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.
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.
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]