February 2018 Newsletter

CHJF PRESENTS KRIS McCONNELL AWARD

The Colorado Hunter Jumper Foundation has established a new award. The Kris McConnell award will be presented annually to a CHJA member who has provided outstanding service to a charitable organization. The award includes a donation to the charity in honor of the recipient.

The 2017 Kris McConnell award is presented to the memory of our beloved Kris McConnell, who we sadly lost this past year.

Kris was an integral part of starting The Right Step, Inc., a non-profit therapeutic riding program she founded in 2008. She worked hard to make sure the clients and horses were a great match. After volunteering with the program as a horse leader and side walker when needed, Kris took it upon herself to become a PATH Intl. certified therapeutic instructor in 2012. She then helped the Right Step become a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center in 2013.Kris worked tirelessly, giving lessons every day of the week. Her clients and volunteer staff all adored her. She had clients who had experienced traumatic events, tell her things they had never told other people. She taught many people with special needs to be the best riders they could be.

In fact, several “graduated” to ride with Coventry’s Hunter/Jumper program, a true indication of Kris’s skill in teaching horsemanship. All the while she would humbly say that she got more from the clients and volunteers that she worked with, than she gave to them.

SILENT AUCTION RAISES MONEY FOR CHJF

For many, the Silent Auction is one of the highlights of our annual Awards and Recognition Banquet. This year was no exception. And more than $9,000 came in to fund scholarships and grants. Formed in May of 2010, CHJF is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. CHJF was established to provide educational scholarships, support equine charities, provide achievement opportunities, and provide emergency financial support to Colorado-based individuals and families in the Hunter-Jumper Sport.

Some of the items bringing in the most money included a "Healthy Legs Basket" from Erin Gibbs and American Vein & Vascular Institute, a port-a-grazer from Susan DeSylvia, several LuLa Roe baskets from Kirsten Turner, a Beval bridle from Foxcreek, an amazing goodie basket and gift certificate Littleton Equine Medical Center. Other items included a photo session from Clever Lark Photography, a VIP table during one of the summer Grand Prix events from the Colorado Horse Park, a humidor with a box of cigars from Jeff Martin and Smoker Friendly, and a beautiful framed photo by Michael Lohr. There were other items as well including Nuggets tickets, artwork and plenty of horse and human apparel.

More information o the Colorado Hunter Jumper Foundation is available at https://www.chja.org/content/colorado-hunter-jumper-foundation.

GOING TO AN OUT-OF-STATE SHOW? HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR POINTS

With so many members traveling to out-of-state shows this winter, we sat down with Member Support Chair Kirsten Turner to learn what there is to know about out-of-state points reciprocity

CHJA News: The weather here is bad in winter and many trainers are taking their clients to out-of-state shows. Will these points count toward CHJA year-end awards?

KIRSTEN: If that show is CHJA approved, then yes, you could accrue CHJA points at an out-of-state show. Just check our show list to ensure that we have the show you plan to attend listed.

CHJA: Can a rider qualify for the Medal Finals if he or she wins another medal out-of-state?

KIRSTEN: Yes, you absolutely can if you provide a copy of the results to the Member Support Manager. Even if the show isn't CHJA approved, medal points can count toward qualifying for our medal finals.

CHJA: Do riders have to register themselves or their horses any differently to ensure out-of-state points are counted?

KIRSTEN: No. If the show is CHJA approved, then we will receive the results and be able to award you applicable points. We do often have issues with Horse/Owner/Rider names being different at Group I (USEF/USHJA) shows than the names that we have in our CHJA database so please ensure that your CHJA names are correct.