March at Project R.I.D.E.
March winds are blowing, bulbs are beginning to grow and change is in the wind at Project R.I.D.E.! Your March calendar is attached; please return it to me with your desired times marked as soon as you can.
Good-bye Jessie Baker
At this time of year we always reluctantly say goodbye to our beloved students from Jessie Baker School. Instead of riding for the next few weeks, they will be preparing for their school-wide track and field event, the Baker Games, which take place at the end of April. We hope to see them again at the beginning of next school year, in September.
Summer Leadership Institute Applications Now Available
Back for an exciting third year, the Summer Leadership Institute invites all 16-18 year olds interested in kids and horses to apply for this unique program. In exchange for committing to 100 hours of service over the summer, participants receive special training, privileges and logo-wear. Applications are available now in the barn and on our website and are due March 15th.
No More Mondays, Wednesday Nights Return and PMs Only for a While
Beginning the last week of March we will return to a Tuesday-Saturday schedule. There will be no lessons on Mondays in the spring and Wednesday evenings will be returning. We will be operating ONLY from 2:30pm – 7:15pm until May. As always, schedules are subject to change, so please remain flexible and patient with us. CSUS students, you will receive priority scheduling for evening shifts to complete your service-learning hours in April.
Important Dates
Tack Sale April 1st – 2nd
Need some tack? Buy gently used tack and support RIDE at the same time! Friday April 1st from 9:00am to 2:00pm and Saturday the 2nd from 9:00am to 3:00pm in the barn. Saddles, blankets, grooming supplies and lots of miscellaneous accessories will be available at reasonable prices.
Trail Ride and Dinner Dance April 16
Join us for our horsiest event of the year – the 28th annual Trail Ride and Dinner Dance. This is a full day of fun that starts in Sloughhouse at the spectacular Barton Ranch with breakfast and a day of riding, and ends back at the barn for rib eye steaks and a good old fashioned hoedown. Featured at this event are the talented students of Jessie Baker School, who will be performing “American Idol – Country Style”. Don’t own a horse but want to get in on the fun? Join us for breakfast at the ranch ($10) or dinner at the barn ($35). Iff you’ll be riding on the trail you can get the whole day, with three meals and all the fun included, for only $100. Advance tickets will be available in the barn soon and prices will be slightly higher the day of the event. We’ll need a few of our best volunteers to assist with serving, busing, raffles and auctions, so let me know right away if you’re interested in getting involved.
Western Festival Parade April 30
Calling all artists, performers, and other creative people! We need your help to design, build, decorate and walk beside our 2011 Western Festival parade entry. The festival theme for this year is “Wild Wild West” and we are already working on float ideas, costume designs and more. We are determined to top last year’s Best of Show-winning float with an even more spectacular entry this year. Signup sheets are in the barn or you can reply to this email to get on the email list for that committee.
Little Victories
Every day at Project R.I.D.E. we are fortunate to watch little victories and miracles happen right in front of us every day. A special child’s first word, first steps, first time on the back of a horse. YOU help make it possible, and for that, we thank you.
Most Sincerely,
~m
