting one’s spouse to “play” at the Park we have been fortunate to have Duane Hill join the ranks--way to go Evon! Thanks to a generous bid from Duane Hill of Efficient Structures, we have THREE buried cisterns at Warfield! That’s a total of 5400 gallons of water! You may never realize what a joyous day it will be to lift a hydrant handle and have water somebody else hauled to the Park fill the bucket! Not only did Duane bring “cool water” to the Park, but our little friends who loved to make nests in the office desk drawers have been sealed out with spray-on insulation compliments of Efficient Structures. Thank you Duane for your time, expertise, and the valuable gift you have given to riders for years to come at Warfield.
Successful Spring Events at WEP!
The Arrowhead Organizing Committee brought the equestrians thundering to Warfield again this year! A spring eventing clinic, followed by small, but mighty horse trials served as our major fundraisers for the year. Martha McDowell, Erica Peterson, Meggan Holloway, Stacy Dietz, Sheila Buschette and Jerrilyn Samberg made it all happen with the help of Adam Lundstrum on the cross country course. Without this dedicated committee and the funds they bring to the Park each year our progress would certainly slow. There are so many volunteers that help make the horse trials possible each year and we sincerely thank you for your efforts!
Working at Warfield
We always need workers at Warfield! There have been many projects completed in the last two years because we had funds available from our membership fees and participation in our clinics and horse trials. Many thanks to all the volunteers that made this progress possible and please take the time to thank them if you get a chance!
Wendy Cochran from Bozeman traveled the distance in 2008 and twice in 2009 to host shows at Warfield. Wendy donated all the profits to the Park, but the best gift she gave was well-organized shows, terrific prizes and really, really fun days for the competitors. We sincerely appreciate all the time and exposure she gave to our worthy cause. Thank you Wendy!
Brian Troth built the most excellent arena groomer a Park could imagine and GAVE it to us! It easily pulls behind an ATV, is light enough to make it user friendly and does a beautiful job preparing our arenas. Thank you Brian for this incredibly generous gift!
CMG Construction was a critical element in the completion of the bank jump. Without their extremely generous donation and delivery of material to fill Sherlock’s Bank, we would not be able to enjoy this great addition to the Park. Thank you CMG!!!
A bank jump is a big project to complete, and thankfully Jim Swain made himself available to Steve Buckman for the whole weekend. Tim Friez hauled up the Bobcat for Steve’s use but stayed to wield a hammer and pound rebar like crazy until Ed Secco and his son Brandon joined in the fun! Jim spent more time raking than most gardeners do in a season! I encourage anyone with a desire to get fit in 2010 to rake some road mix…it is the kind of workout you feel for the next several days! Many thanks to Martha McDowell for arranging Steve’s visit as his knowledge and hard work proved invaluable to the Park. We cannot let too much time pass before we bring Buckman back to Billings to build more obstacles!
A personal note to a faithful volunteer. Over the last several years we (I) have been able to convince my husband Tim that working at the Park is actually play! A couple of times I even packed sandwiches and called it a date! (Sadly, that only works once.) While Kay graciously provided the fence posts for Warfield, Tim yanked them from Kay’s place and sank them at the Park. With help from our sons and friends from Central High, Tim and his “crew” replaced about ¾ mile of fence along Alkali Creek Road. Thank you Tim for going on “dates” with me to the Park, loading and unloading the Bobcat more times than I can count, hauling so much water, replacing the office door, picking up garbage, using your winch as needed, mowing, leveling, dragging and going back to do it again. And thanks for not losing your sense of humor!
Warfield Equestrian Park 2010 Events
Picnic and Social April 25th 2010 at Noon-We’ll supply the burgers! Please join the fun! Bring your family and your horse for a great afternoon of friendship and riding.
May 1st and 2nd Annual Spring Eventing Clinic- Clinicians Frederic Bouland, Jil Walton and Jen Johnson return to Warfield this spring. Please visit www.arrowheadhorsetrials.com for information.
May 29th and 30th Arrowhead Horse Trials- For information visit www.arrowheadhorsetrials.com
The calendar will continue to grow throughout the season with additional clinic and show opportunities. Please visit www.warfieldpark.org and make sure that you neatly submit your current email address on your registration form so that you are up to date on Park Events!
Meet your Warfield Equestrian Community Center Board of Directors
For 2010 we have some old friends in new roles. Jim Swain after many years of dedicated service (that’s right folks…he’s been here since the beginning) has finally ascended to the place always meant for his leadership and expertise-THE PRESIDENCY! Frankly, I wish we were sending him to Washington, but Warfield in 2010, the White House in 2012…who knows! Thank you Jim for your many years of service, financial support, and dedication to the mission of Warfield Equestrian Park.
We welcome Martha McDowell as a special consultant in 2010. As many of you know Martha has been involved with the Arrowhead Horse Trials for many years. Martha’s involvement with all aspects of modern Eventing makes her an invaluable asset for all of us who care about the future of eventing at Warfield Park. Aside from being a competitor on “3 ½ mounts this year”, Martha adds Area IX Chairman to her equine resume for the next four years! Thank you Martha, for taking time to help preserve the Park in your backyard.
After strenuous recruiting, we were lucky to sign Rocky Mountain College Junior, Hilary Alweis to serve on the WECC Board. Fortunately, her father Sheldon is in charge of the signing bonus! Hilary brings a much-needed youthful perspective to our Board. Hilary has many accomplishments as an equestrian athlete, stretching all the way back to her Pony Club years where shortly after achieving her D2 rating she decided Dressage was her love. Watch for Hilary and her “boys” this summer at a Dressage show near you!
Last, but certainly not least, Stacy Dietz returns as our Pony Club Liaison. Stacy can work circles around most of us and her tremendous support of Warfield Park and Arrowhead Horse Trials serves as example to all young riders. Thank you so much Stacy for continuing to give your time and many talents!
A big cheer rings out for our returning board members: Mark Carman, Sheldon Alweis, Evon Hill and Sarah Friez. We may not have youth or expertise on our side, but darn it, we keep showing up to meetings!
On behalf of the entire Board, many thanks to everyone who lends a hand, a day, a dollar, or an idea to the betterment of Warfield Equestrian Park. It is sometimes easy to lose sight of the incredible gift Don Warfield made to every rider, spectator, or volunteer who walks through our gate--but we shouldn’t. The ground we ride, build, and dream on was his and he GAVE it to all of us. While it is not always easy or convenient to volunteer at the Park, I like the idea of Don smiling down on us and admiring the great care with which we steward his land.
Please come be part of an inspiring place-Warfield Equestrian Park.
