The

NEECA News

September, 2026

WE HAVE SOME FUN NEECA EVENTS HAPPENING AT NEECA IN SEPTEMBER!

HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US!!

(Click on dates for more details for each event)

Sunday, August 30th

The fourth of NEECA's five event buckle series! Suitable for all levels. Contact Tina at neecagymkhana@gmail.com for more information. Click here for patterns.

Click here for point totals as of June.

Saturday, September 12th

English and Western riders welcome. Suitable for all levels. The emphasis is on fun!! Contact Carol at 124cab@gmail.com for more information.

Saturday, September 19th

A really unique event that brings together riders, runners and cyclists for a fun day of relaxed competition. Contact Kelly at kwade13.kw@gmail.com for more information

SPECTATOR PARKING LOT GETS AN UPGRADE!!!

The spectator parking lot up at NEECA has long been in need of a good "de-rocking" (yes, I totally made that word up) to make it less challenging to park in. Well, as of this August, mission accomplished thanks to Bryan Mansfield! A lot of the big rocks were popped up and removed, and then Bryan rock raked the parking area to remove many of the smaller stones. All in all, a job well done and yet another thing checked off the "TO DO" list in our continuing efforts to improve NEECA.

But....this was NOT our promised "August Surprise". That project, which is even more exciting, has been pushed back until October. So we will look forward to sharing pics of this much anticipated new improvement to NEECA upon its completion in October. We are excited about having it fully operational at the start of our 2027 season!

The NEECA Fall Social Is BACK!

The NEECA Fall Social is returning this year, and we wanted to get the word out ASAP! Save the date and plan to join us for an evening that is always fun, entertaining, and full of great people, good laughs, and a little friendly bidding competition.

We’ll have Live & Silent Auctions, Gymkhana Series Awards, and, of course, the big reveal of our Volunteer of the Year!

Want to donate to the auction?

We’re looking for new or gently used items that would make great auction offerings. Professional services are also incredibly popular—think:

🐴 Training sessions

💆 Bodywork sessions

🏇 Riding lessons

🎟️ Gift certificates

…and more!

If you have something you’d like to donate, please contact Carol at 124cab@gmail.com.

Local businesses: Donating a service or gift certificate is a fantastic way to support NEECA and get your business in front of a regional audience. We give a shout-out on the NEECA Facebook page to our generous business donors, which currently reaches nearly 4,000 people!

The Fall Social has become one of our most important fundraisers of the year, and that’s thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone who contributes to the auction.

So mark those calendars, start thinking about what you might bid on, and get ready to join us!

We can’t wait to see you there! 🎉

IMPORTANT: So we have a decision to make.....and we need your help. From the very beginning, we have selected the caterer's "Fit for a King" meal for the Fall Social. As anyone who has attended in prior years already knows, it is delicious. But, we are also price sensitive and try to keep the ticket prices as reasonable as we can. Unfortunately, due to price increases across the board, this is becoming a challenge. The caterer's price for the Fit for a King meal is $30 per person, and then they add on an automatic 20% gratuity, so that gets us to $36 just for the meal. The venue used to charge $200 for the hall rental, now that has gone up to $550. So in order to just break even on the meal and the hall rental, the cost for the tickets this year would be $42 per person. If we opted for the caterer's "House Special" meal, we could get the ticket cost down to $38. If you would like to check out what each of these two meal options offer, just go to: https://theblackcrowma.com/menu--rental--fees

If you are planning to attend this year's Fall Social, and we sure hope you are, we would love to get your opinion as to which meal you would prefer to have. We can only choose one. Please go to neeca1958@gmail.com and just write Fit for a King or House Special in the subject line of your email. Whichever meal gets the most votes will be the one we go with, with ticket prices associated with that meal.

NEECA's Calendar of Events for 2026 Is Available Now!

We've already added some more events to our 2026 Calendar over the past month, plus there's been a few date changes. Be sure to check out the updated calendar at: https://www.neeca.org/calendar

New to NEECA? Follow link below for answers to some commonly asked questions about your NEECA membership, and use of the park.

https://www.neeca.org/faqs

HOW CAN YOU HELP NEECA GROW?

In 2025 NEECA was the grateful recipient of nearly $6000 in donations from supporters. All of this money is used to help NEECA grow and improve. These recent donations made the purchase of the jumps mentioned above possible this year.

If you would like to show your support of NEECA, we have added a donation button to the home page of our website, www.neeca.org, where you can make a one-time or recurring donation to NEECA in the amount of your choosing. As always, we are so very appreciative of all the support shown to NEECA from our very generous supporters!

NEECA is a 501(c)3 so your donations may be tax deductible.

SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT NEECA WHENEVER YOU CAN!

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES WHO SUPPORT NEECA BY LISTING THEIR BUSINESS/SERVICE IN NEECA'S 2026 ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

https://www.neeca.org/online-business-directory-listings or click on direct links below!

_________________________________________

B & D Mansfield - Field and Pasture Mowing

Nikki's Nook - Horse Camping

Family Pet Veterinary Services - Small Animal

Lundgren Insurance Agency - Insurance

Mallet Roll Off Dumpster Service

Mt. Tully Pet & Hotel Store - Ani. Supplies

Petersham Pump - Well Service/Installation

Primp My Ride - Saddle Fitting

Ken Wildman - Farrier Services

Interested in listing your business? Sign up and payment can conveniently be done online at neeca.org, follow link from home page.

About NEECA Membership Benefits.......

The following businesses and professionals support NEECA by offering special discounts to our members (current NEECA membership card most be shown to receive discounts):

C & J's Custom Creations (10% off first order, and/or waive $35 set-up fee for sweatshirts)

Community Horse Magazine (FREE spring/summer and fall/winter online issues)

Hardwick Farmers Co-op (3% Off All Purchases)

Horseback & Body Massage ($10 off, 413-320-7690 )

Family Pet Vet Service ($15 off annual exam, 978-249-4626)

Mending Fences Animal Wellness (Discount off Massage + MagnaWave Treatment for your horse. $180 value, only $155 for NEECA members, 508-864-9840 )

White Pickets Studio (10% off, Petersham, MA)

Plus NEECA members receive special rates on certain NEECA sponsored events.

"The mission of NEECA is to preserve and protect land for equine interests while promoting good horsemanship and educating equestrians for the betterment of the horse now, and for the generations to follow."