My how time flies!! I haven't updated the blogspot since January! Please forgive! Anyone want to take this over? Oh well, here goes!
Our 2012 FoxTROT membership is strong! To date we have 43 members; 26 of those are also members of the MFTHBA. Most of our members are from Tennessee, but we also have members from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. We may have to rename ourselves the "Dixieland Chapter MFTHBA"! We genuinely appreciate those who have been with FoxTROT from the beginning and look forward to getting to know each new member!
The Spring Gathering and National Trail Ride in the Smokies was a great success! (See the photos below.) All of the horses participating were Missouri Fox Trotters! The FoxTROT "hard core riders" were all present! Riders came from Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina and Alabama! The weather was perfect! We rode the Tremont Loop, the Rich Mountain Loop, and the Turkey Pen Loop! Of course, we had to support our favorite Townsend restaurants - The Carriage House for Grouper and The Barbecue Pit for Ribs! The Webb family who own/run Orchard Cove are always excellent hosts! After our evening meals, everyone enjoyed cutting up around the campfire and eating the home made deserts that were brought! Before breaking camp and heading home on Sunday morning, those who attended Cowboy Church were challenged by a message, "Are you a REAL Cowboy?". Trailers were hooked up to trucks, horses were loaded, stalls were cleaned and everyone headed home having had a wonderful time!
The Southeastern National Trail Ride is just a few weeks away! This ride is being labeled "Southeastern" because, for the first time, all of the MFTHBA Affiliates from the Southeast are cosponsoring this NTR with FoxTROT - Arkansas Chapter MFTHBA, Florida Fox Trotter Association, Louisiana Chapter MFTHBA and NW Arkansas FTHBA. This is also the first time for us to hold a ride out of Many Cedars Horse Camp. Our Middle Tennesse members have been recommending Many Cedars to us for a couple of years. The contact info for Many Cedars is posted above under the 2012 National Trail Rides heading. An email letter has been sent out with more details. If you did not get that email notice, but would like to have it, contact me at
smfoxtrotters@hotmail.com. We're expecting a good turn out and some wonderful riding! Be sure to make your reservations right away, if you haven't already done so!
Before I close, please notice that the name and location of the Fall National Trail Ride has been changed! It is now the "Region 8 MFTHBA National Trail Ride" and is being held at True West Campground and Stables, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Jamestown, TN. You'll find info for reservations under the 2012 National Trail Ride Schedule above. More info will be coming after the Southeastern NTR at Many Cedars.
Happy Trails, Sam Gerhardt, President, FoxTROT
P.S. If you do Facebook, be sure to search out our FoxTROT page and "Like" us!