How Fragile is Your Nest Egg?

Take a step to protect Your Family & Assets from the rising cost of long-term care.

For a “no cost” appointment to learn more about Long-Term Care Insurance and the new Oregon Long-Term Care Qualified Partnership Program contact:

Mickie Hoff, CLTC
mickie@ltcexperts.com
(w)503.473.8816

It will be time well spent.

**Mickie Hoff is a current ODS Business Member. In return for paying higher dues, ODS Business Members are permitted to send 1 broadcast e-mail per quarter. Please contact the ODS Office for details.

ODS is proud to announce that we will again be involved in the dressage presentation at the Northwest Horse Fair and Expo, which is to be held March 28, 29 and 30 in Albany, Oregon.

ODS member Jeremy Steinberg will be the featured dressage clinician this year.  Jeremy is looking for three to four demo riders per day at various levels.  Demo riders have the option of being involved either one, two or all three days.  If you are interested in participating as a demo rider, please e-mail a letter of interest by 2/22 to the ODS Office (office@oregondressage.com).  Include the level you are working/showing, details about your horse (age, breed, sex) and a short rider bio.  Demo riders will be provided with admission tickets (one for rider, one for groom) and stabling.

In addition to organizing the demo riders, ODS will also have a booth in the trade fair.  It has been a lot of fun in the past years and it is an unequaled opportunity to share information about dressage.  We need a few volunteers to staff the booth each day.  We are offering a $10 admission pass in exchange for a three to four hour shift in the booth.  Duties are fairly light - handing out brochures, answering questions and selling merchandise.  We will provide on the job training.  Members interested in helping can contact Corinne Stonier in the ODS office (office@oregondressage.com) - please include the day(s) and time(s) you are available.

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Fort Vancouver Dressage Show May 30 – June 1, 2008 has removed ALL FEI classes from it’s prize list.

The judges for this show have also been changed.
May 30 – 31 Peggy Klump ‘R’ and Lynn McEnespy ‘R’
June 1 Peggy Klump ‘DHSB-r’

An updated prize list has been linked to the ODS Shows & Clinics calendar block for this show (PDF file).

Please contact Rose Newman at rose_newman@yahoo.com or 360-281-6550 with any questions.

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Have you wanted to volunteer at a dressage show but not sure if you can do the job?  Or been volunteering for ages at the same position and would like to try something else but not sure what it would entail?

Come and join us at our free Show Volunteer Training on February 23 at the Holiday Inn Wilsonville Oregon.  Registration begins at 9:30 AM with Hands-on Scribe Session starting promptly at 10 AM.

For those of you that are thinking of putting on a horse show or competitors that are interested in finding out what goes on behind the scenes ODS is offering a class on Dressage Show Basics February 24 at the Holiday Inn Wilsonville Oregon.  This one day class is $40 to non ODS members and current ODS members receive a $10 discount.

Please see http://oregondressage.com/2008-ShowBizWeekend.pdf for more information.

Pre-registration is required for both days.  To register or for more information, please contact Rose Newman at rose_newman@yahoo.com or 360-281-6550.

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In January the board, our office manager and other interested people (total of 26) will meet at Silver Falls Convention Center for the annual retreat. This year the topics we plan to discuss are:

• How to increase volunteerism
• Issues for chapters
• ODS Championship and Open show
• ODS League Show Program and Championship
• Insurance compliance and other issues
• Fund raising
• Establishing committees for the year
• ODS Finances and meeting increased costs
• Education projects for the year
• Practice show standards

The purpose of the retreat is to plan for the year, brainstorm about solutions for issues and establish teamwork among the board members and other key volunteers. The March column will report the results of this year’s retreat discussion as well as the board meeting which will occur there also. In the last column you learned of the board restructuring which was passed at the last board meeting. As a result of this we have 3 directors and two of them have accepted executive board positions: Ed Miller who is now our President Elect and was formerly a regional representative and Sally Temple who is entirely new to the board. I would like to give you the opportunity to get acquainted with Sally and asked her if I might include a bio about her in this column. I also asked Ed, our new President elect to introduce himself to the membership as well.

Sally has always been interested in equestrian activities and has shown First Level at both league and recognized shows.  She is particularly interested in promoting quadrille teams and has actively worked toward that end.  Organizing clinics, educational events, and practice shows have also been a focus.

Sally and her husband, Jim, live 25 miles west of Eugene near the small town of Noti. For the last 16 years, they have built a home there on their 13 acres and enjoy a garden and all of the benefits of country living.

The local Springfield/Eugene ODS Twin Rivers Chapter has begun a busy year with many activities.  The club had an organizational meeting this November and has been rejuvenated by over 24 enthusiastic members.  Sally is president of this group for 2007-2008 and with everyone’s hard work and planning will put Twin Rivers “on the map”.

Being on the ODS Board will be a rewarding position for Sally and she
looks forward to assisting ODS members, dressage enthusiasts, and the board reach their goals.

Since moving to Ashland OR from the east coast 10 years ago Ed Miller took up the sport of Dressage seriously.  He joined ODS at that time and have been an active member of the State of Jefferson Chapter of ODS, serving as board Member and President.  Until elected as a Director at Large, he was a Southern Region representative on the ODS  Board of Directors.

Ed currently have three horses at various stages of training from a baby just getting started to one schooling 4th level.  He will be competing a young horse at second level this year.  Besides being a competitor he have been active in the organization and presentation of shows.   He is particularly interested in riding as an art form with emphasis on partnerships and grace.

Until next month,

Marsha