In October a group of TDA members traveled to the Kentucky
Horse Park to attend the “National Drive Event”. There was a very strong
presence of the longeared wonders at this event. TDA members in attendance were
Dayle Haworth, Laura and Alton George, Lydia Spears, Brian and Theresa Puckett,
Joyce Ridenhour and Dena Wilson along with seven of our donkey friends. The participants
were able to drive anywhere in the park and were offered a number of different
trails laid out each day. Each evening the Drive offered a social hour for the
attendees giving them the chance to visit and talk about the day’s events. All in
all this was a fun event!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Valiant Diego - Another Versatility Award
HHAA Valiant Diego continues to earn his Versatility awards. Diego is Lydia
Spears' "main man" at the farm, known as Mini Acres, in Hohenwald, TN. Lydia
and Diego are hoping to win another High Point award this year in TDA's Show
Awards Program, But the gelding competition has been extremely tough this year.
Diego loves seeing all his "buddies" at the shows, but he really enjoys the
trail drives more than competing.
Diego is just another prime example of how great a gelding can be!
Diego is just another prime example of how great a gelding can be!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
September / October 2012
A few thoughts……
- Annual meeting is November 3rd 3:30 PM at the Farm Bureau building Shelbyville, TN. Officer election will be held at this meeting. For more info on the agenda contact Lydia Spears Phone #931-796-4920 or email: miniacre@bellsouth.net
- It's not to early too pay your 2013 dues.
2012 Awards
It is time to
tally your points. There are several different awards programs and not
all are related to showing. So let’s talk a little about the award
programs.
This award was named after Martha
because she loved to drive, so this award is for the members who have
her passion for driving. There is a $5 sign up fee per donkey which
must be paid prior to counting any driving time. This award is tailored
with an emphasis on driving. A member that signs up for this award, is
expected to keep a driving log of the time spent at the reins, which
includes ground driving. The only driving time that a member can’t
claim is time in the show ring. This award runs from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec
31, 2012. Deadline for turning in your driving log is Jan 7, 2013. If
you have any questions about this award please contact Lydia Spears, Ph
#931-796-4920 or email: miniacre@bellsouth.net .
SHOW AWARDS PROGRAM:
There is a $10 fee per donkey. Fee
must be paid prior to a show for that show’s points to count for the
2012 show season. At the end of the show season, you may only count four
(4) Tennessee shows for points. Exhibitor will choose which four (4)
shows he/she wishes to count. This year due to the lack of halter and or color classes at some
shows starting with the 2012 show season exhibitors will be allowed to choose four
(4) shows for halter, four (4) shows for color and 4 shows for performance.
They do not need to be the same 4 shows. There is a champion and reserve in all
categories. There are 8 awards in halter, In-hand and In-Harness which
are broken down by sex and one for Standard/Mammoth in each category. Also new this year is an award for Adult Performance Duo this award is for the donkey which was shown by the same handler for 4 shows this will be 2 awards a Champion and Reserve and will not count towards Grand Champion.
There are two color awards, one for solid and one for spots, a best
matched pair (must be the same two donkeys) and a Grand Champion and
Reserve Grand Champion. In addition to these awards there are two youth
awards (the donkey being shown by youth must be signed up). This
program runs from Jan 1, 2012 thru Oct 31, 2012. Each member is
responsible for turning in their own points! The cutoff date for
turning in your points is Nov 12, 2012. The rules and tally sheets for these awards can
be found at http://www.tennessee-donkeys.com/HighPointAwardRules.html
MIKE PALLOTA MEMORIAL AMBASSADOR OF THE BREED AWARD:
This is an annual award for any event,
in any state, that promotes the breed (outside of the show ring). This
award is open to all members and there is no sign up fee. Parades,
exhibitions, social events, plays, pet days, etc count. Only one event
per day will count unless the second event is totally different than
the first. Exp: Parade counts 1 point but later that day you do a
driving or jumping exhibition that would count separately, but a breed
parade two or three times the same day is only 1 point. Group visits,
such as schools or other groups to educate or promote the breed also
count. This award will run from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012. Deadline
for turning in these points is Jan 7, 2013.
KERRI LITTLE MEMORIAL ROOKIE AWARD:
This award is open to a “novice”
person or farm. The winner would be the farm or person that has just
started participating in our clinics, exhibitions, parades, shows, or
any event that promotes our club/breed and each event is worth 1 point.
A person/farm is considered a rookie for two years, unless they win
the Rookie Award their first year, which will then make them ineligible
for this award the next year. There is no sign up fee for this award.
The award will run from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012. Deadline for
turning in these points is Jan 7, 2013.
The TDA awards committee is
responsible for the above awards. If you have any questions or need
copies of any of the point tally sheets, please contact one of us.
Dayle Haworth minidonks@united.net 931-364-3715, Theresa Puckett ccrdonkeys@comcast.net 615-230-7260 or Kay Allen kayy@united.net .
MARTHA WILHOIT MEMORIAL DRIVING AWARD :
CARSON CARROLL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD:
This is a $250 scholarship based on
merit awarded to our youth members as they prepare for college or
technical school. This award must be asked for and be accompanied by
the member’s high school transcript through the third semester prior to
graduation. Any member that wants to contribute to this award fund is
welcome to do so. If you have any questions or have a youth member that
wants to apply for this award, please contact Lydia Spears, Ph #
931-796-4920 or email miniacre@bellsouth.net .
Gallatin News - Mule Day
"Gallatin miniature mules and donkeys feaured at Westmoreland Mule Day" By Randy Cline
Showing
donkeys is a family affair with Puckett’s 20-year old son Zachary competing
against his mother. Her husband Brian
serves as photographer and chauffer but also shows the animals on occasion.
Picture
in your mind how dogs are put through agility drills on nationally televised
dog show competitions, then replace the dogs with miniature mules and donkeys
and you’ll have a good idea what’s going to happen in the Mini Mule and Donkey
Show at the Westmoreland Mule Day activities set for Sept. 24-30.
Over 100
entries are expected to compete in a variety of categories beginning at 9 a.m.
on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Westmoreland Expo Center. Mini Mules cannot measure more than 40 inches
from the base of the neck to the ground and Mini Donkeys cannot measure more
than 36 inches.
“This is
an entertaining show; much different from a mule pull or other mule shows,”
said longtime area resident Theresa Puckett of Crooked Creek Ranch in
Gallatin. “The donkeys will go through
an obstacle course and they go through a jumping course; they do halter, pole
bending, pleasure driving and snigging, where the donkeys walk through a course
while dragging a small log.
“One of
the more popular classes is coon jumping.
People would buy mules to coon hunt because they are more sure-footed
and they would have to jump a fence when they came to one. With the minis, they have to come to a
complete stop and then jump. The Tennessee Donkey ASSociations record
jump is 39 and one-half inches.
Puckett’s
obsession with Minis started in 1996 while visiting Kentucky. “We passed a farm and I saw one spotted
miniature donkey and I fell in love,” she said.
“He was for sale and I bought him.
His name was Patches and he was my best friend.”
Puckett
began appearing in parades with shows with Patches and began competing around
1998. “There was a national association
show in Shelbyville and that was going to be my first show,” she said. After taking a crash course to learn how to
properly show Patches, she ended up with a second place finish. She was hooked. Next, she traveled to a show on the
Kentucky-Ohio border where Patches took first place in her class. “My husband said I squealed and jumped two
feet off the ground. We’ve been going to
shows ever since.”
Her herd
of minis continued to grow and today she has 16 mini donkeys and one mini mule,
as well as three riding mules, one of which is a four-time Grand National Champion. Two of her
mules were pictured with an article in Horse Illustrated magazine.
In fact,
Puckett has been a chief advocate for inclusion of minis and is a founding
member of the Tennessee Donkey ASSociation she helped form in 2002. She has been an officer of the organization
since its inception.
Shows
are held throughout the year and scores compiled over each donkey’s four best shows to determine High Point Show awards. “My donkey, Crooked Creek’s Bosco, has been
Grand Champion donkey every year since 2004,” Puckett said. “Since 2008, the Reserved Grand Champions has
been my son’s donkey Crooked Creek’s
Beaujolais.”
Thursday, August 30, 2012
August 2012
A few thoughts……
- Don't forget the last day to enter for the Tennessee State Fair show is online by Sept 1st. http://www.tnstatefair.org/competitions
- For all upcoming events check the TDA web site. http://www.tennessee-donkeys.com/Events.html
- TDA would like to welcome new members C. Scott Lambert and Whitney Rees.
Summer Shows
This summer has been cram packed with shows for us to show off our donkeys and show them we did. The most recent shows were the Bedford County fair, Williamson County fair, Wilson County fair and a combo miniature horse and donkey show at the Maury County Fair. The Bedford County fair had 101 entries, the hot weather didn't slow us down. Williamson County had 117 entries on a what started off to be a rainy day. Wilson County had a whopping 163 entries. Maury County had 105 donkeys which was way more than the miniature horses that showed up. Check out all the results on the TDA web site: http://www.tennessee-donkeys.com/ShowResults2012.html
Bedford County Fair
Williamson County Fair
Wilson County Fair
Friday, July 27, 2012
July 2012
A few thoughts……
- 2013 calendars are on sale now. This year's calendars are a heavier paper stock than last year and still only cost $12. Get your's today by contacting any TDA officer or at any TDA event or show.
- Coming Events: Williamson Co. Fair is Aug. 5th, Wilson Co. Fair is Aug. 19th and the Maury Co. Fair is Aug. 26th.
Keep atop all TDA events by checking the TDA events page: http://www.tennessee-donkeys.com/Events.html - Welcome new members Doug & Briana Lunn and A. J. & Randa Zenthoefer.
Carson Carroll Memorial Scholarship Awarded
Kendall Allen Receives Scholarship
TDA is proud to present Kendall with the Carson Carroll Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was put in place after the loss of one of our members, a member who was an inspiration to whom ever he meet including our youth. Kendall is the granddaughter of founding member Kay Allen. Many of us have watched this wonderful child turn into a beautiful young woman. We wish Kendal all the best as she starts this next stage of her life.
Hello, my name is Kendallin Allen and I have been showing donkeys through the Tennessee Donkey Association since I was in middle school. While participating in the club, I was also involved in academic competitions, art shows, and church events. During my freshmen year of high school I helped to run the Youth Evangelism Conference at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN in March of 2009. I also attended a 3-day youth conference called The Edge in Pigeon Forge, TN where I met with other youth groups in the southern region of the United States. The spring of my sophomore year my art piece was picked to be featured at the Frist Center in Nashville, TN. It was displayed along with other exceptional artist who participated in Williamson County art classes. I was also picked to play the lead role in the drama that our youth group put on for our church on what we call “Youth Sunday”. In addition to attending The Edge conference again my junior year, my youth group ministered to poverty stricken areas in Davidson and Dickson County. During my senior year, I competed in a speech and debate competition where my partner and I defended why we should continue to explore space through the public sector. Although we did not win the competition, we were given an honorable mention for our earnest effort. I also designed a holiday card for the organization Job for Tennessee Graduates this past winter. My card was a finalist along with four other artists from Tennessee.
On May 25th, I graduated from Fairview High School with honors and a 3.6 GPA. Since graduating from high school, I have been eagerly planning my arrival at The University of Tennessee at Martin this fall. I have decided to major in Early Childhood Education. I have also applied to become a member of the Student Government Association at UT Martin. The scholarship from the Tennessee Donkey Association will help me achieve my overall goal of preparing young children for their future.
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| Kendall receives award |
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| Kendall and Zach drive Patches in the Mule Day parade |
TDA Asses Kick Ass At The Celebration
In a color class of 15 donkeys TDA swept the class. Left to right - 1st WLDF Tin Roof Sunday- Dennis Vonderfecht, 2nd Wee One's Storm Trooper- L.J. and Deb Mix, 3rd Wee One's Tennessee Titan- L.J. and Deb Mix, 4th Wee One's Lots Of Spots- L.J. and Deb Mix, 5th Rocking 615 Howington- Dayle Haworth, 6th Ma & Pa’s Antonia- Dennis Vonderfecht.
In Halter, Legendary's Top Hat took 1st in the 3+ Gelding class then went on to win Champion Gelding and Best of Breed. Top Hat belongs to Katrina Fleener. Winning Reserve Champion Gelding was Farmstead's William Blount owned by Dennis Vonderfecht. Other TDA 1st place winners in halter were, Yearling Geldings Farmstead's Admiral Farragut- Dennis Vonderfecht, 2 Year Old Jacks Sassy's Lineus- Sherry Puckett, 2 Year Old Geldings Castlewoods Red Gold Ransom- Dana Rathbun, 3+ Year Jacks Short Asset's Spartan- Robert Hughes. Spartan also grabbed Champion Jack. Best matched pair was won by Farmstead's Admiral Farragut & Farmstead's Archie Campbell owned by Dennis Vonderfecht.
Youth members Katie Randall and Brittany Conyer showed well in the youth performance classes, with Katie winning Reserve Champion Youth.
The ACOSA National Champion Jennet went to Ma & Pa's Antonia and National Champion Jack was WLDF Tin Roof Sunday both belonging to Dennis Vonderfecht.
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