D24-Lancaatar Farming Saturday, Dacambar 12, 1987
Two Grassland FFA Members Attend
UITTZ—Two members of the 1987 state officers theme
Grassland FFA recently attended “Today’s Dream - Tomorrow’s
the Pennsylvania FFA Eastern Reality” was the theme for the
Leadership Conference at the weekend.
Pocono Environmental Education On Friday, October 16th the
Center. Attending were Mike Lin- conference started with the State
denmuth, Gretchen Frederick, and Officer performing the official
Advisor Mr.. Clifford Day. The FFA opening ceremonies. Melissa
Handicapped Riders
Reap Awards,
can ride independently without
lead line but is not yet trotting his
horse. He has been with the prog
ram one-and-a-half years. Melega,
who uses a wheelchair, is currently
trotting his horse, and Jackson says
he may be cantering by spring.
In October, Melega and Inglee
competed in the Alpha Delta Kap
pa Dressage Show to benefit the
Mary Campbell Center. Inglee
. rides sidesaddle because of a hip
' injury from an earlier riding
accident
“At the ADR show, Melega
took first and had the highest score
of the day,” Jackson says. “Inglee
took second and her score was
third highest of the day. She has
her hopes set on the sidesaddle
competition at Devon next
summer.”
NEWARK, DE. Delaware’s
4-H horseback riding program for
(he handicapped has begun to reap
awards and accolades for its young
participants.
The two-year-old program, led
by volunteer Carolyn Jackson,
operates out of Wellspring Farm,
the public stable in Wilmington’s
Bellevue State Park. A special
ramp was built by the Brandywine
Lions Club to help youngsters in
wheelchairs mount their horses.
Another service group, the Naa
man’s Road Rotary Club, built a
walkway to the ramp. And today
10 handicapped young people ride
two or three times a week year
round. When weather is bad. they
use a quarter-mile indoor training
track.
Three members of the hand
icapped riding program have
recently won awards in area horse
shows. The riders are Jamie Bald
win, 6, of Newark; Victor Melega,
22, of Wilmington; and Elizabeth
“Bodge” Inglee, 17, of Wilming
ton. All three are members of 4-H,
the youth education branch of the
Cooperative Extension System.
Baldwin and Melega, both of
whom have cerebral palsey, com
peted in the handicapped division
at the Devon (Pa.) Horse Show in
May. Baldwin, who is a kindergar
ten student at West Park Place
School, took a second in lead line.
Melega, a sophomore at the Uni
versity of Delaware, took third
prize in both dressage and equita
tion classes.
“More than 100 handicapped
riders from all over die United
States participated in the show,”
explains Jackson, who teaches rid
ing to non-handicapped young
sters in addition to her 4-H volun
teer work.
Jackson says that Baldwin dis
cards his leg brace when riding and
During a summer competition at
Wellspring Farm, Inglee took a
first in walk-trot, a second in junior
hunter on the flat and a second in
junior hunter walk, trot and canter.
She also was reserve champion in
junior hunter equitation at a later
meet.
The horses used by the hand
icapped riders are not specially
trained. “We just use quiet horses,”
Jackson says, “but we do lease one
privately owned horse who is part
Clydesdale. His back is as broad as
a table and he’s good for sidesad
dle and backriding therapy.”
GIGANTIC
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Loncostor
Forming's
CLASSIFIEDS
Spayd, State FFA President wel
comed those in attendance to the
conference. Workshops were run
by the FFA State Officers. Lamar
Gockley, Eastern Pa. Vice-
President, graduate of 1987 Gar
den Spot High School presented a
workshop about the goals of the
State Officers and asked for input
on how to obtain them.
On Saturday morning various
workshops were run by the FFA
State Officers. The preliminaries
of the Quiz bowl and Creed contest
were held. The Quiz bowl was a
contest in which a team of 6-8
members are asked questions and
facts of the FFA. The Creed con-
Leadership Conference
test included reciting the official
FFA creed and then participants
are asked questions about the
meaning of the creed. The creed
speakers are judged on their pre
sentation and how well they
answered the questions.
On Saturday afternoon, parti
cipants chose one of the following
outdoor activities; ASE or Action
Socialization Experiences,
Scavenger Hunt, or Forestry/
Wildlife. ASE included group
building activities. In the Scaven
ger Hunt, participates had to find
different horticulture items and
bring them to the judge. Mike and
Gretchen participated in the Fore
stry and Wildlife contest This
contest included indentifing trees,
uid wildlife signs while being
timed for speed. They placed sec
ond in the contest. Keynote Speak
er was Sheila Biddle, Immediate
Past State FFA President. There
was a social that evening.
On Sunday the State Officers
led the group in a vesper service.
Quiz Bowl and creed contest finals
were held and the winners were
announced. The winner went up
against the State Officers in a spe
cial Quiz Bowl in which the State
Officers won. Everyone learned a
lot about leadership, and had a
good time doing it.