Chapter Abstract 2010-2011
Chapter Name: Cornell University Block and Bridle Club
Address: 114 Morrison Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4801
President: Katie Stayton
Vice President: Chelsea Jandreau
Secretary: Sarah Carpenter
Treasurer: Christina Rettig
Student Livestock Show Chair: Amanda Forstater
Publicity Co-Chairs: Frances Chen and Anne Elise Creamer
Advisor: Michael L. Thonney
Assistants: Joanne Parsons and Victoria Badalamenti
The 2010-2011 academic year started off slowly for the Cornell University Block and Bridle Club. After a general meeting on September 8th, new members got to meet officers and current members on an apple picking trip on October 2nd, followed by chili and apple pie making. Block and Bridle also went on a trip to a Meat Fair on November 14th, where we sampled meat from local farms and learned how to prepare a whole chicken for cooking. We began halterbreaking beef cattle in preparation for our spring livestock show at the end of the fall semester. We also focused on organizing our paperwork during the fall semester. Our year picked up during the spring semester as we prepared for the Student Livestock Show. We continued working with the beef heifers during the spring, and began working with the sheep, pigs, goats, horses, and dairy heifers two weeks before the show. On Saturday, April 9th we held our annual livestock show and barnyard fun day. The Livestock Pavilion was set up the night before the show, and we spent the night in the pavilion with the animals! At Barnyard Fun Day local children got the chance to meet representatives of several livestock species, play with baby animals in a petting zoo, reach inside a fistulated cow, make butter, card wool, lead a goat through an obstacle course, get their faces painted and participate in potato sack races and a stick pony rodeo. Barnyard Fun Day was a great success, with over 100 children in attendance. Following Barnyard Fun Day, students participated in the Student Livestock Show by showing beef heifers, pigs, dairy heifers, sheep, and goats. We also had a Faculty Pig Obstacle Course! Block and Bridle finished out the semester with a tour of Engelbert Farms, an organic family farm in Nichols, NY, on April 16th. We enjoyed touring the facilities, visiting the dairy cows and the pigs, and asking questions about how the farm was run. They even gave us cheese and sausage to sample at our final elections meeting! Cornell’s Block and Bridle Club had a successful year, and we are looking forward to another great year!