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History of the Horse Show
By Joe DeChristopher
Fred DeChristopher was born in Highland Falls, NY, one
of 13 children born to Gennaro and Clementina Laudati DeChristopher.
He attended Drum Hill High School in Peekskill and graduated from Renssalaer
Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY with a B.S. in civil engineering in
1929.
For approximately 50 years, Fred was the Superintendent
of Buildings and Grounds for the City of Peekskill school district. He
later was Clerk of the Works for the construction of the new Peekskill
High School on Elm Street as well as other projects at Sing Sing Prison.
Fred was a communicant of the Assumption Church, Peekskill
and St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Boynton Beach, FL, where
he was a resident for over 30 years. His wife, Betty, passed away in
the fall of 2001. Fred’s son, Paul, and his wife, Sally, live in
Monroe, CT. His granddaughter, Jackie, and her husband, Kevin, live in
Cheshire, CT with their children Allyson and Benjamin. His granddaughter,
Paul, and her husband, T.J., live in Stratford, CT.
Fred was a member of the Rotary Club of Peekskill for
over 60 years and did not miss a meeting for over 50 consecutive years,
often making plans while on vacation to ensure the streak would not end.
One such story told of how Fred held up a cruise ship so he would be
able to attend a Rotary meeting. Fred was twice honored as a Paul Harris
Fellow.
In the spring of 1970, a group of Rotarians came up with
the idea of having a horse show in order to generate funds for the club.
Fred, realizing that they needed professional advice on how to do this,
decided to contact his brother-in-law, Colonel Anthony Castellano, who
was associated with the New York Military Academy, which was known for
its excellent equestrian program. Fred and a group of Rotarians went
to N.Y.M.A. to meet with Colonel Castellano and Colonel Russell Blair,
director of horsemanship at N.Y.M.A. Colonel Blair later addressed the
entire Rotary Club and explained the procedures of running a horse show.
The first show was held in the fall of 1971. A group of cadets from Troop
D of N.Y.M.A. participated.
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