News from the Southlands October 2021
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
You may have noticed a beautiful addition to Southlands - specifically the north side of the big jumping ring!
THANK YOU to Dr. Hendrik Uyttendaele for his extremely generous donation of a gazebo so instructors can get out of the sun while teaching in the big arena. Its arrival was delayed until October but it has already been put to excellent use.
In the Barn...As many of you noticed the barn is full!! There are two stalls in the school aisle that do not have horses. One is full of tools and items we use regularly, the other can be used for emergencies for an outside horse needing to come in. We have a few more hay deliveries before the end of the year to really stock up for the winter and spring. There is also some housekeeping that has been happening! Michele and her crew have been rearranging and neatening the school tack room and the junction of the aisle by the office to make them neater, more user-friendly and much tidier. There will be more work on the School tack room in its makeover throughout the season, perhaps a new paint job and new table!
AND OF COURSE! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We hosted our annual Horse Parade and had many winning participants! Add some horse apple bobbing for good measure and it was a great kick-off to Halloween weekend.
Boarders... if you have any blankets at home that we may need for your horse, like rain sheets or light turn out blankets, please bring them in.
Staffing News...If you have been around the barn lately you have noticed Maddy Berg around a whole lot more. Maddy has joined Southlands full time to help out Manuel and the Edels with a variety of barn work from turnout to training and teaching. We are thrilled to welcome Maddy to the full time team!
Outside grants...We are excited to announce that Southlands was the recipient of a grant from the USA Equestrian Trust. We have used that money to replace some of our older school helmets. They will be located in the tall wooden cabinet in the aisle by the school tack room.
WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE FOUNDATION. GIVE US A SHOUT IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON NEW GRANTS!
FROM OUR TRAINERS
We’ve had a beautiful October at Southlands this year! The lesson schedule has been full and our horses and riders are enjoying the lovely, warmer days. Fall in the Hudson Valley 2021 has been all about crisp starts to the day, warm afternoons and gorgeous sunsets. Our string of school horses have been busy, from Tiny Trotter’s to Jumping/Dressage lessons!
The TSF show team have recently been participating at new venues, such as the Hudson Valley Show Jumping Fall Classic, in LaGrangeville, NY, on Oct 10th and Gardnertown Farm, in Walden, NY, on the 23rd. All of our riders are polishing their skills, with their mounts and gaining confidence in the show ring. They’ve been winning ribbons and learning from their mistakes. That’s horse showing!!
The best part of our team is that they all help one another from getting the horses and gear loaded on the van in the early mornings, supporting each other in their classes and at the end of day caring for their own horses and putting their equipment away, while they regale one another with tales from the show. We want to give a shout out to the parents, who get their kids to the barn at ungodly early hours and support the love of horses and Southlands!!
Many thanks to Madeline Berg, who has been the “right hand person” to Jonathan, while he coaches at the shows. Maddie has taken on doing the entries and generally organizing the chaos. No one goes in the ring without a proper turn out, from hoof polish on the horses, to neat and tidy hair under their helmets for the riders. We can’t thank her enough and so appreciate her addition to our TEAM!!
We also welcome back to the barn, Philip Steinkraus and his two new jumpers, Paul and Brian. Both horses are wonderful athletes and Phil is always a pleasure to have in the stable. He sets an example of proper attire, horsemanship and tradition of the sport that we all love so much.
HAPPY FALL!
FROM THE BOARD
Southlands in the autumn enlivens the human soul and quickens the equine spirit. What joy it brings!
The Board continues to focus on addressing the goals identified in this year’s survey. One of the most pressing issues for boarders and for the staff is the condition of the turn-out paddocks. With the increase in torrential rains in recent years, it is even more compelling to address draining run-off in the fields, timely seeding and mowing and to improve fencing. The health and safety of the horses and staff is affected by poor soil and muddy conditions. Be on the look-out next month for the Board’s year-end appeal to help fund the construction of drainage swales, re-seeding and fencing in select paddocks.
To further the educational mission of The Southlands Foundation, the Board is working on two new initiatives.
Youth Ambassadors to the Board will create an opportunity for the young people in the Southlands community to gain exposure to the mission and principles of the organization through interaction with the Board and to have a voice in program development. On an annual basis, the Board will choose two or three Ambassadors, with the permission of their parents, for this program and will make announcements in the near future.
The Nicole Marie Wiley Working Student Scholarship Fund will foster the Southlands working student program, an essential component of our school of horsemanship and educational mission. Following Nicole’s tragic, and untimely death, her husband Jacob Leach and her mother Sandra Wiley, set up the fund to commemorate her life and her attachment to Southlands. They have formed a committee that includes themselves, Nicole’s coworker, Sarah, the Executive Director of Southlands, Allison King, and two Southlands Board members, Vicki Haak and Nicola Atherstone, to set up the goals and process for raising and distributing funds. The generous outpouring of support has already generated $15,495.00. To donate, please go to this link https://southlands.org/donate. The first award will be announced at next year’s annual gala.
Save the Date!
2022 Sunset at Southlands will be Saturday, September 10. We look to seeing everyone there!
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY
We are excited to announce acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist and Southlands hero Liza Donnelly has made a special SIGNED print in honor of Southlands. She is selling them on her site with 50% of the proceeds to benefit Southlands. Link here.
Beautiful gala photographs from the 2021 Gala were taken by Mary Elliott-O’Haire. You can order your prints with this link: https://mohaire.smugmug.com/Southlands-Gala-2021/
The Nicole Marie Wiley Memorial Working Student Fund is continuing to accept donations in her honor. Nicole was a cherished member of TSF and we will remember her always. To donate: https://southlands.org/donate.
Read our September 2021 newsletter