'97 BCHC RENDEZVOUS- MULES, SEMINARS AND FUN

By Bonnie Davis BCHC Publicity Coordinator

Scheduled for March 14, 15 and 16, 1997 at the Tulare County Fair- grounds, Tulare, California the '97 BCHC Rendezvous will bring equine trail users together for in-depth semi- nars, lectures, demonstrations, camp fire fun and a variety of other events! Using the theme "Gentle Users - - Fol- lowing the Bells," the Rendezvous will feature everything anyone from begin- ner to veteran packer and trail rider would be interested in or seeking infor- mation about. One in-depth seminar will be 'Introduction to Wilderness Packing.' Another will be 'Backcountry Horsemen Advocacy.'

"Gentle Users - - Following the Bells" refers to the packers' tradition of placing a bell on a pack animal. To explain how and why this tradition be- gan, an 'Early Days Roundtable' will be featured with many of those early day packers from Kern Canyon, Kings Canyon, Mineral King and Mt. Whitney. They will explain the bell tradition plus answer questions, swap tales and spin yarns about the biggest 'wreck' and meanest bears!

Other programs will include Far- rier Care of Backcountry Stock, Vet Care in the Backcountry, Through the Eyes of a Mule, Horse Behavior (How to read equine body language), Horse Camping, Tracking Stock and People, Nutrition for Backcountry Stock, and Horse Packing without Pack Stock. On-

going events will include Stock Re- straint, Electric Fences, High Line, Pick- ets, Knots & Ties, Mt. Whitney Dia- mond, Box Hitch, Unusual Loads, No- Hitch Packs, Dutch Oven Cooking, Blacksmithing, Mountain Lions, Bears, Endangered Species of the Sierra Ne- vada, Ghost Riders, Human Medicine/ Medical Care, Packing with Children.

The '97 Rendezvous Trade Show will include over 100 vendors from throughout the western United States. Regardless of the item wanted, a ven- dor or one of the government agencies - - Forest Service, BLM, Park Service - - will offer it. If not in stock, it can be ordered and paid for with either cash or plastic.

A Special Rendezvous Package postmarked prior to March 1, 1997 can be reserved for only $59!! The Package includes Rendezvous admissions for three days PLUS all meals, events, dem- onstrations, lectures, etc. Meals will include dinner Friday night, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner with cow- boy Poet and Humorist Gary McMahan plus Sunday breakfast! During the Ren- dezvous, daily admission fees are $5 Friday, $10 Saturday and $5 Sunday. Individual meal tickets may be avail- able and if so, will be offered on a first come basis: $19 Friday dinner, $6 Sat- urday breakfast or lunch, $16 Saturday dinner (with Gary McMahan Show) and $6 Sunday breakfast.

Free parking will be adjacent to the fairgrounds plus a special BCHC Ren- dezvous Accommodations Rate will be offered at Tulare Economy Inns of America (1183 North Blackstone Ave.), Motel 6 (1111 North Blackstone) and Best Western-Town & Country (1051 North Blackstone). A limited number of RV hookups (water and electricity only) will be available at the fair-

grounds. Rendezvous reservation forms or

additional information can be obtained by calling (805) 831-2299, faxing (805) 832-4653 or writing BCHC '97 Ren- dezvous, 2338 Curnow Road, Bakers- field, CA 93312.

From: Backcountry Horsemen of California, Bonnie Davis, Publicity Coordinator, P.O. Box 14130, Fremont, CA 95439; phone (510) 657-5239; FAX (510) 683-9162.

MERCK AGVET ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR 1997

CREATIVITY IN TEACHING AWARD

Merck AgVet today announced a call for entries from U.S. colleges of veterinary medicine for the 1997 Merck AgVet Award for Creativity in Teach- ing, a national honor that is entering its seventh year. Deadline for entry sub- missions is Feb. 28, 1997.

The Merck AgVet Award for Cre- ativity in Teaching is awarded annually to one of the 27 U.S. veterinary schools for developing a new and innovative method of teaching veterinary medi- cine. The first prize national winner, which is selected by a panel of judges, receives a $25,000 grant to support and sustain creative teaching programs. For the first time this year, a second prize winner will also be named to receive a grant of $7,000. The individual winner from each veterinary school receives $500.

Award winners will be announced in June. The award presentation will be made during the Deans Luncheon held in conjunction with the American Vet- erinary Medical Association's annual meeting. This year' s AVMA meeting is

16 JOURNAL OF EQUINE VETERINARY SCIENCE