xxx Sponsor Your Favorite Horse  Honor a Soldier: Support a Renegade            The Midwest Renegades have been invited to perform at the Military Appreciation Day picnic on  August 1, 2009 at Fort Drum in Watertown, New York. (Click on the Fort Drum link to see the activities that are planned for that day.) The original plan was to honor the soldiers and their families in appreciation of the sacrifices they have all made to ensure our freedom. This event became personal when Matt Kelley, the brother-in-law of one of our riders, and 3 other pilots lost their lives while on a mission in Iraq. We are now more determined than ever to raise the support we need to see that all three of our teams are able to make the trip to New York. We need your help to make this trip happen!            While we realize that taking 25 riders, 21 horses, coaches, parents and equipment to New York is  a major undertaking, we have designed a fundraiser that will help us achieve our goal. We are asking each horse to raise their own support. They need to convince ten people to invest $10.00 each. (Donations are not tax deductable as we are not a 501(c)3 charity.) But your help will ensure that we can make this trip happen.  The choice is yours to make:           Pick your favorite horse from our Team Page and help him or her get to New York (and back). We have horses of all sizes and shapes, including our large draft-cross horses all the way down to our two miniatures that will also be making the trip. Show your support of the Renegades by writing out a $10.00 check payable to the Midwest Renegades and mail it to Bev Vlahos, 609 Tanglewood Trail, McHenry, IL 60050. Please mark the subject line with the name of the horse (and rider) you are supporting.            Check out our Calendar Page for a complete performance schedule. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at (815) 578-2115.                                                                             See you on the green. Precision Riding..... .....Excitement at it's best! The Midwest Renegades Equestrian Drill Team is dedicated to performing our best by executing our maneuvers with precision and "in synch" to toe-tapping music. We perform at drill team competitions and perform in rodeos and parades for the pleasure and entertainment of our audiences while maintaining the fun and excitement of riding. We have been a member of the United States Equestrian Drill Association (USEDA) since 2005. THE EARLY YEARS: In 2001, the team began as a small group of eight riders from Bull Valley Stables in Woodstock. The team only performed at schooling shows held at the Stable. In early 2003, several key riders moved to New Mexico and the drill team was abandoned until April when Bev Vlahos held try-outs for a new team that would start up again in May. Ten riders came together and continued practicing at Bull Valley Stables. In August 2003, the team entered the Midwest Challenge competition held at the Boone County Fairgrounds and placed first in the Novice Division. BECOMING THE MIDWEST RENEGADES: In March 2004, the team moved to Bev Vlahos' own place in Woodstock and the team was re-named "The Midwest Renegades." It was a struggle keeping the team together with riders leaving but ten devoted riders continued on in their quest to be the best drill team in this area. In 2008, the Team moved back to Bull Valley Stables. "Each year since then we have grown a bit stronger and better. We have had some awesome riders join us and leave for various reasons; but with each rider, we have learned a lot from the input and ideas from each one of them." Bev Vlahos, Head Coach. In 2005, the Midwest Renegades placed first in a competition held in Racine, Wisconsin. The team also placed third and fourth in several other competitions which was very good for a young team. In 2006, the Midwest Renegades Team hit a tremendous high point by winning the Midwest Division Regional Championship at Kirkwood College in Iowa. The Midwest Renegades submitted a composite video of their performances to a committee that selected the ten top teams and invited them to compete in the Regional Championship in September of 2006. Out of the thirty-five teams who sent videos, the Midwest Renegades were asked to participate. Winning the 2006 Midwest Regional Championship in Iowa earned the Midwest Renegades an invitation to the Super Ride V National Championships in Canton, Texas, in June 2007 where fifty plus teams would compete.     This was a big step for the Midwest Renegades and proved to be a huge success with the team placing 4th out of nine teams in the mixed rider division, 5th out of fifteen teams in the theme division, and 14th out of sixteen teams in the open division.   SETTING OUR HIGH STANDARDS: In 2007, the team of riders has become very strong and committed to being the best team in the area. There have been many challenges along the way but the team has made huge strides in a very short time frame.  In 2008, the Midwest Renegades raised the bar even higher with the addition of two exciting new teams--the Dare Devils High Performance Team and the Dirt Devils Youth Team.  The Dare Devils have obtained a personal tumbling, acrobat, and stunt trainer, Kyle Zak, from Journey Gymnastics. The sessions with him have strengthened and limbered the team up for their daring stunts on horseback. The Dare Devils especially appreciate the days he has come out to the barn during their practices to help with their stunts on horseback.  In 2009, the Midwest Renegades will step up their drills with more exciting stunts for the Dare Devils, a new 1920's Gangster theme drill for the Original Team, and more excitement and speed for the Dirt Devils team. A Patriotic Drill is in the planning stage. The Specialty Acts -- Roman Riding and Vaulting -- are being refined and tuned up as well. The year 2009 also allowed the Midwest Renegades to acquire a wonderful photographer, Lexi Dickens, of Brighton Road Photography, who spent two days with our drill teams snapping thousands of pictures of us interacting with ours horses, prepping for our drills, and performing for her. Lexi was very enthusiastic, thorough, and creative and we are going to have some absolutely awesome shots of our teams! Our website and brochure will be proof of that as soon as we receive the pictures! The Pride is in the Ride! There have been visits to the Midwest Renegades Equestrian Drill Team Site