Clay Shoot Buckle Winners – Creekside Course
By Dan Roark As to the two courses, Fossil Pointe owner, Dave Niederer said in the opening rules talk that “when you see the hill, that’s the Hillside Course and when you see the creek, that’s the Creekside Course.” Which makes absolute sense when you think about it. Results of the Creekside Course: […]
Clay Shoot Buckle Winners – Hillside Course
By Dan Roark As I mentioned earlier, last Saturday the weather was highly conducive to being outside. The gathering on the portico during registration found old friends and new friends sharing conversations with abundant smiles and laughter. After the clay shoot, everyone lined up for a barbeque lunch. When everyone had a chance to eat, […]
A Successful Sporting Clay Shoot for New Hope
By Dan Roark Postponing the Sporting Clay Shoot when rain was forecast for the original date of April 19 turned out to be a wise move when pouring rain justified the decision. Fortunately, this past Saturday, June 21, turned out to be an excellent day to reschedule. The sun was shining, there was a slight […]
Update: Annual Sporting Clay Shoot Fundraiser
By Dan Roark While the Sporting Clay Shoot at Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds being postponed to Saturday, June 21st, means a longer wait for those of us who know how much fun and camaraderie is enjoyed throughout the day, it also means you still have time to register for and/or sponsor the event. Entry is […]
Tenth Annual Sporting Clay Shoot Fundraiser
By Dan Roark There is still time to register for, or sponsor, the 10th Annual New Hope Sporting Clay Shoot Fundraiser to be held on Saturday, April 19 at Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds. Come be a part of a day of fun and friendly competition and help New Hope provide services for more riders in […]
Chisholm Challenge: The Aftermath – Awards Party
By Dan Roark The awards party for New Hope riders from Chisholm Challenge went upscale this year – thanks to Mary James – and was held at the Denton Country Club. Everyone gathered at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 25 to enjoy fruit and really tasty brownies as well as various drinks. Everyone had a […]
Chisholm Challenge – Trail, Barrels, and Poles, Oh My!
By Dan Roark Wednesday is when the activities slow down. With the exception of the New Hope riders who haven’t ridden the trail course, the events involving New Hope riders are after lunch. After lunch, following Ranch Riding, were Barrels and Poles. For New Hope supporters who have been there both days, it’s a long […]
Chisholm Challenge From Start to Finish: Tuesday – Equitation
By Dan Roark After the Veteran’s equitation classes at John Justin arena came the other equitation classes. Those in the judge’s booth have a tendency to adjust the schedule without much warning. That is not a complaint but more of an illustration of the inevitability of change at an event with people, a number of […]
Chisholm Challenge Series
By Dan Roark With several events happening this weekend, including the New Hope Chisholm Challenge Awards Party on Saturday, the multi-post Chisholm Challenge Series will take a break for the weekend and resume on Monday. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with the picture of Susan high fiving Luci after a successful ride. Stay tuned…… […]
CC Start to Finish: Tuesday – Tonya, Veteran
By Dan Roark While Tonya was unable to participate in the Veteran’s Parade during the Opening Ceremonies of Chisholm Challenge due to time constraints, she was one of the first to compete in the veteran’s division. She was also the first veteran representing New Hope’s Horses Helping Heroes program. Tonya had a great showing in […]
Chisholm Challenge 2025 From Start to Finish: Sunday Pt. 2
By Dan Roark This is another one of those fortunately…unfortunately situations. Unfortunately, I was under the weather Monday and didn’t get to Fort Worth until the after the horses had been unloaded, washed, and groomed. Fortunately, I take many more pictures than I use for the blog. Here are some interesting images from Sunday that […]
Chisholm Challenge 2025 From Start to Finish: Sunday
By Dan Roark Preparation for Chisholm Challenge (CC) began at New Hope quite some time ago with Susan planning the drill team routines and all instructors gearing lessons for CC events. On the Sunday before Chisholm, preparation continued in earnest – loading the trailer to take to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (FWSSR) […]
The Road to Chisholm Begins in Two Days
By Dan Roark While the riders have been practicing for a while, I’m referring to the actual road to Chisholm Challenge (CC) on Sunday. The picture is from last year when horses were loaded in the trailer. In the meantime, New Hope was on WFAA News with a story about keeping the horses warm during […]
Joys of Volunteering at New Hope/ Chisholm Challenge
By Dan Roark In between taking pictures and waiting for the next good shot, I get to talk to parents and family of the riders as well as the staff, volunteers, and the riders themselves. I catch pieces here and there that spark ideas for a post on the New Hope blog. I get insight […]
Countdown to Chisholm Challenge
By Dan Roark We hope everyone had a great Christmas with family! But now we turn all of our attention to Chisholm Challenge, January 13 -15 at John Justin and Will Rogers arenas at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (FWSSR). The event is the unofficial opening to FWSSR. In fact, the arenas and […]
Giving Tuesday and Chisholm Challenge
By Dan Roark Chisholm Challenge is a little over a month away. The horses, our equine partners, will need to look and feel their best in order to compete. For the 2024 Giving Tuesday, we are asking for gifts specifically for the horses, without which our participants do get the full benefit of therapeutic riding. […]
54 Days Until Chisholm Challenge
By Dan Roark The weather is certainly an indicator that Thanksgiving is on the way and then a hop, skip, and a jump until the Christmas/New Years season. Which means that it’s time to begin practicing for Chisholm Challenge, January 13 – 15 when equine therapy centers in North Texas come together to compete and […]
Tonya – Coming Full Circle at the Gala
By Dan Roark [Authors note: For more information on Tonya’s journey see earlier posts here, and here.] Tonya’s attendance at the Third Annual New Hope Gala was not only a celebration, but a long anticipated and hoped for step in a years long struggle. In the summer of 2023, Tonya began coming to New Hope, […]
A Successful Gala: Thanks to Our Sponsors!
By Dan Roark After a gala that was not only successful, but from the comments – the best so far, the first order of business is to thank the sponsors, without whom the gala would not have been possible. We had 220 attendees and raised over $90,000 to support New Hope’s programs. We’ll provide more […]
A Variety of Volunteers is Needed
By Dan Roark At volunteer orientation, the concentration is on volunteers to work with riders, whether it be side walker, horse leader and the like. These are the immediate volunteer needs. Yet there is a myriad of volunteer duties that are available. Special projects pop up all the time. Projects which, if volunteers are not […]
10 Days – 10 Reasons to Get Tickets For the Gala
By Dan Roark Or more correctly, 10 posts. The days may not necessarily be consecutive, but we’ll do what we can. New Hope Gala posts on Facebook will also intermingle with the posts containing blog links there. Regardless, the next 10 posts will each give you a reason why you should get your tickets to […]
Expressions of New Hope – Darren
By Dan Roark New Hope has riders of all ages, which is also true of the new riders this year. It’s hard to tell which riders are the most excited – those who are returning or those just getting started. Darren is one of the older returning riders. He began riding at New Hope in […]
New Hope on Local Podcasts
By Dan Roark New Hope has had the good fortune to be featured on two local podcasts. Sharla and Dave spoke to Nicole Osei on the WBAP Impact Texas podcast on July 16. They discussed the history and purpose of New Hope with insights that had shown themselves along the way. But the highlight of […]
Rider Highlight – Tonya Goes to the National Veteran’s Wheelchair Games!
By Dan Roark It’s been quite a journey! This weekend, Tonya Andrews, a medically retired disabled Air Force veteran, will compete at the National Veteran’s Wheelchair Games in New Orleans. Tonya qualified to compete in Bocce Ball, Archery, Bowling, and Power Soccer. Let me go back to the beginning. For background, see my Thanksgiving post […]
It’s Always Something – Water Drainage
By Dan Roark [Author’s Note: It occurred to me that, with the constant influx of new expenses that can plague a nonprofit involving a herd of horses, It’s Always Something would be a good title for a weekly fundraising post. There are many ways to support and help New Hope. While it is true that […]
Volunteer Highlight – Melissa Sines
By Dan Roark I followed Sharla when she took the New Hope trailer with a few horses to the Stock Show and Rodeo grounds in Ft. Worth for Chisholm Challenge in January. It was not her only trip. When we got to Will Rogers Coliseum paddocks, Melissa was at the door. She helped get the […]
Expressions of New Hope – Ella
By Dan Roark Like most riders at New Hope, Ella is happiest on a horse as you can see by her expressions. And their vibrant smiles are mirrored by the smiles of the volunteers. And their squeals of delight when trotting or learning something new warms the hearts of those around them regardless of the […]
Horses Helping Heroes, New Board Member
By Dan Roark Sometimes an episode of a television show will start out with a scene that is actually the ending with the important parts missing. Then “three hours (or whatever) earlier” flashes across the screen. Then the actual episode begins. So….. New Hope, while all board members are very much appreciated, has a new […]
The Farrier Returns – Wyatt Myr
By Dan Roark Not only was it the customary fifth week for the farrier to return to New Hope, it was also the return of Wyatt Myr to work after breaking his neck and back in an accident during a polo match. Fortunately, the doctor told him it was the best case scenario for neck […]
It’s Always Something
By Dan Roark There is always something to do. But particularly so for nonprofits, especially when that nonprofit includes a herd of horses (and a mule) and various other animals. Depending on volunteers (who are very much appreciated) means there will be times when there are – for whatever reason – no volunteers available. The […]
Expressions of New Hope – Eduardo
By Dan Roark When I first began taking pictures at New Hope, and New Hope events, Eduardo barely opened his eyes and didn’t talk much – other than the random sports recitations during lessons. At first, it had as much to do with my being a new person in his therapy sphere as it did […]
Instructor Highlight – Susan Altshuler
By Dan Roark I walked into the New Hope barn and decided to check the folder to see if any volunteers had filled out their questionnaires. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Susan had filled one out – marking out Volunteer and adding Instructor. I have purposely taken pictures of Susan for just such […]
Sponsorships Needed for the Third Annual New Hope Gala
By Dan Roark While you’re making plans for after the heat that’s coming when things get cooler, mark your calendar for the Third Annual Hope Gala – this year themed “A Night At The Races” – benefitting New Hope. It will again be at Lucky Spur Ranch in Justin, Texas. You can get your tickets […]
The Hits Just Keep on Coming – Expenses-wise!
By Dan Roark While I was posting about how well Libby was dealing with equine Cushing’s disease, her health began to go south, adding to the vet issues and bills which accelerated with Olivia’s visit to the equine ICU recently. Libby contracted pneumonia, causing an overnight stay at the vet hospital – which also revealed […]
Expressions of New Hope – Margaret
By Dan Roark Margaret is usually wearing sunglasses of some sort. She always has fun riding, but especially so on Family Fun Day. I don’t know if she took them off for my sake – the sun was still bright – but she did pose for me. In the picture in which Rain is trotting, […]
Equine Therapy is For Horses, Too – Libby
By Dan Roark The reason Sharla was clipping Libby during the Farrier’s visit was due to Libby having equine Cushing’s disease, as I mentioned in the Farrier post. Cushing’s disease, whether in humans or horses, involves the pituitary gland and is generally found in the female species of both. The effects, however, while both are […]
Before the Deluge Recap – The Coming of the Farrier
By Dan Roark The farrier comes every five weeks. The last time was on May 20 – before the torrential unforgiving rains. Joey was substituting for the regular farrier, Wyatt, who was in the hospital with health issues. Joey’s assistant was Rylee, affectionately referred to by Joey as the “Dutch Hammer.” One of the things […]
Before the Deluge Recap – Family Fun Day
By Dan Roark [More pictures can be found on the New Hope Facebook page. But I wanted to highlight the work Susan did to set up the games and facilitate the events.] Despite the rain the latter part of the week before, the sun shone bright for Family Fun Day on Saturday, May 18, which […]
New Hope – After the Deluge
By Dan Roark I had originally planned to begin by saying “after the rains and storms of last week” when the bottom dropped out again as I was sitting there. Then more rain came. The rain is freaking relentless. And so is the need for funds in this little nonprofit world we call New […]
Horses Helping Heroes, New Board Member
By Dan Roark Sometimes an episode of a television show will start out with a scene that is actually the ending with the important parts missing. Then “three hours (or whatever) earlier” flashes across the screen. Then the actual episode begins. So….. New Hope, while all board members are very much appreciated, has a new […]