Horse park schedules fundraiser

UPPER FREEHOLD - The Horse Park of New Jersey will present its spring clinic and fundraiser on April 14.

Clinicians Paul Maye, Audrey Bost-wick and Michelle McBride will all take part in the clinic at the Horse Park of New Jersey, Route 524, Upper Freehold Township. Proceeds from the event will go to the Horse Park.

According to a Horse Park press release, Maye has trained and shown a wide variety of horses and ponies for different disciplines, including combined driving, pleasure driving and coaching. A former British National Champion in combined driving, he can be seen competing at many of the top pleasure driving shows in the country, regularly coming away with top honors including wins at Devon in Devon, Pa., and Walnut Hill Farm in Pittsford, N.Y.

After four years of working as coachman for Ayrshire Farm, Maye has opened his own training and teaching barn in Fairfield, Va., along with his wife, Cheryl, who owns and runs Maye Show Ponies, according to the press release.

McBride works from her farm in Northampton, Pa., which is a training facility for starting horses under saddle or in harness or working with "problem" horses. She has started more than 75 horses either in harness or under saddle, according to the press release.

The primary focus of McBride's training is to develop a solid foundation, great ground manners, good fundamentals and balance. McBride's goal is to train the horse for the owner so the owner can progress safely with his or her own horse in the discipline that suits the individual. Prior to starting her own facility, McBride was working with and navigating for George Hoffman, according to the press release.

Bostwick is a founding member of The American Driving Society. She has held her Pleasure Driving Judge and Tech-nical Delegate licenses since 1974. She has successfully shown at Devon, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (also known as "The Royal") in Toronto, Walnut Hill and the Canadian Classic, according to the press release.

Bostwick campaigned Shetland ponies both as singles and as a pair, and was the 1998 North American Reserve Champion and the 2000 North American Champion. The Welsh ponies were Champion at the Brandywine Driving Show in 2005, which was held in Penn-sylvania, and garnered ribbons in pair and tandem classes at Lorenzo in Cazenovia, N.Y., and Walnut Hill, according to the press release.

As a clinician, Bostwick has instructed for more than 15 years throughout the United States. She has been teaching in the equine studies program at Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Pa., since 1986, according to the press release.

The Horse Park's clinic fee is $75 per lesson. Members of the Garden State Horse and Carriage Society pay $60 per lesson. Unlimited access to the cones course costs $15 per day, the press release said.

To register or for additional information, contact Judy Canavan at (610) 689-0200 or at jcanavan@hrssllc.com.