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This Saturday between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area I-94 is going to have one lane closed both EAST and WEST bound I-94 between US 23 and Willow Run exit.

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The new Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan has a program for first time homeowners.  This plan for 2009 requires the following:

• Buyers must NOT have owned a home within the past 3 years to qualify as a First Time Homeowner
• Purchase must be between Jan 1, 2009 and Nov 30, 2009.
• Buyers must make less than $75,000 per year or $150,000 per couple.
• Buyers must live in the home for at least three years or they will be required to pay back the credit.

I hope I have encouraged you to come out to the fair this week. Today, Tuesday are the following events:

Horses and Ponies Over Fences

Dressage in the back ring…this is like ballet for horses where the movement is beautiful and one person is judged at a time. Lovely to see done well and we do have some good Dressage Barns in this area.

4:00 - Creative Vegetable & Fruit Competition

Riding on the rail competition for Suitability for Dressage in the evening

Versatility Classes for horses - Believe it or not the riders start in one seat, English or Western and then have to redress and retack the horse with 2 helpers on hand. They also compete in one more class which maybe a speed class. The score for all three events are added together and the top rider/horse combo are the winners. There is more screaming and yelling at this class than most and it can run late into the night. Many horse classes are a bit like golf where the crowd keeps very quiet. Maybe that’s why I like this class you get to yell and it feels like a real achievement just to be old enough to enter the class (you must wait until you are 14…feels like forever when you start at fair as an 8 year old).

Libby and Katie Thomshany thank you for all you have done for 4H through the years and all kids who love horses today because of you two! Thank you.

4H Fair has started for the horsey kids and last night was showmanship with the Grand Champion from Manchester, Michigan. They were Zach Osborne with his horse J Bars Hardy Hammer.

Zach usually calls him Hammer, but last night he was winner! Congrats also to Casey Warner who won Reserve Champion for Showmanship. Both of these winners and all who won 1st or 2nd place in their classes did awesome job all year long. To get a horse to trot next to you, stand at attention and move precisely is NOT something you can learn the week before fair. This is an ongoing effort for the each 4H participant and these two won with wonderful patterns last night.

Today the Hunter Jumper kids get to show their stuff and dressage will be tested in the back ring. Come out any time day or evening to watch; we usually have 200 horses participate with at least that many children. The evening classes are championship and the 1st and 2nd place winners get to compete at night.

I know many of you have been waiting all summer, in fact all year for this week and it is finally here.

4H Fair - Location: Washtenaw County Fair Grounds

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Today is Fitting and Showing for horses and ponies and Championship will run after 6:00 pm tonight. There is high drama for this competition and many people view it as one of the most important classes of the week. There are other kids and horses who hardly ever work on this class and wonder why it is so important to be able to have a horse walk next to you.

Let me try to help explain the theory behind every horse participant doing this class…if you can NOT control your horse on the ground next to you then you shouldn’t be riding the horse on his/her back. It is the grooming of both horse and rider which are important, the very steps you take in the pattern (memorize quickly) and remember EVERY MOVE or you will be disqualified for incorrect pattern. There are championships for each class, Saddle Seat, English, and Western compete separately, and then the age groups compete in a Championship, and the top winners in that continue on to the Grand Championship finale. It can go late into the evening, some years even past midnight, and the kids all need to be back at the fairgrounds by about 6:00 a.m. to feed the horses and get ready for Tuesday classes.

Heck, I’m getting tired just writing all this. How in the world did I do it for 10 years? Some years as a 4H leader. I can tell you; I wouldn’t trade those memories for all the vacations to the beach…well there were moments I might switch. Overall, nope, I’m thrilled to have been a part of one the most important parts of our community.

Hope you can come out to visit sometime this week. It is a ton of fun and a ton of work for all who participate and every one should be commended for the fine job they do for each other and the animals.

Ann Arbor area has a huge horse community and there are horse properties in all the communities in every direction: Ypsilanti and east, Saline & Milan and south, Dexter & Chelsea and west and South Lyon and Whitmore Lake to the north.

One of the best parts of being a horsey community is the Therapeutic Riding Inc and we have a few of these facilities. There is a Therapeutic Riding, Inc located at 4715 East Joy Road and they are having a used tack sale April 3, 2008 11:00 to 4:00.

Please attend if you are looking for anything and if you need to empty your barn of some items consider donating to this great cause. It is tax deductible.