The American Sidesaddle Association's Phoenix

The American Sidesaddle Association's

PHOENIX

Reintroducing the Phoenix! I'd like to start by saying THANKYOU to the AmericanSidesaddle Association members for your contributions, and also for your patience as thisissue has been longer to "rise from its ashes" than was expected.WELCOME to new members! We have new members and new charter clubs: WesternOhio Aside (WOA) formed in the spring, and Kentucky Sidesaddle (KYSS) renewed itscharter in July after a long hiatus. I am looking forward to sharing news and stories fromall of the ASAmember clubs.In this issue, we'll catch up with the ASA and SOLA, review the Hilason EnglishSidesaddle, discuss bran mashes, re-visit the 2013 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade, meetKYSS, and find out how one new member got started. We also honor the memories of twogreat ladies whose contributions to the promotion of sidesaddle riding in the U.S. arebeyond measure: Linda Bowlby and Lillian Chaudhary.

~ Kimberly

Winter 2014 - 2015

ASA Phoenix Winter 2014 - 2015 1

ASA Members participating in the 201 4 McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo by Dan Kocunik

The American SidesaddleAssociation7033 Potts Hill Rd.Bainbridge, OH 45612Phone: 740-626-7447 or336-51 6-3835

[email protected]

PRESIDENT

Maggie Herlensky7033 Potts Hill Rd

Bainbridge, OH 45612740-222-0515

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENTJudy Hastings

237 Kuhl Ridge RdPomeroy, WA 99347

[email protected]

SECRETARYAndee ChapmanPO Box 602

Corvalis, MT 59828740-708-4259

[email protected]

TREASURERMonica Chapman19777 SR 772

Waverly, OH 45690740-941 -1 358, [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORVicki Pritchard

55 Sunset DrChillicothe, OH 45601

[email protected]

THE ASA PHOENIX

The ASA Phoenix is the official newsletter ofthe American Sidesaddle Association, 7033Potts Hill Rd., Bainbridge, OH 45612.Subscription is part of the membership toASA. Published four times annually. Printedand mailed copies are an additional $10.

Readers are encouraged to submit articles,comments and properly identified photos. Wereserve the right to edit all material to bepublished. Submissions may be made to theEditor:Kimberly Cornelius2372 Walcot WayLexinton, KY 40511email:[email protected]: (859) 455-6099

Electronic submission ispreferred. If photographs orattachments are too large foremail, ask me about DropBox.

Copies may not be reproduced (except forone's own personal use) without writtenpermission from the ASA Phoenix and theauthor. Copyright 2014 The ASA Phoenix andThe American Sidesaddle Association.

Back issues ofThe Phoenix may be foundonline:[email protected].


The Editor's editor: Sebastian, who was instrumental in the production

of this newsletter. Shown here endorsing "The Marvelous Miss

Mayhew". (No sidesaddles were harmed in the capture of this photo.)

Linda Bowlby and the Sidesaddleby Marti Friddle, Owner Hundred Oaks, Inc.

In the early1 980s I

started corresponding

with Linda about, of al l

things, sidesaddles for

Breyer horses. By 1 982

Linda and I had struck

up a friendship, and

when she mentioned

that she was starting up

a sidesaddle group in

Ohio called the Mid West Side Saddle Association

(MWSSA), I asked if I could join. In the fal l of ’82

Linda came to North Carolina to visit a friend in

Charlotte, and I met her in person at the local

airport. She was a small , pretty woman with l ively

brown eyes and glossy dark brown hair that fel l to

her waist. I ’d never seen anyone with hair so long.

My family had just moved to a property outside

Greensboro, NC and we were building our house.

While the walls were up, the interior was

completely unfinished. We held a sidesaddle

meeting in what would become my living room,

and South East Aside was formed. Wow. Those

were the days! Nobody told us we couldn’t

accomplish anything we wanted to, so we did.

Linda was sure we could do it, and we succeeded.

What a strange beginning that was for a friendship

that would last 31 years, unti l Linda passed in

October of 201 3.

We started with a newsletter. Now remember that

back in those days we couldn’t just dash out a

newsletter on a computer, scan in a few color

photos, and be good to go. Newsletters had to be

typed. Photos, if they were used, had to go

through a special process in order to print well on

the Neanderthal copiers we had access to. Cell

phones were unheard of, and people sti l l wrote

letters to each other, or (gasp!) actual ly cal led

each other. Sounds l ike a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?

People born since that time can’t imagine it, but

heck, Linda and I were there! The very first

MWSSA newsletters were on light blue paper, and

they contained almost no photos, but maybe a

drawing or two. We burned up the phone lines,

and probably put several chi ldren of AT&T

employees through college.

Linda had always loved gadgets, and she strong-

armed me into the age of technology. Now that I

think of it, if it hadn’t been for the job I had, and

for Linda, I ’d probably have given computers a

pass altogether. Each time a new computer

came out, Linda was on it. Soon, she switched

to Macs, which made sharing fi les, um,

interesting. I t got better as Macs adapted to MS

files, but it was dicey for a while. Sti l l , she

always was the first to have something new,

forcing me to buy something to keep up with her

latest toy, so we could swap information about

WSFI back and forth. Then there was the year

both of us had computer crashes within a few

months of each other. Fortunately we backed up

each other’s fi les, so I was able to restore her

computer, and vice versa.

Without a computer, I ’d never have started “The

Sidesaddle Legacy” and Linda wouldn’t have

added her chapters. I t was Linda who decided

we were doing a book, and she arranged for

publication. That was the pattern of our

relationship – I ‘d get a bright idea and she

would put it into motion.

As the technology improved, so did the quality of

our newsletters. MWSSA outgrew its name and

became the World Sidesaddle Federation, Inc

(WSFI). Membership soared, and we held a

clinic every year in Bucyrus.

The clinic was so popular, that the local Holiday

Inn would reserve a block of rooms for us at the

far end of a wing, where we wouldn’t disturb

other guests with our al l night parties and

constant visiting from room to room! I t general ly

took a week to recover from one of those clinics

– and we were young and healthy at the time.

We worked hard and we played harder. Sleep

was something we’d do when we got home.

By 1 984 we had an Instructor Certification

program set up, and that was the year I qualified

for my Instructor Certificate. Applicants had to

first take a kil ler written exam, (which rival

groups complained about bitterly), then tack up

2 sidesaddles, one English and one western.

We had to then choose one of them to ride

(usually English, because we were required to

post). Our riding was critiqued by 3 qualified

instructors. Final ly, we had to give a talk to a

group, and it had to be a pretty good one. The

goal was to produce riders who could handle the

teaching of any group, riding in any discipl ine,


Continued on next page

on any breed of equine (we even had a mule or

two along the way). I t was a tough goal, but a

worthy one. The instructors produced by WSFI

were some of the best in the world.

Maggie Pritchard (now Maggie Herlensky) was

one of our early applicants. Here was this shy,

quiet teenager, who spoke so softly that her

group couldn’t hear her. How time changes us!

You know we love you, Maggie!

Because Linda was a teacher, the goal of the

organization, whatever its name, was always to

educate, to give people the information they

needed to be better riders. The emphasis within

the organization was, and remains on

inclusiveness. Other sidesaddle organizations

made a habit (no pun intended) of dictating to

riders what they should wear and what breed they

needed to be riding. We didn’t see it that way.

Many middle class riders with horses and jobs

wanted to ride aside too, and it was our mission

to be sure they had the resources they needed. I t

didn’t stop there either, Linda set up and

produced flyers and pamphlets to educate judges

too.

As the years passed, we tried to learn from the

mistakes of groups that didn’t last, and I think we

did a good job. I t was a lot of work, but we had a

system: By that time I was an officer in the group,

and I would funnel prospective members who

contacted my sidesaddle business to Linda, who

would get them hooked at one of the frequent

cl inics WSFI put on; and then I ’d sel l them a

saddle. Hey – it worked. I t was a win for

everybody, because they got the information they

needed and the saddle they wanted, and WSFI

got new members.

Our promotional efforts eventual ly lead to

participation in Equine Affaire. I t’s hard to recall

when the first Equine Affaire was held in

Columbus, but Linda made sure we were there. I t

was utter and complete chaos, complete with

handlers struggl ing to hold nervous horses, who

were walking right through the packed crowd,

down the aisles. Truly it was an accident waiting

to happen. The whole event was held in one

small bui lding on the fairgrounds. Within a few

years, Equine Affaire expanded to several

bui ldings and a longer schedule, and Linda made

sure we were there every year. That tradition

continues, since ASA is due to participate in the

201 5 Equine Affaire, in Apri l .

We fought our share of dragons along the way too.

We took on AQHA when they’d passed a rule that

banned sidesaddles in AQHA classes. The rule

passed on the complaints of astride riders who

were being soundly beaten by a sidesaddle rider

at that time. Among our advocacy efforts: Linda, a

Quarter Horse owner, talked to the American

Horse Show Association. She also led a group

that talked with judges in Wil l iamsburg, VA. We

spoke to AQHA judges in Columbus, San Antonio,

and a couple of other places. They always listened

politely, then declined to act on the matter. We

gave it our best shot, however AQHA sti l l does not

permit sidesaddle.

Linda and a few others took on the Arabian Horse

Association when they passed a ridiculous rule

that required aside riders to wear pantaloons!

They successful ly fought an uphil l battle and got

that rule reversed.

As a result of these experiences, the organization

took on the challenge of helping breeds establish

rules for sidesaddle classes. I t’s been a long time,

but I remember that we helped the Morgan,

Saddlebred, Rocky Mountain Horse, Appaloosa,

and several other breeds with their rules. At one

time we had a complete copy of the sidesaddle

rules for every American breed in our fi les.

The two of us taught cl inics together too – notably

at Kentucky Horse Park, several in Ohio, and one

at Grand Cypress Resort in Florida. We were

invited to Texas one year to do the Texas Ladies

Aside clinic. I t was always a challenge, but always

worthwhile, even when we were either sweating or

freezing. Between us, we probably did cl inics in

something l ike 25 states.

Linda at one point purchased a large collection of

sidesaddle books, prints, and related items, which

she turned into the WSFI Library. She set up an

agreement with county l ibraries where people

could borrow books from WSFI on inter-l ibrary

loan. The library was added to, over the years

through donations from members and new

purchases.

Time was passing though, and we were both

starting to feel the effects of hauling too many

saddles to too many clinics. The whole process

was horribly expensive, and we weren’t drawing

any reimbursement from the organization. I t was

difficult, al l of a sudden, to operate on just a couple


NOTEWORTHY

CONGRATULATIONS to:Hannah Perkins, SOLAAffiliateSamantha Peterson, KYSS Affiliate,PresidentKim Rumpsa, SOLAAffiliateOn achieving their Judge / Instructor /Clinician (JIC) Certification!Rhonda Watts-Hettinger and MaggieHerlensky announced on Sunday, November16th that these ASAmembers havesuccessfully passed all requirements.Maggie and Vicki Pritchard have the JICcertificates at the print shop; and these will bemailed to all the previous and new JICs withinthe month. Congratulations to all of ourcurrent JIC-certified members, and we hopeour members who are in process of obtainingJIC will keep working toward the goal.

of hours of sleep. We started encouraging

younger members to step in and take over some

of the instructor duties, and they sl id into place

seamlessly.

WSFI grew to the be largest sidesaddle group in

the country, at one point. ISSO was running a

close second. In 2002 the two groups jointly

sponsored Ride Aside at Kentucky Horse Park. I t

was so successful that the event was repeated in

2004, but it was a costly undertaking.

There had always been a philosophical difference

between WSFI and the International Side Saddle

Organization. Each organization was working

toward the same goal of promoting sidesaddle,

but each approached the task from an entirely

different point of view. We tried to bridge the gap,

and that effort led to the merging of the two

organizations in January of 2005. Linda and Jim,

who had also recently retired, pul led up roots and

moved to New Jersey, where she became the

Director of ISSO. Despite her best efforts, old

philosophical differences proved to be too great

and Linda left ISSO in 2007 and returned to Ohio.

Linda always looked for the good in people. Her

bright outlook on the world and her confidence

that she could achieve what she set out to do,

drew people to her. She had some very rough

patches, but she also had some bright shining

moments. I prefer to remember the bright,

shining, confident friend who was kind to

everyone. She left a huge mark on the

sidesaddle world, and we wil l al l remember her

with love.


Newly certified JIC and KYSS President Samantha

Peterson assisting a student during the clinic on

October 4th.

Photo by Kimberly Cornelius

In Memorium

Lillian Elise (Snodgrass) Chaudhary, 67, ofWillows, CA, diedpeacefully of natural causes in her home on July 2, 2014. BornMarch 20, 1 947 in Portland, Oregon to Roy and Ruth Snodgrass,she attended Portland State University as an art major. Lillian wasbaptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses on May 11 , 1 974. She wasactive in the ministry and touched the many people she met,sharing her knowledge of the Bible and hope in God's promisesfor the future.

Lillian had four children: Usha (Mike) Pinkham ofYuba City, CA, daughter AnitaRiesinger ofRedwood City, CA, daughter Sonia Chaudhary ofChico, CA and son David(Aubree) Chaudhary ofLoyalton, CA. Grandchildren: Sara McBride, Jordan Pinkham,Joran Chaudhary, Evan Chaudhary and Ella Chaudhary. Lillian is survived by three of hersix siblings: William, Steve, and Ben Snodgrass. Lillian was preceded in death by herparents, her sister, Delores Ann (Snodgrass) Benson and two brothers: Jim and TedSnodgrass and former husband, Satish Roy Chaudhary.Lillian was a treasured member of the international sidesaddle community. She was aWorld Side-saddle Federation Judge/Instructor, who graciously shared her knowledge ofsaddles and saddle making, gleaned over thirty years, with students world-wide.


Southern Ohio Ladies Aside(SOLA) Club News

1 ) SOLA has successfully helped launchanother ASA regional club. Now we have hadtwo break-away clubs this year: Western OhioAside (WOA), Kim Nader, President; andKentucky Sidesaddle (KYSS), SamanthaPeterson, President. We in SOLA still have 46members, and are continuing to grow. Whoknows how many clubs we can give birth to?

2) The SOLA Christmas Party will be held atVicki Pritchard’s house in Chillicothe, Ohio,as a Saturday brunch at 12:00PM onDecember 1 3th. Each SOLAmember willreceive a written invitation. WOA and KYSSmembers are invited too, via electronic news.There will door prizes, games, and room forovernight guests. Save the date and RSVP toVicki Pritchard at [email protected] .

3) The Chicago Aside (CHICA) club,President, Diana Kocunik, has announced thedate for the 2015 ASAAwards Banquet. Thebanquet and sightseeing events will take placeJune 26-28, 2015, in Chicago. Save thosedates. More details to follow. Some SOLAmembers plan to take the Amtrak to Chicagofor the event, and details of train itinerary andcosts will be shared via our facebook page.Hopefully, SOLA, WOA, and KYSS memberswill make a good showing at the banquet.These events are always enjoyable, withsightseeing, education, the banquet, and theyearly awards and election of officers. Watchthe Southern Ohio Ladies Aside e-mail([email protected]) and facebook for thefinal agenda and travel suggestions.

4) Ridingactivities haveslowed down abit this fall, butBecky Pitcockrode at theFriesian WorldShow inVirginia. Sherode aside

twice and won Hunt Seat Pleasure and tookthird in Western Pleasure. We are very proudofBecky.

Holly Ray receivedgood news. At theyear-end standingsfor Inter-State showclub, her horse,Frisco, was theend-of-yearchampion in OpenHunter, JackBenny, and LadiesSidesaddle. Hewas Reserve in

Arab Hunter and third in Bridle Path. In allthese classes, Holly used the sidesaddle,mostly against astride riders. Frisco hadnever before been a sidesaddle horse, havingstarted in April and May of this year. (He wasalso Champion in Native Costume, butastride) This is a big achievement for Holly,Frisco, and SOLA.On Nov eighth,MaggieHerlensky andLaurie Post rodein the VeteransDay parade inChillicothe,Ohio. The ladieswore warm redcoats and plaidaprons. The horses wore glittered hooves, redbrowbands, and red breastcollars. Maggierode Fern and Laurie rode Tag. DavidHerlensky was the safety walker. Theweather was cool and the crowd turnout waslow; however, the nursing home and longterm care patients were out in force, wrappedin blankets, and greatly enjoying the parade.

5) Judge/Instructor/Clinician (JIC) instructorscurrently include those listed above in theboard minutes. Ifwe have missed someone,or if someone else can transfer a JIC from anold club over to ASA, let us know. If you areinterested in becoming JIC certified, let usknow. Contact Maggie Herlensky on e-mailor facebook.


Photo by Gerald Schmidt. Reprinted with permission.

6) The sidesaddle clinic at the Mount EverettFarm, in Hubbard, Ohio, was held onNovember first. Maggie Herlensky, JIC, wasthe instructor, and Hannah Perkins, soon-to-be JIC, assisted. Attendees included SOLAmembers, Jennifer Chupka and Holly Ray.Holly and Maggie brought horses. Welcomenew members who attended the clinic,Heather McConnell and Ashton Yarosh,junior member, and her mother, Kilee.

SOLA events for the remainder of 2014:Nov 22 Jingle Bell Parade, Waverly, Ohio (SOLA)

Nov 22 Holiday Horse Parade, Greenville, Ohio

(WOA)

Nov 22 Lancaster, Ohio parade (SOLA)

Nov 27 Thanksgiving Day Parade, Chicago (CHICA)

Nov 28 Dayton Children’s Parade, Dayton, Ohio

(WOA)

Nov 29 Christmas Parade, Circleville, Ohio (SOLA)

Dec 13 SOLA Christmas Party

Saddle Review

The Hilason English

This article contains the opinions of the author and isnot the opinion of American Sidesaddle Association.

Up until now I haven't had a lot ofopportunity to really look over the HilasonEnglish Sidesaddle. I have seen a couple inuse with mixed results and now have one in-hand on consignment. Take note, however,that the saddle currently featured on theHilason website looks nothing like those Ihave seen in person. As with any modernmade sidesaddle, there are good and badpoints.Pros: At first glance, it appears to be a well-constructed saddle, with decent enoughleather and other materials. It does not seemto be as sloppily put together as its westerncousin.The billets on the three examples I have seenare all in the correct places. It does feature anoffside point billet. This billet is in the sameplace as the balance strap billet would be onthe nearside. It is not an error to find a saddlewith this feature. It allows for a wider rangeof choices for girth placement. It does not,however, have a balance billet on thenearside. Hilason wants you to purchase theirgirth with the sefton girth sewn on,eliminating the need for a near balance billet.On the examples I have seen, the billets are ofa nice quality leather. I do notice that thebillets on the saddle featured on the websiteare quite far back and even show behind thesafe.The fixed head (upright horn) is at an

acceptable angle for most riders, unlike thewestern version, which is canted to the rightso as to preclude a rider with any amount ofthigh from being comfortable. The leapinghorn is set a bit far back for my taste, but isnot so far back as to be difficult to ride. Theleaping horn on the saddle pictured on theHilason website appears to be similarlyplaced, but I can't tell from the photo what theplacement is like for the fixed head.The stirrup bar is a basic english stirrup bar,


201 4 McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo by Dan Kocunik

Sue Henkel and her daughter Becky riding in the 201 4 Circlevi l le

Christmas Parade.

without safety release mechanism. A riderwould be advised to use a breakaway stirrupon this type of fitting. The placement of thestirrup bar appears to be about where it shouldbe, personal preference considered. Again,this is an improvement over the westernversion, upon which the stirrup is very farback for comfort.Cons: To my knowledge, this saddle comes inone seat size and one tree width. The seat is21 " long and on a very wide tree. Forcomparison, the Hilason english fits the samesize horse as the XW Elan. It fits very widequarter horses and many draft breeds.This saddle is built on a common (astride)

tree. It narrows at the waist of the saddle,much like a saddleseat saddle, providing verylittle support for the right thigh. It also comesstuffed evenly on both panels, allowing theleft side to drop when the rider is mounted.This is remedied by reflocking the saddle orwedging towels or socks between panel andtree.Construction of the tree seems to vary

depending on when the particular saddle wasbuilt. I do not know if the company madeimprovements at some point or the other wayaround, with quality level dropping later, butsome of these seem to be fairly sturdy andothers not sturdy at all. I was told by one riderthat she was brought one that the leaping horn

just fell out of the tree. It was not screwed intoa metal socket, but was just stuck into thewooden tree.As far as general appearance goes, it is an

odd looking beast to my eye. The flapcovering the stirrup bar is elongated, like thaton the classic Champion & Wilton, but is cuteven with the front of the safe instead ofhaving the graceful tapered end of the C&W.The saddles pictured currently on the Hilasonsite have stirrup bar flaps more like the styleof the earlier Victorian sidesaddle, just a slotfor the stirrup leather to pass through.The seat on the examples I have seen and theone on their website are smooth leather. Whilenot exactly a negative feature, the majority ofriders I have spoken to prefer suede seats.All in all, this certainly isn't the worst saddle

for your money, but it most certainly isn't thebest, either. If it fits you, your horse, and yourbudget, then by all means have a good time.But buyer beware. This brand doesn't have agreat track record, especially when you takeinto account that the saddles pictured on theirwebsite have the leaping horn on upside downand the stirrup leather not threaded throughthe eye of the stirrup. Also, I noticed that theenglish sidesaddle featured on the"sidesaddles" page is not the same one shownwhen you open the "english sidesaddle" page.


Barn Notes

Dig Out Your Chef's Hatby Two Horse Tack

During this delightful cold snap we’reexperiencing, we can’t help but feel a littlesorry for our horses standing around in thesingle-digit temperatures and snow. Althoughwe know they don’t get cold as easily as wedo, it does seem a little unfair that we’re curledup with chicken soup while they’re chompingon some frozen hay.

We can’t give horses chicken soup of course,but one thing we’ve found they love is a goodbran mash. Most tack shops sell a dry branmash which needs to be mixed per the packageinstructions with hot water, and occasionally adose of salt/electrolyte. Mashes should clingtogether after the water is added but not besoupy.

Although veterinarians warn that bran mashesshouldn’t be fed in place of a well-balanceddiet or in too great a quantity to horses whoaren’t used to it, they are great occasionaltreats for a horse who enjoys them.

The most fun part ofmixing up a good, hotmash is flavoring it. Many people add applesand carrots, but we’ve come up with a fewmore creative flavoring sources, as well:

Applesauce: keeps better and mixes in welltexture-wise with a mash as compared to achopped apple.Carrot or apple juice: for flavor that packs apunchApple cider: liquid or dried forms both workwell in our experienceBeer: beer by itself is a favorite ofmanyhorses, most famously Zenyatta, but it workswell in a mash too. Guinness or other darkbeers with a strong flavor seem to appeal tomost. Apple-flavored beers like Reds providesthe best of both worlds. Straight beer is the oldwives’ remedy for anhydrosis. We can’t say forsure if it works, but the horses sure enjoy it.Molasses: Can be quite sticky, so a dried form

sometimes works best (and it won’t freeze)Peppermint: Either the candies or theessential oil (from a health food store)Coffee (in small amounts): A coffee pots havelong been the sources for hot liquid to makebran mashesGinger snaps: These have a long shelf lifeand bring some extra flavoring to the mashLicorice: Either the candy or the essential oilOrange-flavored Metamucil: It provides extrafiber and the flavor is appealing to somehorsesRecent studies have suggested that horsesalso enjoy less traditional flavors. Amongthem–banana, cherry, and fenugreek (a spiceyou can find at the supermarket).

Re-published with permission from Two Horse

Tack Blog.

Original publication date January 30, 201 4.

www.twohorsetack.wordpress.com


The editor's horses, Polo and Sweepit "sharing" their

Thanksgiving mash.

Thanksgiving ParadeMemories: 2013

by Janet Bending

Greetings from Guthrie, Oklahoma!It has been an honor to become a member ofthe American Side Saddle Association and tobe invited to ride with such a wonderful groupofwomen in the 85th annual McDonald’sThanksgiving Day parade in downtown,Chicago!I have watched the parades on TV for as longas I can remember and always loved theequestrian groups. As a little girl, I alwaysdreamed of riding a beautiful horse in theparades. Hearing the clip clop ofhooves onthe pavement is literally music to my ears.Seeing the faces of little girls in the crowdmakes me think that they too have the samedream. How blessed we are to be able toaccomplish such an honor.My horse, Heaven’s Star, a.k.a. , Buttercup is aregistered American Paint Horse, and is thetri-colored tovero with one blue eye. She’s myheart and soul. We’ve been just abouteverywhere and have tried just abouteverything, together. Buttercup was trained asa mounted patrol horse in Mobile, Alabama,our hometown. If there was ever such a thingas a “bombproof” horse, she would be justthat. We have ridden in Mardi Gras paradesfor years. After moving to Oklahoma, I wasfortunate enough to find a network ofwomenwho also enjoyed riding in parades. This ishow I met Jo Rench and was introduced to thesidesaddle in 2009.At first, I was intimidated by the thought ofriding aside. As a barrel racer, I liked that mylegs straddled my horse. But, after trying itout, I discovered that riding aside is just ascomfortable and just as secure as my westernsaddle. Now, I prefer to ride various showsand parades aside. I haven’t worked up thecourage to compete in a barrelrace aside, but. . . maybe, one day.As you all know, preparing for Parade daytakes weeks. We make sure our tack is clean,our manes & tails are polished and groomed,our costumes are pressed and our best ‘MissAmerica hand wave’ is perfected. In my case,

washing the horse trailer, checking tires andwheel bearings, buying extra hay for travel,water bottles from home, packing moreclothes than I really need, blankets, shippingboots. . . . the list seemed endless, but we did it!And.. . .after 1 5 hours, WE MADE IT!Buttercup settled in at Belle-View Acres inHomer Glen. A very nice place to stable, andwe made some new friends.Up very early on Thanksgiving morning, aseveryone else cooked the turkey day meals,we dressed in warm layers and loaded up tomeet the girls of the American Side SaddleAssociation. My brother-in-law, ToddBending drove my truck & trailer since hisknowledge of the downtown area is hissecond language. And how lucky we were tofall right inbehind our group!With the temperature documented at 12degrees and even colder with the wind chill,we saddled and dressed in intervals to keepwarm. Last call, saddled up and ready tomount, one ofmy reins broke and panic beganto set in. Oh the joys of a last minute potentialdisaster before curtain call. . .And here comesDave to save the day! Thanks tohis quick ingenuity, Buttercup & I were ableto step off and quickly catch up with the girls.Continued on page 13


Janet and Heaven's Star on the right. Photo by Dan Kocunik

"How I Got My Start"

by Madeline Clerico

I have always been fascinated with ridingsidesaddle, but it seemed like something thatwas out of reach. I knew women still rodesidesaddle, but all the pictures I saw were richladies in top level dressage shows; a far cryfrom trail riding bareback like the redneck Iam.Then, when I was in my mid-thirties I realizedthat there were things I wanted to try. So Ifound the American Side Saddle Association’swebsite and wrangled an invite to the charitytrail ride at Shaker Village in Kentucky.Maggie Pritchard Herlensky was kind enoughto loan me a horse and saddle and I rodesidesaddle for the first time in my life.I was amazed by how secure it felt. Before Ieven knew how to sit properly or use thequeen and leaping head to lock into thesaddle, I felt fine. I didn’t even get saddle sorebecause I wasn’t forcing my legs wide apartfor hours at a time. And the ladies from theASA were like family. It didn’t matter than Ihadn’t met any of them before, everyone gaveme a hug.It didn’t matter what breed of horse you haveor what sport or discipline you ride. You canfox hunt on expensive imported warmbloodsor trail ride on unregistered*coughFjordIthinkcough* ponies. You’rewelcome in ASA.Six months later I was sitting aside the samehorse dressed like Princess Anna from themovie "Frozen", riding through the ChicagoThanksgiving Day Parade. I had received amini lesson from another ASAmember goingfor her instructor test and improved my seatwhat felt like fifty percent. I had learned thesecret of locking into the saddle! Nothingcould get me off now!The day started early and we all bundled up inas many layers as possible; even the horses.Once downtown, we applied ribbons, bows,and glitter to our patient mounts, thenmounted up. My saddle tight and newfoundknowledge of the queen and I was the pictureof confidence. My mount, a very kind

Clydesdale/Shire gelding named Tag, haddone parades many times before. As it turnedout, I would need my newfound knowledge.As we sat in line, waiting for the parade tostart, a herd of preteen girls in tap shoes ranacross the street directly behind Tag, thesound not unlike a horse panicking onpavement. He turned his head to see whatwas going on. Right behind us was a paradeballoon that neither one of us had noticedbefore.It wasn’t a meltdown, but there were at leastsome alarms going off in the reactor. I was abit concerned about Tag acting up during theparade, but I was never afraid I’d fall off.Honestly, locking my leg between the queenand Tag’s neck, it felt like he would have todo a somersault to throw me off. Wefinished the parade with little drama and nomeltdowns. What a great introduction toriding aside!I’ve noticed that whenever someone sees youriding sidesaddle, whether you’re dressed ina poofy gown or a Yoda T-shirt and jeans,you always get a smile. Parades are noexception.

Madeline as Princess Anna from Disney's "Frozen", riding Tag.

Photo by Dan Kocunik


Continued from page 11As the weeks of preparation are about to payoff, and the excitement of the ride escalates,we began our procession down the crowdedstreet. The cold wasn’t an issue for very long.The warmth I felt came from the joy ofseeing the little girl’s faces, the cheers fromthousands of people and being able to ridewith beautiful horses and the sweetestwomen. I could not wipe the smile from myface, even if I tried. To top it off, I was ableto blow a kiss to my princess, Ella Claire onnational TV. This was definitely aThanksgiving memory I will cherish.I look forward to riding with the ladies of theAmerican Side Saddle Association again andagain. Who knows, maybe one day, we willall make it to the Rose Bowl Parade!

Giddy Up & Ride Aside


Hugs and KYSSes

by Kimberly Cornelius

Kentucky Sidesaddle (KYSS) reinventeditself over the summer with enthusiastic newmembers and big dose of encouragementfrom American Sidesaddle AssociationPresident, Maggie Herlensky. The officerswere elected and the charter renewed overdinner at the Georgetown, KY CrackerBarrel, following a day spent at BreyerFestat the Kentucky Horse Park.Excited to step off on the right foot, KYSSofficers began advertising the club onFacebook and by organizing a clinic. Wealso advertised by participating in a few

sponsored trail rides, including the PintoOrganization ofKentucky benefit ride atShaker Village, and the annual Horses andHope Trail Ride at the Kentucky Horse Park.Our big reintroduction was in hosting a clinic,which was held on Saturday, October 4th, atMasterson Station Park.The clinic was well attended and the feedbackwe received was positive. We hosted riderswho were trying sidesaddle for the first timeand riders who were giving it another go. Theclinic also served as the test for theJudge/Instructor/Clinician (JIC) certification.All of the horses and riders performedbeautifully, and once the lessons werecomplete, we tucked in to a delicious pot lucklunch.Following the clinic, a small group of us hitthe road north to Georgetown Kentucky andparticipated in the Georgetown Festival of theHorse Parade, for which we won the costumecontest with habits representing differenthistorical periods. And if that weren't enough,KYSS and SOLAmembers then were back inhabits the next day to compete in theGeorgetown Festival of the Horse Show!Kentucky Sidesaddle members are planninginformal meetings and social events over thewinter. The next riding related event on ourcalendar is the 2014 Lexington ChristmasParade, coming right up on December 2nd.We welcome all to follow our web pagewww.kentuckysidesaddle.com. We alsohave a page on Facebook:facebook.com/KYSidesaddle, to which wepost event information. The best place tointeract with us, and be part of the fun anddiscussions (when not in person) is on ourFacebook group page, which is:facebook.com/groups/KYSidesaddle.

Our officers: Samantha Peterson,President; Morgan Reeves, VicePresident; Kimberly Cornelius,Treasurer; Natasha Raina,Membership Coordinator; and CindySither, Secretary

Participants and instructors posing after the Kentucky Sidesaddle Clinic on

October 4th. Photo by Kimberly Cornelius

Marketplace

"The Illustrated Encyclopedia of theSidesaddle"

by Rhonda Watts-Hettinger

A book that offers a compilation oftraditional sidesaddle knowledge, and showand eventing aspects of aside riding.For sale by the authorcost= $25 plus shippingcontact Rhonda at: [email protected]

"The Fair Lady Aside, 2nd Ed"by Mary L. Thomas

A book on correct habits and saddles ofdistinct time periods.cost+ $15, which includes shippingcontact Vicki at [email protected]

The Sidesaddle Legacy:How to ride Aside the American Waywritten by Martha Coe Friddle and Linda

Bowlby$25, which includes shipping

contact Vicki at [email protected]

Starter level sidesaddle.Black. 22 1 /2" long x 13" wide seat.

Medium-wide fit tree.$550

Contact Maggie [email protected]




The ASA Board Conference Call was held on Oct 21 ,2014, 9 PM EST.Members present for the call: Maggie Herlensky,President; Andee Chapman, Secretary; MonicaChapman, Treasurer; Vicki Pritchard, MembershipCoordinator; Samantha Peterson, KYSS President;Karol Kafka, CA_Aside President; Elaine Gracia,NAGS for Judy Hastings; Jo Rench, SOLA fromOklahoma; Pat Merkle, SOLA from Colorado; DianaKocunik, CHICA President1 . The Treasurer’s Report was given by MonicaChapman. ASA currently has $391 .81 and a depositis pending for $348, for a total amount in the treasuryof $739.81 .Monica reminds us that insurance for the club costs$557.20, which is due in monthly payments. Thecost of the booth at Equine Affair is $297.50. Payingthese two items will put us in the negative by$114.89.2. The group agreed that it is imperative that wefund-raise. Selling books at upcoming clinics is onegood way to make money. Maggie will do this.Additionally, the group decided to look into making asidesaddle calendar for 2016, maybe one regular andone with tasteful implied nudity (over 18yo). Maggieand Andee will look into this and will ask membersto submit photos. The group also wants to make acookbook for outdoor and tailgating events. Maggiewill get recipes solicited from the members. TheOrigami Owl jewelry sale will be tried again too.Maggie will look into this. Samantha will look intothe possibility that KYSS/ASA can do a profit-sharing with Lexington restaurants. Jo Rench isdoing a Route 66 sidesaddle ride across Oklahomaand she may be able to acquire some funding ordonations. Perhaps other clubs will want to try theother parts ofRoute 66. Jo also is planning adesensitization clinic for horses in December 2014.KYSS is also planning to do this type of clinic.Perhaps some of the fees collected could be sent toASA, especially ifASA insurance is used. RedRobin fund-raiser info is being sent to Maggie bysomeone on the call.3 . The issue of establishing the ASA website wastabled because neither Stephanie Hutcherson norNatasha Raina were on the call.4. Next year’s banquet will be hosted by CHICA,our Chicago club, in June of 2015. The planning isunderway. A tour of the city via boat has beendiscussed. SOLAmembers are planning to travel viaAmtrak. All members are encouraged to senddonation money and prizes to Diana Kocunik for theawards banquet. We need more nominations for non-point 2014 awards: Helping Hands, Husband of the

Year, Wet Blanket, Velcro, Bottoms Up, Rookie, andTom Tom.5. Diana says the ASA Library is still not up andlending, but a lot of planning and preliminary workhas been done. Maggie and David will be inChicago for the Thanksgiving Day parade and willstay over 2 extra days to help with the cataloguing.6. ASA has paid half of the fees for the 2015Equine Affair for April 9-12. Volunteers are neededfor the booth. Maggie will get a hotel suite forovernights. Contributions for the hotel will beappreciated.7. The following persons areJudge/Instructor/Clinician (JIC): Marti Friddle(N.Carolina), Maggie Herlensky (Ohio), Pat Merkle(Colorado), Rhonda Watts-Hetttinger (NewHampshire), Andee Chapman (Montana), and JudyHastings (Washington). Sue Duncan (Tennessee)was WSFI certified and will transfer over to ASAcertified, in process. Kim Rumpsa (Missouri),Hannah Perkins (Ohio), and Samantha Peterson(Kentucky) are all three nearing completion of theJIC requirements. Jo Rench (Oklahoma), StephanieHutcherson (GALA) ofGeorgia, Sue Henkel(Ohio), and Kim Nader (Ohio) have paid their feesand begun the process. The rules state that there is a$10 per year re-certification fee, but we have neverenforced that for WSFI or ASA’s JIC status. LilianChaudery’s daughter, Anita Reisinger, has transferedher JIC from WSFI to ASA. This is good news forCalifornia coverage for sidesaddle instruction.Maggie will put all these names on facebook in thefiles section so that interested people can find a JICnear them. Andee Chapman will tag other horsegroups too.8. The issue of needing actual paper certificates forJIC was discussed. We have not heard from Rhondaabout progress on this issue; and since LindaBowlby already had an original artwork by SandyPetrie, the group decided that that will do nicely.Maggie and Vicki will work on this. Linda Bowlbyhad a disc containing informational materials forJIC recourses. Maggie will try to find this or re-create it. The JIC packet should also contain areference for all breed and show judges to use forparticipating sidesaddle riders.Vicki has created a first draft for a new booklet ondress and tack guidelines for sidesaddle. MaggiePritchard, Pat Merkle, Judy Hastings, Sue Duncan,Jo Rench, and Rhonda Watts-Hettinger are editing itbefore publication. Show judges, as well as ourown members, can make good use of this booklet.9. The issue of breed club members riding asideimproperly was discussed. ASA lacks the clout to


influence them directly, but KYSS may have someluck with style clubs, like jumpers. Samantha willlook into this.1 0. Kim Cornelius ofKYSS is now in charge of thePhoenix Newsletter. It is worth noting that memberscited the Phoenix as one reason for joining and that itis an expectation. We need to retain members, andPhoenix is one sure way to do this. IfKim needsany help of any kind, she should let Maggie andVicki know and they will try to help her in any waypossible. Vicki has been keeping the SOLA/ASAclub news in the Ohio Horsemens’ Corral newsletter,but it is not as effective as the ASA-specific Phoenix.

11 . Marti Friddle has not contacted Maggieregarding the 501 -3C status needed by the club.Monica and Andee will check Linda Bowlby’s notesfor some clue as to what to do.1 2. The use of helmets was discussed. Monicawarns that our ASA insurance may be high becausewe do not enforce the use of helmets. She will checkwith our insurance vendor and see if that is the case.In any event, all our youth participants must wearhelmets as well as all clinic participants. Maggiewill look at Equi-Sure insurance rates. It may alsobe that our insurance covers only non-members andproperty. This will be clarified. We need to also

ensure that we have signed liability waivers for allclinics and group pre-planned activities. The issueof yearly waivers, at the time of club dues, is apossibility too. This will be discussed again in thefuture. Vicki gave a report of the membershipsatisfaction survey. Members want more clinics,resources, continuing information, and newslettershowcasing. Members agree with the need forfund-raising and they favor calendar, jewelry sales,and outdoor event cookbooks.Minutes prepared by Vicki Pritchard, AndeeChapman, and Maggie Herlensky


Save the Date!2015 American Sidesaddle

Association

Awards Banquet

June 26-28, 2015

Chicago

Kentucky Derby Festivaland Pegasus Parade 2015

American Sidesaddle Association activitiesbegin with arrival on Monday, April 27th. ThePegasus Parade is Thursday, April 30th andsteps off at 5:00PM. ASA wraps up the weekwith a farewell breakfast on Friday, May 1 st.The 2015 theme is "The Best ofLouisville"and members have voted to become jockeys tohonor the great race that inspired the festival.For those wishing to participate, and get ajump on costume preparation, here are theguidelines:Jockey silks- can be simple windbreaker,fastened at the neck (no square collars),decorated or not. You may copy the silks of afamous stable or derby winner, make up yourown design, or leave it plain. There arewebsites where you can buy ready-made silks(ebay) or design your own(www.championsilks.com). There are manysites to use for inspiration. An ebay seller hasa series of lapel pins featuring the silks ofderby winners going all the way back to the1800s.Apron- plain white. in a fabric that wouldmimic jockey's breeches, like a gabardine orflag bunting, both of those fabrics wash well.Length should be about at the ankle.Helmet cover- to coordinate with silks. Mayhave a small bow at the front. There areseveral companies that will custom make onefor you if you can't find one you like.Goggles- (optional) can be worn or put uponto the brim of the helmetBoots- black or brownBridle- black or brown leather or nylon orbiothane that coordinate with silks and notappear western from a short distance (no silveror tassles). Cheap nylon bridles are fine.Saddle cloth- solid color with large white orblack number. These can be purchased usedfrom racetracks or make your own. (I'll getmeasurements) Keep in mind that if you buyone, it will not be long enough under asidesaddle. The standard size is 30" x 42". Soif using a saddle pad under the cloth, keep inmind that part of it will show.Breastcollar (optional)- leather, nylon, or

biothane, but must coordinate with silks andnot appear western (no silver or tassles) froma short distance.Roses-- a rose covered decorative breastcollar. If you would like to purchase one andnot have to make it yourself, contact MaryGodwin. You may opt to simply cover yourregular breast collar with red roses.Blinker hood (optional)- must coordinate withsilks. cups should be removed for horses notused to them. Can be decorated to suit.Glittered Hooves.Mane and tail may be braided in any manner,but no decorations, other than colored manebands. Keep manes simple, i.e. running braid,hunt braids.I know several ladies in the group will sew forothers, so feel free to post if you are one ofthem. If you have any questions, please ask!

Gracie photobombs barn-mate Mari, ridden by Sarah Coble, Saint

Pauli Girl , before the costume class at the Georgetown Festival of the

Horse Show. Gracie and Mari are Akhal Tekes, owned by Cindy Sither.

Photo by Kimberly Cornelius

Documents

The American Sidesaddle Association's Phoenix