The Bancroft Team Penning Event Fundraiser
COOKOUT & CAMPOVER
Was a Huge Success - Take a Peek!

I would like to take this moment to thank the Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce for helping us make this event a reality - your support is appreciated!  As well, thanks to the many volunteers who pitched in and helped right from setup to cleanup.  YOU'RE TOPS!

Here is Alf, our TRAIL BOSS.  Or, as he was fondly dubbed by the end of the weekend - "LOOKOUT ~IT'S ICHABOD CRANE !!"
Alf did an outstanding job for us all - he marked the trail, brought in canoes and bbq's, kept things moving, and just in general was the life of the party!  As always, he was the man who made it happen & everyone enjoyed his crazy antics. Thanks bunches, Alf.  And hey - where is YOUR HAT in this picture?

As with any well executed event, there were many generous volunteers.  One of my favorites was Derek.  Here he is the very first evening, as people and horses and trailers began pouring in to the great backwoods location. Derek and friend Cody brought a beautiful load of firewood in for the event.  If it had rained (which it didn't yahoo) we would have had NO trouble getting this stuff burning.  In fact, I think every single camper commented on 'that beautiful load of wood'.  Derek doesn't even own a horse, but he really pitched in and made things run smoothly.  I know I speak for everyone when I send you a very fond "Thank you" for your hard work, Derek.

Here's Matt and my friend & worker bee, Brittany, who came all the way from Lanark for the event.  This was the very first evening, when we got the bonfires going and got the newcomers settled in to the spacious lakeside camp.   The backdrop was lovely, and I know EVERYONE thought the atmosphere was really exciting and picturesque.  Hardly anyone could wait to get going on the horses.   Some arrived Friday night, while others trailered in on Saturday morning, afternoon & evening.

Here are Mary and Larry, two riders from the Peterborough area.  They had just completed the three hour trail and were all smiles as they wandered back into camp.   "Awesome" was the response when asked about the trail.  "The footing was excellent, and the obstacles just the right amount of challenge". "Absolutely ANYONE could have ridden it, and the scenery was breathtaking" said Mary.  Larry & Mary travel frequently with their horses, and trusted us enough to bring their BRAND NEW Exiss trailer into the remote location.  No sweat.  Even the small water crossing (compliments of a pesky beaver) wasn't enough to deter the many rigs that found their way in on the marked route.  We even painted any of the 'iffy' rocks on the road BRIGHT ORANGE so that no one had any difficulty on the drive in.

Many of our riders came fully prepared to camp and were well outfitted because they have frequent flier miles.  This group usually inhabits the Ganaraska forest, where they run a sizeable club that organizes many fun events each year.  Debbie Tinmouth's rig is a good model for how to camp with your horses - they even had their own electric 'corral' so that they didn't have to be tied.  I think the horses enjoyed their temporary home.

I think the part about this cookout/campover that everyone enjoyed the most was that it was a very spacious location and was set up informally, so that people could settle in, set up camp, and then come and go as they pleased.  Here, Alf puts on a show on his appendix mare 'Bailey'.   Debbie Tinmouth dubbed him "Ichabod Crane' because as she put it "You'd hear madly galloping hoofbeats and here would come Alf, flying around the corner, hair and coat tails flapping in the wind, his horse pounding as fast as she could run". "It made me grin every time I saw him" said Deb.  Anyone that knows Alf knows that FAST is his favorite speed.  He's just lucky that Elton didn't show up, or we may have had to have a horse race!

It wasn't just a weekend for the riders, though.  There was lots for the kids to do, too.

Here, Alf and his son Justin get ready to go for a paddle.  Alf generously donated the use of two canoes for everyone to use.  Those canoes spent many hours out on the small private lake that surrounded the site.  Justin, Alf's lad, commented "That was the BEST weekend we've had in a LONG time". I think Justin was just really glad spring was finally here.

Here's another group that everyone enjoys spending time with - Danny Bierworth, partner Laura and all their crazy friends.  Thanks for coming out, guys!  They enjoyed the trail so much that they did both the long AND the short trail - even though the short trail was washed out.  Now, why doesn't that surprise me?  Danny's never been known to back down from a challenge on horseback!

Brian & Wendy Dombrowski came out for both days, and rode both the long and short trail.   Although everyone dressed for rain, we had none, and the cool breezy Saturday was perfect for riding.  Wendy and Brian said the best part was the casual atmosphere.   "People just came and went, which was great for us because we couldn't get here very early" said Wendy.  "If we didn't have chores to do, we'd stay" she said with some regret.  "We'll be back tomorrow morning" said Wendy.  "I really wish we could have camped out.  Everyone is so friendly and are having so much fun, I hate to go home!"

Because I was helping to organize things, Brittany and I decided to putter around camp Saturday.   Here, to kill time, we set up a small jump for people to play with.  Britt and Dusty had never jumped, but Dusty rose to the challenge.  Of course,when Alf got back, we'd built it up quite a bit higher, and he provided quite a bit of entertainment with it until he destroyed it.  Britt and I took a leisurely stroll around the area, and checked out the beaver dam.  Later, she and Alf took a ride and got back several hours later, just before dark.  "It was awesome" said Britt.   "Dusty needed this, he seems so relaxed now after getting a chance to kick up his heels".  Britt was smiles all around, because she rarely gets a chance to see her horse due to school and time.

Here, Britt and Dusty pose for a shot.   I tried to get lots of good photos, but I especially liked this one.  Britt is very proud of her colt, and she is doing a very good job with him.  At four, he's ready for some more serious work, and Brittany is very patient and works hard at bringing him around in a gentle manner.  At the end of the weekend, after camping and riding and touring the countryside, he was very relaxed and seemed totally well behaved.   Trail riding is an excellent way to get young horses accustomed to things, and Dusty certainly responded well.  I also noticed a few others with green horses, and every one seemed to benefit from the exposure.

The horses weren't the only ones to benefit.  Here are Donna and her grulla horse Cody, a somewhat green 3 year old out for his first big adventure.  Donna hadn't had much time to ride this cute Arab x Quarter horse so she was a little nervous about the ride.  In the end, Donna took him on the long trail and seemed very pleased with how they both managed.  The camping atmosphere really went a long way to settling ALL the horses.  The long rides didn't hurt, either!  By nighttime, all the horses were happy to settle in at the trailers and munch hay.

Here's Laurel's gang, from Windsong stables.  Laurel owns a hunter/jumper barn, but she & her friends & clients take lots of trail riding/camping trips.  "It's good for them" says Laurel.  "It helps get them more settled when we go out to compete, & they take on a much more relaxed attitude. Oh, we fuss over them and bring their blankies and spoil them, just so they don't feel stressed by the experience. It's important to have good horse care no matter where you go".

Wait a minute!  Lets zoom in here....what's this?  Here is Bob, who is living proof that life begins at 72!  Bob tells me that he recently bought his beautiful paint horse, just because he loved to ride and wanted to get out more.  This perky 'young at heart' feller camped out for the first time in his life, choosing a lovely spot for his tent right out near the water.  He may be new to camping, but he's no stranger to the saddle - he sure can ride!  I can only hope that when I reach my seventies, I'll be as fit as Bob.   And hey gals - he's SINGLE!  He tells me, however, that he wants a 'horse' lady.  Any takers?!

Just about everyone from Bancroft knows Al & Aimee Dawn Hilgendorf.  Al is a painter and a preacher, and he and his daughter and their gorgeous well trained horses are a common sight at these types of events.  Aimee does a bit of training, and Al just loves touring the countryside.   We're always happy to see these two smiling faces in the crowd.  I just wish he'd sell me that beautiful paint horse.... *wink* And if you check out the background, you'll see the entire family of Wilfred Parks, who wouldn't have missed it.  Young Willie even joined Alf on a Sunday ride. And they stuck around to help Alf with the final cleanup.  Now that's what I call volunteer work!

Here's Calina Rutledge and Laura - Calina took a spin on our big belgian cross mare, Jenny.  On the right, Laura's totally unrelated horse was a perfect match, so we thought it was a neat photo.  In fact, when Laurel (Windsong Stables) commented on the nice quality of horses from the area, we joked with her that we were going to go for our very own recognized and established breed - the "Ottawa Valley Warmblood". Heck, just about everyone who grew up in the area had a father or grandad who had belgians for logging - so now, there are many many belgian crosses in the area.  They are fantastic horses, as they are quiet but have just enough bulk and foot to stand up to the rugged terrain of the area, yet still make nice riding horses.  Don't you think it's funny that these two are such a perfect match?

Of course, we didn't just ride all day.  Around lunchtime, everyone was getting peckish, so we broke into the case of wieners supplied by Stan Blank of Deli Specialty foods in Bancroft. (thanks Stan!)   Everyone enjoyed the dogs, and the best part was cooking them over the open fire.   We also had bbq's with propane donated from Matheson's Esso - and we kept them ready for anyone who wanted to grill a steak or cook a burger.  It was pretty handy, I must say!

The camp area was very unique and worked really well for the large number of trailers that set up camp.  There were two campsites linked by a short roadway, with camp areas all the way along and at both ends there was a fire pit.  It was also very interesting to mingle with the other campers and see how they solved different camping type problems.  I loved the portable corrals that Deb n Laurel had for their horses - very slick!

It was interesting that our firepit was never as neat as Deb n Laurel's.  I guess you could say that the Ganaraska gang were 'professional campers' - or, they just were more prepared. *grin*  When you do it as much as they do, you tend to be more organized.  Heck, poor Alf had to make THREE trips just to get his stuff home!  Good thing he won the $55 draw to pay for his gas!

By evening, everyone was ready to rip.  We had our horses settled, we'd eaten, and everyone was ready for music and laughs.  I can't believe how absolutely gorgeous the weather was - the sky was a brilliant blue as we got the fires rolling.  We had a free raffle with a few donated items, and a $55 draw (thanks to Sue Rutledge, this raised more money and was quite a hoot!) Dave & Cecilia Peterson arrived after dark from the Kingston sale, and their rig looked like a brightly lit transport, as we guided them in to the last campsite.  There was lots of help and soon, they joined us as we all mingled back & forth between the two camps.  The last tired reveller toddled off to bed around 3:30'ish.  (Alf and Matt & Derek)  I don't know what they were doing, but they sure were tired on Sunday!  I will always remember looking across the roaring fire, with the music blasting away, as Sue picked the draw winner- all I saw was a sea of happy faces.  IT WAS AWESOME!

Of course, it wasn't over yet.   Sunday dawned bright and clear, and everyone arose just a little later than usual.   Everyone mingled and exchanged food and shared breakfasts, and sometime around ten-ish people started to saddle up again. I think just about everyone did both trails, and I hear Deb and Laurel's gang went exploring on Sunday and found even more trails!   Here, I take Jenny for a stroll around camp.  I never did get out on the trails, but I still enjoyed myself!  Seeing everyone else having so much fun was a HUGE reward for all the hard work of the committee members.  I can't say enough thanks for those that joined us - it was one of those weekends that everyone will remember with a smile as the summer goes by.  I can't wait until next year!

Sadly, as Sunday afternoon started to wane, everyone figured they better start to pack up.  It was, after all, Mother's Day.  Everyone was awesome about cleaning up after the horses, which was very important if we wanted to be good to our fellow campers who use the Hamilton Bay site.   It was bittersweet, but all good things must come to an end.  Here, Steve begins the quiet task of packing up.

The last thing I saw as I pulled out were smiles and waves - Laurel's gang were taking their time, enjoying the sun and warm weather over an open fire.  I guess they enjoyed themselves so much, they didn't want to go home.  They'll be back, of that I AM QUITE SURE!  Thanks again to all who participated, it was great making new friends and partying with our fellow horse lovers.  Best of all - we made our fundraising TARGET and now, it's time to start thinking about the BANCROFT TEAM PENNING EVENT, scheduled for July 10th, 2004.  We'll keep you posted!