EDRA Water Trough, Trailer and Ride Supplies Drive

Membership Donation Drive to Support EDRA Rides and Managers

Kathleen Ferguson, EDRA President

Although I have helped with lots of rides over the years, this is my first time as a ride manager. As I have worked with the other EDRA ride managers and on my own ride this year, I have realized what a large economic risk ride managers take when putting on rides.

EDRA was founded on several principles, one of them being By-Law 1.1.9 “provide support and assistance to ride managers” To that end, I have an idea for the membership to help support rides and ride managers. I recognize that many riders just cannot commit to managing a ride but here is your chance to support the people who do take the risk and manage rides–YOU can contribute directly to the management of quality rides in the NW. If this idea works, we will expand this program as membership and rides increase outside the NW.

All ride managers need certain supplies including permanent signs, ribbons on clothespins, fiberglass poles, folding tables, water troughs, sun shade cabana for timer, a scale, official clock, master progress board, the sound system and other tools. This year Max Merlich made a set of beautiful signs and generously shared them with most rides in the region. That got me thinking how great it would be to have an EDRA flatbed trailer with all the basic equipment on it that could be handed off from EDRA ride manager to EDRA ride manager. I am currently scrounging for water troughs for Ride the Loup! They are expensive and getting one here and one there uses up a lot of time and fuel and then they all have to be returned. Buying all the equipment needed is a huge expense on top of the regular ride expenses and borrowing everything has its own set of stresses.

Terry James is in the process of finding an appropriate flatbed trailer for EDRA and many ride managers are donating equipment for the trailer. I propose that the non-ride manager members get together and sponsor a water trough to go on the flatbed trailer. We want to buy at least ten 100 gallon Rubbermaid tanks so they will stack and can be secured on the trailer. Julie James has negotiated a fabulous price ($80) for the tanks. Now all we need is financial support from the membership! If we raise more money than needed to get the water tanks the extra money will buy some other piece of equipment for the traveling flatbed.

This is your chance to support rides in the EDRA even if you cannot manage one yourself. Let’s step up and make ride managers’ lives less stressful so we can continue to have the most important part of our sport—The RIDES!

If you would like to dedicate the water tank to a specific horse or person we will stencil their names on the tank. Or the group of people who pool their money to buy a tank can have their names on it. Or you can be an anonymous donor.

Please contact Julie James, EDRA Treasurer, to contribute a donation to the water trough drive. She can accept online donations or checks.