Current Announcements and Important Items!

Click on the following link to order MRC Wear (including Parade attire)

MRCWEAR PDF Order Form
 

:::HUNTING Versus RIDING Read the State Park Closure Dates:::

 

Guest Speakers for 2008:
Month Speaker Topic
January Nicole Zoet Being in Balance With Yourself in Order To Be in Balance With Your Horse
February Mike Gaulding Natural Hoof Care
March Nancy M & Carolyn D The Do's & Don'ts of Hiring A Outfitter (don't miss this!)
April Dawn Cooper Equine Massages
May Susan Remondini Intro to Dressage from the Ground Up
June Fred Prine Equine Insurance
July None None
August None None
September Rebecca Precious Oils
October Nancy Morris The Do's & Don'ts of Hiring A Outfitter (don't miss this!)
November TBA TBA
December
 		 TBA  TBA
 

News Releases

 

Washington Lacey Park’s Grand Opening is Saturday, December 6 at 10 AM and everyone is invited to the ribbon cutting ceremony.    Located at 13400 Woodside Drive, Ashland, Va 23005, the park is Hanover County’s newest multi-use trail park and pump track for bicyclists.  The northern section of the trails are now open.  Horse traffic, however, will be limited and restricted during opening day.  For more information, contact the President of FOHT (Steve Schwartz) at solarisrc@yahoo.com.  Get The Flyer

 

October 26, 2008 - The Mechanicsville Riding Club 2008 Halloween Fun Show was a huge success at Pole Green Park despite being delayed one day due to rain.  The greatly anticipated costume classes were a hit and included Fairys, Witches, Pirates, Fireman w/Dalmatian, Ballerinas, Indians, and Hippies.  The MRC raffled off some great prizes including a week long equestrian camp at Fox Pointe Farm which was won by Rachael Jumper.  Many thanks go out to Judge Theresa Burton, Barbara Howell and her Show Committee, QwikPix Photography, and all of the MRC’ers who worked hard to make this a successful show.  ::See More Pictures Here::

 

October 1, 2008 - The Virginia Renaissance Faire is looking for a few good knights and squires to join our joust team as it thrills the crowd on Little Green field next spring. Their team of professionally-trained jousters will provide instruction; and you will perform as part of a most- amazing organization. Auditions will take place in January and February 2009, although letters of interest are accepted year-round. The 8th season of the Virginia Renaissance Faire will be held on the grounds of the beautiful Lake Anna Winery, Saturdays and Sundays, May 16 through June 14, 2009. The Virginia Renaissance Faire is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the finest in interactive, educational entertainment. Participation counts toward Community Service credit for scouts and students. For more information, visit the website at www.VaRF.org, email us at info@varf.org or call 703-508-5036.

2009 Virginia Renaissance Faire Schedule: May 16 & 17, May 23 & 24, May 30 & 31, June 6 & 7, June 13 & 14

Location: Lake Anna Winery, 5621 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania, VA

 

 

 

 

May 10, 2008 – A big congrats to Christine S. & Totem at  Dorey Park today!

 

 

 

March 24, 2008 - Friends of Hanover Trails have been working to establish the only park in Hanover County with trails for horses.  Joan Blackmon walked the newly blazed trails last Saturday.  While the current park is only 100 acres, FOHT intends to attempt to get permissions to cross private properties such that one can ride all the way to Hanover.  A small, but dedicated group of people has persevered to make Lacy Park (formerly called March Park) happen.  It could be open to the public within maybe six months.  Their annual fund-raising ride will happen on Apr 27th.   The money they raised last year paid for mechanized trail cutting.  They need riding participants and they need some help on the ground crew.  Please support this ride, in either way.  You can contact either Mary Rasmussen at va2ernurses@embarqmail.com or Christy Owen at paintedskyhorse@yahoo.com to volunteer to help or just send your ride registration in.

 

View the photoshow of the trails at Lacy Park, courtesy Cindie Willoughby:

http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/Vx4cF5Bz

Download the Flyer

 

 

March 2, 2008 - Thanks to all who attended the gaited clinic @ Christine's "Sweet Hollywood Farm" on a very windy Saturday March 1, 2008. Eleven members from the club attended this club sponsored event: Jack & Donna H, Linda L., Jenny B., Nancy H, Carolyn D., Sandy B, Wanda H., Bev C, Joan C., and Cindy G.

JESSICA PITTMAN of HOPEFUL DREAMS FARM was our instructor again this year and made our clinic a wonderful success. Jessica is a TWHBEA Certified Riding Instructor and a kind, fun and equitation driven instructor who gave all of us Individualized attention and a full workout. We enjoyed a large morning session and after a Brunswick stew lunch broke down to smaller groups of 5 to work on our specific needs. What a day! We all left smiling and improved with new ideas and work to do.

A special thank you to Pete S., for keeping the fire going and to them both for allowing us to use their beautiful facility.

Thanks to the club for their help supporting this clinic. More pictures are available in the photo album section of this website.

Bev C.
For more information on Walking Seat Equitation, contact Jessica Pittman at 804 883-7442 or email her at jpittman@westhanover.net,

 

To all the Officers, Members, and Visitors of the MRC: Feb. 2008

We wanted to extend a gracious thank you to everyone for all the help and generosity you showed our family during our time of need. Mere words will only pale in comparison to the feelings we have toward the help we received.

It is so hard to believe we have come so far so fast. We owe this to you and all the many donations your club sent to us. In just three short weeks we were able to move our horses to a safe and comfortable location.

Your donations bought us three rolls of electric rope fencing and 10 insulated gate handles. Because of this purchase alone, the horses had a containment area around the barn with a relatively large pasture. This is so very important because of all the donations we received from organizations and individuals, none were sent on behalf of our dependent horses other than yours. It takes other horse enthusiasts to understand the importance of their safety along with ours.

Your thoughtfulness and kindness is immeasurable and seeing our horses at the ranch is a continuous reminder to us how lucky we are to have such wonderful people in our lives.

Thank you for all you stand for.

Marcelle and Libby Kendall

 

December 20, 2007 – Thanks to everyone who made 2007 a great year for the Mechanicsville Riding Club.  We had an action packed year with several clinics organized by members, plus overnight trips to James River, Graves, and a week long trip to Iron Mountain.  Other outings included trips to Lake Anna and Belmead Plantation with the Rusty Stirrups, Pleasant Grove, York River, Fulfillment Farms, and of course, Petersburg.  Our Halloween Show in October was a great success despite the weather and lets not forget the parades!  The New Year also means its time to renew your membership.  Congratulations to the new 2008 MRC Officers! 
 

Karen Hasbrouck – President

Donna Hines – Vice President

Cindy Garrison – Secretary

Debbie Williams – Treasurer

 

 

December 1, 2007 – The Mechanicsville Riding Club is proud to announce the 2007 MRC Ride Challenge Winners. 

1st Place goes to Mr. Terry Goode of Mechanicsville for 471 hours ridden; 2nd Place goes to Ms. Christine Sweet of Quinton for 401 hours ridden; and 3rd Place goes to Ms. Karen Lindley of Mechanicsville for 371 hours ridden.  Honorable mentions also go out to members Theresa Burton, Bethany Mihajtoulits, Bunny Howell, Ginger Redmond and Karen Hasbrouck. 

 

The MRC Ride Challenge is a year long annual Club competition where riders track the hours they ride or school their horse or horses.  Hours are accumulated by directly participating in activities such as showing, schooling, trail riding, lessons taken, and the all important ground work.  The 2008 MRC Ride Challenge is already under way.  If you haven’t received your Ride Log, please contact Diane T.

 

November 8, 2007: Syndicated News: Article from Mechanicsville Local

Riding club to host horse show with Halloween theme
By Amy Condra
 Oct 23, 2007

Read the entire story and comments left by friends: Click Here

Halloween is vivid costumes and brightly wrapped candy, gnarled tree branches stretching toward a golden moon, the threat of tricks and the promise of treats.
And if you’re a member of the Mechanicsville Riding Club, Halloween is horses.
The Club is hosting its fifth annual Horse and Pony Halloween Fun Show on October 27.
Over the past four years, fanciful characters such as Gumby, Minnie Mouse and Peter Pan have paraded through the show.

“The highlight of the day is the costume class—some of the effort that goes into the costumes is amazing,” said the Club’s vice president, Diane Trittipoe. “Kids absolutely love it!”
Both adults and children compete in the costume class, and winners are awarded a cash prize.
The event also showcases riders who will demonstrate their skills in various English, Western and gaited classes.
Theresa Burton, a past president of the Club and a longtime member, notes that this is a “fun, informal show.”

It’s also a great opportunity to see what the horse world entails. “This is a good sport that parents can look into getting their kids involved in,” said Burton. “Riding teaches kids responsibility and sportsmanship. My youngest (child) did football and baseball, but the horses, he stuck with for the long haul.”

Admission is free. And plan to eat biscuits and eggs for breakfast, and hamburgers and hot dogs at noon-- food fresh from the grill will be for sale throughout the day. All proceeds from concessions prepared and sold by volunteers benefit both the Club and the causes it sponsors.
The Mechanicsville Riding Club is a nonprofit organization established in 1970. Today, it is Richmond’s oldest equestrian riding club. “Although most members own horses,” said Trittipoe, “anyone with an interest is welcome to join!”

The Club has donated time and money to therapeutic programs such as the United States Equine Rescue League, the Richmond Mounted Police and H.I.S. Therapeutic Riding.
The Club also contributes to the maintenance of local riding trails at Fluvanna’s Pleasant Grove, James River State Park in Buckingham County and Hanover’s March Park.
The Horse and Pony Halloween Fun Show will begin at 9 a.m., rain or shine, at Pole Green Park Equestrian Center. The costume class will be at approximately 1 p.m.
For more information, visit mechanicsvilleridingclub.net, or call 328-2599 or 932-9315.