Big Gymkhana Family Weekend 2018

As they do every year, family and friends traveled from near and far to take in the Big Gymkhana Family Weekend festivities on May 4-6. Musical performances and art exhibitions, sports contests, riding events and races, trapshooting, great food, catching up with loved ones and friends—the weekend had all the gymkhana hallmarks, plus a few special additions.  

The whirlwind weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon with a full roster of events. Down at Bard Field, the varsity baseball team faced off against Villanova and won handily, while out at the Gymkhana Field, the titular competition got underway in earnest as riders in the Horse Program participated in preliminary races and events, collecting points for their teams in the process.

In the evening, the community gathered for the annual Thacher Round-Up Parents Auction and Dinner on Upper Field, a lively evening of fundraising to support the Annual Fund. Thanks to the record-breaking number of donors who stepped up to the plate, a huge variety of Thacher-only items and experiences were up for grabs, including two barrels of wine from Arietta, the Hatton’s own winery; a stay at the Huyler’s incredible Wyoming compound; and a once-in-a-lifetime, multi-week trip across Asia for Joy and Michael, courtesy of several families from China.

Additionally, the organizers of the auction used the opportunity to give back to the Ojai community—one of the items in the online Silent Auction was a count-me-in fundraiser for local fire relief, which allowed individuals to contribute to a collective gift to The Greater Goods Relief Fund. One hundred percent of the funds raised through this organization go directly to individuals in need who are still rebuilding in the wake of the winter Thomas Fire.

Overall, the energy under the tent translated into great fundraising success; this year’s auction broke records for the amount grossed. The paddle raise for financial aid also went well thanks to the generous crowd. [If you weren’t able to make it but still want to contribute to fundraising for financial aid, you can give here: www.thacher.org/donate].

Big thanks are owed to Parent Co-Chairs Caren and Fritz Hatton and Cassell and John FitzHugh, whose dogged work on the event made for a fun and successful evening, in addition to the dynamic and creative members of the auction committee, who started working in October to pull the event together. Amazing food from Director of the Dining Hall Richard Maxwell and logistical support from the Facilities team were also critical to the success of the event.

The Friday fun concluded with a stellar Performing Arts Sampler in the Milligan Center, which featured performances by the talented members of the Chamber Singers, String Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Dance Ensemble, and Thacher Masquers. Afterward, dessert, coffee, and mingling were enjoyed on the Pergola.

The visual arts were on display, too. Throughout the weekend, a wide range of student photographs, paintings, woodwork, ceramics, and multimedia works were exhibited in the Commons.

The traditional Grand Entry marked the start of the day as the Blue, Green, and Orange teams mustered on Gymkhana Field, followed by the running of the flags, introductory remarks, and the singing of the National Anthem. Then, freshman and upperclassman riders alike took to the field for a wide range of events testing agility, speed, control, cooperation, equanimity, and more. California poles, cloverleaf barrels, keyhole, rescue race, ring spearing, and more were all on the program from early morning to afternoon.

The riders were full of tenacious energy as they battled to earn points for their respective teams, with the freshmen—many of whom had little to no experience riding before arriving at School in September—especially demonstrated the incredible growth in skills and confidence that they had managed over the course of the year.

In the highly-anticipated silver dollar pick-up, during which competitors attempt to lean way, way, out of their saddles and grab a silver dollar off the ground as they approach at a lope, Duncan Grimes ’21 was the only rider with the requisite blend of skill, luck, and equine assistance to accomplish the challenging task that day. In subsequent days, nine others got the chance to try again and succeeded in cementing their place in the Silver Dollar Club: Jose Carpio ’20, Jeremy Eriksen ’21, Caden Rogers ’21, Patrick Lundgren ’21, Mohammed Rahman ’20, Emily Hidalgo ’18, Max Moore ’20, Charlie Tracy ’21, and Zanna Gulick-Stutz ’18.

The typical barbecue lunch was served out next to the field, helping to feed a huge crowd of hungry riders and spectators. Come evening, gymkhana awards were doled out and great student performances were enjoyed by all.

“Big Gymkhana 2018 is now tucked away in the record book,” said Richard Winters, head of the Horse Program. “This was another great year with great races and competitive riders. Although scores were close, the Orange Team came out as champions. Very fitting for his final year, Michael Mulligan and his team won the very competitive alumni pack race. And the historic and elite Silver Dollar Club inducted ten new members into its ranks. No small feat! Congratulations to all of our riders on a great gymkhana season.”

 

The night was capped off by a truly spectacular special event: The Good Goodbye, an evening of speeches, songs, reflections, and dancing to honor, celebrate, and give thanks to Joy Sawyer-Mulligan and Michael K. Mulligan as they prepare to depart at the end of the school year after more than 30 years of incredible service to The Thacher School.

[Read more about The Good Goodbye.]

The final day of Family Weekend was a relaxed one as the festivities wound down. Up at the Outdoor Chapel overlooking the Ojai Valley, many gathered in the morning for a non-sectarian Chapel Service featuring thoughtful remarks by Dr. Debra Minjarez (parent of Rico López ’18). In the Dining Hall, visitors enjoyed a top-notch brunch spread and out at the shooting range, a number of families competed in the Parent-Student Trap Shoot.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this great weekend possible, in addition to all those who came to share in the festivities!

Learn more about the Horse Program at Thacher.