During the Certified Horsemanship Association’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at the CHA International Conference, CHA honored the Top 10 highest-placing CHA Program Members and CHA Individual Members in the Time to Ride 100-Day Challenge. It was the first year that CHA was able to honor a Top 10 due to the unprecedented growth of this program among CHA members. CHA has been a proud supporter of the Time to Ride Initiative since its inception. CHA members brought in more than 2,500 new people to the horse industry last year through the Time to Ride Challenge events.
Congratulations go to Kathy Richardson of Rusty Bar Ranch in Washington as the highest-scoring CHA member in the Time to Ride Challenge in 2017. Richardson and Rusty Bar Ranch introduced 634 newcomers to horses in the 2017 Time to Ride Challenge. Her total accounted for 25% of newcomers brought in by CHA participants, and she finished in third place in the overall Time to Ride Challenge Medium Division.
The following CHA participants round out the Top 10:
2. Jenn Gay of Heavenly Horse Stables in Michigan with 480 newcomers; Heavenly Horse Stables finished in 5 in the Large Division of the overall Time to Ride Challenge.
3. Jill Ingram of Blue Heron Riding Academy in Indiana with 395 newcomers; Blue Heron finished 10 in the Small Division of the overall Time to Ride Challenge.
4. Courtney Smith of Need a Hand Horse Training in Tennessee with 354 newcomers; Need a Hand Horse Training finished in 6 in the Large Division of the overall Time to Ride Challenge.
5. Tonya Danielly of Ivey Ranch Park Equestrian Center in California with 346 newcomers; Ivey Ranch Park Equestrian Center finished in 7 in the Large Division of the Overall Time to Ride Challenge.
6. Karen Nye of M.T. Pockets Ranch in Indiana with 101 newcomers
7. Christie Schumacher of High Mountain Horsemanship Center and Outreach in Kentucky with 75 newcomers
8. Denise Barrow of Smokin’ Rose Ranch in Utah with 35 newcomers
9. Cathy Thacker of Circle C Equestrian Center in North Carolina with 30 newcomers
10. Kelly Cannon of Cannon Equine Instruction in South Carolina with 22 newcomers
The initiative is operated by the American Horse Council’s Marketing Alliance with the goal of connecting, or reconnecting, people with horses in their local area. Within the Time to Ride Challenge time frame, facilities host any number of hands-on horse events designed to introduce new people to horses, equine activities, and to bring in new leads for their businesses or clubs. Time to Ride offers cash and prizes totaling $100,000 in three competitive divisions based on which stables, clubs, and businesses bring in the most newcomers. Overall, the Time to Ride Challenge brought in more than 22,000 new enthusiasts in 2017, bringing their four-year total since their inception to 117,000 newcomers.
CHA would like to congratulate every challenge host who participated and was successful in growing their business and the horse industry. CHA encourages all of its members to participate in the 2018 Time to Ride Challenge since it’s a great way to bring in new clients to barns and camps and to help expand interest in horses as a pastime. To win a future CHA Award in the Time to Ride Challenge, participants must be a current CHA member.
CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and YouTube Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHAinstructors.com.
