History of the Maine Combined Training Association
The group was incorporated on Feb 1, 1989 (though the club was started earlier, perhaps 1985?). The first officers were President: Ruth Neagle; Vice President: Lisa Derby; Secretary: Eileen Cretien; Treasurer: Suzanne deLesseps; Clinics & Competitions chair: Patsy O’Brien; Technical Delegate: Tom Ordway. Other board members: Judy Cross, Liia Becker, Joan (Sam) Morrison, Don Devine, Carol Marceau, Judy Brennan. Since then, presidents have been Lisa Derby, Tina Hinkley, Wendy Bellows, Claire Lorraine, Beth Ruksznis, Beth Whalon, Sarah Farnham, Kathy Shultz, Tracy Ginn, Alan Bellows, Bobbie Grenier, Debbie Place, and Kris Nicola.
Board meetings have always been monthly (with a few exceptions), and were initially held at a different board-member’s home each time. The switch to a single meeting site was made in 1992, though summer meetings were often held in conjunction with affiliated events. The Freeport McDonald’s community room was the primary meeting place until 2002, when a space at UMaine Augusta was found. Teleconferencing was added as an option in 2008.
The first annual Omnibus, featuring the logo created by Michael deLesseps, was published in 1989. Newsletters were quarterly starting that same year.
Early in the club’s history, fund-raiser hunter/jumper shows were run at members’ facilities.
Membership numbers:
1990 167 members
1993 210 members
1997 232 members
2004 281 members
2006 329 members
2008 284 members
2019 ? members
MeCTA sent teams to compete at the USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ from 1989-98, when the ESDCTA Team Trials event was retired.
In 1990, there were eight affiliated events, seven of which were full horse trials: Tamarack, Houston’s, Park St., Summer’s Mist (USEA), Squamscott, Northwood, and Snowfields. In 2008, there were twenty-four affiliated events, eleven which were full horse trials. Snowfields became a USEA-recognized event under Patsy O’Brien’s guidance in 1992. She gave MeCTA permission to organize and run the event in 1996, and it was the club’s primary money-maker. Snowfields HT organizers had been: Wendy Bellows, Fran Worthington, Stephanie Hatcher, Kathy Shultz and Barb Witham, Clarissa Edelston, and Peggy Paine.
The Young Riders Clinic began as a learning opportunity for riders new to eventing and was over-subscribed even in 1990. The brain-child of Corinne Gray, it was originally a free clinic held at the Gray’s Puckerbrush Farm. Sale of the farm in 1994 necessitated changes of venue, while increased interest and skill brought about the change to higher levels of instruction.
Educational clinics for event organizers were first suggested in 1990, with the goal of improving the overall quality of the events. This topic has been revisited frequently over the years. The Technical Advisor program was begun in 1993 to help create consistency between MeCTA events. Course design and construction clinics were held in 1991 with Tremain Cooper (XC) and with David Chamberlin (stadium) in 1993. Both were well attended.
The MeCTA Winter Madness Jumper Series was begun in 1992 in an effort to provide more opportunities for people to ride/compete over the winter. This program ended in 2001, with the proliferation of indoor arenas around the state.
Annual meetings, always held in early November, began as pot-luck dinners at the Congregational Church in Waterville. These generally included raffles, videos, or speakers (such as Kelly Temple, Karen McCullum, Ray Denis, Heather St.Claire Davis, Kerry Milliken, Dennis Ruksznis, and Caroline Atherholt Dowd). Year End awards were tabulated and prizes provided initially by Phyllis Leonard and Carol Poulin-Taylor. The first Silent Auction was held in 1991. Since 1997, Year End tabulation and awards have been MeCTA’s responsibility, and the Silent Auction revived every other year.
MeCTA achieved 501c(3) status in 1998, after two years of paperwork.
The group was incorporated on Feb 1, 1989 (though the club was started earlier, perhaps 1985?). The first officers were President: Ruth Neagle; Vice President: Lisa Derby; Secretary: Eileen Cretien; Treasurer: Suzanne deLesseps; Clinics & Competitions chair: Patsy O’Brien; Technical Delegate: Tom Ordway. Other board members: Judy Cross, Liia Becker, Joan (Sam) Morrison, Don Devine, Carol Marceau, Judy Brennan. Since then, presidents have been Lisa Derby, Tina Hinkley, Wendy Bellows, Claire Lorraine, Beth Ruksznis, Beth Whalon, Sarah Farnham, Kathy Shultz, Tracy Ginn, Alan Bellows, Bobbie Grenier, Debbie Place, and Kris Nicola.
Board meetings have always been monthly (with a few exceptions), and were initially held at a different board-member’s home each time. The switch to a single meeting site was made in 1992, though summer meetings were often held in conjunction with affiliated events. The Freeport McDonald’s community room was the primary meeting place until 2002, when a space at UMaine Augusta was found. Teleconferencing was added as an option in 2008.
The first annual Omnibus, featuring the logo created by Michael deLesseps, was published in 1989. Newsletters were quarterly starting that same year.
Early in the club’s history, fund-raiser hunter/jumper shows were run at members’ facilities.
Membership numbers:
1990 167 members
1993 210 members
1997 232 members
2004 281 members
2006 329 members
2008 284 members
2019 ? members
MeCTA sent teams to compete at the USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ from 1989-98, when the ESDCTA Team Trials event was retired.
In 1990, there were eight affiliated events, seven of which were full horse trials: Tamarack, Houston’s, Park St., Summer’s Mist (USEA), Squamscott, Northwood, and Snowfields. In 2008, there were twenty-four affiliated events, eleven which were full horse trials. Snowfields became a USEA-recognized event under Patsy O’Brien’s guidance in 1992. She gave MeCTA permission to organize and run the event in 1996, and it was the club’s primary money-maker. Snowfields HT organizers had been: Wendy Bellows, Fran Worthington, Stephanie Hatcher, Kathy Shultz and Barb Witham, Clarissa Edelston, and Peggy Paine.
The Young Riders Clinic began as a learning opportunity for riders new to eventing and was over-subscribed even in 1990. The brain-child of Corinne Gray, it was originally a free clinic held at the Gray’s Puckerbrush Farm. Sale of the farm in 1994 necessitated changes of venue, while increased interest and skill brought about the change to higher levels of instruction.
Educational clinics for event organizers were first suggested in 1990, with the goal of improving the overall quality of the events. This topic has been revisited frequently over the years. The Technical Advisor program was begun in 1993 to help create consistency between MeCTA events. Course design and construction clinics were held in 1991 with Tremain Cooper (XC) and with David Chamberlin (stadium) in 1993. Both were well attended.
The MeCTA Winter Madness Jumper Series was begun in 1992 in an effort to provide more opportunities for people to ride/compete over the winter. This program ended in 2001, with the proliferation of indoor arenas around the state.
Annual meetings, always held in early November, began as pot-luck dinners at the Congregational Church in Waterville. These generally included raffles, videos, or speakers (such as Kelly Temple, Karen McCullum, Ray Denis, Heather St.Claire Davis, Kerry Milliken, Dennis Ruksznis, and Caroline Atherholt Dowd). Year End awards were tabulated and prizes provided initially by Phyllis Leonard and Carol Poulin-Taylor. The first Silent Auction was held in 1991. Since 1997, Year End tabulation and awards have been MeCTA’s responsibility, and the Silent Auction revived every other year.
MeCTA achieved 501c(3) status in 1998, after two years of paperwork.