Champlain Adaptive Mounted Program

Since 1987, when Julie Horrigan and Carol Melcher founded CHAMP, we have been a volunteer driven, non-profit organization located in South Hero, Vermont, providing a therapeutic horse back riding program for children and adults with a wide range of physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. Our special riders arrive on foot, with canes or crutches and in wheel chairs. Once on a horse they are empowered in ways no other activity can provide.

Beginning in 2008 CHAMP became the lease holder of Good Hope Farm. We are in the process of major expansion of our program which will include friendly relaxed barns with excellent 24-hour care for boarded horses, on-site trainers, a full sized inside arena and two outdoor arenas. We now provide individual and group lessons for able-bodied riders as well as more flexible programs for our special riders including sibling lessons and a variety of new summer camps along with our new expanded fall and spring CHAMP sessions. We are growing to fit the needs.

Watch this site and your mail and e-mail for news about CHAMP at Good Hope Farm. Scroll down or click on the links at the left for more information.

Become a friend of CHAMP on Facebook and see the program in action on youtube including Bill Drew's wonderful essay on CHAMP for Merchant's Bank and Nichole Sicely's photo essay on CHAMP.

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Champlain Adaptive Mounted Program

CHAMP THIS WEEK July 26, 2010

News and Notes

Many thanks to Rose & Glen, The Desranleau Family, Jessica & Trevor, Roger, Laurie, Scott and others who helped haul almost 3,000 bales of hay into the hay loft and to all the participants and volunteers who helped with the recent Dressage Schooling Exhibit..

SPECIAL EVENT: Festival of the Islands July 30 - August 1
The five towns of the Champlain Islands, Alburgh, Isle LaMotte, North Hero, Grand Isle and South Hero will be hosting numerous events in each town designed to entertain visitors and to present the best of the Islands. Enjoy concerts, flea markets, special retail events, wine tours and tastings, farm stands, yard sales, community meals - all set within the beautiful Champlain Islands. Children will love visiting our petting paddocks and seeing llamas and alpacas, having a picnic on a free admission day at Knight Point State Park, tasting our delicious Island Ice Cream, or seeing a puppet show. It will be a great ‘stay-cation’ for the family to enjoy. The phrase "something for everyone" was never truer. Maps listing times and locations of special events will be available throughout the Islands. Come, visit, relax, and enjoy the Festival of the Islands with us. CHAMP will have a yard sale as part of the Festival

CHAMP is grateful for contributions
in kind, time and tax-deductible dollars.
Every little bit counts!

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Trail Ride! September 11, 2010
Join us for this great ride through scenic South Hero to benefit the CHAMP Program. Registration forms are available on the Trail Ride page or at the barn. Be a rider, support a rider or be a phantom rider and help CHAMP continue to provide lessons to our special riders.
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CHAMP Volunteer Notes
Sue Tebbetts, Volunteer Coordinator

We’re grateful to all of you who volunteer to help with lessons. There are times listed below when help is needed that might fit your schedule. Even if you can only commit to a few hours a month please let me know. Hope to see you soon.

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Riding Creates!
CHAMP and VSA Vermont
August 9-12.

The four-day sessions will be 1:00-4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday,
Volunteers needed from 12:30 to approximately 4:30

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Ongoing Individual Lessons:

These lessons are year round as weather permits (over 10° or under 100°).
Tuesdays: 3 - 4:00 PM we need 3 volunteers.
Thursdays: 10 - 11:00 AM and 1 - 2:30 we need 3 volunteers.
Saturdays: 10 AM - 2:30 PM we need 3 to 6 volunteers
Contact Jean or Sue for more specific information about lesson times and volunteer needs (see below).

Special Group Lessons:
• SNAP(Smuggler’s Notch Adaptive Program)at CHAMP
We’ll need at least 9 volunteers for each lesson,

let Sue know when you can help.

          July 21-23-30 -- 10:30 - 12:30
• King Street Program at CHAMP
on SATURDAYS
        • 10:00- 11:00 AM group needs 4 volunteers
        • 11:15 AM group will need 3 Volunteers

FMI and other current schedules:

Riders ask Jean Desranleau, Executive Director:

Lesson info or 802-372-4087

Volunteers ask Sue Tebbetts, Volunteer Coordinator:

Volunteer or 802-372-6015.
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The Spring Session

Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped with the Spring Session lessons. We at CHAMP and the riders are grateful for your help.

The Fall Session
Watch here for the upcoming dates:

The 8 week sessions begin:

         Saturdays, September 18 Volunteers needed 9:30 AM until 4
         Mondays, September 20 Volunteers needed 11 AM until 4
         Wednesdays, September 22 Volunteers needed 11 AM until 4
         Lessons are at Noon, 1:00, 2:00 & 3 PM

Volunteers may choose to do some or all of the dates above. Schedules are flexible, but we ask that you let us know as much in advance as possible when you will or will not be able to help.
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