NEECA News -- FEBRUARY, 2022
PREVIEW NEECA'S 2022 CALENDAR OF EVENTS. CLICK ON EACH UNDERLINED EVENT FOR DETAILS.

HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US FOR OUR
MARCH 23RD GENERAL MEETING.
MARCH GENERAL MEETING

Please save the date and join us for our annual March General Meeting, on Wednesday, March 23rd at 7 p.m. It's a great way to meet other NEECA members, get a preview of what we've got planned for this coming year, and offer your feedback and suggestions.

We have not decided yet whether this meeting will be in person, or via ZOOM. That decision will be made at our March 9th Board Meeting and will be announced shortly thereafter
Online registration for Triathlon is now available!

Click here to register today

Need more details? Check out https://www.neeca.org/clinics-scheduled

or contact Sue Ellen at semvet@msn.com
We would like to introduce you to our two newest Board Members!
LINDA LEBLANC - Linda graduated from the University of Maine, Orono in 1973 with a major in Wildlife Management, one of the first women to graduate from the School of Forest Resources, and a minor in General Education from the School of Education. She received her master’s degree (Training and Development) from Lesley College, Cambridge, MA in 1993
.
Upon retirement, Linda achieved her lifetime goal of owning a horse. She boards her mare Vidalia on property abutting NEECA and there is a very good chance that you may run into Linda and Vidalia while on one of their frequent strolls through NEECA. When not doing horsey stuff, Linda & her husband Ernie are very active with the Athol Bird & Nature Club.
PETE WHITMORE - Pete, along with his wife Jess, own and operate a very busy training barn in Orange, MA, called It's A Pleasure Training.

Pete has been involved with horses literally all of his life, his parent Butch and Sandy have operated Crimson Acres in Orange since Pete was a child and he grew up on horseback. He is well-known and respected trainer in this area and seems to have a special touch when helping problem horses.

Pete is no stranger to NEECA. He served on the NEECA Board before, and was even president of the Board for 2 years. He took some time off because of his busy schedule, but we are thrilled to have him back!
Do you have, or know someone who has, a business or service that they'd like the local/regional horse community to know about?

NEECA can help! This year we are putting together an Online Business Directory that will list, by category, different business and services (ie: vet, farrier, hay, transportation, fencing, etc.) And it doesn't have to be all directly equestrian related. Horse people have to eat, buy property, fix cars/trucks, etc., right?

The Business Directory will be located on our website, with a direct link to your website or FaceBook page! And the cost for this is only $25.00 a year. Not month, year.

Great way for you to get the word out about your business AND support NEECA at the same time. All proceeds from the Online Business Directory will go towards the continued development of NEECA.

Sign up and payment can conveniently be done online at neeca.org, follow link from home page.
Work Day Scheduled for April 9th
Each spring we plan a work day up at NEECA to prepare the park for the upcoming season. NEECA is an ALL VOLUNTEER organization. Our clinics, shows, demos, workshops, trail rides, gymkhanas.......are all made possible by the hard work and generous donation of time by our members. And our Work Day is no exception. We count on our membership and friends to show up, if just for a few hours, to get NEECA spruced up and ready to host all the great events we have planned for the year.

We hope that you will plan to join us this year to help out. There's plenty to do, which means there's always something for everyone to do! So please Save the Date and help NEECA put our best "hoof" forward this year!
About NEECA Membership Benefits.......

The following businesses and professionals support NEECA by offering special discounts to our members (current NEECA membership card most be shown to receive discounts):

MassHorse Magazine (free online subscription)
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Hardwick Farmers Co-op (3% Off All Purchases, add'l 7% off on special Members Sale Days)
 
Horseback & Body Massage ($10 off, 413-320-7690 )
 
Family Pet Vet Service ($15 off annual exam, 978-249-4626)
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Déjà vu Women's Consignments (10 % off, Main Street, Athol)
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Orange Tractor Supply (10% off all HORSE supplies)
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Mending Fences Animal Wellness (Discount off Massage + MagnaWave Treatment for your horse. $180 value, only $155 for NEECA members, 508-864-9840 )
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Premium Home Inspection LI LLC ($25 off inspection, 413-378-8202)

Plus NEECA members receive special rates on certain NEECA sponsored events throughout the year.
Gymkhana Series Dates & Patterns Now Available at NEECA.ORG
All of the dates, and corresponding patterns, for our NEECA Gymkhana Series are now available on our website. Go to Calendar page and scroll to bottom. Please note that we will also be hosting 3 Cash Gymkhana events as well this year. Dates for Cash Gymkhanas are posted as well.
A NEECA membership is only $25/year, and comes with all the great benefits listed above. But, more importantly, it is your introduction into a community of caring, dedicated horse owners who are committed to creating something very special and unique. Your membership fee goes towards the continued development of NEECA.
Want to join NEECA, or renew your membership?
Here's How!
Go to
DID YOU KNOW THAT A FREE ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION TO COMMUNITY HORSE MAGAZINE COMES WITH YOUR NEECA MEMBERSHIP? ($12/year value)
Community Horse, your source for everything
equestrian in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island!
Published each spring and autumn, every issue features farms, horse people, trail riding locations, and a comprehensive events calendar that's prepared exclusively for each state. In our directory, you’ll find a range of horse products, horse-related services, and equestrian businesses in our community.
NEECA must submit our active membership list to Community Horse by February 28th. If you would like to receive your free online subscription, please make sure you join/renew your membership by Feb. 24th at the latest so that we have time to organize and submit our list. It's a GREAT NEECA benefit you don't want to miss out on!
Support NEECA When You Shop!
AmazonSmile is a program that donates 0.5% of your eligible purchases on Amazon to a charity of your choice. All you need to do is start your shopping at smile.amazon.com. and choose New England Equestrian Center of Athol as your charity.
What do YOU want to see at NEECA?
The NEECA Board is always on the look out for new events, clinics, etc. to offer our membership. Do you have an event you'd like to see happen at NEECA? Or a new obstacle in the Confidence Course? We welcome your input and suggestions! Email us at NEECA1958@Gmail.com with any suggestions you may have concerning something new or fun to do at NEECA!
"The mission of NEECA is to preserve and protect land for equine interests while promoting good horsemanship and educating equestrians for the betterment of the horse now, and for the generations to follow."