Story shared with permission of the author, Wendy K. Beaudet P’16, ’19, ’21. Thank you, Wendy, and the Beaudet family, for the memories and the generous gift to New Hampton School!
The Beaudet Family came to New Hampton School in the fall of 2012 when Teddy ’16 entered as a freshman. Johnny ’19 would follow in the fall of 2015, and Ellie ’21 in the fall of 2017. All three were involved in sports and would become varsity New Hampton athletes competing in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, ice hockey, and softball.
Husky Tailgating Trailer
Owned by the Beaudet Family from 2012-2022
Rob and Wendy K Beaudet
Teddy ’16, Johnny ’19, and Ellie ’21 Beaudet
Donated to New Hampton School in the fall of 2022
Teddy first headed to New Hampton for football preseason under Coach Ed Kiley. Rob and Teddy met Kelley Tully that very first day of football practice as she was recruiting parents to help with feeding the football players after each game. Kelley and her husband Jim’s son Seamus ’15 was a part of the football squad. Kelley told Rob about the tradition of the football tailgates and the feast that a group of parents provided to the players and coaches after each game. After hearing about the tailgating plan, we were excited and knew we needed to have a tailgating trailer to help bring all the support supplies. So the search started, and the project began.
We ended up finding a 1961 Ace Traveler camper on Craigslist that was destined to be an ice-fishing bobhouse. We quickly made the trip to Berlin, NH, to rescue the little camper. Ace Traveler campers were originally made in Alfred, Maine and the canned-ham-style camper had a great stamped metal interior that would be a perfect blank canvas for a tailgating trailer.
With the help from our kids’ grandparents, David and Kathy Fuller, and their great-grandfather, John Fuller, we got going on cleaning up the little Ace Camper and getting it set up for hauling tailgating supplies to football games. Using the New Hampton Husky logo as our inspiration, we designed the exterior graphics to show our support for New Hampton School. All the exterior graphics were hand painted by David Fuller and John Fuller. The interior of the trailer was inspired by old prep school dorm rooms. It was decorated with New Hampton flags and banners, as well as simple plaid curtains. The trailer was stocked with folding tables, paper plates, napkins, plastic ware, serving utensils, cleaning supplies, and more. There were several storage bins and a place for everything.
We brought the Husky Trailer to Teddy’s first football game at New Hampton on September 22, 2012. It was a 33-6 victory over Vermont Academy behind quarterback Ryder Arsenault and running back Matt Dean. Our memories of that tailgate include Jim Tully grilling steak tips for the team down at the hillside entrance to the field house. It was great to meet our son’s new teammates, coaches, and their families. Our family, along with the Husky Trailer, quickly became a part of the New Hampton football family and the post-game tailgate meal tradition.
The families that were a part of the Husky Football Family quickly became close friends. Not only parents, but grandparents, siblings, cousins, and friends joined the festivities. Together we took tremendous pride in providing our young men and the coaching and training staff with hot meals after each football game. Our time at New Hampton School was life-changing for our family, but those afternoons and nights spent with the Husky Football Family remain our very best memories. The Tullys, Dillons, Menkes, Arsenaults, Kumphs, Donnellys, Gobbis, Healeys, Dumonts, Spauldings, Taylors, and so many more. When we think of those people and the wonderful meals we spent together over the seven years of our sons’ football careers—it is so nostalgic and brings out so many emotions. It was the very best of times.
A special thank you also to the football staff and Coach Kiley, Coach Marcella, Coach Healey, Coach Stanley, and all the other coaches along the way that particularly had a huge impact on our sons. Also, a huge thank you to trainers Tyson and Kristen and the training staff that kept Teddy, Johnny, and Ellie healthy and so well cared for in their years at New Hampton.
The Husky Trailer traveled almost every fall weekend for seven years. Either at home or on the road to games far and wide around New England. From Proctor to Pingree, to several trips all the way to Kent’s Hill, Maine, and all the spots in between. The Husky Trailer hauled countless crockpots, chafing trays, coolers, the football candy box, and always Meme’s chocolate chip cheese squares—which became a favorite staple at every single tailgate!
Through the years, the successful New Hampton Football program earned several New England Championship Bowl bids. Both of our sons were lineman and both would captain the football team in their senior years. Teddy was named as an All New England Center, and Johnny was named as an All New England Guard. In 2015, when Teddy was a senior and Johnny a freshman, the Huskies were victorious at the Ken O’Keefe Bowl and earned rings as New England Champions. The Beaudet Family had particular pride in being undefeated in our nine years at Powder Keg with Tilton.
We are excited to hand over the Husky Trailer to New Hampton School. We cherish the memories of our Husky Tailgating days and the times spent cheering on our kids and their fellow Huskies at countless games. Our Husky Pride runs deep and we are so glad to know the Husky Trailer will help create more amazing memories for Husky Nation. Thank you for allowing us to give this gift.
– Wendy K. Beaudet
It's a darn shame that Tilton has dropped football. Originally the Powder Keg went to the winner of the annual Tilton-New Hampton football game. For many years the Tilton-NHS football rivalry was the 3rd oldest prep school football rivalry in the country behind Groton-St. Mark's and Exeter-Andover so it's sad that it's no longer played. I understand the 'political correctness' of including other sports in the rivalry between the schools but it's too bad the uniqueness of the football rivalry was diminished by including other sports in the Powder Keg game(s).
What a lovely story! Thank you so much for the generous gift! My younger son plays football @ NHS and I am excited to help put your Husky Trailer in action again next year for post-game feeds and tail gating parties! Let the memories live on! Stacey Milchev