Dec 2, 2025 | NCDCTA BOD Meeting In Person

Attendees:  Helen Ingersoll Heather Turner Jordan McKenzie-Solis Charlotte Meli Ellie Balakrishnan Will Barrus Absent: Ali LaTorre Amy Brumbach Heather Boyer Katherine Thornton Mandi Martyn Lisa Chisholm

President, Helen Ingersoll, called the meeting to order at 6:35pm

Wins for the year:

• Website

• Recomposing seats on board: add western dressage seat, change dressage seat to education seat, communications chair will have social media and website co-chairs 

• Relationships with NC state equestrian teams

• Plan to hire show management person for shows ($25/hr)

Winter Solstice:

• Keep HOY rules as is to keep things fair 

• Donation to NC state dressage and eventing clubs: $500 each for interest in volunteering

• NC state hunt seat team has expressed interest in future volunteer opportunities

Next Year Champs: 

• CHP: Oct 17-18

• Only conflict is Sport of Horses show

Spring shows: 

• Will increase credibility 

• Considering doing 2 level 1 shows 

HOY awards:

• Extend award to 8th place 

• Extend prizing to 4th

• Championship prizes: garment bag (2nd), carry all bag (1st) - make these HOY

• HOY: carry all bag (1st), garment bag (2nd), brushes (3rd), picture (4th) 

• Let the members know what the prizes are 

• Instead of sponsors sponsoring championship prizes, sponsor HOY prizes 

• Maintain that HOY ends 11/30

• JJ Tate will be keynote speaker for a sponsorship 

• • Considering asking JJ to offer NCDCTA code for her program 

• Plan for ~150 ribbons 

• • 67 champions, 39 reserves (as of 12/2 HOY update)

• Presidents award: Jennifer Swanson

• Considering honorable mentions (to include venues)

• In memoriam: Beth with TTC 

• Lifetime achievement: Bridgette Gibbons

• Volunteer of the year: Gabriella Halsey, Stacy with L program

Website:

• 168 renewals as of 12/2 

Events next year:

• L program: February 28-March 1

• L program: May 16-17

• Level 1 show: May 30-31 @ portofino

• Level 1 show: July @ FENCE 

• Jillian Krienbring: Aug 6-10 @ Averette 

• BLMs/Harvest Moon: Sept 12-13 @ CHP

• Autumn Leaves: Oct 17-18 @ CHP

Reports:

• Eventing Report: Katherine Thornton

• Dressage Report: Ali LaTorre 

• • Heard very positive things about the L program

  • The only let down was the Averette lunch. We will go back to the original boxed lunch plan next session

  • Revised cost sheet: we spent $6,130 for this session and made $39,640 so far for the entire program (so far, more auditing tickets will sell)

  • Auditing tickets are set up for sessions B and C on eventcreate so we can keep advertising those!

• Jr/Yr Report: Mandi Martyn

• • Two Jr riders were awarded scholarships for Winter Solstice. Since it has been canceled, I propose we honor these for one of our shows next year. 

  • All Jr riders under the age of 18 years are not listed in the members directory. 

  • The supplies for ornaments were purchased already and my husband had already started printing them so I propose we still make them and either provide them to HOY gala attendees or save for our champ show in Nov 2026.

Next meeting: January 6, 2026 @ 7pm - Virtual

Helen adjourned the meeting at 8:30pm

Minutes respectfully submitted by Jordan McKenzie-Solis, Recording Secretary.

Minutes passed by majority Board vote.