Chisholm Challenge Start to Finish – Tuesday! – Four Man Drill Team
By Dan Roark Four man(person) “Wednesday Addams” drill team. […]
Chisholm Challenge Start to Finish – Tuesday! – Two Man Drill Team (2)
By Dan Roark The routine was good enough to share more for a complete picture. Ride […]
Chisholm Challenge Start to Finish – Tuesday! – Two Man Drill Team (1)
By Dan Roark Both New Hope Drill Teams were a sight to behold – literally. Susan Altshuler spends a lot of time and effort each year putting together routines for the drill team competition that comprise humor, entertainment, decorum and the talent of riders and horses. Following the completion of the Chisholm Challenge posts, I […]
Chisholm Challenge Start to Finish – Tuesday! – (1) Equitation
By Dan Roark Tuesday, the first day of competition, for the New Hope riders, was Equitation, Drill Team, and Trail. For the volunteers there was getting horses, riders, side walkers and horse leaders to John Justin Arena for Equitation and Will Rogers Coliseum for trail. Several volunteers participated in several (or more) consecutive events. In […]
Chisholm Challenge Start to Finish – Monday!
By Dan Roark Monday morning, Jan. 8, began with transferring the first loads of horses in the rain and damp. By the time I followed the last load to John Justin Arena about 12:30, the rain had stopped, but it was still damp and cold. After waiting […]
Chisholm Challenge Competition – Day One
By Dan Roark Here are a few of the expressions on the New Hope riders – and horses during competition. It was a long day, but they did really well overall. Kyrie, Luci, and Esme competing in English Equitation. More to come! Ride on, and ride for hope.
Chisholm Challenge – And So It Begins
By Dan Roark I have a song that begins “It was a dark and dreary day in the middle of July,” but it’s January and it aptly fit the rainy mood yesterday as numerous trips were made from New Hope to the John Justin Arena in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo grounds with […]
Merry Christmas From the New Hope Family!
Merry Christmas from the New Hope Family – staff, volunteers, riders and horses!! Ride on and ride for hope.
A Rainy Day at New Hope
By Dan Roark Yesterday, Cyndy and I picked Tucker up in Weatherford and took her to New Hope. The idea was that she would have a chance to ride to get ready for Chisholm Challenge. A drill team practice was scheduled for 2 p.m. If any of the drill team riders were unable to make […]
Horse (Mule) Highlight – Daisy Mae
By Dan Roark Daisy Mae (circa 2002) is the New Hope resident mule, easily recognized by her long, expressive ears or her loud hee haw at turn out time. A number of the horses don’t like having their ears touched too much and a few their faces as well. Daisy Mae couldn’t care less. Riders […]
Split Rock Jumping Tour and Chisholm Challenge
By Dan Roark A group of people from New Hope went to Fort Worth last Saturday, the 16th, to watch both the junior/amateur Split Rock jumping events in the morning and afternoon. Then the next to the last night of the professional Split Rock jumping competition Saturday night. Susan Altshuler, New Hope instructor, was participating […]
Horse Highlight – Sierra
By Dan Roark [Author’s note: After accidently posting Sierra’s pictures last week (I did correct it), I thought it was only fair that I highlight her this week.] Sierra is a 6 yr. old bay roan mare. She is the newest and youngest horse at New Hope. She was a ranch horse before Claire and […]
Horse Highlight – Duke
By Dan Roark [Author’s note: For those who read this post before I changed the picture, I had pictures of Sierra in Duke’s folder and accidently posted those. When you go through 600 pictures at the same time of all the horses, one can get confused. My apologies.] A 2009 model quarter horse, Duke was […]
Chisholm Challenge – Events Explained
By Dan Roark I’ll begin with the American Quarter Horse Association events for those who would like to view the Monday (1/8) events before the Chisholm Challenge events on Tuesday (1/9) and Wednesday (1/10), and those who may simply be interested. AQHA Events: Showmanship – designed to judge the showmanship skills of the exhibitors. Judges […]
Volunteer Highlight – Rider/Volunteers
By Dan Roark It takes all different types of volunteers to help a nonprofit such as New Hope operate on a day to day basis in addition to those on staff. The different types will present themselves in the course of the volunteer highlights over the next few months. But the group of volunteers I […]
Horse Highlight – Beau
By Dan Roark Beau is a 1998 model palomino appendix gelding. Upon retiring from his former career as a jumper, Beau transitioned to a soft retirement as a lesson horse at New Hope in 2016. Beau is a gentle soul, who is easily led and is comfortable with either English and Western saddles. Beau’s best […]
Chisholm Challenge – The Events
By Dan Roark The New Hope family hopes everyone had a heartfelt and sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner with family. With Thanksgiving week behind us, things are picking back up – including the blog. I took a pause while writing this and went to the store. I automatically started to turn toward New Hope. Even our vehicles […]
Tonya – A New Hope Thanksgiving Story
By Dan Roark I had the good pleasure last Saturday morning of taking pictures to document Tonya actually getting on and riding a horse. Something she could only dream of for the last eighteen years. Which is, considering the timing, a wonderful Thanksgiving story and I am fortunate enough to share it with you. I […]
Horse Highlight – Tommy
By Dan Roark I like to call Tommy the gentle giant. Tommy is a blonde, Belgian draft horse, vintage 2003, who came to New Hope via a kill pen. It’s sad that some people can’t see that a horse can do other things, even if it can no longer do what it did previously, which […]
Congratulations to New Hope Instructor, Susan Altshuler
By Dan Roark Cyndy and I drove out to Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler on Sunday to see Susan Altshuler, New Hope Instructor, in the second day of the jumping competition. Susan takes riding lessons at StoryBook Sport Horses. She was one of several riders representing StoryBook. Watching jumping competitions gives you an excellent […]
Chisholm Challenge – The Story
By Dan Roark The 2024 Chisholm Challenge, January 8-10, will be the 20th Anniversary of Chisholm Challenge. Since the beginning, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo has donated the John Justin Arena and other amenities in support of Chisholm Challenge (CC). The support of CC by the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo was […]
Chisholm Challenge and the New Hope News Blog
By Dan Roark After a week of rain and a week of illness and out of town trips, things have settled back into regularity this week in the little universe we call New Hope. For the riders who are going to be competing at Chisholm Challenge in January, lessons are being geared toward conditioning, horse […]
New Hope Gala Part Two – Volunteer of the Year
By Dan Roark I hope everyone had a great weekend! [Note: If you saw, or when you see, my last post about the Gala, you will note that software and internet technology are very cruel when you try to get artsy with pictures!] When Cyndy and I went to our assigned table at the […]
New Hope Gala
By Dan Roark From the silent auction which began as everyone began to gather and continued throughout the evening, to the sounds of Steve Story and Texas Swing as some couples danced and the crowd dispersed, the New Hope Gala was a marvelous evening of entertainment, friendship (old and new), delectable food, and charity. Oh, […]
Volunteers Help Revitalize New Hope Sign
By Dan Roark Volunteers helped to revitalize the main New Hope sign last Saturday, October 7. Ride on and ride for hope.
Training Begins for Chisholm Challenge Drill Team Competition
By Dan Roark Now that the heat wave of the summer is over and school has gotten underway, activity is picking up rapidly in this little universe we call New Hope. Lessons are in full swing and volunteers are appearing to help out around the grounds. Which means it’s time for Susan Altshuler and […]
Two Days Left to Buy Tickets for the New Hope Gala
Time is running out to buy your tickets for the Gala. Get your tickets here. Enjoy an evening of good food and entertainment with Scott Murray as MC again this year while knowing you are supporting New Hope. You will also be able to bid in the online auction throughout the evening. Visit the website […]
When the Rain Finally Comes
By Dan Roark When the rain finally came last week, it came in the middle of a lesson. When the thunder and lightning began, the riders reluctantly dismounted. Ordinarily, the volunteers get to ride after the lesson, but not that evening. But the disappointment gave way to joy when the rain actually began to […]
Emily Rogers, New Volunteer Coordinator
by Dan Roark Although Emily Rogers is new to the Volunteer Coordinator position, she is no newcomer to New Hope. Emily was born and raised in North Texas and currently lives in Argyle. She went to Oklahoma State University and received a Bachelors Degree in Business. After college she worked in corporate Information Technology […]
Ways to Support New Hope
By Dan Roark Fall lessons have begun at New Hope and so has a need for support. Many of our participant’s families are financially challenged with the additional medical costs or needs for other services. Our actual cost per ride is over $150 but we try to keep our rates to half of the […]
With the Cooler Weather, Lessons Begin Anew at New Hope
By Dan Roark The riders were excited to get back to lessons after the summer break and the extended period of excessive heat. Susan Altshuler, the instructor, was as excited as the riders and volunteers to have lessons resume. The cooler weather helped the mood considerably. The volunteers, horse leaders and side walkers, are […]
A Day in the Heat at New Hope, Pt. 4
By Dan Roark And now the goats, Henry, Oreo, and Steven – Ride on and ride for Hope.
Hope Gala Invitation Sponsor – Minteer Real Estate Team
By Dan Roark New Hope is proud to have Minteer Real Estate Team as invitation sponsor for the New Hope Gala again this year. They were the invitation sponsor last year at the inaugural gala. REAL ESTATE WITH RESULTS Minteer Real Estate Team is dedicated to providing our clients Real Estate With Results through our years of […]
A Day in the Heat at New Hope, Pt. 3
By Dan Roark Hugo getting involved, regardless of being invited or not – Ride on and Ride for hope.
Hope Gala Sponsor – Tito’s Handmade Vodka
By Dan Roark New Hope is proud to have Tito’s Handmade Vodka as Bar Sponsor for the Gala again this year. They were the Bar Sponsor for the inaugural Hope Gala last year. Tito Beveridge wasn’t always “the vodka guy.” He was born and raised in San Antonio, went to Vanderbilt for a year, returned […]
A Day in the Heat at New Hope, Pt. 2
By Dan Roark Volunteers have helped Kim, the barn manager, during the summer to keep the horses and other animals rinsed off and fed to survive the heat when all they have sometimes is a Ryobi misting fan as opposed to the air conditioning we all take for granted. […]
Michelle Heyns Joins the New Hope Board of Directors
This summer the New Hope Board of Directors was very pleased to add Michelle Heyns in an At Large role. Michelle is a dedicated professional with over 20 years of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Fueled by a passion for empowering individuals, Michelle has worked in residential care, community access, recreation, and education. […]
A Day in the Heat at New Hope, Pt. 1
By Dan Roark With the heat being what it is, the routine at New Hope is basically confined to feeding the horses and rinsing off or washing them – and Daisy Mae, the mule. Not to forget the goats, Henry, Steve, and Oreo, and Hugo, the pig. Ride on, and ride for hope.
Argyle Mayor, Rick Bradford, Visits New Hope
By Dan Roark The 2nd New Hope Gala will be on October 12. The inaugural Gala was hugely successful last year in addition to being a pleasantly entertaining evening. This year’s New Hope Gala promises to be just as entertaining, quite possibly more so. The Honorary Chairs of the New Hope Gala this year are […]
Hope Gala Benefitting New Hope
By Dan Roark Seriously, please save the date. The inaugural gala last year was a fantastic evening with food, fun, entertainment, and highly successful live, silent, and online auctions. This year’s gala promises to be just as entertaining, if not more so. Watch the website for sponsorship opportunities, invitation for auction items, ticket sales, and […]