Coaches Todd Steele, Lisa Underwood, Chris Hoffman and Derek Latty will return this year, but each may have to limit or reduce their involvement from previous years due to other commitments and circumstances.

Therefore, we are looking for coaches, trainers, instructors and parents that are willing to work with our athletes at practices and meets throughout the year. If you are aware of any potential candidates, please have them call Todd at 488-1509.

Ashland Hills Stables is again the "Home of the Grizzly Equestrians". Thanks to owners Alan and Kathy Adams for donating their facility for team practices and allowing AHSET athletes to ride at their facility free of charge during the OHSET season (Dec 1st - May 20th).

** Please respect the trainers and other activities in the arenas and be sure to clean up after yourself and your horse when using the facility. **

The practice schedule will be determined as we get closer to Dec 1st, but you can count on one mandatory practice per week. The practice schedule will be posted on the team web site (www.ashlandequestrians.com) and on the calendar at the Ashland Hills Stables. You must contact the coach prior to the practice, if you cannot attend practice.

Equestrian Team practice is not intended for rider instruction or horse training, but provides athletes with an opportunity to prepare for competition.  Practices will evaluate our pattern awareness, allow us to experience the event-specific obstacles and focus on team events.  An athlete who wishes to compete at a high level will likely ride their horse 4-5 times each week and be working with a trainer weekly to improve their equitation and competitive skills.

Athletes are limited to 5 individual events, but may compete in as many team events as they wish. Athletes should strive to compete in as many events as they can and we request that each athlete compete in at least 5 events at each meet.  All athletes must participate in some team events.

Performance	Gymkhana	Cattle
Dressage	Figure 8	Breakaway Roping
Saddle Seat Equitation	Barrels	Steer Daubing
Hunt Seat Equitation	Pole Bending	Team Penning*
Hunt Seat over Fences	Keyhole
Working Pairs*	Individual Flags
Drill*	Birangle*
Trail	In-Hand Obstacle Relay (IHOR)*
In-hand Trail	Canadian Flags*
Showmanship
Working Rancher
Stock Seat Equitation
Reining

* - team events

If an athlete prepares and performs at a varsity level, they will earn a varsity letter at the end of the season. Preparation includes training with their horse, knowing your patterns and events, participating in our practices, being a positive member of our team, and striving for the best performance for themselves and their team at the meets.

Our meet schedule will change this year moving the meet we have been having around Spring Break to the first weekend in February. The State Championships this year will again be at held at the Jackson County Expo.

SOHSET District Meets at the Jackson County Expo:

February 5-7

March 5-7

April 16-18

OHSET State Meet at the Jackson County Expo Park in Central Point, OR.

May 13-16

The average cost of SOHSET participation is ~$1,000 per athlete, which includes state and district fees, practice facility rental, equipment, uniforms and other costs.  This figure is above and beyond your personal clothing, tack and horse care expenses (feed, board, vet, farrier, grooming, etc.).

AHSET is fortunate to have the generous support of the Ashland taxpayers, Ashland Hills Stables, community merchants and service organizations to keep our athlete's out-of-pocket expenses quite low.

Member Dues $325

Includes district fees, state insurance fee and one stall for each of 3 District meets.  All athletes will receive a new jersey for the 2010 season.

Ashland Booster Club $30

All equestrian team member families are required to join the AHS Booster Club. Please add $30 to your membership dues check if you have not joined the Booster Club for the 2009-2010 school year. Only one Booster Club membership is required per family. Current Booster Club members need not apply again.

Student Body Card $10

All athletes are required by AHS to purchase a student body card.

Additional stalls $40 per meet

Members showing more than one horse will be responsible for additional stall fees of $40 for each additional horse per meet.

Shavings $15-20 per meet

We will not be selling shavings this year.

New athletes will receive a team jacket free of charge. Replacement jackets may be purchased for an additional fee. Each year the team produces a hooded sweatshirt and t-shirts with the team logo and offers these to athletes and families for around $30 for the sweatshirt and $10 for the t-shirts. We're likely to do this again this year

We cannot do this without your help. Many parents have been highly involved in team functions over the past years and realize the benefits this organization has for their student athletes. We are loosing nearly half of our 2009 team to graduation and will need a new group of parents to step in to help this team run as smoothly as possible. Parents can contribute in many ways, such as fundraising, helping out at the meets, supervising practices or other tasks. Each athlete's parents must volunteer to coordinate a major support element described below, as well as contributing to a meal, gate/scribe duty and other support task.

Board of Directors

Four parents will comprise our Board of Directors. The Board works with the High School to meet their finance and paperwork requirements. They also help the coaches by coordinating all non-competition activities such as fundraising and the “At the Meets” support tasks described below.

I nominate Mack Ransom for team President and Dena Matthews for Treasurer.

We also need to fill the roles of Vice President and Secretary.

SOHSET Auction

The auction contributes a great deal towards our district expenses (Expo rental, judges, awards, cattle, etc.), so a successful auction means lower out-of-pocket fees for everyone. In order to improve the effectiveness of our annual fundraising efforts, the auction may be broken into two events: a “Buy it Now” sale on November 14th in conjunction with the Holiday Bazaar at the JC Expo, and a silent auction and banquet later in the season.

We need 2-3 parents to lead this effort as we gather "like new" items,  with a value of up to $50-60, and perhaps the gifts & gift certificates we have gathered in the past from local merchants.  All athletes are required to participate in the SOHSET fundraising events.  Setup and decoration will begin Saturday at 7:00 AM and the event will likely complete in the early evening.  Athletes are required to participate in this event and a few parents must be on-hand throughout the day.  We must also promote the event to encourage people to come and buy items a the event.

Team Support

While each of these items may require the efforts of more than one parent, we must have at least one or two parents to coordinate the activities in each of these areas:

• Team/Athlete Registration – Karen & Patrick McLain

• Equipment Manager – 2+ parents
  - Equipment storage & delivery to meets
  - Building event obstacles and equipment (e.g, drill equipment)
  - Design and purchase uniforms, sweatshirts, jackets, t-shirts, etc.
  - Athlete numbers & stall cards
  

• Coaching / Practice Arena Guidance –

• Booster Club Coordinator –

  - Attend a few booster club meetings throughout the year
  - Coordinate food booth volunteers for 2-3 basketball games
  - Submit funding request forms
  

• Web site, publicity, “Thank you's” –

• Support for SOHSET meets and OHSET State meet

  * I'm sure there's more...

  At the Meets

• Set-up Thurs nights
    Transport team equipment to the meet, set-up awnings, tarps, saddle racks, tables, etc.

• Arena Duty
    We will need parents to assist in setting up an event or two and to act as scribes and gate keepers at each of the 3 District meets.

• Food
    Each family contributes at least one lunch at a district meet.

• Stewardship
    A few athletes and parents available to attend arbitration and protest meetings.

• Supervision
    Coaches are there to prepare the athletes for the competitions and keep things on schedule. Parents are responsible for their athletes at all times.

If you are going to drive an athlete that is not your own child to or from a team function, please complete the Volunteer Registration Form and Volunteer Driver Information Forms in your registration packet and return them to the Athletic Director's Office.

Per AHS policy, athletes CANNOT ride with other athletes to and from team functions (practices, meetings, meets, etc.). We have been STRONGLY advised to adhere to that policy, so please everyone, let's not have athletes driving athletes to or from AHSET functions.

AHSET Team Information 2009-2010.pdf (124.9KB)   AHS Equestrian Team Information 2009-2010

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