G.S.P.V. Parafrid - English

March. March came in swinging, and we definitely felt it. One minute we were all out enjoying the sunshine on a terrace together, the next we were freezing in the stables, unable to feel our toes. It was an incredibly busy month, but also a really fun, social, and at times emotional one. This was the month during which we sadly had to say goodbye to our beloved, loyal, and occasionally grumpy four-legged friend Oskar. At the same time, we slowly got to introduce a fun new pony, Mendy, into our lessons.

Barcie dinner - casual chic wraps & Werkacqui auction!
It might sound like a random combo, but Barcie really made something great out of it. At the home of one of our new members, and new committee member, Lykas, we got to enjoy delicious homemade burritos. Paired with a glass of red wine or green iced tea, it was genuinely a great time. But the night had more in store: the WorkAcqui auction!

Every year, our Werkacqui organizes an auction where both members and non-members can score fun activities or items for a bargain. And not just any activities, even big events like Military Boekelo were up for grabs. It turned into a lively, chaotic evening full of drinks, chatting, and… money. This year, the auction raised €1100! We’re incredibly proud of the committee.

Tjas skating clinic
Yep, it’s back! After a few years away, this classic tradition returned. Back in the day, we used to go skating every year with our friends from Tjas, the Groningen Student Skating Association (allegedly home to the best butts in Groningen, and also the largest student skating association in the world). This year, our lovely chair, Louise, took the initiative to bring it back.

The idea was simple: they teach us how to skate, and we… try. Emphasis on try. Rumor has it some Parafridders weren’t exactly fearless (shame!) and switched to drinking hot chocolate on the sidelines after half an hour. Luckily, there was also a group of die-hards who gave it their all to make it around the rink properly. We even learned how to leg yield (cross over) on the ice, which was pretty impressive for those who managed. See you next year, Tjas, we had a blast!

Jumping lessons
Because of the FNRS jumping competition (where Lieve became Dutch champion in the 60 cm category!), we only had one jumping lesson in March, but it didn't turn out to be just an ordinary lesson. With eight enthusiastic riders and four stable helpers, we did our absolute best to clear the jumps smoothly. Though again, it was more of an attempt than perfection.

It was a chaotic Thursday. Louise rode sweet Starlight for the first time, and Karlijn took on the unforgiving Tinkerbell. You’d expect Tinkerbell to cause the chaos, but surprisingly, Billy stole the show. As usual, he suddenly found a burst of energy mid-course. Fun, but also a bit nerve-wracking when it leads to weird distances and huge overjumps.

Maaike and Billy approached the third obstacle at a good pace, and everything looked perfect, until it wasn’t. Billy launched himself early with a massive jump to make up for the long distance, and Maaike certainly felt it. She gave him all the space he needed to clear the jump (successfully!), but ended up flying after him and landed in the sand after a pretty impressive somersault. Thankfully, both rider and horse were completely fine and ended the lesson on a positive note.

HALV (Half-year General Meeting)
An (H)ALV is always a scary moment for the board, and Kentauros were a bit shaky walking into Ballerz for dinner, for sure. Luckily, Louise had a solid plan: beer.

While enjoying fries, tostis, burgers, salads, and a pitcher of beer, the board prepared for a packed agenda full of important proposals. To keep things engaging, our events commissioner Annet introduced an ALV bingo (inspired by her time at another association), which meant no one could secretly zone out.

The meeting itself actually went surprisingly well. All proposals passed, meaning the board (and the next one) can now fully focus on the continuity and sustainability of maintaining the association, which we’re really excited about. Since we finished early (thanks to some efficiency improvements), we even had time to watch Annet and Merel’s first-date episodes. Brave, honestly.

Horsemanship & equine behavior clinic
It was time for our second clinic of the year, organized by our treasurer Karlijn. Together with Annemarie, we split into two groups and learned a lot about horse behavior and how to work with them more effectively as riders.

Even though all the horses at the Bongerd are great, some are a bit less friendly in the stables. They’ve been checked physically, so it’s not a health issue, but dealing with a nervous or anxious horse (biting, kicking, etc.) can still be challenging. By understanding them better, we can reduce stress for both horse and rider.

One of the groups went on a walk with some ponies, learning how to safely handle them when they suddenly act up and are strong (for example, when they spot some good-looking grass or a juicy pear). Besides being fun and full of laughs in the sunshine, it was also really educational! Huge thanks to Annemarie and Karlijn for organizing such a fun clinic. :)

Kentauros chaos… Kentchaos?
The board did NOT sit still this month. From wholesome sleepovers to lots (and lots) of socializing with other associations, March had it all. We enjoyed the early spring weather by sitting at terraces and cycling to the stables together until the wind, rain, and cold ruined that vibe real quick.

We also had a super cozy sleepover at Mikky’s place with homemade cocktails, a cheese board (an auction win!), and YouTube quizzes about our favorite series. Definitely worth repeating, though maybe not the quizzes, since Louise absolutely dominated every single one.

Then… there was that night. I won’t go into too much detail, but it involved Stëlz, lots of Stëlz, risotto, a collapsed table, a dugout, and a lot of (very ;)) good vibes. Thanks, Knickerbockers, definitely repeat-worthy.

The next morning? The Urban Trail. Kentauros signed up for both the 5k and 10k. Despite multiple breaks and near-throw-up moments, everyone finished. At the finish line, four Werkacqui members were handing out prizes!

And that still wasn’t everything. Louise, Mikky, and I (Kiki) visited Jan Dolfing and met up with a Vindicat alumnus to learn more about the history of our association. We got some answers, but even more questions. We got our hands on a saddle pad from the 50s, and learned more about our relationship to the forgotten association 'G.S.R. De Rijclub'. Stay tuned…

Oh, and our board photo made it into the top 10 best board photos according to Hanzemag! We were up there with big associations like Aegir, Dizkartes, and ACLO. Huge thanks to Ana Dyrberg for the amazing pictures.

We also attended a constitution drink of Vitalis (the athletics association), and then hit the terrace with our G.S.P.friends from De Ramenlappers. Another successful night.

Seccy blog
Saving the best for last: Mikky, our secretary, started blessing us with literary masterpieces alongside the weekly lesson administration emails this month. Here are some highlights:

Week 11:
“What sounded like a simple task, writing up the minutes of the ALV, turned into a full-blown administrative marathon that has now cost me several days of my life.”

“Honestly, maybe we as an association just need to start drinking more beer again.”

Week 12:
“I only fell once, which is honestly better than expected. The moment itself was brief: some wobbling, a last attempt to recover, and then the inevitable realization that gravity was still very much a thing."

“It was a weirdly special moment when my horse actually responded to my leg; it suddenly felt like things clicked. Kind of like when you're learning how to swim, and after some tedious laps with all your clothes on, you're allowed to just be in your swimwear again.”

“Any game that involves memory is a bad idea. Not because it’s not fun, but because Louise will literally always win.”

Week 13:
“You see, one of us had clearly found her focus: practically inseparable from one boy the entire evening. Chatting, laughing, dancing, and singing together, shotgunning a can (or again, an attempt to), it had it all. And us? We just stood around a bit, observing, investing, mostly very curious if this would end at that one moment. You know. That moment. There was hope. There was speculation. There was subtle (and not-so-subtle) encouragement. Unfortunately, it didn't make it that far, but the tension was there, at least. Among the bystanders, anyway.”

"Someone else didn't quite know what to do. Attention was coming from all sides and, let's just say, there were plenty of options. At a certain point, part of the scene shifted towards the dugout, which that evening served as a sort of brooding enclave of bad decisions and wonderful stories. We will leave exactly what happened there open (out of protection and respect for those involved), but let's just say the atmosphere was anything but distant."

"As if that wasn't enough, a moment of collective overconfidence also occurred somewhere during the evening: a tray of Stelz that inexplicably 'disappeared' from behind the bar and suddenly became part of our company. How and when exactly remains a matter for debate, but at the time it felt like an absolutely brilliant idea. In hindsight, secretly, it still does."

And yet, running was on the schedule. So off we went. With pounding heads, dry mouths, and a collective feeling of stomach contents rising that shifted slightly with every step. The pace wasn't high, nor was the motivation, but somewhere between the panting, near-vomit breaks, and complaining, something unexpected happened: we just finished it.

"And perhaps that is the essence of such an evening. Completely going off the rails, doing just a little too much, thinking just a little too little, and yet getting up together again the next day and carrying on. Mind over body!!"

Week 14:

Given that this edition of the seccy blog was a bit more personal, I will only share a small (but perhaps one of the most important) piece(s):

“Thanks […] for the laughs.”

Week 15:

"Sometimes you start a small side quest, and sometimes that turns into a full-blown detective case."

"Behind everything we are doing now, there is a history that we don't always see, but that is there nonetheless. Once upon a time, there was a group of 4 students who set up a horse riding club. But why? There was already a riding club from Vindicat. So how does that work? We will hear more about that on Saturday. Next week, a great blog awaits us.... To be continued. So, all in all, week 14 was a week in which I felt less like a secretary and more like a detective. But a detective with skills, nonetheless. It just goes to show: persistence leads to success. Until next week!"

And that’s it. March really was that kind of month. One for the books. See you next month… let’s see what April brings. I’m hoping for good weather, an amazing lustrum weekend, a great ACLO gala, a freaking blast at the SOP, Parafrid winning everything, minimal hangovers, and the start of an exciting, but slightly emotional, journey: finding our next board.

See you in a month, xoxo.