[MR] Cavalry practices information for Highland Foorde area (long)

[Stella Brindle]

Below is the info packet for our cavalry practices at Heritage Harvest
Farm in the Barony of Highland Foorde.

The first one for this year is coming up in two weeks. Please RSVP
with myself or Katrin if you plan to attend.

>
Highland Foorde Cavalry practices for 2008


Greetings riders of Northern Atlantia. It is with great delight that I
announce the fourth year of our regular mounted cavalry practices at
Heritage Harvest Farm. This year, with the addition of practices in
Marinus, and Bright Hills, we are now calling these practices at
Heritage Harvest Farm the Highland Foorde practices.

Note that I have changed the times to 10 am to 7 pm. That is the time
we are covered by the insurance. Set-up of equipment will begin at  9
am and teardown will begin at 6 pm or earlier to allow for us to get
the horses off site by 7 pm. No one should be down on the field
mounted before 10 am.

With the introduction of so many practices, I am encouraging those who
want to authorize to attend at least two practices prior to
authorizing and to try to authorize at a practice, rather than at an
event. Those practices that will have authorizations available at will
be announced. I am working on getting an MOL lined up at some of the
practices.

I would like to thank Katrin Boniface, Elizabeth Smedley and Jennifer
Smedley for volunteering their farm and horses to host the practices
in the north central region of Maryland and Virginia, and their house
for those of us who have to stay overnight.

The dates for 2008 are:

June 14
July – no practice due to Pennsic and Storvik's Novice Tourney on July 11-13
August 23
August 30 (alternate)
Sept 13
Sept 27 (alternate)
Oct 25
Nov 8
Nov 15 (alternate)
Dec 13
Dec 20 (alternate)

We take a break in Jan, Feb and Mar of 2009 due to possible bad weather.

In the case of inclement weather at the site, the practices will be
canceled. Contact Katrin in case of bad weather to find out if
practice is still happening. We may switch to the alternate date if
the primary date has been cancelled due to bad weather.

Practices will start at 10 am and end at 7 pm. We normally do a
potluck lunch around noon or 1 pm and often go out to eat following
the practice. Bring something to share if you want to participate in
the lunch and money for dinner if you want to eat out as a group
afterward. Try to be at the site by 9 am to get the horses ready and
help set up the field. Exact time we stop riding varies, largely based
on weather, but we need to start tear-down no later than 6:30 pm

The site is Heritage Harvest Farm in Boonsboro, Maryland. You can
learn more about the site at http://www.heritageharvest.com. The
address is 17159 Sprecher Road, Boonsboro, MD 21713 (301) 223-6731.

For those in the area they offer lessons and summer camp for children.
Please check out their web site and get in touch with them if you are
interested in taking lessons.

Fees:
Rental horses will be available on a first reserved basis at $30.00
per rider for the practice.
Donations to the pot to cover next year's insurance certificate are
welcome each time a rider comes to a practice. Amount is your choice,
but two or three dollars would be nice. This year we invoked the
additional insured clause so the total amount of insurance for the
year is $100.00 and has been coming out of Katrin and Brandwyn's
pocket for the most part so far (except for the money we collected
last year that went towards this year's cost.) Money collected this
year will go to next year's insurance fees.

All riders (including those bringing their own horses) are asked to
donate $5.00 to the farm to cover usage of their facilities for the
day. (Which includes cost of porta-castle rental if needed, electricty
use, crash space, food, etc.)

Horses staying overnight will be charged a $10.00 fee for a stall per
night. Proof of Coggins is needed if you bring your horse on-site.

Camping is available on-site and there are hotels and regular
campgrounds in the near vicinity. Camping is free at the farm but
there is no water or electric hookups where we would be camping. Water
and electric are available at the barn. "Crash" space may be available
in the house. Contact Katrin to make arrangements.

Riders may request a specific rental horse. Those who rode the horse
at previous practices will have preference over others. This is to
help build a rapport between horse and rider. We encourage you to try
to ride the same horse at each practice you attend when possible.
Katrin and the site/horse owners have the final say over who is riding
their horses. You may bring your own saddle, but may not be able to
use it if it does not fit the horse assigned you. Katrin has the final
say on whether you can use your saddle or not.

To reserve your horse and register for a practice, send the following
information to Katrin Boniface, 17159 Sprecher Road, Boonsboro, MD
21713 or email to Kat at heritageharvest.com.
You may pay for your rental horse with cash when you arrive, or you
may send rental horse money prior to the practice. Know that if you
pay when you get there, a rental horse may not be available for you
unless you have contacted Katrin prior to the practice to make
arrangements. All riders should contact Katrin prior to the practice
to let her know you plan to attend and if you are bringing a horse or
renting one or doing ground crew.

If you have any questions, contact Katrin at Kat at heritageharvest.com.
Or Lady Brandwyn Alston of the Rift (Stella Brindle) at 612 Jewell
Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23701 (757) 488-3597 or brndalston at aol.com .

FORM:
Your SCA name
Your modern name
Your home SCA group (or city with zip code) and Kingdom
Your phone number or email (in case we have a change in plans)
Are you an authorized SCA rider?
If yes, from what kingdom?   Atlantia     East    AEthelmaerc
If yes, at what level?  (circle below)   If no, what level do you want
to authorize at (circle below)?
   Ground crew only (if you took the safety/liability class, you are
ground crew),  Rider (you don't play the games, just trail ride),
Lancer (you play the games – beg, int, adv previously)  Bannerat (you
do jousting, crest combat, mounted combat), Archery (you do archery
from horseback), Driving (you drive a horse and ride in a cart or
chariot).

If you are between 5 and 18 years old, please state your age here:
 If renting, please state your weight here: (so we can match you with
the right horse- for humanitarian purposes and because some of them
are ponies):
Are you bringing your own horse?
Is your horse staying overnight?
Are you bringing any rental horses? (if yes, contact  Katrin or Lady
Brandwyn ahead of time)
Are you renting a horse?
    Name of rental horse requested:
    Name of rental horse you rode at the last practice:
Will you be camping or "crashing" on-site? Fri night     Sat night
(circle one or both)

All horses must show proof of negative Coggins. Horse owners crossing
state lines are urged to carry with them an interstate health
certificate and any other documents required by the states involved.
(Virginia IS stopping trailers and checking papers!)

Make all money orders or checks for all fees out to Heritage Harvest
Farm and enclose with the above information. Mail to Katrin or bring
it and/or cash owed to the practice with you.

What to bring: Your lances, swords, bows and arrows for mounted
archery, chair, drinking vessel, day shade if you wish, camping gear
if staying, bug spray, sun screen and a hat. SCA regulations require
that  Minors must wear an approved ASTM or Snell riding helmet .
Heritage Harvest farm requires adults to wear one as well. There are a
few smaller sizes available at the farm, but please bring your own if
you have one. Lunch and drinks, money for dinner, or a dish to share
if we do potluck supper and breakfasts for those staying overnight.

Please contact Katrin, if staying overnight to let her know your
arrival time and which nights you plan to stay.

All regular Atlantian and Society Equestrian rules and regulations
apply to these practices. See the web sites for more information on
these rules:
http://equestrian.atlantia.sca.org/ or under the Clerk of Law at
http://Atlantia.sca.org
http://sca.org/officers/marshal/combat/equestrian/index.html
Contact Brandwyn for a copy of the new Society and Atlantian rules if
you cannot find them on the web sites above. Contact Brandwyn prior to
the practice if you would like her to bring a printed copy of the new
Atlantian Cavalry Handbook for you, or if you would prefer to have a
copy emailed to you.

Mugai (Katrin Boniface)
Kat at heritageharvest.com
(301) 223-6731

Brandwyn Alston (Stella Brindle)
BrandwynAlston at gmail.com
(757) 292-1427 cell
(757) 488-3597
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(It is ok to cross-post this onto any lists you think might be appropriate.)
Brandy
(Lady Brandwyn Alston of the Rift)
Deputy Earl Marshal of the Horse, Atlantia