NCDCTA January 2010

ASK THE EXPERTS: Absentee Trainers and New Year’s Resolutions

Q: My trainer is headed to Florida for the winter. Any recommendations on what I can do to further my riding in the interim? Any thoughts about what New Year’s resolutions I can make to improve my riding? Sincerely, Cold in Carolina
A: To kick off the New Year, we invited an All-Star panel of Experts to share their thoughts…

Eliza Sydnor, Bella Terra Farm, Snow Camp, NC
• Before your instructor leaves, have someone tape your lessons. Ask for homework at the end, so that you can have it on tape. Watch the video all winter and be reminded what to work on.

• Read books, watch DVDs! I recommend Dressage in Harmony, Dressage with Kyra, or Complete Training of Horse and Rider. If reading bores you, check out some of the DVDs out there. Most of them have multiple volumes for different levels, so you can watch a little at a time. I recommend Training with Kyra Kyrklund and any DVDs by the Klimke’s. • Get together with a friend and trade lunge lessons. (This is assuming your horse is safe for lunging!!) You can always work on yourself and your seat.

• Get out of the arena! Don't drill! Go for a trail ride, work up and down hills, do some cavalletti, gymnastic jumping work, etc. Keep your horse's mind happy and fresh, and be amazed at how things will feel better the next time you practice in the arena.

Stacey Hastings, Finncastle Farms Equestrian Centre, Mooresville, NC
Make a New Year’s resolution to memorize the training scale and apply it every day to your riding, to recognize your success, and to be quicker at rewarding your horse. Personally, I would like to make a resolution to go on more trail rides.

And I suspect that my horse has made his own resolution – “to be quicker at rubbing my foamy mouth on my owner’s white show breeches.”

Janine Malone, Rosinburg Farm, Zebulon, NC
To add to this dilemma, those without a covered arena also face more down time in the winter months due to weather and limited daylight.

• Attend fix-a-test clinics for an evaluation of your riding and a "heads up" on any problems you might be developing.

• Study online training videos.

• Get together with other students of your instructor and organize a clinic with the instructor a few times over the winter.

And you can make a New Year’s resolution to work on the basics. Developing an effective and independent seat will do more to further your riding than anything else.

Anita Quinn, Sunrise Sporthorses, Fuquay Varina, NC
• Riding with friends; often just having another eye on the ground is helpful.

• Audit, audit, audit! Look at the calendar, pick some clinicians who interest you, and go audit. Most people do not take advantage of this learning opportunity. Learn new ideas and exercises, and reconfirm some of the same themes that we hear repeatedly, but often in different ways. Besides, auditing is usually cheap or FREE!

Vicki Kelley, Antares Dressage, Aberdeen, NC
Keep a training journal to track your progress over the course of the year – it will help to remind you of what both you and your horse have achieved over time.

I always make New Year's resolutions – I focus on setting goals that are realistic for me and my horse, yet push me to keep my skills and training knowledge progressing.

Kathy Rowse, Silverleaf Farm, Suffolk, VA
Discuss your needs with your instructor and the two of you may agree on other trainers who could temporarily further your goals. Keep an open mind – their style may be different than you are used to. Remember you can learn something from everyone. Add it to what you already know so that you can expand your riding tool box. And while you’re at it, make two New Year’s resolutions:

• Always be fair to your horse – give him the appreciation and respect that he deserves.

• Get in shape – there is nothing better that you can do for your riding and your horse than to be physically fit with a strong core. You can’t do this on a horse; you have to make a commitment off the horse to be fit.

Becky Blikslager, Windcroft Farm, Apex, NC
Exercise your mind and body! And cross train your horse:

• Trailer to the Moss Foundation, Umstead Park, Raven Rock Park or the Tobacco Trail.

• Take a Sport Horse Versatility clinic.

• Walk and trot up and down inclines at home.

• Rent Man from Snowy River for inspiration.

Make New Year’s Resolutions.
• I have recommended that my own students resolve to bring baked goods (with hot chocolate) for a.m. lessons; and to bring a five-course meal (paired with wines) for p.m. sessions.

• As for myself, I plan to resolve to cook less, eat more, stay fit by proxy, and refrain from cell phone use while driving, riding, and/or filling water buckets.

• Finally, I have suggested to my horses that they resolve to put their plans for world domination on hold and take their riders seriously.

Kay Meredith, Raleigh, NC
My preferred option would be to pack up and follow your coach to Florida!

But whatever you decide to do, here are two New Year’s resolutions that will help:
• Resolve to perfect your position so you can better communicate to your horse what you want him to do.

• Resolve to study the Directives of every movement in every test you ride so you know what the judges expect.

As for myself, I resolve to work harder to communicate with my students -- and to eat less sugar.

Best of luck for the New Year!

Nelles’ Rides Off-Course to Victory at Harvest Moon
By Liz Bromberg

Rebecca Nelles juggles teaching, training and showing at multiple levels, from Intro to FEI. Inevitably, there are navigation errors, but Nelles knows how to recover with style and grace. At The NCDCTA Harvest Moon Dressage, November 14-15, in Williamston, the Louisburg-based trainer went off course (with a reader!) and came back to win the NCDCTA first level open championship and the first level High Score Award (74.3%).

Nelles began working with Diane Tauber’s 6-yr. old Swedish gelding Rambius three years ago. At 16.3, Nelles calls him “our big little horse, because he thinks he's the size of a lap dog and thinks he's as vulnerable as one!” So it was a big step for him to trot up centerline on Saturday in the East (covered) Arena, which Nelles had heard “was scary for a lot of horses.” Rambius was no exception. “He was doing some good spooking in there” said Nelles, “but his willingness to listen prevailed because (the spooking) never lasted very long and (he) was always recoverable.” The pair topped the class with a 68%, and Nelles “couldn’t have been more pleased.” That is, until the next day, when he behaved “like he'd been in there most of his life. I was so proud of him!” said Nelles.

Then Nelles donned her tails and captured the FEI Small Tour championship on Tauber’s 10-yr. old Swedish mare Rytmik (67%, 63%)“Rytmik is going in and clocking out regular steady work,” said Nelles, “but now we (Nelles and trainer Kay Meredith) really want to get cracking on the Grand Prix work… It hasn’t always been easy, we wondered at times if we'd make it to third level…So we couldn't be more tickled to have her doing so well (at FEI) and hope to continue right on up to Grand Prix!”

Easy Street Cruises to Championship

While Courtney Vesel and her Easy Street have enjoyed great success during their brief dressage career, the road to the championships hasn’t been completely smooth.

Vesel first tried dressage at the state 4H show and “really liked it.” So she applied for and earned a Sporting Services scholarship to the March Magic show last spring. That experience led Vesel to make “the switch from hunters to dressage.” Moreover, her Oldenburg/Thoroughbred-cross, Easy Street turned out to be “far better suited to dressage than hunters,” said the 17-year old high school student. But in September, said Vesel, “Hugo received a nasty kick…knocking his pelvis completely out of whack and putting him out of commission for a couple of weeks.” Then he developed a blood clot. Then the Sunday before the show, the 11-year old gelding colicked. Vesel walked him for hours. Happily, his condition quickly improved and the pair made it to Harvest Moon, which “was terrific…Hugo never gets stressed…and knows when to show off!” said Vesel. He was “a little distracted” at times, but he stayed on the aids!

Vesel credits trainer Lizzy Kramer of Cary with her success. And her dad, who “was there the entire weekend helping out with everything.,” She plans to attend Virgina Intermont College next fall, and hopes to ride on the dressage team.

Encore Performance

Sally Vivrette and her Flash Tate led Team Encore to victory in Saturday’s Pro-Am Team Challenge with scores of 71.1% and 71.6% at training level. Teammates Susie Wiedman (Minerva), and Nancy Love (Curtain Call), also delivered at third level and training level, respectively, for a combined team score of 69%. The following day Vivrette and her 9-yr. old Hanoverian gave an encore performance, capturing the competitive Adult Amateur training level championship with a 69% two day average. Vivrette says Flash “is a dream boat in the show ring, (he) pays attention to me and allows me to set up each movement.” She just hopes she “can keep up with his abilities” as they move up the levels. Next obstacle: the dreaded sitting trot!”

Vivrette and Love, both veterinarians, have trained with Wiedman for years. Vivrette, a Board Certified Internist and owner of Triangle Equine, does all the vet work for Wiedman’s operation, Encore Sporthorses at Ovation Farm in Sanford. Love is a Board Certified Radiologist, and according to Vivrette, the two “often ride and then talk business.” And if they need second opinions, there are three other veterinarians boarding at Ovation Farm. “We were excited about being a team at the horse show,” said Vivrette, “because we had ridden together for a long time, and Nancy and I were enjoying the first year with our new horses.”

Carolina-Bred Champion

NCDCTA president Jennifer Mitchell clinched the training level open championship on Polly Yeago’s Baltic Freedom with a 68% two day average. The N.C. bred Swedish mare, by L.A. Baltic Sundance out of a Thoroughbred mare, “is, without a doubt, the sweetest horse I have ever ridden,” said Mitchell. “She has an incredible work ethic…I am extremely grateful to Polly for the privilege of training this mare.” The feeling is mutual. Yeago is thrilled with her Mebane-based trainer. “She really knows how to get the best out of me.” Mitchell, who found the mare for Yeago two years ago, said she “never dreamed (they) would choose a 5-yr. old Polly, but the mare was so sensible, (they) decided it would work.”

Trigger Happy

Natalie Blikslager loves ponies. So it was a sad day when the 14-year old outgrew Patsy Wooten’s 13-hand Alvesta Sunstar. Happily, it wasn’t long before Andrea Ruting of Ellerbe offered Blikslager the ride on Trigger, a 14-hand, 13 yr. old palomino. In September, Blikslager catch rode Trigger at Pinehurst Fall Dressage at third level after only one practice ride! And with less than a week to prepare for Harvest Moon, as Blikslager had been out of the tack following a wrist operation, they took the second level junior championship. While awaiting their turn at the awards ceremony, Blikslager also won the Dressage Seat Equitation class.

"Every horse has something to teach me,” said Blikslager, “Trigger has such good training from Andrea that I only have to use my body. I am trying to transfer that ability to (my horse). He is a lot bigger though." Although Blikslager likes her horses small, her goals are anything but: she hopes to earn her USDF Bronze Medal before she turns 16.

Shine on Harvest Moon

If the 2009 NCDCTA Dressage Championships are any indication, the 2010 GAIG/USDF Region 1 Dressage Championships will be a tremendous success – only a lot bigger! Two new barns and two new arenas are currently under construction at the Sen. Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center in Williamston to accommodate the event, which will be held next November in conjunction with the NCDCTA Harvest Moon Dressage Show. The NCDCTA Dressage Championships, which attracted 135 horses this year and continues to gain momentum, will be held at the NCDCTA Labor of Love Dressage Show in Raleigh in 2010. For complete results, visit www.NCDCTA.org

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HARVEST MOON AND THE HORSE SHOW HUSBAND
By Liz Bromberg

My 2009 show season was notable for its myriad mishaps: flat tires, hives, sprung shoes, B-52 horsefly attacks, and arena-navigation-system failure (i.e., totally forgot test). So it should not have been a surprise when, two weeks prior to Harvest Moon (the season finale, the NCDCTA Championships!), the mare developed a cough. Each day it persisted I despaired. I emailed the vet with hourly updates. The mare remained unperturbed, with an excellent appetite. She rested and got fat. I fretted and got fat.

Miraculously, just a few days before the show, the cough stopped. The vet gave us the green light but said to take it slow since the mare had been out of work nearly two weeks. That meant limited schooling and warm ups. Okay, I thought, recalling Labor of Love, when Rebecca Nelles “only did about ten minutes of actual work” with Victor De CER before scoring 76% and winning every high score award on the planet. Moreover, I learned that Nelles’ longtime coach, Kay Meredith, had been known to saunter serenely to the warm up on the buckle – when the rider in front of her was on deck. Surely, if this was good enough for these accomplished professionals, it was good enough for moi.

There was just one hitch: my loyal and long-suffering husband, the one who comes to the shows despite being deathly allergic to horses. This same husband had long been a vocal advocate of the fifteen-minute warm up – pointing out that I regularly allocated 30 minutes for warm up, and was typically ready after about 15. Therefore it followed that I wasted 15 minutes, needlessly tiring my horse. Yes, I conceded, he made some sense. But here’s the rub: I willfully ignored him, all season long. Now, to my chagrin, I was forced to test his theory.

No, husband is not a professional coach. But he does get the DirecTV NBA, NFL, NCAA and Big Ten sports packages; is a lifelong subscriber to Sports Illustrated; and rides 10,000 miles a year (on his bicycle!) What other qualifications could one really need? You know how this story ends: the mare came out rested, fat, happy, obedient and on the aids after the briefest of warm ups. She was even better on the second day. No one was more surprised than me when we won a championship. Husband had the good sense not to say I-told-you-so. But I couldn’t ignore the unspoken truth. He was right. How irritating! And even worse, the mare backed him up: half-way through our victory gallop (okay, canter), her meter expired. The needle swung into the red zone. The mare made it clear that she was unequivocally done. We trotted the rest of the way.

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Thanks to my instructor, Lynn Leath, for the basics; to Carla (“Coach”) Moss for her enthusiastic support; and to Team Blikslager for too much fun in Barn D.

Editor’s note: Liz and Magda won the AA First Level Championships at the NCDCTA Harvest Moon with a combined score of 64.4%

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Ten Lessons for Keeping Your Horse at Home

When I moved from The Big City to rural Chatham County, I didn’t know a Bush Hog from a Bobcat. But I knew I wanted to keep horses at home. And how hard could it be? Good grass, fresh water, some shade. What more could there be to it? Not much if you think of your horse as livestock. But if you have actually given your horse a name rather than just tagged his ear, it gets a little more complicated. So if you are thinking about keeping your horse at home, let me share a few pointers…

Say you have found your dream farm. It has acres of lush pasture. And what’s more, your horse, Socks, loves to be outside. How perfect is that? He gets to frolic in the fresh air; you get to admire your equine yard art from the kitchen window. And since Socks is always out in that pasture, you save time and money on mowing, mucking, hay, and bedding!

Lesson #1, accept this now, there is no way to save both time and money when you keep horses. Cut one corner and it will cut you right back.

Lesson #2, your cost-saving assumption (and you know what they say happens when you assume) is based on the supposition that Socks was spawned in the lucky gene pool of Barefoot Sound. Reality check: odds are Socks will need shoes. And the crazy thing about horseshoes is that they only work if they are nailed to the hoof. If they are routinely flung about the pasture like Frisbees, they don’t help so much. You will be forced to memorize your farrier’s cell number and learn whether he prefers brownies or beer – because that’s the only way you are going to get him to come re-set that shoe every week. Crabby farriers are one of the many reasons that stalls were invented. The game of horseshoes was invented by farriers who fantasized about tossing chunks of red-hot steel at their clients.

Lesson #3, now that you have reconciled yourself to keeping Socks in a stall rather than letting him live out in the pasture 24/7, you will need to feed hay. Hay is expensive. It is also heavy, which you will learn as soon as you have to buy, load, and stack the obscene amounts of hay that horses eat. For this reason, you will develop a mania about wasting hay, especially after you see your horse urinate on that beautiful orchard grass that you schlepped home in the 97-degree heat last summer. You will feed your horse one flake at a time. You won’t give him more until he cleans his plate. And you will gladly pay someone else to deliver and stack your hay next summer.

Lesson #4, because Socks enjoys only limited pasture access, you will have to worry whenever he is turned out. Will he eat too much? Will he find a deadly weed? Will he run? Jump the fence? Jimmy the gate? Pull a shoe? Be attacked by the neighbor’s dog or a rabid raccoon? No matter how much you worry or how many precautions you take, your horse will outsmart you. He will discover ingenious new ways to induce injury, allergy and property damage. Additionally, he will colic during the Final Four, he will escape on Thanksgiving, and he will need stitches on Labor Day.

Lesson #5, whether you go with troughs or water buckets, hanging feed tubs or a dish on the ground, you will have to scrub them – constantly. Horses will deposit slobber and manure in these receptacles because they can. It is not a reflection of your horse’s breeding, or lack of it.

Lesson #6, if you are lucky enough to have a charming little barn, maybe with Dutch doors or flower boxes, you will enjoy the endless privilege of cleaning it. Barns are dust and cobweb magnets – ideal for Halloween maybe, but that’s it. Sweep with religious fervor. Invest in good brooms.

Lesson #7, there will be the mice, voles and assorted rodents – don’t waste any time, rescue a cat and install her in the barn; she will earn her keep. But she won’t be much help when it comes to battling the wasps, yellow jackets, flies, mosquitoes, black widows, fire ants and (if you’re lucky enough to have a wood barn) carpenter bees. Go organic whenever you can: marigold extract, diatomaceous earth and beneficial insects can work wonders. But occasionally you will have to go atomic and invest in the environmentally-irresponsible yet comfortingly-destructive Acme Bee & Wasp Killer.

Lesson #8, you don’t want Socks to get lonely, so you will have to buy him a pony (something nobody probably ever did for you).

Lesson #9A, Socks will need fans to keep him cool in summer and a vast wardrobe of sheets and blankets to keep him warm in winter. You will need to purchase a Blackberry app that reads the temperature at your barn and notifies you of every change, so that at any time of day or night you can be sure that Socks is properly clad. Lesson #9B, you can NEVER EVER go on vacation because no one else in the world but you would pay any attention to Lesson #9A.

Lesson #10, Socks will see you in a whole new light. You will no longer be the annoying person who comes to the barn to disturb his postprandial nap – and demand that he work for almost an hour! You will be The Person Who Brings Food. Socks will nicker affectionately when he sees you, especially at meal times. And that’s not all. You will find that, late at night, when a peaceful world rests beneath starry skies (and you are done picking stalls, filling water buckets, sweeping the aisle, putting on blankets, administering medications, feeding the cat, dragging the arena, cleaning tack, fixing fence boards and spreading manure), no sound soothes the soul like Socks, contentedly munching his hay.

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Those of us who board horses know the panic of running out of shavings. For the shavings man in our lives, we bake bread at Christmas, we have cash ready, and we pretend not to notice when he looks like the dough boy, dusted from head to toe. The shavings man is our link to satisfied boarders.

Although I know that my shavings man added too many customers in the good times and started slighting the old standbys in scarce times, I still pretend he’s THE MAN. Over the winter, our request calls needed to be placed earlier and earlier. Was there irritation in our voices? Did we sound desperate? Was he playing the control game? His verbal promise was “I’ll never let you run out of shavings.”

Treasuring the last curl of shavings from the bin, I placed another call. No answer. Tractor Supply was open late, to the tune of $4.75/ bag. HECK! Those evaporated as quickly as the dollars necessary to call them mine. Another call. No answer.

O.K., I’ll try the name on that card I’d had for a year. “Why, yes I can get you a load.” “Of course I can have it there today.” The price? $425.00. Eek. Some choices are no choices. Bring them on, I managed to say. The fluffy, sweet-smelling shavings perked up the bin in no time, but only after the delivery guy had used my apple picker to pull out the load. He broke it beyond repair and then wanted another tool to finish the job. The load now cost $450. But we were covered for two weeks, so there was time to find something reasonable. Upon departure, the driver asked, “Ya gonna be a regular now?” Who can afford that and still have gruel on the table? There was even a follow-up, are-you-happy call. Too pricey.

The next morning, in drives THE MAN. Seeing the shavings bin full, he dusts the fence all the way back to the main road. I was hiding in the feed room. I gave him a couple of days to “settle,” before I called and placed my next order. He didn’t know if two week’s notice was enough. Women always know when a relationship is coming to an end. I didn’t need to read my horoscope or have anyone spell THE END.

Being in the age group where computer savvy has its own unique meaning, I headed inside to try its magic. A company only three hours away could bring a semi load of bagged shavings within days. “Would I like a third, half, or full load?” Transportation was $300 regardless. Well, duh. A full load, of course!

When the back doors opened, reality hit. One couldn’t slide a coin between the plastic wrapped, 45 bag pallets bulging the back doors. The trailer was 53’ long. Temps were in the 90’s...outside. The driver said he wished I had let him know I didn’t have a dock. Excuse me, what farm has a loading dock?

I quickly hired emergency help by begging the feed man to loan me one of his guys. Count three less-than-eager workers; my barn helper, my borrowed employee and myself. At two hours the driver, who had been cleaning his nails ad infinitum, reminded us that we start paying for time after three hours. At the strike of the clock, the driver took pity and said he was spending the night anyway. At that juncture, pizza and drinks were ordered, and the driver became our best bud. No doubt he liked pizza.

The deeper in the truck, the shorter the chain from the tractor to the pallet. This required the tractor to get a running start to yank the pallet forward...and forward...until it crashed off the back of the truck.

Personalities were becoming testy. In my perky, cheerleading voice I said “Boy, aren’t we showing Mr. I’ll Never Let You Run Out now”. Eyes rolled.

Well, there is perhaps a month’s worth of the 1,070 bagged shavings left. My barn help has returned to school. My emergency employee will not make eye contact when delivering grain. I guess revenge is sweetest when the shavings bin is full.

Editor’s note: Joan Baron owns and operates a boarding stable, Gone To Ground Farm in Waxhaw, and runs dressage schooling shows.

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Minutes - December 8, 2009

The NCDCTA board met in Pittsboro on December 8 at 6:30 p.m. Members present were Jennifer Mitchell, Donna Kelly, Dave Stuckey, Anita Quinn, Robyn Hahn, Sue Smithson, Lynn Leath, Rebecca Mikell, and Diane Lefevre. Excused: Suzanne Mullen, Carol Kelly. TREASURER : Dave opened the meeting with a financial report; all expenditures are under budget, but horse show proceeds have declined this year. The Summer Mountain Getaway show, although producing favorable reviews from participants, lost money. Entry fees for 2010 were increased for a “break even” goal, as we might want the date and venue for a future educational symposium or camp. Raffle ticket sales are sluggish, and items are still needed for the silent auction at the Gala.

PRESIDENT: Jennifer and Suzanne Mullen attended the USDF meeting in Austin Texas. They enjoyed the educational forums, and participated in the regional and Board of Governers’ meetings. A dues increase could not be avoided this year; GMO dues will rise from $17 per member to $20 in 2011.

VICE PRESIDENT: Plans are in full swing for the Gala, an E-blast will go out reminding members to make reservations early.

DRESSAGE: The Dressage Education Committee had a tremendously productive year. Lynn provided a written recap, which included sending teams to the Region 1 Youth Champs, youth auditors to NAJYRCs, youth clinic with Cesar Parra, AA camp, and Kathy Connelly symposium. A new survey to poll members on past and future activities is now on the website. “We’ve set the bar high,” Lynn said. “And will try to out-do ourselves in 2010!”

EVENTING: The eventing clinics are included in the online survey, and the Eventing Educational activities included clinics with Leslie Law, Eric Smiley, and Steuart Pittman. Anita’s committee will be nominating a 2010 NCDCTA Eventing Championships when the calendar is finalized. A schooling horse trials was reported as not being in compliance with NCDCTA guidelines, and Anita granted a one-time exemption. COMPETITIONS: Diane is working on a job description for all board members, and a consolidated financial reporting system for the shows. She will have a financial overview on all the 2009 shows for the next board meeting.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Robyn reported that scholarship recipient Christan Trainor’s outreach project is now the website. Trainor offers links to video clips coupled with a description of her clinic with German Olympian Nicole Uphoff.

NEW BUSINESS: Jennifer moved that we support the Intercollegiate Dressage Association National Championships, which will be held here at St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, with a $500 sponsorship. Seconded by Lynn, the motion carried unanimously. An inside front cover program ad is included, Sue will follow up on this. Sue will also research prices on NCDCTA banners, as they will be needed at several venues next year. The NCDCTA Pro-Am Series winners have been announced, and prizes ordered for presentation at the Gala.

Sue moved that the NCDCTA sponsor the Saturday night competitor’s dinner at the GAIG Region 1 Championships at Harvest Moon in Williamston next November. After much discussion, the vote was split and tabled for the new 2010 board. Robyn will check with a prospective co-sponsor for this project.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. The next meeting is the annual meeting for the general membership and election of officers at the Gala, January 9. The nominating committee has submitted the following slate:

President: Suzanne Mullen, Vice President: Robyn Hahn, Treasurer: Dave Stuckey, Recording Secretary: Kris Daniel. Members at Large: Carol Kelly, Rebecca Mikell. One more At Large position remains unfilled at this time.

Respectfully Submitted by Sue Smithson

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Last night was my next-to-last board meeting as president of NCDCTA. As I drove to Pittsboro beforehand in the dark with the windshield wipers beating back the cold rain and tired from a very busy day, I was thinking, “Whew, it’s almost over! I’ll soon hand the reins over to the new president and I will be free of this responsibility!” I never expected that I would be fighting tears all the way back home to Mebane afterwards. I will surely miss the regular meetings with board members who have now become friends and partners. We have worked so well together overcoming obstacles, setting goals and accomplishing them, developing new ideas, arguing together, laughing together …it has been a great journey for us as a group. Vice President Donna Kelly is leaving with me after four years of service, and we both agree…saying good bye is not so easy for either of us. Fortunately for NCDCTA, the rest of the current board has agreed to stay on, with Suzanne Mullen willing to step up and take the helm as president. Robyn Hahn has agreed to move into the V.P. position. This is great news and I am excited to see where the vision of the new leadership will take our organization.

I can’t deny that it will be a relief to get some of the time back that was spent on NCDCTA business, but I must tell you the experience was surprisingly fulfilling! We have accomplished many things for our organization, and I am proud to have been part of such a terrific team. The greatest personal blessing I have received from being on the board the last five years is certainly the friends I have made along the way. It has been a treat meeting new people across our state and outside of NC as well. Another benefit of serving is, of course, the old “character building aspect”! For years I have prayed for more patience, courage, discernment, self-control, to be slower to speak and quicker to listen…who knew God would answer me via the presidency of the NCDCTA! He’s funny like that.

While I am leaving my post as president, I look forward to serving the NCDCTA in other ways for years to come. This message will likely come out just before our gala in January, so I just want to say that I hope to see many of you there as we celebrate the successes of 2009. And to all of you, may 2010 be a year of joy and success in all that you do!

Peace, Jennifer Mitchell