Happy New Year to everyone! A new year always brings excitement for the upcoming show season and all your horse related projects. ASHA of Alberta’s board of directors is busy working on horse shows already as well as many other projects that keep our association running.

This month we introduce our board of directors. Many people are not familiar with who our board members are. Hopefully this will help you out a bit!

• Archie Hurst, president, has been on and off the board since 1970. He owns, operates and trains at his stable, Cloverleaf Stables in Sherwood Park, AB. He currently has about 50 Saddlebreds and says his favourite division to show in is the Three Gaited Trimmed division.

• Raylene McWade is the vice-president, treasurer and Horse Show Committee chairman. Raylene has been on and off the board since 1987. Currently working young prospects towards a show career at McWade Ranch, as well as breeding quality Saddlebred stock, she looks forward to exhibiting her youngsters. Raylene has owned and shown many Saddlebreds such as Derby’s Sweetheart, Boomerang, Attache’s Virtual Reality, Anachacho’s Genius Trebor and Alberta’s Genuis Rose to name a few.

• Lynne Redmond-Dorcas is the secretary, as well as Spruce Meadows Equi-Fair chair and Sponsorships chair. Lynne is the instructor and trainer at Camelot Equestrian Training. She has been on and off the board since 1987. She currently owns Doubletree’s Exceptional whom she shows in her favourite division, Five Gaited. She also owns Doubletree’s Davinci, a promising entry in the Park division shown by her niece Samantha McWade.

• Karen Bremermann is a first time director. She rides with Lynne at Camelot Equestrian Training. She is currently shopping for a Saddlebred, but has previous saddle seat experience and was previously involved with the Arabian world. Karen is the Clinics chair and she says her favourite divisions to watch are Three Gaited and Five Gaited.

• Michelle Hetu is the Futurity chair. She has been on the board for two years. Michelle owns Come Away With Me, who is ridden by her daughter, Monique. At this time “Izzie” is still in training at Cloverleaf Stables and not sure which division she will be in yet!

• Kim Ross is the Promotions chair. This is her second term on the board — her first was in 2002. She owns and shows Miss Bee Havin’ in the Three Gaited English Show Pleasure division, out of Cloverleaf Stables.

• Jessica Pelissero is another first time director. She is our Awards chairperson for 2010. Jessica owns Color Copy, whom she shows in Three Gaited English Pleasure, as well as in Three Gaited English Show Pleasure. Jessica and “Colby” ride at Camelot Equestrian Training. Five Gaited is Jessica’s favourite division to watch.

• Jocelyn Dye is The Mane Event chair, as well as Horses All representative. She has been on and off the Board since 2001. Jocelyn owns two Saddlebreds, Demo’s Peach Punch, her brood-mare, as well as Celestial Wings whom she shows in Five Gaited and Park. Jocelyn takes training and lessons with Raylene McWade and Lynne Redmond-Dorcas, as well as continuing to carry on the Dye Farms Saddlebred tradition.

• Donna Brown is a first time director. She owns and shows Saddlebreds as well. She has a new horse in the works, Rockin’ Ringo, but you may know her from showing Attache’s Virtual Reality. Donna shows with Cloverleaf Stables. She says that Three Gaited English Show Pleasure is her favourite division. Donna is also on The Mane Event committee, and helps out with sponsorships.

There is a brief introduction! Please feel free to contact any director with questions and concerns. We do our best, but feedback from our members is a great source of help to our board.