What's New!

What's New ! A grab-bag of news from Region 10 clubs & members.

2007 Regional and National Awards
Minnesota Arabian Horse Association wins Tri-State award!
2003 USAE Equestrian of the Year, Hillary Hoffman 2002 In memoriam: RMAR Spitfire Region 10 Gelding Award, 2002, Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association

2007 Awards
	Region 10 Director's Award Laura Mickelson received the 2007 Director's Award from Dean Meier for her service to Region 10 in so many areas--promotion, class list revisions & scheduling, the open shows calendar, and many many more. Thanks so much for the fantastic job you do, Laura, year after year after year. Of course we know you couldn't do it without "The Duck" at your side!
Each year, the Region 10 director selects one lucky Region 10 volunteer to receive this prestigious award & lovely trophy.

Region 10 Ambassador Awards
		Every year each club in Region 10 can select a recipient for the Ambassador Award and present this lovely trophy box to the winner. The Ambassador Award is for any horse--Arabian or Half-Arabian, any gender, any age--belonging to a member of that club. The horse must be an ambassador of the breed, showcasing our horses' abilities to people outside our typical breed-specific activities. This award was formerly the Region 10 Gelding award, but was changed a few years ago to recognize the extraordinary abilities of all genders and Half-Arabians as well as Arabians. See 2002 Gelding Award winner below.

Region 10'ers Getting Awards at the 2007 AHA National Convention
The AHA Sweepstakes Commission received the prestigious AHA President's Award at the 2007 AHA Annual Convention. Under the leadership of Commission Chair, Region 10 Director Dean Meier, the Commission has done a fantastic job of re-vamping the Sweepstakes program. The new Points program and the revision of what classes are in the Sweepstakes program are two key concepts in returning the Sweepstakes to financial health and in generating broader interest in participation. The Commission has truly worked "outside the box" and made some brave and effective decisions. Usually the President's Award is given to an individual, but AHA President Myron Krause recognized the Sweepstakes Commission's extraordinary contribution with the unusual step of giving the Award to an AHA commission or board, for just the second time in thirty-seven years. In 2000, President Tom Connelly gave the President's Award to the Ethical Practice Review Board, including Region 10's Bevra Cole, also a previous Region 10 Director.

Region 10 Volunteer Service Award

Every year, the regional Directors select up to two people from their region to receive the Regional Volunteer Service Award. Although it is a regional award, it is prestigious enough that it is presented at the AHA National Convention President's Banquet. In 2007, Region 10 Director Dean Meier chose Bevra Cole (pictured here with Dean) as one of the recipients for doing countless things for Region 10, perhaps most visibly the website. The other 2007 recipient was Laura Mickelson (pictured above)--Laura does a lot, and then she does some more.

Minnesota AHA wins Tri-State award!

Congratulations to the Minnesota AHA. It's 2007 Spring Fling Show was chosen as Arabian show of the year by Minnesota's Tri-State Horsemen's Association. The Association is open to all breeds and disciplines. It encourages good horsemanship and good sportsmanship. Co-show managers were Teresa Lefever and Ann Benson. Way to go!

Congratulations to Hillary Hoffman, 2003 USAE Youth Equestrian of the Year
Region 10 is blessed to have many dedicated and talented youth members. Among these, Hillary Hoffman has done an exemplary job of using her talents to promote and advance the Arabian breed. Not only is Hillary the president of the Arabian Horse Youth Association, she was selected to receive the Ruth O’Keefe Award that is presented to the USAE Junior Horseperson of the Year. Hillary is only the third youth involved with the Arabian breed to receive this prestigious award. At the 2003 Region 10 Championship show, Region 10 Vice Director Dean Meier presented Hillary with a lovely cut glass vase from the region as an acknowledgement of her achievements.


	2002 Region 10 Gelding Award Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association Mirage Naar (See another picture on the Home page.) The Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association Region 10 Gelding Award was established to honor an Arabian or Half-Arabian that has demonstrated the versatility of the breed in a area that is unique, a horse that has promoted the Arabian or Half-Arabian by showing how
accommodating and trustworthy the breed is, especially as a family horse and with children. The gelding that was honored December 7, 2002, has done all that and more. A purebred Arabian gelding named Mirage Naar #265040 age 23 won this award.His proud owner of 20 years was presented with this award at the Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association Christmas Party and Awards banquet held in Edgerton, Wis. Mirage is a small bay gelding with a heart twice as big as his body. He was purchased by Ken Powell as a 3 year old “kinda halter broke.” Mirage was broke to ride and drive that first year. He was driven single and double, pulling everything from single home made carts to driving double pulling carriages for weddings. He has been to Colorado more times than most hunters to pack in camping equipment and pack out the harvested elk. He also uses his packing skills to help pack fencing equipment, including steel posts and chain saws, up the steep hills to make fence on land that no four-wheeler could navigate. He has quite a reputation with the other breeds for being the little Arabian horse that could cut and work cattle with the biggest and the best. Mirage has excelled in team penning. He has been in the money across the country from the Mid West Horse Fair in Wisconsin to the Solid Gold Futurity in Illinois. He was top 10 twice at the Solid Gold Futurity in Springfield, IL, in team penning on the only Arabian team there. He has given many working cattle and roping demonstrations, and if any one needed a horse to use and learn on, Mirage was the horse. He also has done reenactment demonstrations because you can shoot from his back. His latest job has been working 600+ cows in a cow – calf operation on a 3,500 acre ranch near Ontario, Wis. He is still owned by Ken Powell, who manages the beef operation of the Devil’s Hole Ranch owned my Jeff Menn. Mirage has been both the header’s horse and the heeler’s horse in roping bulls that weighed twice what this horse does. He has been the horse of choice to rope hundreds of calves and drag or carry them on his back to get doctored. Mirage made his usual trip this fall to Colorado elk hunting, but was back in time to do his day job, which was to separate and wean the calves. His main job now at these round ups is introducing new green horns to the thrill of rounding up hundreds of head of cattle and keeping his rider safe when they think they know what to do. He is a sure-footed Arabian that has never had a pair of shoes on or been lame a day in his life. The biggest job for the rider is to stay out of his mouth and let him do his work—AND be ready if a calf tries to escape! In an area where stock horses of all types are the norm, this purebred Arabian gelding has made a name for himself and the breed and has made many inexperienced riders feel truly a part of the old west. He has been the horse featured on the poster of the Wild West Days held in Viroqua, Wisconsin and on greeting cards. The Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association was proud to present the 2002 WAHA Region 10 Gelding award to such a deserving horse.

In memoriam, RMAR Spitfire:
November 6, 2002: Toni Marie O'Daniel, of the Minnesota Arabian Horse Association, writes, "RMAR Spitfire died last night, due to a ruptured tumor somewhere in his stomach cavity. RMAR Spitfire taught 100's of children how to ride as well as bringing up myself and my children to be beautiful riders. He was probably one of the highest placing horses in the MAHA highpoint history. He was one of the most well known horses in Region 10. At the age of 20, he was Regional Champion in the Country English pleasure class, Reserve in the Hunt Seat 13 & under class and Reserve in the Western Pleasure Walt/Trot. He also took a top 5 in Showmanship as well as Hunt seat Eq and Walk/trot Horsemanship. 4 different divisions at one Regional show. What a horse. RMAR Spitfire was put to sleep at 10:30 last night. He was in his new barn in my arms.