Location
CHAMP is located on Good Hope Farm in idyllic South Hero, Vermont.
Key Contacts
Jean Desranleau, CHAMP Executive Director / Instructor
Pauline Gervais, CHAMP Volunteer Coordinator
Andrea Poirier, Barn Manager
Our Credentials
CHAMP was founded in 1987 and has been in continuous operation at Good Hope Farm in South Hero ever since. CHAMP was among the first PATH International accredited therapeutic riding programs in Vermont. All CHAMP instructors are certified by PATH International. Certification requires coursework in understanding disabilities, horse care and management, and equine-assisted therapies. Candidates must complete 25 hours of instructor training, pass a written examination, and pass a ridden testing procedure. To maintain certification, instructors are required to take a CPR and First Aid course every two years, and to spend twenty hours each year upgrading their knowledge and skills. Our volunteers are trained on-site with hands-on demonstrations. Training addresses rider safety and includes horse leading, side-walking, mounting, dismounting, horse grooming and tacking.
Board of Directors
Pauline Gervais
President
Volunteer Coordinator
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Michael Duany
Treasurer
Neal Blanchard
Vice President
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Mary Tefft
Secretary
Instructors
Jean Desranleau
Jean Desranleau is a PATH Intl. Certified Instructor – Registered, CHAMP Executive Director and Program Director. She grew up at Contentment Farm which is now known as CHAMP at Good Hope Farm. She has been riding, working with horses and teaching riding for most of her life. She has helped develop the CHAMP program since its inception and is delighted to be back living in South Hero and working full time with CHAMP.
Sue Birmingham
Sue Birmingham successfully completed all of the Path-Intl. requirements for Instructor Certification, including written exams and two days of onsite evaluations in 2013. Sue has worked with horses most of her life. She attended Centenary College in NJ and received a B.S. in Equine Studies. She traveled abroad to England for her junior year in college and received the British Horse Society’s certification as well. Sue has volunteered for CHAMP since 2005, and lives in South Hero with her Husband Dave and dog Bentley. Sue owns Mr “T”, a thoroughbred adopted from a Florida racetrack and boards him at Good Hope Farm.