Our Featured Adult Rider of the Month is Stacey Nauss!
We are very fortunate to have members who appreciate and enjoy their time at Lancers and we are thankful for members, like Stacey Nauss, who become part of our community and quickly take on the Lancer spirit. Stacey came to Lancers last February and joined our A1 Tuesday evening ride. She began riding at the age of eight in Pony Club and fell in love with the sport instantly. Upon moving to Ontario with her family, Stacey rode competitively for 10 years in Ontario on the Trillium Circuit and in Hunter/Jumper and Cross Country. She completed Pony Club testing and began teaching beginner riders when she was 17. She was also fortunate to have attended clinics with Doug Henry and Ian Miller in Toronto. Returning to Nova Scotia for a year and a half in 1981-2, Stacey rode in South Shore and then returned to Ontario. In 1989, she sold her horse to attend university and has not competed since. From then on, Stacey did some pleasure riding with friends’ horses but it wasn’t until joining Lancers that she was able to be back in the saddle on a regular basis.
It was driving by the stables and seeing the horses in the outdoor paddock that sparked Stacey to call us to inquire about riding lessons for her daughter. She asked about adult rides and as she said, “hasn’t looked back since”! Stacey explained, “I have always heard such positive things about Lancers and even as a young girl riding when I was riding in the South Shore, it was a dream to someday ride here!” We immediately added Stacey’s daughter (who is five) to our waitlist for the Junior Beginner Course and we were soon able to fit Stacey into one of our adult spaces. She added, “I was thrilled when I received the call for a riding assessment and have loved being a member of Lancers since that day!!!” Her now favourite Lancer horse is Reese (although she says that she loves them all)!
Stacey has made great strides to become involved in Lancers and has done so while balancing a busy work schedule (which often requires her to travel) and motherhood! We always understand that people have busy lives and so we always appreciate involvement on the scales that they are able to manage. In Stacey’s case, her love of horses and genuine concern for all that is Lancers became quickly apparent. Even as a new member, when we experienced our quarantine last year, Stacey was quick to drop off bleach and other supplies without even being asked. During August clean up, she not only helped but also recruited donations for paint for the stalls. These are not meager actions and they show just how well Stacy embodies the Lancer spirit. On top of that, Stacey volunteered at the Open House in the autumn to give pony rides. She did the afternoon feed on Christmas Day (“for which she added, what better way to spend part of Christmas than with the horses?!”), and has recently volunteered to help with our Wine Tasting and Silent Auction in April! We’re certain that, in Stacey’s character, she will find more ways of contributing and enjoying the community in the future, especially when her daughter becomes the second Lancer in the family!
For Stacey, the best part of Lancers is the community, what she calls, the “great people of all ages sharing the same passion of riding, horses and all that goes with being an equestrian!!!” She adds, “the instructors are some of the best that I have had as they are extremely knowledgeable and deliver a great lesson each and every week. I am in the A1 ride on Tuesday evenings with Charlotte and learn something each week and am challenged with different exercises”. Despite only being a Lancer for a year, Stacey has already had many good memories. Particularly, she noted, “other than my lesson every Tuesday that is always memorable it would be the Open House last fall and all the young children’s excitement while at the Lancers either getting a pony ride or a tour of the barn. It was so nice to see the general public loving the horses, watching the Musical Ride and being part of the excitement that day.”
Stacey has a positive attitude which, frankly, is rather infectious. She always tries her best and puts the interest of the community and the horses before her own. From our “administrative” perspective, one of the greatest things about being at Lancers is that you never know who will walk through those doors and bring even more “good” to our community. In the future, Stacey plans on leasing a horse at Lancers and hopes to become a member of the Board of Directors. We’re fortunate to have Stacey and will look forward to all the more than will come.
#FeatureFriday