Proposal for 2008 Annual Meeting to be held in
Suffolk, Virginia
Hosted by Sharon & Tim Sluss
Our
facility is 26 acres and has 27 permanent stalls and a number of fenced
pastures and paddocks. Some of those stalls are taken by boarders but
there will be at least 10 open that could be used for visitors. We'd have
no problems stabling incoming horses...unless many came but we could build
some temporary pens and use some of our turnouts. My only requirement
since I run a
public facility with boarders would be that horses come with
a negative Coggin’s test. We have tons of room for parking. Opening to
the public is not a problem and we can put cars in the pastures if
necessary.
There are a number of good
motels within 20
minutes of us in Suffolk. We have lots of good places to set up campers
also. Our ground is mostly level also and sandy soil. We have electric
all over the farm and our own transformer so hook-ups will be available.
October is a nice month here...not so hot yet not cold either... generally
very pleasant weather in the 70's and a bit more chilly at night. We also
have a good place for an evening bonfire & story telling.
The barn has a regular
restroom with a sink and toilet and an efficiency apartment with a full
bath/shower. Our house also has two bathrooms also that we could make
available for folks who'd like to clean up. We are looking into the
addition of portalets if there will be a large turnout.
We have an enclosed
riding arena with sand footing with a grandstand and there is a
loudspeaker system already wired there. We'd have no problem holding a
show here. The arena also has lights so riding after dark is possible.
We are adjacent to some hunt club land and have access to some trails.
It's not a lot of trail riding but I'm told you can go out and back mostly
walking and jogging in two hours round trip.
Food...my mother has some interest in doing some of that already for
shows but I'm told there is a local club that will also do it. I'd have to
look into that but we do have local caterers and between my Mom and
friends, I think we could arrange for some meals.
Our area has a lot of local attractions also. We are one hour approx. from
Virginia Beach,
Colonial Williamsburg,
Busch Gardens, and
Colonial
Jamestown. The
Great Dismal Swamp
Wildlife Refuge is also very close offering lots of hiking and
tours. The Outer Banks of NC
are a few hours away.
We think our facility
will make for an interesting and enjoyable HOA annual meeting and hope
that you will too!
Proposal for 2008
Annual Meeting to be held in
Inverness, Florida
Hosted by
George & Linda Gasparini
Imagine riding under towering pines with needles as long as one's forearm.
Picture camping under Live Oaks and Hickories drenched in elegant
Spanish
Moss.
Sacred Horse Ranch would like to invite the
HOA membership and their
guests to join us for the 2008 HOA annual meeting at out facility in
central Florida, and experience these delights for yourself. The
weather in October is generally balmy, and our forty acres of lush
green pasture will be available to accommodate any number of horses. A
number of campsites with electric hook-ups will be available along the
southern tree line, complete with individual covered sheds and run outs
for horses' security, while the western tree line will shelter primitive
campers from the afternoon sun. Hotels and numerous quaint B and Bs are
available within a ten mile radius.
The back gate of Sacred Horse Ranch opens into the 43,000 acre Citrus
Tract of the
Withlacoochee State
Forest, providing over 100 miles of dedicated horse trails, and an
additional 150 +/- unpaved Forest Roads. Deemed "one of the 10 coolest
places you've never been to" by the Sierra Club, even a short jaunt
through the Forest will enchant the average rider. On any given day, one
can encounter startled deer, wary wild turkey, lumbering gopher tortoises
and curious fox squirrels. With its large stands of
Long Leaf Pine, the Forest is also home to the second largest
population of endangered
Red Cockaded Woodpeckers in the Southeast. Overhead at the Ranch,
many rare and endangered species of birds can be observed:
Swallow Tailed Kites are frequent aerialists, as are various hawks and
owls. Cranes and Bald Eagles occasionally make an appearance, thrilling
the observer with their sighting.
In addition to trail rides into the Forest, proposed activities include an
HOA/ AIHR sanctioned show,
demonstrations of gaits between the various CS horses (especially
highlighting the different Cracker horse gaits), driving and dressage
demonstrations, a visit to a local
Cracker Horse and Cattle
Ranch, and a presentation by Judge Nelson Bailey on the importance of the
Cracker horse to the history of Florida and the lifestyle of a typical
Cracker Cowman. A catered dinner of delicious Cuban food will provide a
taste of how the
cuisine of Spanish Florida has evolved. And for evening
entertainment, how `bout Cowboy Karaoke?
For those who'd like to explore during their visit to Florida, local
points of historical interest include the Crystal River Archaeological
Park (a pre-Columbian Mound Center), the De Soto Trail (remnants of the
earliest Spanish exploration of North America), and Dade Battlefield (a
Seminole War site, where Natives mounted on CS stock fought the US Army).
Visit nearby
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park for an interesting diversion, home to
a dozen or so manatee and a resident endangered Whooping Crane. A
"Fishbowl" allows a fascinating view of this natural spring as it puts
out millions of gallons of water per hour. Air boat and canoe rides are
available along the beautiful
Withlacoochee River. And the beach is just a few miles for swimming.
A little further away, Austin
Horse Park hosts the largest privately owned carriage collection open
to the public. Ocala is home to some of the states largest and most
comprehensive tack shops. Orlando offers the exciting and entertaining
Arabian Nights Dinner Theater. And Tallahassee sports Mission San Luis,
the 16th century capitol of the more than 100 Spanish missions in Florida.
For those who'd like to stay longer, Florida is a trail rider's dream,
with more than 18 State Forests and 26 State Parks offering miles and
miles of dedicated horse trails. And that's not including the hundreds of
miles of trails within our three National Forests.
As La Florida was the first point of entry for Colonial Spanish horses
onto mainland North America five centuries ago, it is wholly fitting that
the Horse of the Americas should meet in this fair State to point the way
towards our horses' future for the next five centuries.
Hope to see y'all at the 2008 HOA Annual Meeting at Sacred Horse Ranch!
Make your
choice on the
Ballot!
