Lance Fullerton, President
Phone: 316-304-7594 |
|
Charlotte Blake, Secretary/Treasurer
Phone: 316-775-6845 |
Editor's Notes
Spring 2008
There hasn't been too much happening in the Blake household since the last newsletter. We did have the Play Day and we had a nice day and attendance. So far, the rain sort of cancelled out the other things we had planned to do with our horses. However, summer is here and maybe the rain will let up. I did get some nice articles from some of our members for this newsletter. For that I am greatful! Hearing what fellow members have done or will be doing always makes for good news and reading. Thanks again for your cooperation and if you have any news, just let me know and don't forget about the KDHMA caps that are for sale. They are nice caps. We can wear our emblem proud. Stop by and see me at the KDHMA booth at the State Fair in September.
Until next time,
CharlottePLAY DAY HELD MAY 3RDWe, the Blake's, held a KDHMA Play Day May 3rd at our daughter & son-in¬laws place just North of Augusta and after a windy, cold, and ugly day on the Friday before, we were praying that Saturday would be better. Prayers got answered and it turned out to be a nice, cool, sunshiny day. We had a turn out of 36 people. For the playing, there was an obsticle course for teams, singles and even the horseback riders who attended. Some of the horses didn't like the blue tarp which they had to cross, but the riders were persistent to get them to cross and finally they did. There was also a hunt where you had to find items in the pasture. To our surprise, everyone did a super job of carrying that glass of water while riding their horse, over the bumps of the land to the finish. As always, everyone was lined up for good food and we even sang "Happy Birthday" to Bob Sutton. We appreciate all those who came and participated in the play day and those who helped make it happen. Being with fellow horse lovers and sharing stories well, that's what it's all about, isn't it???
Don and Charlotte
From the President, Lance FullertonDear KDHMA Members, Summer has finally arrived after our tremendously wet spring. Hopefully, there are parts of the state where farmers are having better luck getting their crops and hay out of the field, between rain storms, than we have. Unfortunately, I was unable to make the last field day at the Blakes', but by all accounts a great time was had by all. Don and Charlotte do a fantastic job of hosting the association events and a big thank you goes to them for hosting the spring get-together and play day again this year. As summer progresses, I want to remind you to keep an eye on our website for the draft-horse and mule events taking place around the state. There are several horse-pulling events, and pulling enthusiasts and fans can attend one every weekend throughout July and August; be sure and visit our association website or call Orval True (785-489-2465) for the locations and times of the pulls. If you've never been to a horse pull, you really need to attend one. They are certainly great fun to watch, and once you're gone, your first one will not by your last. Also, coming up in August on the 9th and 10th is the annual Tri-Rivers Draft Horse show held in conjunction with the Tri-Rivers Fair in Salina. Steve and Carl Ade do a great job of putting on this show each year, and with the addition last year of Classic Series qualifying status, the show is even more exciting to watch. Several of the best Belgian, Percheron and Clydesdale Six-horse hitches from around the country come to Salina for this show and it is certainly an event you don't want to miss. Everyone please mark your calendars for our State Fair Draft-Horse Show on Friday, September 5th and Saturday, September 6th. Once again, this year's show looks to be a great one and we hope to see everyone there. Also, the date and location for our annual fall meeting has been set for Saturday, November 8th. The Anderson family has offered to host the association again this year at their farm at Council Grove and we want to thank them for their generosity. The Anderson's are great hosts and they have a super location for our field-day activities and meeting. Further information including directions and exactly times will be published in our next newsletter. We will hold a business meeting that day to include election of officers. So please be sure to attend and lend your voice to the direction and future of our association. I hope to see everyone at our upcoming KDHMA events. Sincerely, Lance Fullerton
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| Classes for Friday | 4:00 pm: | Classes for Saturday | 9:00 am: |
| Youth Showmanship | $50 | Youth Cart | $125 |
| Geldings, All Ages | $50 | Riding, No Saddles | $100 |
| Grand & Reserve Champion Gelding | Unicorn Hitch | $175 | |
| Filly Foal | $50 | Farm Team | $125 |
| Yearling Mares | $50 | 4-Horse Hitch | $225 |
| 2 Year Old Mares | $50 | Pleasure Driving | $125 |
| 3 Year Old Mares | $50 | 6-Horse Hitch | $325 |
| 4 Year Old and Older Mares | $50 | Cart Obstacle | $125 |
| Grand & Reserve Champion Mares | Farm Team Obstacle | $125 | |
| Stallion Foal | $50 | Ladies Feed Team Obstacle | $125 |
| Yearling Stallion | $50 | Men's Feed Team Obstacle | $125 |
| 2 Year Old Stallion | $50 | ||
| 3 Year Old and Older Stallion | $50 | ||
| Grand & Reserve Champion Stallion | |||
| Kansas Born & Bred | $50 | ||
| Ladies Cart | $125 | ||
| Men's Cart | $125 | ||
| Riding, Saddled | $100 | ||
| Show Team | $125 |
We know we're not the biggest draft horse show around, and we certainly don't have the highest premiums — but we have tried to make it one of the most fun shows, with some very challenging obstacle courses (you don't have to take our word for it — ask some of the exhibitors). And we're always short of help, so if you're in the mood to help out, please call us. Possibilities range from show secretary, working the gate to let classes in and out, helping set up obstacle courses, etc.
Hope to see you in September.
Warren & Evelyn Hiskett
Bob Denning of Hays tips his hat in appreciation after winning the 2008 National Western Stock Show Farm Team Class, the largest Farm Team Class in the Stock Show's history. Bob Denning, owner and operator of Denning Machine Shop in WaKeeney, took his team and headed west in 2008 to the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado.
This is the first year that Denning has competed at the Denver Stock Show, but he is not a stranger to com¬petition. He has competed several times at Salina and the Kansas State Fair, placing first in Farm Team and Single Driving at the State Fair.
Denning's trip to Colorado turned out to be a very memorable one, as Denning and his team of Ernie and Darcy took first place in the Farm Team Class and also in the Tandem Team Barrel Race. The Farm Team Class was the largest in the history of the Stock Show.
Denning said that he raised Ernie, and Darcy was an abused horse that he took in. Denning, along with his team, will be on hand at The Gatherin' once again this year. The team also provides rides during the Christmas season in Plainville, Stockton, Hays, Ellinwood and WaKeeney.
State Representative Dan Johnson, Hays, also uses Denning and his team to pro¬vide transportation in many area parades.
Denning started driving horses when he was in 8th grade, but started with a team again in the late 1980's and has had a team ever since.
(Notation: Bob competed against nineteen other teams. Nice going Bob!)
I volunteered to write a note about Horse Progress Days for the Newsletter, so here goes.
Horse Progress Days for 2008 (the 15th annual) was held in Mt. Hope, Ohio in the heart of the largest Amish community in the country on Friday and Saturday July 4-5. There was also a bus tour to various manufacturing companies and Amish farms in the area on Thursday, July 3.
For those who don’t know about Horse Progress Days, it is basically a trade show for the Draft horse industry. It is held in the country where actual field demonstrations can be held to allow potential customers see exactly how the equipment works. While it is still very much a Draft horse targeted event, in later years it has also expanded somewhat into the small farm, produce farm, and small dairy areas, as well as the horse logging industry. Don’t let anyone tell you there is no interest in the Draft horse industry as there were estimates that the attendance on Friday was in the 14,000 range and around 8,000 on Saturday. There were between 150 and 200 venders set up on the grounds to display their products.
There were around 110 of us on 2 busses on the Thursday tour. There were at least 5 folks from Canada, as well as two from Australia and at least one each from New Zealand and Germany. We toured the Pioneer Equipment Company of Dalton, OH first. This is an Amish family owned and operated business. They produce a wide range of products including numerous models of both powered and unpowered forecarts, plows, wagons, tillage equipment and tongues and eveners. They have 25-30 employees and sell equipment all over the US and Canada and several foreign countries.
Another company we toured was the Coblentz Collar manufacturing company. This is another family owned and operated business. They make any kind of collars you can think of including decorative collars with mirrors inside. They even showed us some draft collars for dogs they can make. It is very interesting to see how collars are made.
Other stops on the tour included stops on a Belgian and a Percheron horse farm as well as a stop on an organic grass dairy farm. One of the horsemen made a comment some of you can probably relate to. When asked how many horses he had, he replied, “I never count my horses; there are some things you just don’t want to know!” The grass dairies are growing in the area. Cows are pastured almost exclusively and very little grain is fed. Most have gone from Holstein to Jersey or crossbred cows as they are much more efficient on grass. Most of these dairies dry up their cows around Christmas and have them freshen around February.
The highlight of the tour though, was the dinner at an Amish home. The food was wonderful and there was an abundance of it, including 5 kinds of pie.
Both days’ agenda at the field demonstration were similar, starting with manure and dry fertilizer spreaders. These included everything from the smallest pony powered spreaders to very large PTO operated spreaders powered by the powered forecarts. These were followed by plowing, starting with a 10” walking plow pulled by ponies up to the highlight of the day, a 4-16” gang plow pulled by 12 Percherons. The demos continued with other tillage equipment followed by produce equipment that can lay plastic and irrigation tubes for hill crops and transplanters to set the plants. The 2 Amish girls setting the plants really have to work to keep up even though the horses are trained to walk slowly.
The afternoons were devoted to hay equipment including several mower-conditioners and several round and square balers and bale movers. All this equipment is powered by the powered forecarts. One unique machine bunches the bales from a small square baler into groups of 8 for pickup by a skid loader with a special attachment.
Also in the afternoon, several planters and drills were shown.
During these demos, in another area, demonstrations of logging arches and other logging equipment were being held. While not specifically horse related, at least 7 different portable sawmills were in operation.
Another unusual piece of equipment shown in various styles was horse treadmills. They were being used to power everything from washing machines to feed mills to large ice cream freezers. There was even a complete woodworking shop with drill presses, table and band saws, jointers, and planers powered by a 2 horse treadmill.
On Friday there was an auction of numerous items, mostly horse related and then the last thing each evening was the Parade of Breeds. The different breed representatives show 1 or more of their breed and gave a brief description of them. The finale each evening was an appearance by Bob Johnson of Delmar, IA, with his 6 Leopard Appaloosa horses hitched to a full sized replica of a Wells Fargo stagecoach. He does several loops and figure 8’s some at a dead gallop.
The keynote address was a talk by Lynn Miller, editor of the Small farmer’s Journal, titled “Why Horse Farming”. All during both days there were numerous seminars, round pen training sessions, free driving lessons and more. For the kids there was a large petting zoo, pony cart rides, and several playground sets and playhouses.
Once again, I can’t forget to mention the food. There was everything from barbecued chicken to burgers, sausage sandwiches, noodles and to top it off, homemade ice cream. There were at least 7 five gallon ice cream freezers in operation all day both days, powered by everything from a “B” John Deere to old John Deere hit-n-miss engines to horsepower.
If you are at all interested in the horsepower side of the Draft Horse business, you owe it to yourself to attend one or more of these events. The 2009 edition is scheduled for Southern Indiana. I don’t know the dates, but it is usually the Friday and Saturday nearest the 4th of July.
Harold Parman
OZARK EMPIRE FAIR
Join us for the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, Missouri where exhibitors have the opportunity to show draft horses, draft ponies, miniature mules, and miniature donkeys in three days of open shows. Draft horses will be shown July 25th and 26th. Draft ponies and miniature mules will be shown on August 1st and 2nd, and miniature donkeys on July 28th.
Visit online at www.ozarkempirefair.com for entry forms, schedules and more information. Or call 417-833-2660 and ask for Linda in the livestock office.
Leann Spinden
Ozark Empire Fair Foundation
417-833-2660
THIRD ANNUAL OZARK MOUNTAIN & MULE DAYS
Join us for the third annual Ozark Mountain Mule and Donkey Days held at the Ozark Empire Fair Grounds in Springfield, Missouri. The event will kick-off with a Wagon Train from St. James to Springfield (150+ miles long). Events at the fairgrounds in Springfield include a Mule and Donkey show on August 30th and 31st , a Wild West Show at 7 p.m. August 29th and 30th, Tack Auction and Select Mule Sale, August 28th and 29th, and a Trade Show for all four days.
For questions, registration, event schedule, sponsorship information, contestant entry forms, vendor contracts and camping information, visit www.ozarkmountainmuledays.com or call 417-833-2660 and ask for Mule and Donkey Days information from Nikki or Linda.
Proceeds benefit The Council of Churches of the Ozarks Foundation & The Ozark Empire Fair Foundation. Admission: $8 adults, $5 seniors, $3 children, under 6 free.
Hope to see you there!
Ozark Mountain Mule & Donkey Days: :Bring the Family, Bring a Friend, Most Important Bring a Smile - We're Gonna Have Fun!"
Leann Spinden
Ozark Empire Fair Foundation
417-833-2660
The City of Parsons is working with its Farm History Center Advisory Committee to establish a historical farmstead at Tolen Creek Park, just south of the U.S. 400/U.S. 59 interchange. The dream of the center was realized when Jobs Inc., a local nonprofit economic development organization, donated 75 acres of land for the Tolen Creek Park and the Southeast Kansas Farm History Center. This land is currently being developed as a walking/biking trail and showcases what will become the Southeast Kansas Farm History Center. The Advisory Committee is in the process of developing a farmstead including a stone house, barn and other outbuildings that represent farmsteads from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
To date the committee has acquired and reconstructed a charming family-built stone home. In addition, they have acquired a post and peg barn and recently received a donation of another barn that can be utilized for its siding and other lumber needed to reconstruct another period barn on the Farm History Center site. In addition to outbuildings, the center received a donation of a steam tractor that will eventually be restored for use in future events showcasing farming during the steam-tractor era.
The Southeast Kansas Farm History Center Advisory Board's vision is to create a living history center where annual events depict what farm life was really like in the "old days." The purpose is to make all ages ask themselves, what was farm life like before electricity, air conditioning, television, bulldozers, and other modern conveniences? In addition, the Center's advisory board plans to collect oral histories from century farm families to depict what it was like to live in rural America through the generations.
The Tolen Creek Park is a great beginning for the Southeast Kansas Farm History Center and the City of Parsons, but at the present site, there is not sufficient parking for large groups of people to attend festivities.
So in answer to the parking issue, The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KAAP) property is in the process of being realigned by the federal government. That realignment will close the 13,700 acre Army base, however, the ownership of the land is being transferred to Labette County. So how will this help the Farm History Center? Well to date, more than 400 acres have been designated for use by the Southeast Kansas Farm History Center to host fundraisers and other educational events designed to promote tourism.. As we move into the New Year, the Advisory Board will begin the process of planning an exciting new program that will hopefully become an annual event focusing on early farm life. We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to be an instrumental part of helping us plan the draft horse activities for the major event that we are planning to hold in 2010. In addition, the Board would like to ask you to help us promote the Southeast Kansas Farm History Center on a smaller scale by helping us learn how to develop a draft horse presence annually at our current site. We visualize attracting mainly local participation for the first few years which will grow to a major demonstration of farm life to be held at the KAAP site in 2010. We hope to grow this program to a four state demonstration beginning in 2012 and a national event by 2013.
Again, we are requesting your help to plan the best showcase of draft horses at our events. We thank you for the opportunity to include the Kansas Draft horse Association. As a group we are seeking in¬formation about the following: What dates would be best for draft horse enthusiasts? What kind of activi¬ties do the members like to participate in? How can we "showcase" how draft horses were an important part of our farm history? In addition to plowing, disking, planting, harvesting, building roads, and other "dirt moving" demonstrations such as building wetlands/ponds/lakes, what are other activities we should consider being a part of our promotion of the historical importance of draft horses to Kansas farm history?
We would encourage feedback either by mail or e-mail to the addresses below. Please write, e-mail or call with your suggestions. With your input and help in planning we will make Kansas one of the ma¬jor places that people come to learn the role that draft horses played in agriculture.
Write to: Southeast Kansas Farm History Center, PO. Box 1037, Parsons, Ks. 67357
E-Mail: Southeast Kansas Farm History Center
Phone: 620-423-1410
Call Steve Paulov at 214-328-1717, cell 214-289-5834 or Email: Steve@cablingbusiness.com
As always, don't forget to check out the Coming Events Page
