I hope you all are as excited as Bob & I are to be starting the New Year with a BANG!!! It was great fun to meet everyone and we are anxious to get started. So far, it looks like we are going to have several arenas to use. Our first practice is scheduled for Saturday, January 3, starting at noon at the Twin Bridges arena in Siloam Springs. If everyone gets there at noon we can have our horses warmed up and balloons ready by 1PM. We will have a shooters meeting (for safety and club membership information) at about 12:15PM. Please be in attendance if you are interested in becoming a member. Due will be $25 for individuals and $35 for family memberships. These membership fees will cover 2009 expenses for cones, balloons, sticks, etc. And, hopefully more. We will have to pay individually for the use of indoor facilities until the weather breaks...around mid to late March. Please continue to make contacts at different arenas—including outdoor pens as we will want to contact owners as early as possible with a tentative practice schedule.

To get to the Twin Bridges arena from the I-540 & Hwy. 412 intersection....head west about 10-12 miles (plus or minus a few miles). Go to Fairmont Road, turn north and travel for 2 miles. You will hit Bill Young Road. The arena is on the left (SW Corner) of this junction. You can’t miss it.

If you have any trouble please call Bruce Baltrusch as he is the contact person for this arena. His # is 479-640-5655.

Practices have also been set for Marchant’s Arena in Elm Springs--- Jan. 24. Cost will be $8/shooter-rider. The Feb. practice date will be: Saturday, Feb. 28 at noon. To get to Marchant Hills Arena go west from the I-540 and Hwy 412 junction to Hwy. 112. Go north at that light. Go through the little town of Elm Springs. About a mile or so north of the town be looking for Marchant Road. There is a sign there on the corner for the arena. Turn left. Stay on this road until you get to the arena...You can not see the arena from the road but it is there. If you get lost call. (Connie at 442-7684; Kim 670-3292)

Anyone needing ammunition can contact Karie White. She can bring the ammo to the practice or you can order it on www.cowboymountedshooting.com (she said if you order now it will be here in time for the Jan.3 practice.) Cost from Karie is $40/bag of 100 rounds of ammo. Rifle rounds are $62/100 round bag. Her phone # is 721-3406.

Kim