Volunteer Schedule

The volunteer schedule for the Sept 24 - 25 Stone Gate Farm Horse trials is now available.

Keeping up with What's Happening at the SGF Horse Trials

Whether your a competitor, a friend or a family member of a competitor or you're just interested in keeping up with what's going on at the Gate Farm Horse Trials Sept 24 - 25; check out the helpful links on the Competitors Corner  for checking scores and receiving text messages. 

BIG NEWS!!!

Who would have thought that all the rain at the Winona Horse Trials this spring would turn out to be a good thing?  After moving the entire show jumping course from the grass to the sand dressage rings; (so we could safely compete) my husband finally understood why we needed an all weather surface show jumping arena. When we sold Kevin's horse Tintin he was the one who suggested putting the money towards building a show jumping area. After unsuccessfully trying to buy 2 acres from the neighbor next to the stabling area we decided to build in it the newest field where we will be having cross country warm up for the upcoming event which is just to the south of the stabling barns.  Ironically Dave always called that field the new stadium area but I told him it would never work unless it was level and an all weather surface.  He always said that would never happen because it would be too big of a project and cost too much.  Well it's still a big project and it's going to cost a lot but Dave has decided he's up for the challenge and will do most the work himself!

It is going to take some major excavation and building yet another pond to get fill dirt but the plan is to have an all weather arena that is at least 250' x 150' with a grass warm up next to it which will be approximately 130' x 250'.  Since we will be doing major excavating anyway, there are plans for banks, a ditch and maybe a small water jump so we can use the entire area for a Jumping Derby!

In order to help raise additional funds to build the stadium & derby field we are hosting a Jumper show and Cross Country Pace competition on Sat Oct 15th.  Come join us for some fun while getting good practice with your show jumping and cross country pace.

Stay tuned for updates, complete with pictures of course.  We'll be starting sometime in Oct.

Jackie

Dave's Big Idea - Part 1

Well it all started with me saying that I would like 2 small buildings for the dressage & show jumping warm ups because the tents keep blowing away and getting destroyed.  Nothing elaborate something like those at Chatt Hills.  Then I also requested a building where we had the big tent that we had this spring near the stabling and dressage rings.  Well on the first one he said that he didn't have time before the event to build them and on the second one he said we couldn't put up that big of a permanent building because it would add to our property taxes.  I said fine; I would rent a tent again.

Well I come home from officiating an event and Dave says he has an 'idea'.  I always get a little nervous when I hear those words. He said he saw something in the Farm Show paper (a newspaper where a bunch of farmers show what they have made out of things they or someone else don't need or want anymore) and he had the perfect idea for making the buildings that I wanted.  I can hardly wait. ..  but first he had to see if Van Scoy's old grain bin was still available.  Well it was and the 'big idea' began to take shape  I still wasn't thrilled with the idea, but once Dave sets his mind to something there is no stopping him.  Besides that, it was this or nothing. 

Removing the top of the grain bin

So while I was away officiating again Dave and Kyle unbolted the grain bin from its cement base and when I got home I was the lucky one to go with him as the excavator loaded it on the trailer.  Easier said than  done and without the base of the grain bin the 15' in diameter top just flopped down over the sides of the trailer.  Dave managed to find some boards to put under it for a little more support.  I led the 6.5 miles home on winding roads and warning any oncoming cars that there was a WIDE load ahead.  Somehow we managed to get it home and moved it to the hay wagon so we could go back the next day for the rest which I was told 'would go better' because it is much stiffer corrugated metal.

The top hanging off the sides of the trailer

So the next day we go back without an escort car because the actual bin will  be much more rigid and won't be hanging off the sides of the trailer.  So while Dave was cutting it in half I was busy unbolting the door.  Dave was happy because it was cutting fairly well and he didn't need all five of the cutting blades that he bought for the project. When he was almost done cutting he got the man to come over with the excavator.  I won't bore you with the details, but the corrugated metal was NOT much stiffer than the roof and things rapidly began to deteriorate  Let's just say we needed the escort vehicle as the bin did not go onto the trailer as planned.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             At one point I said that we would be further ahead selling it for scrap.  Well that was not well received; after all Dave had just paid a fair chunk of change to get all this metal loaded on the trailer and now he considered it a challenge to try to make this all work.  I knew I was doomed and had no other choice than to go along and hope it would turn out.  The Van Scoys found it all a bit entertaining to say the least.

So once it was home Dave got busy building a frame for one of the two buildings  made from the sides of the bin.  It was a plan as you go sort of thing and do as your told and don't ask questions ;)  It took a little doing, but putting the metal back up actually went better than taking it down and hauling it home.

Again I won't bore you with the details of building the structure.  I'll let you use your imagination as you look at the some of the pictures. I had some interesting captions but they really weren't fit to print ;)

So after a little time we have some semblance of a shelter that measures 15' long by 11' deep.  Not as big as the tent and a bit too large for the dressage warm up. We added two rows of bleacher seats (my idea which originally wasn't well received) and there is room for 2 tables and chairs or just more chairs.  Believe it or not there is seating for about 25 people. We're in the process of building a second one and now that Dave has already built one the second one will go a lot faster.  One will be placed where the tent was this spring near the stabling area and dressage rings and the other one is going down by the show jumping. Although they aren't quite what I had envisioned; I think they will be very useful shelters. Let's hope we'll need them as protection from the brilliant sunshine and not the R*&%.

Next up... the gazebo type structure using he roof from the grain bin.  Stay tuned for Part II of "Dave's Big Idea"

Two Projects for the Fall Event.

Although the fall horse trials is a little more than a month away; we're busy getting things ready for the event.  Kyle has taken on the project of stripping all the old paint off the Preliminary Barn so it can get a new paint job and a SGF Logo on the roof.  I don't think he realized how long it was going to take, but he's doing a great job and all his efforts will result in a longer lasting paint job.

While Kyle is working on a cross country fence, Laura has been busy designing 2 new fences for show jumping.  One is going to be the Golden Gate Bridge with a liverpool under it for Training and Prelim with an option of the waves framed by the sail boats.  The old canoe which was on the Novice cross country course is getting reincarnated and coming back as a sail boat ;)

Kevin and Laura working on converting the canoe to a sailboat

Blog Updates

I've finally had a few minutes to update a few blogs. Check out the  Clinics and Camp Recap as well as catching up with  Jack & Jill's blog and Jill's big news.

Jackie

Whew

Talk about a busy last couple of weeks.  First there was the new Event Camp, a Combined Test, the "Mock Event" Clinic, hosting the Tri-State Regional D rally and organizing the WRPC Mini Trials; all during longest stretch of  hot and humid weather in years!  Whew I'm whooped.  I took a deep breath on Mon thinking things would quiet down a little when I realized that Tues was opening date for our fall recognized horse trials and I had to get started with all the projects that need to be done before then. At least I don't have things scheduled here between now and then and I may actually get to ride in an event soon ;)

I hope to have a recap of the various activities especially the camp which was a huge success and I have the pictures to prove it ;)  But for now I have to focus on the Sept event.  I will be making regular updates on the Competitors Corner the first of which is the announcement of the early bird discount, the Area VIII Beginner Novice & Novice Championships and the Master Beginner Novice & Novice divisions.

For those of you who are Jack and Jill fans their blog will be updated soon as Jill has some BIG news!!

That's it for now.

Jackie