Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council Dinner of Honor
Aspen Glen Club
October 18, 2015

HOLLY MCLAIN:

THE ROARING FORK VALLEY HORSE COUNCIL WANTS TO HONOR AND UNITE ALL THE HORSEMEN IN OUR VALLEY. THIS “DINNER OF HONOR” WAS ENVISIONED TO DO THAT. WE HAD SUCH AN OVERWHELMING AND ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE THAT WE DECIDED TO HONOR THE ENGLISH RIDING COMMUNITY AT THIS EVENT.
NEXT YEAR, WE ARE PLANING A WESTERN HERITAGE, “DINNER OF HONOR” EVENT FOR THE WESTERN HORSEMEN INCLUDING RANCHING, RODEO, & WESTERN DISCIPLINES.

WE ARE BECOMING A POWERFUL LOBBY FOR THE EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY.
CURRENTLY WE ARE WORKING ON TRUCK AND TRAILER PARKING, WITH SAFE HORSE TRAILS, SEPARATED FROM BIKE TRAILS WHERE POSSIBLE.
COZY POINT RANCH MUST REMAIN AN EQUESTRIAN FACILITY.
WE WANT TO ADVANCE AND PROMOTE THE HORSE INDUSTRY, OUR WESTERN HERITAGE, AND LAND STEWARDSHIP IN THIS BEAUTIFUL VALLEY, AND LEAVE A LEGACY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

JOIN THE RFVHC TO KNOW WHAT WE HAVE UP OUR SLEEVE NEXT.

THANKS TO SUE PIETRZAK & MARTHA MCCOY, FOR CREATING OUR TABLE CENTER PIECES.  MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT PHOTOS, FILLED OUR SEATS, AND WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE THIS EVENING SUCCESSFUL.

HOLLY MCLAIN: THE ROARING FORK VALLEY HORSE COUNCIL WAS STARTED IN 1995 BY CAROL DOPKIN.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ROARING FORK VALLEY HORSE COUNCIL - CAROL DOPKIN.

CAROL DOPKIN:

WELCOME TO EVERYONE THIS EVENING. WE ARE SO PLEASED THAT SO MANY OF YOU COULD ATTEND. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE ALL OF YOU HERE, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IS INSTRUMENTAL MEMBERS OF OUR HORSE COMMUNITY.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A FEW PEOPLE AND READ FEW QUOTES.

KIT & MIKE STRANG, THE STRANG FAMILY, & THE STRANG RANCH – FOR THEIR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO EDUCATE YOUNG & OLD RIDERS, AND TO PROMOTE EQUESTRIAN SPORT.

VIVIAN & BILL GOODNOUGH – WHO STARTED THE ASPEN RIDING CLUB, AT THE ASPEN MEADOWS.

ANITA WITT - WHO HAS DOCUMENTED THE WESTERN HERITAGE OF OUR VALLEY WITH HER BOOKS, VIDEOS, AND HER TRICK HORSE & DOG PERFORMANCES WITH WHISKEY, SADIE.  ENTERTAINING AND HORSES HAVE BEEN HER LIFE.

TRUDIE PEET – STARTED ST FINNBARR FARM IN WOODY CREEK AND WAS DEDICATED TO HORSES IN MANY DISCIPLINES THROUGH OUT HER ENTIRE LIFE.

JILL WILLIAMS – BROUGHT MANUEL TEJEDA TO OUR VALLEY & WAS INVOLVED WITH HORSES UNTIL HER PASSING. SHE ALSO STARTED THE SHINING MOUNTAIN PONY CLUB IN NEW CASTLE.

MANUEL TEJEDA, & KATHY WEISS -WERE PARTNERS AT THE ROCK-N-PINES STABLES, AND CONTINUE TO DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO EQUESTRIAN SPORTS AND EDUCATION.

HEATHER & BILL THARP – HEATHER WAS THE  1ST WHIPPER IN FOR THE ROARING FORK HOUNDS HUNT, AND WAS DEDICATED TO THE ROARING FORK HOUNDS PONY CLUB.

ROBERT & SUE PIETRZAK – HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN SUPPORTING THE HUNT, PONY CLUB, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN DRESSAGE ASSOCIATION & THEIR CONTINUING DEDICATION TO EDUCATION AND THE SPORT.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HONOR:

THE FOUNDERS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN DRESSAGE ASSOCIATION, SANDY SMITH, BARBARA MCELNAE, SALLY SHAFFER, KIT STRANG, & SUE PIETRZAK.


THE FOUNDERS OF THE ROARING FORK HOUNDS, JUDGE JOHN WENDT, MIKE STRANG, DANNY BERRY, RICHIE COHEN, HEATHER & BILL THARP, CLYDE VAGNEUR, CAROL CRAIG RANCH, & ALL OF THE MASTERS, WHIPPER INS, AND HUNTSMEN.

THE FOUNDERS OF THE ROARING FORK HOUNDS PONY CLUB, JUDGE JOHN WENDT, HEATHER THARP, VIVIAN GOODNOUGH, SUE PIETRZAK, AND ALL THE SUPPORTERS & PARENT VOLUNTEERS.

FOUNDERS OF THE WOODY CREEK HOUNDS – PAT SCANLAN & ROBERT PIETRZAK, AND ALL THE WHIPPER INS.

WHILE VISITING DIFFERENT FOUNDERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE HEARD MANY PRICELESS STORIES, WORDS OF WISDOM, QUOTES TO BE REMEMBERED.

WITH THAT I WILL CLOSE WITH THESE TWO QUOTES:

MY LOVE OF HORSES BROUGHT ME AN APPRECIATION & COMMITMENT TO LAND STEWARDSHIP, AND THAT’S WHY I CONTINUE TODAY, TO HAVE CHILDREN’S CAMPS THAT WILL EDUCATE AND PASS ON THIS LEGACY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. - KATHY WEISS

WHEN I FIRST DISCOVERED THE ALL EMBRACING, WELL EDUCATED HORSE COMMUNITY IN THIS VALLEY, I WAS THRILLED TO BECOME A PART OF IT.
WHEN I LEFT THE VALLEY, I WAS SAD TO REALIZE HOW SPECIAL AND IRRIPLACABLE MY EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN.  I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZE HOW LUCKY THEY ARE, TO BE A PART OF THIS SPECIAL HORSE COMMUNITY. - SALLY SHAFFER