Congratulations to Emily Stokes, Lindsay Jones, Caroline Anderson, Sydney Cearly and Sarah Martin -- our 2010-2011 USEF High School Equestrian Athletes.  These riders "lettered" in equestian sport by logging over 100 hours on horseback and participating in at least five horse shows throughout the 2010-2011 show season. Aren't their letter jackets gorgeous?

Dear CLS Friends,

A mom asked me recently what her child needed to do to win. Her baby had just started showing, and was improving like crazy and showing so much grace and determination -- and joy of riding.

Then I had similar questions from other mothers. Funny  - and heartening - that I didn't get a single question concerning ribbon color from a child.

As a mother, I know the power of a mother's love. I also know that sometimes we're not aware of our power to push our children to perform beyond their abilities -- albeit unintentionally.

I've been guilty, more times than I care to admit.

But please know parents that when we say that showing horses isn't about the winning, it's about the doing -- we mean it. Children who ride and show horses are sharpening their life skills, and learning critical life lessons, every single time they're in the presence of these magnificent creatures.

If you don't believe it, come be a fly on the wall -- just watch and listen to my babies working inside this old barn. Compassion. Leadership. Cooperation. Team work. Empathy. Competitiveness. Respect. Disappointment. Hurt Feelings. Hurt body parts. Bravery. Determination. Tears, both the good and hard kind. Kids loving each other. Kids fighting with each other. Kids apologizing to each other. One-thousand pound creatures, ever-loyal, ever-loving, all-knowing and all-trusting. You can witness God's magic, here, every single day.

This old barn has been witness to the raising of some mighty powerful, wonderful people. It has seen children off to Princeton, Yale, Vanderbilt, MIT, just to mention a few. Every one of those former barn babies has hanging on their walls still, or tucked away in a special place for keepsakes, ribbons of each and every color. Each faded and wrinkled strip of satin represents the growth of a child. 

We'll see you soon, at the barn!

Parker

Our latest video from the Spring Fun Show is now on YouTube. Click here or see below. It might be the cutest thing I've ever seen!!!

Blowing Rock Rocked! 

The Blowing Rock show was beautiful and fun! We thank all of you who joined us for one of our summer barn favorites!  For results, click here. 

Also we need to thank Jessica Wallace, Kim Stewart, Jeanne Willard, aka Granny, and Ryan Dodson for taking so many wonderful pictures. Over 1,915 of them! OK, we went a little overboard, and we LOVE it! To see the gobs of pictures, please check out our Shutterfly picture page by clicking here.  

Rain or Shine -- CLS Looked Mighty Fine in Dallas 

Our trip to Dallas was a last minute plan -- and as always, they're the best trips!  Our riders smoked!! Afterward, the judge commented to friends of ours that the CLS riders looked sharp!! Way to go guys! For results, click here.
  

CLS Show Riders Prepare for Lexingon Junior League 

From the show's website:  "Since it inception in 1937, the Lexington Jr. League Charity Horse Show has raised millions of dollars for charitable and civic organizations in Central Kentucky.  Equally impressive, is the economic impact of the millions of dollars generated for the community and area merchants by the over 30,000 participants and attendees each year.  Now the world's largest outdoor American Saddlebred show and the first leg of the Saddlebred "Triple Crown", the show is truly made a tremendous impact in Saddlebred industry; as well as, in our local community."   

For more information on the Lexington Jr. League Charity Horse Show, click here. 

CLS will take a few riders to this grand show in Lexington KY in July. We'll also make our annual trek to the American Saddlebred Museum at the famed Kentucky Horse Park while we're there. Need a break?? Drive out and join us!

Sign Up Now for Charlotte Charity and the Asheville Invitational!

Sign Up sheets are now posted in the barn for both the Charlotte Charity Academy Show AND the Asheville Invitational Academy Show.

The Charlotte Charity Academy session will be held Saturday, July 2 at 9:00 am at the Latta Plantation Equestrian Center. CLS also will take show horses on Friday and Saturday, so plan to come the night before and cheer on the home team!

The Asheville Invitational Academy Show is set for Saturday afternoon, July 23 at 1:00 pm Western NC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, NC. The CLS Show Horse Team, huge number of CLS show horses, in fact,  also will be showing the night and morning before. So come early and enjoy!

If you would like the CLS Office Team to sign up your rider, just click here to contact us.

Let's go have a midsummer ball at two of our favorite shows!  

Important:  First Meeting of the CLS 2011 National Academy Finals Team!  

Please mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, June 28, at 7:30 pm. Anyone interested in learning about participation requirements for joining the 2011 CLS National Academy Finals Team should join us in the CLS lounge.

Ms. Parker will be available to answer questions and help guide our parents as we once again prepare for this wonderful show!

The National Academy Finals will be held this year Nov. 4 - 6, 2011 in Murfreesboro, TN.

Our meeting is open to ALL parents and riders who have an interest in learning about the Finals, either for this year or in the future. So please try to come. If you're interested in receiving an information packet, but cannot attend our meeting, please email Parker. We'll save one for you!

Reminder: Sign up now for weekly boxes of fresh produce from local farmers    

The U.S. nutrition guidelines are encouraging everyone to add more fruits and veggies to our daily diets.  And now you can get fresh fruits and veggies every week at CLS!

Cash Lovell Stables is an official "Gathering Site" for the Farm-to-Table Co-op.  Every week you can get a box filled with fresh summer produce:  carrots, onions, peppers, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc -- ALL LOCALLY GROWN!  

Ms. Parker says that the purple sweet potatoes from last week's selection were among the best she's ever eaten!

Read more  

Piggy Bank Campaign to Save Neglected Horses!  

Be a H.E.R.O.  Save a Horse!

Collect your pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters this summer to help our Little Bits Youth Club save a neglected horse!  Our goal is to assist H.E.R.O.  - a local non-profit organization - with providing rehabilitation of abandoned, abused, neglected and unwanted horses right here in North Carolina. 

 H.E.R.O. supplies temporary housing, veterinary health care and rehabilitation to horses in need  until they are healthy enough to be  adopted by a loving family.

Our Little Bits Youth Club will collect change throughout the months of June and July.

Please donate your spare change this summer! Our hungry piggy bank is located in the barn lounge. Feed him please!!!!

Update: Thank you CLS families for helping collect 60 Pairs of shoes for Souls 4 Soles!

Sixty needy people will be able to put on a nice pair of shoes thanks to our barn family.

Thank you to all who contributed their gently used or new shoes to Soles 4 Souls. What an easy way to make a difference in our community.

Thank you to Kim Stewart, barn mom extraordinaire for coordinating this project!  For more info on Soles 4 Souls, click here. 

Summer Camps Starting Soon! 

Our first summer camps started this week -- and we're wild with excitement!

There are limited spots left for our July camps. (Except for Little Tots. It's full!) If you haven't had an opportunity to sign your child up for camp, now is the time!

For information on all of our summer camps, click here. 

BIG NEWS! World reknowned instructor Ellen Beard will be with us for the Advanced Rider Camp 

Check Out Our Shutterfly Picture Page 

Special thanks to Jessica Wallace, Ms. Parker's sister, better known to all as "Sissy", and to Kim Stewart, for so many magnificent photos of our riders! Granny and her son-in-law, Ryan, also are picture-taking machines!! Thanks to everyone who contributes to our special site.