The 2010 riding session got under way in late April and will run for 10 weeks until late June. There are three lessons on Saturday and two each on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We have an all-time record number of riders in the program. As usual all sessions are held at the Winsloe Equestrian Centre.
April also saw a training program for new volunteers, with a healthy number of new people joining us along with a large group of returning volunteers. The training session is mandatory for all new volunteers as an insurance and certification requirement.
To add to an already busy month, our Annual General Meeting was held on April 28th at the Rodd Royalty Inn. Two board members, Karan Corish and Virginia Reddin are retiring, and two new members Shelley MacEwen and Mary Morrison, are joining us. Val Paton steps in as vice-president, with Andy Robb continuing as president, Mel Gallant as secretary and Charlie Goodwin as treasurer. Highlights from the meeting and summaries of reports can be found in the next issue of The Whinny.
Again this year we will be holding a six-week summer preparatory session for prospective new riders. It will run in July and August.
The Winsloe Equestrian Centre, the home of Joyriders, has gone through a change of ownership. Kim White and Kurt Kershaw are the new proprietors, replacing Kathy and John Barrett. Kathy is continuing as chief instructor for the program. Kim and Kurt have made the transition smooth and cordial.
Joyriders were on the receiving end of a wonderful gift this spring. For a long time we have needed a sturdy portable mounting ramp, especially for folks in wheelchairs or with other needs. Local entrepreneur and blueberry farmer Elwood Lawton and his wife Nancy were kind enough to design and build such a ramp to our specifications, as a gift. The Lawtons are long-time friends of Camp Gencheff and their daughter Jennifer is a volunteer in the Joyriders program. Our riders and volunteers will have a state-of-the-art ramp to use for many years!
Speaking of volunteers, two unsung heros for the program are Julie Scales, our rider coordinator, and Joan Leslie, the equipment manager. Both of them do their jobs so well that it is easy to take their contribution for granted. We know better. With new equipment and new riders and horses, there is always change that needs to be planned.
Instructor training for three prospective assistant instructors began in this session. Stephanie MacDonald, Lauren MacIssac and Helen Kristmanson, with the generous financial support of ParaSport and Recreation PEI, will be doing a two-year preparation for certification.
Finally, the Joyriders have received certification as a bronze-level operation by the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association which has begun phasing a new certification program. It sets very stringent guideline for facilities, safety, operating procedures and instructor qualifications. Joyriders is one of the first programs to be certified.
All photos courtesy of Ann MacNeill of Sees the Moment Photography,
PO Box 20149,
Charlottetown, PE.
Canada
C1A 9E3
(902) 368-4540
(ParaSport and Recreation PEI–ask for Joyriders information)