Great Lakes and Michigan Horse Sport News
www.greatlakeshorsesports.com/www.michiganhorsesports.com

Want to ride where the hunters aren't hunting?
Department of Natural Resources officials have announced the creation of a new collection of maps on the agency’s Web site that identify all lands that are open to public hunting in Michigan. Hunters can click on a particular county and see not only the state forest, wildlife management, and parks and recreation lands open to hunting that are administered by the DNR, but also all federal lands as well as private lands that are open to the public through the Hunter Access Program (HAP) or the Commercial Forest Act. To find the maps, go the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr and click on “Publications & Maps.”

Working together for our clients:
Riverbend Photo.com and Riverbend Equine Appraisals.com and Tania Evans Media

Mark your calender's!! The Waterloo Horseman's Association is is having a Halloween Spook-Tacular Event October 17-19, 2008 Attached, is a flyer for the event, please forward to as many people as you can. Also, if you can print a few to distribute, it would be appreciated. There are many items on our list that we need help with, as well as needing volunteers to help. WHA is anticipating a great turn out, please help in making our first benefit for the new solar well a success.

" Costume Contest/Parade", "Ghost Stories w/bon-fire", "Hayride"," Pumpkin Carving/Painting Contest (bring your own tool to carve pumpkins), "Apple Bobbing"," Arena Games", "Live Music", "Hot Dog Roasting," "Pie Toss",  and a "Haunted Treasure Hike". 

**We will ride from Waterloo Horsemen's Rustic camp to Farmlane campground and back, where the kids can 'trick or treat' at both camps. Come Join Us!!I-94 exit 153 - 3.8 miles north on Clear Lake Rd.

If you can volunteer for any of the events, donate, or know someone who may me interested, please email WHA , or call 734-735-1060. WHA will be meeting at Farmlane Campground on Sunday, September 21, 2008 @ 11:00am to discuss/organize events. Please join us!
Charlotte "Missy" Covill
Waterloo Horsemen's Association
Board of Directors
Asst. Sec./Web/Project Well
www.waterloohorsemen.org
1-(734)-735-1060

DNR to Continue Gas-Saving Storage Pilot Program; Eliminate the Fee for Intermittent Camping Storage Periods

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that the gas-saving, camper storage pilot program will continue throughout the remainder of the camping season at participating state parks and recreation areas.

In May, state parks and recreation area officials announced a new gas-saving, camper storage pilot program that offered campers the opportunity to save fuel by temporarily storing their camping trailer or recreational vehicle at participating state parks or recreation areas. The pilot program was scheduled to expire on Sept. 15.

“This pilot program was a huge success,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Due to its overwhelming success, and numerous requests from campers and park staff to continue the program, it was decided we would extend this program through the end of the camping season at participating state parks and recreation areas.”

Storage of the camping units will remain free and limited to 15 days.
Storage will only be available at participating state parks or recreation areas, and only until the park or recreation area closes for the season. Camping trailers or recreational vehicles will have to be removed before the park or recreation area closes for the season.
Hartwick Pines and North Higgins Lake State Parks will continue this pilot program thru Dec. 1.
Campers wishing to take advantage of this program will need to show proof of a recent or future (within one week) camping stay at a Michigan state park or recreation area campground.

Intermittent Camping Storage, companion to the Gas-Saving Storage Pilot Program, allows on-site storage of camping units in participating state parks or recreation area campgrounds. This program has also been a success at select locations for many years.

After further review, it was decided that the storage fee of $4 per night during unoccupied periods will be eliminated based on the following criteria:

* Free nights will only be available Sunday thru Thursday nights.
* The full camping rate will be charged during the weekends (Friday and Saturday nights).
* Camping units must be unplugged and unoccupied to qualify for the free nights.
* This only applies to specific state parks and recreation areas participating in Intermittent Camping Storage, listed below:

Upper Peninsula
Bewabic, Muskallonge Lake, Tahquamenon Falls and Wells.

Northern Lower Peninsula
Aloha, Clear Lake, Harrisville, Hoeft, Interlochen, Leelanau, North Higgins, Onaway, Petoskey, Rifle River, South Higgins, Tawas Point, Traverse City, Wilderness, Wilson and Young.

Southern Lower Peninsula
Bay City, Fort Custer, Holly, Ionia, Mears, Metamora-Hadley, Pinckney, Port Crescent, Proud Lake, Sleeper, Warren Dunes, Waterloo (Portage Lake only), Algonac (beginning Oct. 11); Grand Haven (after Sept. 27); Sleepy Hollow (until Sept. 29, and Oct. 12-18 only); Yankee Springs (after Oct.
18).

For more information about these programs, the parks participating in these programs, and the continued opportunity to save on fuel costs, contact the DNR Parks and Recreation Division office at 517-373-9900, or visit the Web site at www.michigan.gov/camperstorage. To find out if a participating park or recreation area has space available, or to find out when they plan to close for the 2008 camping season, contact the park or recreation area.

Michigan DNR sends firefighters to help put out fires. 8/4/08
Remember our fires in Newberry last year when firefighters came from all over the States to help us? We do the same this year to help others.Be sure to check out fire locations before planning your holiday horse camping!

Even though a total of 36 Department of Natural Resources employees have returned from fire duty in western states in recent days, at least 13 remain on duty in California and Texas helping those states battle wildfires. As many as 50 DNR employees at one time have been outside of Michigan this summer helping western states during summer wildfire season. A 20-person crew of DNR firefighters that had been working on the Lime Complex in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Redding in northern California will return this week. A group of 16 who were working on wildfires in California returned last week. Another five DNR employees have been deployed to other fire locations around California. In addition, four Michigan DNR tractor plows and their two-person crews were sent to Texas to assist wildfire efforts there. Crews from Michigan can spend up to two weeks away from Michigan, but have the option of a seven-day extension depending on the incident commander at the site of the wildfire. The Michigan DNR tractor plow crews assisting in Texas will be staying for a 21-day assignment, Boyd said. For more information about wildfire in Michigan, go to the DNR’s Fire Management Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr-fire.

Waterloo Recreation Area has long offered both modern and rustic campsites.
Now there's a new option: a two-bedroom cabin that sleeps up to six people, rentable for $80/night during camping season. The new cabin offers a front deck, electrical outlets, shelves for food and supplies, a fridge, microwave, coffee pot, picnic table, fire ring, and charcoal grill. For additional information about the Waterloo camper cabin, contact the park at (734) 475-8307. Camping reservations can be made online at www.midnrreservations.com, or by calling 800-44-PARKS. This could make a great home-base for exploring the 20,000 acres of forests, lakes, and trails!

Thunder Valley Equestrian Trail Hosts National Trails Day Observance, June 7

Thunder Valley Equestrian Trail, built as a cooperative effort by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and regional equestrian enthusiasts, is an 11-mile trail system, located on state land in Marquette County. It provides a beautiful wooded trail specifically designed to suit horses and riders.

The trail is located on the east end of County Road NA off County Road
553 in Sands Township in Marquette County.

Preceding the Opening at 1:00 is a work bee. Please help from 9:30 a.m. until noon on Saturday, June 7. Volunteers are asked to bring hand tools such as pruners, loppers, handsaws, hand rakes, gloves, bug repellent and a water bottle. Please don'tt bring horses to the work bee. Please b ring a dish to pass and utensils. Following completion of the trail work, a potluck tailgate lunch will be served. The trail will open around 1 p.m. on June 7 to horses and horseback riders. The trail will remain open for the rest of the season and there is no fee to ride the Thunder Valley system.

For more information, contact DNR Communications Representative Ann Wilson at the Marquette Operations Service Center at 906-228-6561.

Fort Custer Recreation Area - Up for ReZoning to ad sports like Frisbee Golf? Currenly Fort Custer offers lots of horseback riding opportunites (visit Friends of Fort Custer website) which will be affected negatively by a Frisbee Golf Course - unless you act. 2/22/08

The DNR has asked for public opinion regarding installing a Frisbee golf course on 50-90 acres of land at Fort Custer.  "Many of us feel this activity does not fit in the overall scheme of use at Fort Custer," says Friends representatives. " The Master Plan has already been approved by the Citizens Committee and is supposed to be on the Directors desk.  Instead, the DNR is considering re-zoning this land for the golf course.  The purpose of the Master Plan and  zoning was to prevent inappropriate use of the Park.  The DNR states  'A re-zoning of the area would allow for the development of additional recreation opportunities that fit the scope and esthetics [sic] of Fort Custer Recreation Area.' Frisbee golf does not meet the scope and aesthetics for this area.  There would be colored tees and baskets laid out over this acreage.  Who wants to hike or ride through this type of scenery?  The DNR's apparent position is that this is appropriate use.   They are now considering re-zoning.  The Master Plan was well thought out over a three year period and included significant public input and assessment by DNR experts.  ThePlan in its current form is the product of that work.  A last minute re-zoning seems to be counter to the whole process. "
Please voice your opinion to the DNR
See Ft. Custer riding area map

Weekend for Camping Equestrians Fort Custer Recreation Area, in partnership with the Horse Friends of Fort Custer, is hosting a weekend of camping and orienteeringin the park Oct. 12-14.This event is sanctioned by the National Association of Competitive MountedOrienteering (NACMO), and the events at the park will be timed orienteering events. This event is also open for those who wish to participate in the orienteering events, but do not choose to camp.

Fort Custer, which does not have an equestrian campground, will be open for equestrian camping this weekend for those participating in the competition. This will be rustic camping at $10 per night. Parking and staging will be in the day use parking lot The orienteering events cost $10 per adult riderand $5 per junior rider.The proceeds of the event will go to the Horse Friends of Fort Custer who,in turn, use the money to maintain the trails in the park.

Location: 5163 W. Fort Custer Dr., near Augusta.
Info: 269-649-3720.
For camping reservations, call 800-44-PARKS or reserve on-line at www.midnrreservations.com.

Jen's Shore - to - Shore Michigan Ride. U.P.-er Jen Pond just finished her 5th annual ride on her 17-year old Tennessee Walker. It's an east-west route from Oscoda on Lake Huron to Empire on Lake Michigan.

For Jen's report, click here. The trail is 250 miles, 16 days, ridden in 25-mile increments. It's two days riding and one day layover. Says Jen, "This year I am keeping a journal for the first time.

" One fun thing about our club is that we hand out buttons for things that happen - like rig-wrecker, potty-trotter, fall-offs, et cetera. At night, we have a meeting where the trail boss goes over the next day's ride and "jump" (the term for where we move our rigs), gives trail details, water location, half-way point, and so on and that's when buttons are awarded. Somone usually tells on you and then you have a chance to defend yourself. You wear your button for the rest of the ride. We also have campfire sings, and the Trail Fairy usually leaves mini-tootsie rolls along the day's trail for the kids to find, hanging in branches or on fence posts. Layover day, we do non-horse things like canoe. At the Luzerne camp we make the rounds of the Amish bakery, the harness shop and general store. Our club is very family-oriented. We all look out for each other. This year, I have a new trailer with full living quarters, a dream come true after so many nights sleeping in the back of a pick-up truck and freezing to death."

And her 17-year old Tennessee Walker? "I was a die-hard QH fan for 20 years until I got started doing this long-distance trail riding. My friend Kate had a TWH that I got on one day, went about 100 yards down a trail and back, and that was enough for me to sell my three horses and buy a Walker. This horse I have is all heart, he's very strong and very fast and he's 17 this year. I do a lot of conditioning before the ride." Not to mention that it's a 9 hour drive from Jen's home in Iron River to the start box. For Jen's report, click here

The Sag Wagon !

African Horse Safaris in Botswana - for the experienced riders and the non-riding fly fishermen

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Playing Polo at Casa de Campo (when you're not playing golf, clay court tennis, sailing or choosing which fresh fish to eat for dinner)).

 Playing polo in Casa de Campo is like simultaneously eating ice cream, watching a great movie, talking to an interesting person at a party, and jogging effortlessly.  It is that much fun!  The Club ponies are safe and athletic, the people on one’s team are polite and keen to play, the three regulation fields (300 yards by 160 yards each) are grassy and flat, and you can practice or play every day, even twice a day.

For twenty years, I have been coming to play polo a few times a year.  This is the only place I play polo, though I ride every day at my home in Michigan where we have jumpers and dressage horses.  That means that I can ride a polo pony well but I can’t hit the ball too well – a case of no practice.  But the players at the Club de Polo are endlessly patient and always creative in making scrimmages for low goalers like me as exciting as being in a 26-goal U.S. Open.  

The club is geared both to those who play in games up to 6 goals and also to advanced players.  There are fine tournaments for 8 - 12 goal players.  Everyone comes to watch these games.  The players’ families, club grooms, vacationers, and casual players like me all sit together in the bleachers and watch advanced games in the afternoon.  In the bleachers, everyone loves to watch polo and everyone talks to each other, an idyllic two hours.  The languages are usually Spanish and English but often one can hear Italian, Portugese, French and Afrikaans.  Always there are observers new to polo and always there is a patient, knowledgeable person to explain the rules and to describe what’s at stake.

Polo has a reputation as an elite sport but it is also an egalitarian one: children play with adults; men and women are on the same team.  Many grooms are fine players, often rated at 2-6 goals themselves. Such rated Dominicans are hired by American clubs June-September to improve their clubs’ games. These same players come home October-May to Casa de Campo.  They will scrimmage happily with beginners, will play supportively on low goal teams and they are equally comfortable on a patron’s team playing higher goal polo.  When visitors see a helicopter landing at the resort, it is often a patron arriving to play polo after a hard day at the office.  His team and his horses are ready and waiting for him.  Sometimes he rides Casa de Campo ponies and sometimes he has his own horses trailered to the Club.

A player needs at least 4 ponies for a 6-chukker game; at least 3 ponies for a 4-chukker game.  Each chukker is 7 minutes long.  Each chukker can be one long gallop with some handy turning and maneuvering.  The club owns 90 trained ponies.  Many of the polo ponies at Casa de Campo are bred by the Compania Romana.  Thoughtful breeding of good mares and stallions have produced sturdy, sound, sane, ponies that will follow the ball and practically play by themselves.   Also, many private players have imported exceptional horses from places such as Argentina.  These mares are often bred to Dominican stallions to improve the overall stock in the country. 

There are many new polo fields opening in the southeast end of the island.  A visitor at Casa de Campo can now play at 6 different sites during a two-week vacation.  But are other clubs’ employees and grooms as kind and skilled as those at Casa de Campo?  Are their ponies as reliable and generous?  I don’t know.  I only know that when I imagine my next vacation of polo at C de C, it will be as good as my dreams.