Officers:

President:  Krista Sands      

1st Vice President  Kathy Ellis 2nd Vice President  Mike Ellis

Secretary            Linda Farris

Treasurer            Debra Porter

Board of Directors:              

            Carole Balcerek

            Helen Rankin

         Jim Funderburk

            Richie Sands

            Kendall Porter           

           Linda Salinas

Jr Board Member:  Jessie Shannon

History of Gaston County Horseman’s Association

The Gaston County Horseman’s Association was formed in 1961 when the County Commissioners leased 10 acres to the founding members for $1.00 per year under the leadership of Fred Biggerstaff.

The members built the arena, a barn and a clubhouse. Mr. Biggerstaff hired nearby prisoners and paid them a wage to help build the barn and concrete bleachers. The existing arena was once a hog lot.

The club members built a forty-stall barn. The Association would lease out stalls to local people. In 1982, the Association was notified that it was illegal to lease stalls on County property. The club stopped renting stalls and emptied the barn. About thirty days after closing, the barn unfortunately burned down. The barn remains and scorched clubhouse were bulldozed down. The insurance money went toward the new barns that stand there today.

After twenty years, the county took the property back and continued to manage and make improvements. There have been a lot of changes, some of which couldn’t be stopped (paved roads and lots of traffic). There are still lots of good times to be had with the Gaston County Horseman’s Association. Even today, we are still having crowd-pleasing horse shows at Biggerstaff Arena. We also saddle up and ride the trails, enjoy our camping trips with friends, and share good food. We still just have plain old good times.

It is now 2010 and GCHA continues to follow the standards set years ago by its founding members.

We are family-oriented and enjoy the fellowship we share with our members and guests.

Whether you show horses, trail ride or just enjoy being with people who share a love for these beautiful animals, we welcome you to join the Gaston County Horseman’s Association.

At our monthly general meetings, we have programs that are of special interest to our members. Veterinarians, farriers, equine nutritionists, breeders, and trainers are just a few of the special guests we have enjoyed.

“Join the Fun” is the motto of GCHA. Each year, in addition to trail rides, cook outs, etc., the Association does a lot to help local charities. Each spring, we hold a charity horseshow. Some of the charities that we help are Camp Sertoma, a camp for the physically and mentally challenged, and Catherine’s House, a rehabilitation program for women and children who are homeless. Some of members will take horses to Camp Sertoma and Camp Phoenix, which is a camp for grief counseling for children who have lost a close family member, and let the campers ride and pet the horses. Our members always come away with a good feeling because of the warm reception we get from all of the campers and staff. It is so rewarding to use the animals that mean so much to us for such a great cause so that they may touch the lives of folks who may not have had the opportunity to enjoy horses.