GEORGIA DRAFT HORSE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
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No.  7                                                                                                                                                                                                        December, 2008

REMINDER FOR CHRISTMAS PARTY!

It’s this weekend!  Everyone come for a fun time & good food!  Jill & Robert Malone have graciously offered their home for a club Christmas Dinner and get together!  It will be this Saturday, December 13th @ 5:00 p.m. in Jasper. (771 Mitchell Rd, Jasper, GA 30143).  Bring a covered side dish or desert and a drink.  The meat will be supplied by the Association.

Also, if you wish, each person can bring a $15.00 wrapped horse related gift for a gift exchange.  It’s lots of fun seeing what everybody gets! 

Feel welcome to bring family and friends.
RSVP to Jill Malone @ 770-735-1549 or e-mail jillglasspool@hotmail.com for directions & to let her know how many are coming and what side dish you will be bringing.

Hope to see everyone there! 
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BOARD VACANCIES FILLED!

No ballots for 2009 were sent out as there were only three nominations made for three vacancies!  Welcome your new Board Members:

Amanda Araim
Carla Beckom
Jack Beckom

Returning members are:

Julie Lanning
Roxanne Janes
S.R. Stocker
Debbie Whiting

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JANUARY MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT!

The January 2009 Meeting will be Saturday, January 10 at the GA Farmer’s Market Restaurant located in Forest Park, GA.  Come at noon for lunch & the meeting will begin at 1:00. 
The new Board will meet and elect 2009 officers!

Everybody come and help plan the Association’s events for 2009!  Bring your suggestions and ideas in order that they be brought to the


attention of the membership for discussion.  Also, the location & date for the 2009 Spring Fun Show will be decided at this meeting.  If you have any suggestions as to where and when you would like to have the show, please come with complete information from the facility including total price and available dates.

If you haven’t renewed your membership, you can do so at this meeting.  If you’d like to be a part of the ad in the Draft Horse Journal, you can also do this at the meeting.  The cost is $50. per farm.

Again, this is the most important meeting of the year, so please put forth an extra effort to attend! 

Address/Phone of Restaurant: 
Atlanta State Farmer’s Market Restaurant
16 Forest Parkway
Forest Park, GA  30297 (404-675-1782)

Directions:  It is right next to I-75, at the second exit south of I-285 on the south side of Atlanta.  Take exit #237  - "Forest Park/Fort Gilliam".  Once you are on Forest Parkway, the entrance is on the left, only about 800 Ft East of I-75.
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2008 PERRY SHOW!

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the members that attended the show this year.  We were thrilled to have so many people show this year in light of the current economic conditions.  We were very blessed to have loyal members and non-members attend and make the show the success it was. 

I would like to thank my show committee members, John Ayers, Rebecca Cannon, Julie Lanning, Barbara Branch, Jill Malone, and Jack Beckom for all of their support and committed sacrifice of time and effort to make the show happen.  It would not have been possible without your input.  Thank you.  Also a round of applause for those gracious folks that didn’t show but gave so willingly to keep the show going such as Paul Watson, Wallace Phillips, Lisey Grisel, and Kayla McKendree. 

I already have a list of items for discussion for the 2009 show.  If you have any suggestions please contact me at twindrms@bellsouth.net  or (770)358-2678.  I welcome any constructive ideas to improve the quality of the show while
always remembering that our customers are the GA National Fair and its fair-going public.  Attached is a copy of the Perry Show Financial Statement.

Carla Beckom, Perry Show Coordinator

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A DIFFERENT VIEW:
         By:  Lawana Smith

    I can’t believe it!!  I did not tie one horse tail, struggle to stay on a braiding bench while putting in a mane roll, clean a stall or bathe a horse.  I was completely “free.”  It was wonderful to walk down the midway (first time ever!), no calls to the office – I was a real spectator enjoying the Fair and a draft horse show~~ it was great!  Carla and her show committee did a fantastic job putting together a wonderful program that was fun and entertaining.  The number of horses may have been down, but the ones performing kept the attention of the audience.  It truly was a treat to be another spectator and actually see a show without interruptions.  Visiting the barn was truly a trip down “memory lane”; however, I did not envy the scurrying around of the exhibitors trying to make that next class. 
   Thank all of you for the years you worked with me and Kim preparing for the annual Perry Show and a special thanks to those who have volunteered to keep it going. To those new to the show committee, I’m sure you learned that a lot of work goes into such an undertaking, but the rewards are great.  Thanks again for a successful show and a job very well done.
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BARN NEWS!
FairWinds & TJL Farms welcomes two new little ones to our farms!  We’re so excited to have Little Giants Jonathan & Little Giants Benjamin join our string of clydesdales!  These beautiful stallion foals are going to keep us on our toes with new exciting times ahead!  We just didn’t realize how big and grown-up all our geldings were until we got home with these two little cute guys!
Rebecca Cannon & Lynn Johnson.

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UPCOMING DRAFT SHOWS/EVENTS:

Jan. 23-25, 2009  National Western Stock
          Show, Denver CO
          (www.nationalwestern.com/nwss/home/
           index.asp?rpg=/nwss/home/home.asp)
Feb. 10-11, 2009  FL State Fair Draft Horse
           Show, Tampa, FL
           (Bob Thomas – 813-740-3500, or
            1-800-345-3247 x 379)
(note: Call Rebecca Cannon to add other shows/events.  I would like to get others listed that you think our members might be interested in, or, may possibly be attending.)  

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VOLUNTEER’S NEEDED!  
If you have any suggestions, ideas, or would like to volunteer to host a meeting, please get in touch with an officer or Board Member.
2008 Officers:
President: John Ayers (678) 753-0737
Vice President: Julie Lanning (770) 513-4760
Sec./Treasurer: Roxanne Janes (770) 479-7110
Board Members:
S.R.Stocker:  (229) 777-7741
Rodney Branch:  (706) 677-2712
Debbie Whiting:  (678) 925-9330
Jeannie Bradshaw:  (478) 783-2443

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THE NEWSLETTER STAFF:
Roxanne Janes (770) 479-7110            (rjanes@alltel.net)
Lawana Smith (770) 422-5142 (DoubleSFarm@aol.com)
Rebecca Cannon (423) 339-0694 (fairwindsclydes@gmail.com)

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