As we gear up for the new season, we’re thrilled to announce some important transitions within our Mudslingers Board. These changes reflect our commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring the seamless operation of our club.
New Show Secretary
As a founding board member and often Show Secretary, Christine Benton has requested to transition into a new role as a Board Member at Large for 2025-26. Christine’s organization, dedication, and deep understanding of our show operations have been helpful in the success of countless events, including our formative year as a new club. Moving forward, she will continue to support the strategic growth of the club and will head up Communications & Marketing as well as Digital Infrastructure to help club operations run smoothly.
We’re equally thrilled to announce that Chelsea Goodin will be stepping into the role of Show Secretary. Chelsea has been training for this position for the past year, gaining comprehensive knowledge of registration, high point reports and results, standings, and awards eligibility. Christine will continue to provide supervision and support, ensuring a smooth and successful transition. We are confident that Chelsea’s enthusiasm, dedication, and organizational skills will make her an outstanding asset in this vital role.
From Chelsea:
“Hi, I’m Chelsea! I’m so excited to be the new Show Secretary for Mudslingers. Horses have always been a part of my life, and I found my way back into the barn when my daughter decided she wanted to start riding. Watching her fall in love with the sport brought it all back for me!
Before joining Mudslingers, I spent several years as a cheerleading coach, helping kids learn to love what they do and always give their best with a great attitude. I’ve also picked up some organizational and admin skills through work, which I’m putting to good use behind the scenes here.
Over the past year, I’ve really enjoyed working alongside Christine and getting to know this amazing club and community. I’m looking forward to another great season and can’t wait to help make our shows run smoothly and be fun for everyone!”
Our Board’s Structure and Philosophy
We wanted to share our philosophy on keeping our board small because we receive many inquiries from club members about becoming board members. We realize that there are many leaders within our club who are not on the board and yet who dedicate an enormous amount of time, energy, and talent to this organization.
Being a board member is not a hierarchical position; it’s a division of labor within the organization and we seek to operate with a small board so we can move quickly, make decisions effectively, and dedicate our energy to getting the work done.
While the board remains trim for strategic reasons, we welcome all members to attend our board meetings, typically held the Thursday after each show at 6:30 p.m., to stay informed and engaged.
Meet Your 2025-26 Mudslingers Board:
To help you know who to contact for specific areas, here’s an overview of our board members and their primary responsibilities:
- President: Sara Krause-Whyte
- Focus: Show Production (grounds, equipment, CRC liaison), Awards (selecting, ordering)
- Vice President: Andrea Thill
- Focus: Digital Media (social media, graphic design, brand management, newsletter distribution), Judges Program (show judge, liaison)
- Secretary: Chelsea Goodin
- Focus: Show Secretary (registration, computation, results, standings, awards eligibility), Club Secretary (board meeting notes), ‘Hotel Manager’ (stalls, camping), Flag Team Coach
- Treasurer: Mila Cochran
- Focus: Finances (tracking and processing A/R and A/P, financial reports, tax filing)
- Board Member at Large: Christine Benton
- Focus: Marketing & Communications (blog posts, newsletters, web copy, website maintenance), Infrastructure (Airtable bases & forms), Strategic Counsel
We’re excited for the season ahead and look forward to continuing to build a thriving and supportive community for all Mudslingers.