2004 EKAHA Farm Tour
Submitted by Linda Early

On Saturday, May 8 th , EKAHA members were treated to a well-planned, perfectly scheduled day of touring four horse facilities in the Kansas City area. The bus was brand new and well stocked with drinks and treats to meet our every need.

Our first stop would be at ChriShan Park in Louisburg, Kansas, with Chris Wilson as our host. Chris welcomed us with Starbucks Coffee and Krispy Crème doughnuts. Chris rode some of this year's brightest show prospects and shared some of the new foals of 2004. He was kind enough to answer questions about training, showing, and the opportunities afforded to those who go with the ChriShan Park Program. You can visit Chris's facility at www.chrishanp@aol.com or call him at the barn (913) 947-7001.

The next stop was Hacienda Del S-Par in Stilwell, Kansas. Nestled in a park-like setting, our host Liz Laabs, conducted our tour around the full-service breeding facility. A stallion presentation began our time at Hacienda Del S-Par. Liz toured us around the grounds answering questions. A highlight was witnessing the success of their Imprinting Program. About a dozen of the tour participants, walked out into a pasture to sit on the ground with a sleeping 3-week-old foal who awoke to snuggle up to all who were sitting around him. The grounds were the perfect setting for lunch. Hacienda Del S-Par surprised us with ice cream and it was a great ending to the morning's events. You can e-mail Liz at Hacienda Del S-Par at ealaabs@aol.com .

The bus pulled into Covered M and Imagine Farms which is operated by Bill Coy and Dee Caiazza-Coy. As Dee as our host, we were given a tour of the facility. Dee explained their program's philosophy and successes with horses others had given up on! Everyone enjoyed meeting Bertus, the Friesian stallion. The Coy's had a sumptuous buffet awaiting us with home-baked treats, fruit, candy, and drinks. It was hard to tear oneself away even with the prospect of spending a few minutes in Covered M's Tack Shop. If you would like to visit Imagine Farms, they can be reached through their website at www.imaginefarms.com .

The last stop was Peeper Ranch in Lenexa, Kansas, which is the largest equestrian facility in the Kansas City area. It is owned by Dawn and Bill Fire. Dennis Errett was our host and made us feel right at home. The amenities at Peeper Ranch are too numerous to mention. Highlights included the two heated indoor arenas (240 ft. by 100 ft. each) with state-of-the-art plastic sand providing a dust-free atmosphere and the soft-rubber “artificial” bricks down all the aisle ways. The lobby made you feel as if you had arrived at a posh hotel. Everyone truly was in a state of awe. You can visit Peeper Ranch through their website at www.peeperranch.com .

The tour bus turned out to be a fun adventure in itself. EKAHA's hosts were John Simmons and Al Wilke. John kept everyone entertained as we cruised in luxury from barn to barn. Drawings for prizes went on all day between stops. Russell and Amy Swanson won feed donated by TNT Forage. Melissa Meyer won candy from the store Harry and David . The two big winners were new EKAHA member Victoria Bol and Debbie Hetherington. Victoria won a free breeding to Bertus van Hilmanette, the Friesian stallion presented to us at Imagine Farms. Debbie Hetherington won a free breeding to Al and Phyllis Wilke's purebred Arabian stallion, Psyntenial Bay. Both girls were very excited and we hope their mares are too!!

This was truly a wonderful day and EKAHA board members John Simmons and Al Wilke deserved big kudos for putting on a quality event! The Club and all those who participated in the farm tour want to also thank the four barns for making us welcome and sharing with us their obvious love of horses!!!