Category: Member Forum

I would like to invite you to the 2023 Annual Member Meeting (via Zoom) to be held this Sunday December 10 at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. (7 pm EST, 6 pm CST, 4 pm PST) If you are a current member, you were sent an invitation via email by Constant Contact, our email distribution system. Please respond to usmmarchador@gmail.com to get the ZOOM invite via text or email if you did not receive that invitation. Agenda: 2023 in the rearview mirror Financials, Memberships, Registrations, Projects 2024 and future plans USMMA Regional Director Elections Events, Goals and Projects We look forward to the meeting and hearing from you, the members. Best regards, Tia Nelson, DVM USMMA President

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! In this issue: USMMA News!  President’s Letter Secretary Mary Rose Lombaridi Elected Regional Director Search Annual Meeting December 10 ABCCMM News! Brazil Training Postponed Member News!  In Memory – Mary Meyers Kharisma do Summerwind  Event Calendar Special Features Estate Planning for your horses Virtual Competitions for you and your Marchador

Read about your friends and their horses!  Just click on the first button to download the PDF FILE

Attached is the 2023 USMMA BREEDER DIRECTORY. The BREEDER DIRECTORY lists all known current breeders and some past breeders who may no longer be breeding actively. Breeders, both past and present, are a great resource, able to answer questions about the breed and the history. 

NEW this year is the 2023 USMMA BUSINESS DIRECTORY. This BUSINESS DIRECTORY lists our members in the horse businesses like training, lessons, boarding etc. 

Also, NEW this year are the ads. Anyone can create an ad of any size. I thought adding color and photos was helpful The ads are all placed at the end of each document so you can choose to print without ads as well. 

The USMMA will pay for printing a small number of the directories to be used as handouts for any USMMA National or Regional event.

We would like your feedback on the new business directory – do you think it is useful? And the ads – a good idea?

Although we have worked hard to make the directories correct and complete, I am sure there will be changes or items I have missed. Please let me know what to change and sent in any additions too. 

I will plan another revision in September if there are changes and additions. From then on, we will publish semi-annually. 

Best regards. Lynn Kelley. USMMA Treasurer

Please email or call for higher resolution files.

Dear USMMA Members,

I am pleased to announce that as of Sept 2, 2023, Mary Rose Lombardi of Deer Lodge Montana is the new Secretary for the USMMA.  She and her family are proud partners with three Marchadors (one is an imported mare) and she is looking forward to serving our association.

During the campaign, I enjoyed visiting with both candidates and am pleased that we had such a great turnout of our members for our special election.  The involvement of our Membership is what makes our association strong and that was proven during this special election.  I am truly grateful.

Thank you to all our members who took the time to vote!  And a very special “Thank you” to Mary Rose Lombardi and Tammy Cruickshank for really going the extra mile for the USMMA.  I’m looking forward to working with Mary Rose as Secretary and with Tammy on committees!  

Sincerely,

Tia Nelson, DVM

USMMA President.

As you may remember, the USMMA and the ABCCMM are working together to create a training program and experience for the USMMA members to bring back and share with other MM owners, breeders and trainers here.

All of the details will continue to be worked on in the next months.  These are the details we know now.   We need to get firm commitments from the 6-8 participants that will go.   You need to respond to be on the list.   

Dates:

Here are the dates and plans of the whole experience.

NOVEMBER 23 Fly from the US to Salvador, Bahia

November 24-25  CBM Championship for Marcha Picada 

November 26 Fly to Belo Horizonte

November 27 – December 1 Course Training at Centro de treinamento Fernando Melo, located in Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, Brasil

December 3  Free day Sunday 

December 2, 4-6 Visit to Farms

December 7 Fly back to US

We are looking for trainers, professionals that work with training horses for clients and hopefully will be part of a national trainers roster with the ultimate goal of promoting the proper training and riding of a Mangalarga Marchador.

It is an intense trip, physically and mentally due to the hours dedicated to riding and the very difficult task  of working in another country.

We recognize that not everyone is interested in all parts of the trip and perhaps can modify it some –  to reduce the visits to the farms for example.   If you are signing up to go, we will be talking to you soon.  

More details:

The ABCCMM will pay for the transportation needed within Brazil and for the training course.

The participants need to pay for food and lodging in Brazil – we anticipate that to be $1000US.

The participants need to pay also for the airfare to get to Brazil and back.  Travel to Brazil may be $600-$1500US depending on location.    But that is just a guess.  Please look at the flights to determine your specific cost.   We suggested that perhaps everyone fly to Miami to meet and then fly together to Brazil and perhaps the same coming home.

In order to fly to Brazil you will need a current passport and visa.  These can be expedited for a fee, but otherwise can take weeks or months to process.    Start now!!!

Please confirm your interest again, now that you have more information on the plans.. 

Please respond with your level of interest and feedback on the dates and plans.   

We need from you to know the following:

• Overall  how many years experience working with horses and with Mangalarga Marchadors specifically too
• Description of horse experience during the most recent 2 years
• Languages spoken – just for the inspector to know.  
• Do you have a passport?
• Do you have a visa?
• Do you need a sponsor to help?  The USMMA will be asking for sponsors and will share your information to try to raise funds.   You can also raise funds from friends, family, gofundme etc.

We have to submit the list of applicants to the Course Director in Brasil and hope to have a final decision on the traveling group very soon.

Thank you for your interest and dedication to the Marchador breed.

Please consider volunteering to fill the Secretary position that is currently vacant because of a resignation. There will be a special election held in August using Survey Monkey. The USMMA By Laws state, “ To be considered for any Officer or Board Position, the individual must be an active Full member or LIFE member for at least 120 days before the election, and be a USMMA registered Marchador owner at the time of the elections.”  Being a board member is a great honor and a responsibility for the board represents the USMMA to the world. Individuals must have high ethical standards and be dedicated to working to uphold the mission of the USMMA. The calendar is as follows: August 6 – 18 Nominations Open for Secretary Members interested are asked to submit their name, and a one page bio/statement of qualification. (This one page should be a statement of your qualifications as required by USMMA rules and should address such things as: qualificationsyour previous USMMA activities, your plans for the USMMA; other job or horse-related experience that apply.) August 20-21: Election held August 23: New Secretary announced.  Thank you all for your considering this important position on the USMMA Board of Directors. Tia Nelson, USMMA President USMMA Board of Directors Responsibilities Secretary: The Secretary arranges notifications and logistics for board meetings, reads and takes minutes of the board meetings, and assists with voting for elections. The Secretary puts out the agenda for the board meetings based on the input of the President and board members. The Secretary serves as custodian of all USMMA official records. The Secretary keeps official records of the USMMA current and works with the web master to keep records up to date. (Such records may include minutes, the by-laws, operating rules, breed standards, membership roll names and addresses and e mails.) The Secretary may make the organizations records available to members in accordance with the Association rules. The Secretary should be responsible for publishing an annual calendar of events. The Secretary shall work closely and consult with the President on all documents. It is required that the secretary be proficient in use of computers.

Please contact the ranch host for more details about the ABCCMM inspection day.    Times are fluid on those days.  Adrienne’s ranch is open for all and her foals will be the youngest inspected – a month old at best.    

Sign up for the clinic as soon as possible – as a rider or as an auditor.  I will be sending out confirmations, release forms and invoices so we do not need to deal with cash on the day of the clinic.  

Thanks so much!  

ABCCMM Days Coordinators:

Lynn Kelley, Summerwind Marchadors and USMMA Treasurer. 602-999-3915

Carolina Peterson, USMMA Southwest Regional Director 503-970-3750

USMMA Member Survey

Email coming your way!

We are about to email all current 2023 members to get your feedback on our USMMA Budget Priorities. It’s your opportunity to tell us what you would like to see added or changed and perhaps volunteer or offer more fund-raising ideas.

The survey email will be coming from SurveyMonkey. Please let us know if you DO NOT receive the email and we will re-send.

Watch for the email this first week of April. Be sure to look in your junk mail folders too!

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April 15 Deadline-Horseman’s News Magazine May Issue

We invite you to submit your photos for consideration for the magazine COVER. We pick several to submit to the editor who selects the final one.

The issue is Spanish/Iberian breeds, so an Iberian look is perfect. Photos must be high resolution (very big file) and vertical or be able to be cropped to be vertical for the cover.

Please submit to this email. usmmarchador@gmail.com

MM Breeders and Business owners – we also have a discount offer for any full page ads to go in the May
issue. Horseman’s News can help with ad design. For more information, please contact us or Horseman’s News.

Paula Bellesi, Horseman’s News. www.horsemansnews.com, paula@thetexashorseman.com, 951-675-4547

New Generation Marketing Tik-Tok, Instagram, Discord?

We’d like to move away from print media and into the digital age. We have a FB presence, but other platforms not so much. Social media is so much more visual and presents more reach and opportunity!

What can you do to help?

Please reply to usmmarchador@gmail.com