The Trail Writer
Official Newsletter of SHFEA, August 2001
Congratulations Are In Order
At the SPECIAL MEETING on July 14th we elected two new board members and a new Vice President. Our new Vice President is Chuck Brown. Chuck has been an active member for many years. He was serving on our Board of Directors for this term and gallantly stepped up to Vice President.
Active members filled the two vacancies on the Board of Directors as well. The two new Board Members are Carla Newby and Earl Stephens.
AUGUST ACTIVITY - POT LUCK BBQ August 19th Noon
This month SHFEA will meet at Carla Newby's home in The Woodlands. We will have hamburgers and hot dogs with all the trimmings. Doanna and Kevin Gross will be the official "Chefs" working the barbeque grill.
If you plan on attending, please call Carla Newby at 281-362-8354. If you are bringing a side dish, please tell her what it will be.
We will start lunch at 1:00 PM with the meeting to follow lunch. Please attend if you can.
APPRECIATION AWARD 2001
By Carla Newby
In the July newsletter, Marilyn Kinney wrote about the history of SHFEA and her involvement with the Sam Houston National Forest Service. Even though I'm aware of Marilyn's efforts in making the SHNF accessible to equestrians, I sat there and realized how many years that she has devoted to this cause. And of course, there is Richard, her wonderful husband, who has supported her and SHFEA along the way.
I started remembering back to the time that I met Marilyn in the spring of 1991. A neighbor of mine in The Woodlands gave me her number and said, "Give her a call!" That night, I called up Marilyn Kinney and nervously said, "Hi, my name is Carla Newby. I keep my horse in Cut & Shoot and if you ever want someone to go riding with you, I'd love to go." Marilyn replied with "What about tomorrow?" She was at my barn at 9:00 AM sharp the next morning.
Marilyn pulled up with her 2-horse bumper pull straight-load trailer. Jester got in very easily, but then shot out backwards like a rocket. He got back in and shot out like a rocket repeatedly . Finally Marilyn took over and yelled at him with her best "bus drivers" voice and he kept his little Arab self in that trailer long enough for us to get the butt bar up. After that I had to use my newly learned "bus drivers" voice when we loaded him into her trailer. It did work, and today he loads without a word.
Marilyn and I put many miles on the trail. Jester was new to the wide-open spaces and felt really comfortable doing whatever Odie did, as long as his nose was planted in Odie's rear end. Needless to say, I've seen more of Odie's rear end than his front end. We traveled through most of the National Forest. We have ridden together on other private property, friends property, probably trespassed on other people's property, went horse camping at Somerville, Bandera, and Decatur and wherever else we could ride. Jester and I were attached by bees up by Kelly's Pond at the SHNF one summer and Jester went one way and I the other. Marilyn got jester back for me and had quite a ride She was running beside him and had reached down and grabbed his reins. About that time, one of her reins broke and she had to stop the two runaways by jumping off between them! We were all fine and ready to hit the trail again.
We now have bigger trailers, Jester is a seasoned older trail horse now and Odie has gone onto another career (sort of late in life!) with Marilyn doing Mount Patrol. And, I'm sure that many of you have good "Marilyn and Odie" stories to tell. But through it all, Marilyn has been working with the forest service since the 80's to make the trails accessible to all equestrians. She has just kept working year after year, meeting with the forest service, getting cost share grants, serving on statewide trails committees and helping found the Sam Houston Forest Equestrian Association, among other things.
Marilyn's Husband, Richard, has always been there to help. He has supported Marilyn through all of her meetings, trips, riding excursions, and SHFEA endeavors. When SHFEA has needed support help, Richard has always been there. He is a man of many gadgets - 4-wheeler, odometer, GPS's, big lights, microphones, speakers, trailers, and you name it. He's always been there behind the scenes making things work for us.
SHFEA has had its ups and downs, but we have slowly but surely developed an important and credible relationship with the Forest Service. We have a good reputation for putting on great Competitive Trail Rides. We have projects underway with the Forest Service for the Equestrian parking lot on FM 1375 on the west side of the forest. We are working with the Forest Service to help establish permanently marked trails on the east side of the forest near Cold Springs. These are just a few of SHFEA's ongoing projects.
All of this is possible because of Marilyn's involvement with the Forest Service that began many years ago and he commitment to continue working toward her goal of establishing horse trails in the SHNF.
At the July meeting the SHFEA members presented Marilyn and Richard Kinney with an Appreciation Award 2001. The award is a beautiful plaque engraved with our logo and these words:
Appreciation Award
Richard and Marilyn Kinney
In Appreciation through the many years Sam Houston National Forest
accessible for equestrians. And for your continued SHFEA
As SHFEA continues on its mission, we will all of pitch in and do our part. The progress has sometimes seemed slow, and people have become discouraged, yet SHFEA remains strong and successful- We owe our success to Marilyn and Richard Kinney for their devotion to Marilyn' original goal. Marilyn had a vision, and we appreciate the many years that she and Richard have worked to make it a reality
.
IN MEMORY OF:
SHFEA wishes to extend our condolences to the family of Sharon Rubley. Sharon passed away on July 28, 2001. Sharon left behind her husband Don, daughter Barbara, and many friends. We will miss her.
YOUR PRAYERS ARE NEEDED
Lorelei Tharpe was kicked in the face and head by a horse last week. Lorelei has been in the hospital for observation and may need reconstructive surgery. Your prayers are needed for her full and complete recovery.
Map to Carla's house for August 19th meeting/social
