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Category: Veterans

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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

New Hope Gala

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 […]

The Little Universe We Call New Hope

By Dan Roark It’s been an interesting couple of months for both myself and New Hope. But before I get into life in the little universe we call New Hope, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Dan Roark. Cyndy, the love of my life, has been volunteering at New Hope for about two […]

Horses Help Forge Lasting Friendships

[Re-posted from March 15] Tucker and Juliana are a perfect example of the type of friendships that are built at New Hope. Away from the outside pressures of school, society in general, and people who just don’t understand. People driving by go unnoticed. There are only horses and friends in the little universe called New […]

Chisholm Challenge – The Volunteers Who Make it Possible

[Re-posted from Feb. 15] Susan ended the awards luncheon by thanking all the volunteers. And they should be thanked. Nothing that happens at New Hope would happen without volunteers. That includes a great many tasks. Most of which have to do with horses (and a mule), with or without rider. Specifically pertaining to Chisholm Challenge […]

Chisholm Challenge Award Luncheon

[Re-posted from Feb. 2] After being under the weather last week – and staying out of the weather then and now – it’s back to the Chisholm Challenge news and the awards luncheon. Looking outside now at all the frozen white, it’s hard to picture the sunny Saturday at the Pizza Hut in Argyle as […]

Chisholm Challenge – The Aftermath

[Re-posted from Jan. 20] By now, everyone – horses, riders, and volunteers – has had a chance to rest. Some of the riders and volunteers have been riding to exercise the horses, re-live Chisholm Challenge, and sooth their soul. Tomorrow will be the New Hope awards ceremony at lunch with – you guessed it – […]

A Horse is a Horse Except When It’s Not

[Re-posted from Jan. 13] Now that I have your attention, I’ll explain what I mean. No, I don’t mean that at any time, a horse is not a horse. That is not in my bailiwick. I mean that every horse is different – like almost everything on the planet. Or I could say that horses […]

Chisholm Challenge – Final Day

[Re-posted from Jan. 11] A tired group of volunteers waiting for the final Chisholm Challenge events after packing everything up to return to New Hope. Tucker is competing in barrels and pole bending. Then it’s time to load Gabby and the final group of horses in the trailer before heading back to Argyle. It’s been […]

Chisolm Challenge – Load In

[Re-posted from Jan. 9] While I was posting yesterday, volunteers were setting up the horse’s stalls and tack room. It took a number of volunteers several hours to get everything set up. They also erected the banner at our gathering area for Chisolm Challenge Opening Ceremonies in John Justin Arena. Competition events will be held […]

Here Comes Chisholm Challenge!

[Re-posted from Jan. 8] Drew was satisfied with his practice for Chisholm Challenge this next week with Tommy. And no, Tommy did not eat Susan, she just happened to be grooming Tommy at the time. Riders have been practicing for a number of weeks for Chisholm Challenge events. Chisholm Challenge is one of the first […]