In The News

New Mexico Horse Council Vice President Wins American Horse Council’s 2008 Van Ness Award

 
Each year the American Horse Council awards the Van Ness Award to a person in the national equine community who embodies the dedication and service of the late Mrs. Marjorie Van Ness. The award recognizes the recipient for their support and promotion of the horse and horse related activities through education and informational programs to benefit all equine interestss and promote the welfare of the horse community.
 
Eldon Reyer has been a vital force in the programs of the New Mexico Horse Council, serving on the Board of Directors since 2002 and Vice President in 2008. A well rounded equestrian, he has been involved with horses and mules for over 50 years since his first summer job with the National Park Service in 1957 in Yellowstone National Park. He served as a fire guard, smoke jumper, mule packer and back country horse patrol Ranger. Throughout his 34 year career with the National Park Service, he fostered the use of horses and maintained family horses.
 
Eldon retired from the Park Service as the Associate Regional Director of the Southwest Regional Office in July 1989. He returned to his love of horses and packing. He volunteered with the US Forest Service clearing and maintaining trails in the Santa Fe National Forest. He was instrumental in forming the Santa Fe Chapter of the Backcountry Horseman of America and is a charter member and serves on the Board of Directors. He continues to promote the “traditional and historical” use of stock on federal lands. He is an active member of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Alliance promoting the use of horses for trail maintenance. He has lobbied Congress for funding for the Continental Divide Trail and organized and lead the 2005 Senate Ride in the Chama River Wilderness for the Alliance. Eldon was invited to be present at the New Mexico State Legislature for the passage of legislation for funding and support of the Continental Divide Trail.
 
Eldon’s long time involvement in planning and management of National Parks led him to become active as a Trail Advocate. He organized and was president of the Happy Trails Horse Coalition which mapped trails in Santa Fe County and developed a horse census which enabled them to obtain funds from the legislature to provide an equine underpass during the reconstruction of highway 285. He served on the Santa Fe Executive Trail Committee, the New Mexico Bicycle/ Pedestrian/Equestrian Transportation Committee and the Santa Fe County Open Land and Trails Planning and Advisory Committee. In 2007 he was appointed by Governor Richardson to the New Mexico Recreation Trails Program Advisory Board.
 
Since 1992 Eldon has been President of the Northern New Mexico Horseman’s Association which owns and operates the show grounds and stabling facility in Santa Fe. In 2000 the Horseman’s Association took in over 100 horses that were evacuated from the Las Alamos fire. This event prompted Eldon to work with the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Posse to develop the Santa Fe County Equine Evacuation and Rescue Plan. He promotes early planning for handling horses in emergencies through clinics and as a consultant.
 
Eldon and his wife Karen were on the staff of the New Mexico Boys and Girls Ranches, retiring in 2006 after 14 years service. He has authored numerous articles on packing and handling horses in the back country, and his biography of life experiences in the National Park Service. He writes and recites his cowboy poetry. His cup runneth over!








2007 Show Chairman
 
Susan Stanke, our Show Chairman for the 2007 season, has set the standard for our horse shows. She and the committee worked long and hard and the success of the four shows showed it. I am amazed at the turnout at the shows. People come because they know we are a "class act." Susan deserves all our thanks and we recognized her in a small way at the end of the last show with a small token of the club’s appreciation. Northern New Mexico Horseman's Association is what it is due to the dedication and volunteer work of people like Susan. On behalf of all our members "THANK YOU SO MUCH SUSAN."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



Left to right: Shyanne Stambaugh, Ellie Powell, Kendra Werner

Local Youth Earn Honors at National 4-H Roundup 

Santa Fe, New Mexico—Three Santa Fe County Senior 4-H members from the Horse Judging Team earned nationals honors at the Western National Roundup Conference held January 9–13, 2008 in Denver, CO. The three-member team, composed of Ellie Powell and Shyanne Stambaugh (both from Santa Fe) and Kendra Werner (Edgewood), had won the State title at the NM 4-H State Conference in July and earned the right to compete nationally along with more than eight hundred youth from more than 30 states plus Alberta, Canada. They were the only youth from Santa Fe County who competed at this prestigious event.

The Santa Fe County team earned the following national honors in Horse Judging:
Reserve Champion Team—Halter Judging
Champion Individual—Halter Judging (Ellie Powell)
7th Individual—Halter Judging (Shyanne Stambaugh)
6th Team—Performance Judging
Reserve Champion Team—Oral Reasons
Reserve Champion Individual—Oral Reasons (Ellie Powell)
4th Overall Team
4th Overall Individual (Ellie Powell)
9th Overall Individual (Shyanne Stambaugh)

At the national competition, the team judged 9 classes: Halter Performance Geldings, Halter Performance Mares, Percheron Geldings, Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship, Western Riding, Reining, Hunter Under Saddle, and Hunt Seat Equitation. The team had to place each class of four horses, and earned scores according to how closely their placings match official placings. The team individuals also give verbal reasons to officials defending their choices.

The Western National Roundup Conference, now in its 88th year, is held annually in early January, coinciding with the National Western Stock Show. The competitions include horse and livestock judging, hippology, demonstrations and public speaking, parliamentary procedure, family consumer sciences presentations, and consumer decision making. Full results will be posted soon on the website at http://www.westernnationalroundup.org.

Horse Judging is just one of the activities offered to youth through the 4-H Program. 4-H, the youth development program of the Cooperative Extension Service, College of Agriculture & Home Economics, is a dynamic non-formal education program. 4-H provides youth with opportunities to learn skills, gain knowledge, have fun, and make contributions in such areas as environmental education, community service, and current youth issues.

From computers to citizenship, from livestock to leadership, from rabbits to rocketry – youth ages 5-19 can have fun exploring over 100 projects on nearly every subject. Today’s 4-H is available to youth-urban as well as rural-of all racial, cultural, economic, and social backgrounds.

With over 5 million members, 4-H is the largest youth organization in the United States. In New Mexico 4-H clubs have over 25,000 youth and over 3,000 adult volunteers enrolled in the program. In Santa Fe County there are over 240 traditional 4-H members and 186 adult volunteers enrolled. Santa Fe County has 11 traditional 4-H clubs located throughout the county. Any youth interested in joining 4-H should contact the Santa Fe County Extension Office at 505-471-4711.

New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity employer. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.