Denver's National Western Stock Show & Rodeo has created an "All-Star" event for rodeo and is planning to hold the event in April 2013.
http://business-news.thestreet.com/denver-post/story/denver-host-annual-all-star-rodeo-run-national-western/1
There will be seven events where cowboys and cowgirls will compete for $140,000 in prizes.
Not too bad, Denver! I'm excited and I hope this event succeeds!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
CSU Legends of ranching sale
I said, I'm proud, to be, a CSU Ram, {clap clap} That's right!
The CSU Legends of Ranching Performance Horse Sale is coming up.
From their press release:
"The Legends of Ranching Performance Horse Sale will begin at 1 p.m. April 28 at the B.W. Pickett Equine Center on CSU’s Foothills Campus off Overland Trail in Fort Collins. A sale preview will start at 9 a.m.
The sale will offer 34 quarter horses ages 2 and 3 years old. All these young horses have been started by CSU equine students with faculty guidance. The sale will also include 31 older working quarter horses consigned by the university’s industry partners."
So if you're in the market, go support CSU!
The CSU Legends of Ranching Performance Horse Sale is coming up.
From their press release:
"The Legends of Ranching Performance Horse Sale will begin at 1 p.m. April 28 at the B.W. Pickett Equine Center on CSU’s Foothills Campus off Overland Trail in Fort Collins. A sale preview will start at 9 a.m.
The sale will offer 34 quarter horses ages 2 and 3 years old. All these young horses have been started by CSU equine students with faculty guidance. The sale will also include 31 older working quarter horses consigned by the university’s industry partners."
So if you're in the market, go support CSU!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
January means...
...the National Western Stock Show!!!! For full information, go to http://www.nationalwestern.com.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
CDoA photo contest
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is welcoming entries for its annual photo contest. Photos must be agriculture related, in either of the following categories: agritourism, crops, livestock, people and open professional.
Get more information here. Entries must be submitted by December 31, 2011.
The neat thing about living in Elizabeth is the deer that call the area home Their presence is noticeable all year, but more so in the autumn. The photo above I took while walking with my daughter and pug to the post office. They had been laying in the grass, but once Roxy (the pug) gave a little bark, they jumped to their feet. This momma has twin fawns, and the three were to the north of a very large group:
Get more information here. Entries must be submitted by December 31, 2011.
I spotted at least one buck, and there might have been on or two young males in that group. The deer in Elizabeth are so accustomed to humans, this grazing area surrounded by buildings to the west and east is still comfortable for them.
We frequently get deer directly behind the area we live, which makes Roxy bark like crazy but also offers good photo opportunities.
We feel very blessed to live in such a beautiful area of Colorado, still conveniently close to the city but still in the country. And there's a Walmart, so now we don't have to go anywhere!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
When a horse says "You want me to what?"
The last time I was out for a ride on Lena, we came across a kind of hole in the ground. It was circular, and there was a way for her to walk into it, and then about a two foot step out. Having developed an interest in doing the extreme trail, I thought I'd see how she'd do with it, thinking she'd face it like a champ.
Oh, boy, was I wrong.
First obstacle: the little paint pony on the other side of the fence.
Second obstacle: said fence was hot, and we had to pass awfully close to it.
Third obstacle: there was a large, round piece of rusted sheet metal in the middle of the hole.
Fourth obstacle: that step out.
That little paint pony has been Lena's friend for a while, or at least, a pal who thinks it's fabulous to see Lena and loves to run around her pasture like a wild horse when we pass by. She was increasingly interested in Lena's adventure into this hole. So, Lena was increasingly distracted by the pony, enough that she zapped herself on that hotwire fence.
That gave us a big step backward, because what horse wants to go back where they believe the shock was? Certainly not Lena.
And Lena has developed a large fear of holes in the ground, which only became apparent to me upon finding this hole. Did I mention she really could walk into it? Yea. Not. Happening.
So, rather than fight with her, I got off and then began to attempt to lead her into the hole. That started successfully, until I decided to pick up that large piece of rusted sheet metal to move it. Sigh. Horse backs out of the hole, to the end of her rein, eyeballing me like I'm crazy.
"Really, Lena? You're 11 years old!" is my mantra whenever we face these challenges. To me, my 11-year-old ought to, by now, have conquered any fear of strange objects. I always think she has, and lo, find a new one that is the scariest thing ever encountered.
So, having moved and set down the offending object, we walk back down. Walk down, snort, back up, repeat, until she's actually all the way in the area. Next challenge: getting out. That was simple enough, I climbed out and Lena jumped up and out, no problem.
So, can we repeat, with me in the saddle? Why, may I ask, is it always different with the rider in the saddle, anyway?
This time, Lena walked into it. She hesitated, but with gentle encouragement, she went all the way and we launched out of it with no problem. Tafra: 1 Lena: 1 Hole: 0
Yes!
The whole situation was definitely one of those, "You want me to what?!" situations. I don't know if it's a Lena thing, or just a horse thing in general, but the look on her face when she looked at that hole was definitely the "You're crazy!" looks.
At this point, after I get those horsey looks of disbelief, I'm just excited to have her through it rather than it ending in failure.
Oh, boy, was I wrong.
First obstacle: the little paint pony on the other side of the fence.
Second obstacle: said fence was hot, and we had to pass awfully close to it.
Third obstacle: there was a large, round piece of rusted sheet metal in the middle of the hole.
Fourth obstacle: that step out.
That little paint pony has been Lena's friend for a while, or at least, a pal who thinks it's fabulous to see Lena and loves to run around her pasture like a wild horse when we pass by. She was increasingly interested in Lena's adventure into this hole. So, Lena was increasingly distracted by the pony, enough that she zapped herself on that hotwire fence.
That gave us a big step backward, because what horse wants to go back where they believe the shock was? Certainly not Lena.
And Lena has developed a large fear of holes in the ground, which only became apparent to me upon finding this hole. Did I mention she really could walk into it? Yea. Not. Happening.
So, rather than fight with her, I got off and then began to attempt to lead her into the hole. That started successfully, until I decided to pick up that large piece of rusted sheet metal to move it. Sigh. Horse backs out of the hole, to the end of her rein, eyeballing me like I'm crazy.
"Really, Lena? You're 11 years old!" is my mantra whenever we face these challenges. To me, my 11-year-old ought to, by now, have conquered any fear of strange objects. I always think she has, and lo, find a new one that is the scariest thing ever encountered.
So, having moved and set down the offending object, we walk back down. Walk down, snort, back up, repeat, until she's actually all the way in the area. Next challenge: getting out. That was simple enough, I climbed out and Lena jumped up and out, no problem.
So, can we repeat, with me in the saddle? Why, may I ask, is it always different with the rider in the saddle, anyway?
This time, Lena walked into it. She hesitated, but with gentle encouragement, she went all the way and we launched out of it with no problem. Tafra: 1 Lena: 1 Hole: 0
Yes!
The whole situation was definitely one of those, "You want me to what?!" situations. I don't know if it's a Lena thing, or just a horse thing in general, but the look on her face when she looked at that hole was definitely the "You're crazy!" looks.
At this point, after I get those horsey looks of disbelief, I'm just excited to have her through it rather than it ending in failure.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
China hosts a rodeo!
In browsing across the numerous Colorado-related websites, I stumbled across this neat little piece of news: the PRCA will hold an 8-day rodeo in Beijing, China, at the site of the 2008 Olympic Games. The event will take place in May 2012.
So, what's the Colorado link? Twenty Colorado 4-H'ers have been selected to travel to China to help the rodeo education effort. How cool is that?! Here's the lucky team:
So, what's the Colorado link? Twenty Colorado 4-H'ers have been selected to travel to China to help the rodeo education effort. How cool is that?! Here's the lucky team:
Katelyn Ann McRee Archuleta County
Re’ahna Ray Archuleta County
Jessica Mullin Boulder County
Kasey Miles Delta County
Clay Adams Douglas County
Kimberly Talbert Douglas County
Sydney Anderson Elbert County
Cody Chambers Elbert County
Cade Christensen El Paso County
Stormy Rose Havens Garfield County
Taylor Vagneur Garfield County
Jade Gutierrez La Plata County
Hannah Mei Xu Turner La Plata County
Zach Hooker Larimer County
Kyle Moncrief Larimer County
Shea Lynn Johnson Las Animas County
Shawn Haas Mesa County
Jake Cruzan Montezuma County
Ryan Vargas Pueblo County
Emily Hartman Sedgwick County
Also involved is the Colorado FFA and the National Little Britches Rodeo Association, who also selected youths to help teach the art and sport of rodeo to Chinese youths. What an amazing opportunity to share a deeply American tradition with kids from another country!
In other news, there's another attempt to ban all types of transport of horses intended for slaughter. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is quoted here:
"Horses transported across our borders for slaughter continue to be treated inhumanely. The Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 will make sure that these majestic creatures are treated with the respect they deserve."
So let me get on my soapbox. How, exactly, does this legislation ensure that these "majestic creatures" are treated humanely? Does anyone believe that horses will really no longer be shipped across the border for slaughter? Wouldn't it be more efficient for us to re-open and properly regulate slaughter in the U.S. so those horses are treated humanely?
Also on thehorse.com is this article that shows a real situation of a horses being treated inhumanely. Now, I'm not going to contend that anyone could try to send such an emaciated animal for slaughter for human consumption, but I will say that slaughter would have been a humane end to this horse's life instead of starving slowly to death.
Finally, does anyone ever get tired of seeing cutting horses at their best? Quarter Horse News posted a great video of Dont Look Twice with Phil Rapp on their homepage. Check it out!
"Horses transported across our borders for slaughter continue to be treated inhumanely. The Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 will make sure that these majestic creatures are treated with the respect they deserve."
So let me get on my soapbox. How, exactly, does this legislation ensure that these "majestic creatures" are treated humanely? Does anyone believe that horses will really no longer be shipped across the border for slaughter? Wouldn't it be more efficient for us to re-open and properly regulate slaughter in the U.S. so those horses are treated humanely?
Also on thehorse.com is this article that shows a real situation of a horses being treated inhumanely. Now, I'm not going to contend that anyone could try to send such an emaciated animal for slaughter for human consumption, but I will say that slaughter would have been a humane end to this horse's life instead of starving slowly to death.
Finally, does anyone ever get tired of seeing cutting horses at their best? Quarter Horse News posted a great video of Dont Look Twice with Phil Rapp on their homepage. Check it out!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Respecting the powerful horse
Just last night, a lady I know passed away, potentially from an incident involving a horse. Her family doesn't know what happened, only that her husband and son arrived home to find her unconscious. CT scans showed that her skull had been fractured and her brain was badly swollen.
The family doesn't know exactly what happened, but she had been out to do groundwork with her horse. We'll never know what happened, but this is more than enough to remind that horses are powerful, potentially dangerous animals. Even the horses we hold dear can inadvertently cause harm.
A 1,200-pound animal is more than a match for a human, which is why everyone who rides horses should be respected for that ability. To be able to work with a horse, whether in the saddle, in a cart or on the ground, is a gift and a blessing, but clearly it can be hazardous.
Do we, as riders, take the time to remember that these animals can kill us when we saddle up? I doubt it, because I rarely think about it. When I saddle Lena, I'm thinking about what we might do today: Do we do some arena work, and practice maneuvers and collection? Or do we ride out just for fun in the pasture, just to enjoy ourselves?
It rarely occurs to me to that Lena, as well as I know her, could hurt me. Perhaps the thought sits comfortably in my subconscious, hidden by my confidence in her and in my riding abilities. When I think about it, there are numerous times I could've been hurt by her.
I've had Lena on a longe line a number of times when she's been too hyperactive or worked up to wait until she's away from me to start bucking—I've come awfully close to having a hoof strike me. She's reared a few times on the line, another moment I could've been struck. She's had a few big spooks—the enormous German Shepherd down the road likes to come off his property to bark at her, and there's an occasional spook for no good reason.
She's also the type of horse that liked to try a crow hop or two when we lope, although that tendency has dimmed with age (thank God!). I'm sure I could think of a few other times Lena has posed a potential hazard for me. The photo below shows Lena getting her energy out on the longe line—and let me tell you, she bucks like a rodeo bronc when she feels good, and gets in a good jump or two when the border collie (Rascal) gets too close.
So I'm incredibly thankful at this moment that I've never been seriously injured by my horse, or any horse I've ridden.
I met Trudy Shaw on the 2009 Chief Joseph Trail Ride, a week-long trail ride sponsored by the Appaloosa Horse Club. I had the privilege of attending when I wrote for Appaloosa Journal, and Trudy was kind enough to let me ride her horse on the first day of the ride.
It was such a fabulous experience, I'm forever grateful for her for allowing me the pleasure. It's interesting to realize that even that horse could've hurt me. Many horses are extremely excited on the first day of the ride, and Trudy's horse was no different. (I'm a little ashamed I don't remember the horse's name, only that he was a certifiable Appaloosa.) As I rode out with the group and Trudy's daughter-in-law Bethany, the horse gave me a bit of trouble, trying to crow hop and generally express his excitement at being surrounded by so many horses in motion.
It wasn't a big deal for me, he was easy enough to contain. But there was at least one rider that parted unceremoniously with his saddle that morning. I'm more thankful now that I was unhurt on that ride than I ever was during the course of it!
In light of the loss of Trudy, I intend to acknowledge the mighty power of my equine companions when I ride, to always respect them and remember that the time I get to spend with them is something to be treasured and something to do carefully.
Next time you ride, I hope you'll take a moment to reflect on the power of the animal you're interacting with, and above all, be as safe as you can!
The family doesn't know exactly what happened, but she had been out to do groundwork with her horse. We'll never know what happened, but this is more than enough to remind that horses are powerful, potentially dangerous animals. Even the horses we hold dear can inadvertently cause harm.
A 1,200-pound animal is more than a match for a human, which is why everyone who rides horses should be respected for that ability. To be able to work with a horse, whether in the saddle, in a cart or on the ground, is a gift and a blessing, but clearly it can be hazardous.
Do we, as riders, take the time to remember that these animals can kill us when we saddle up? I doubt it, because I rarely think about it. When I saddle Lena, I'm thinking about what we might do today: Do we do some arena work, and practice maneuvers and collection? Or do we ride out just for fun in the pasture, just to enjoy ourselves?
It rarely occurs to me to that Lena, as well as I know her, could hurt me. Perhaps the thought sits comfortably in my subconscious, hidden by my confidence in her and in my riding abilities. When I think about it, there are numerous times I could've been hurt by her.
I've had Lena on a longe line a number of times when she's been too hyperactive or worked up to wait until she's away from me to start bucking—I've come awfully close to having a hoof strike me. She's reared a few times on the line, another moment I could've been struck. She's had a few big spooks—the enormous German Shepherd down the road likes to come off his property to bark at her, and there's an occasional spook for no good reason.
She's also the type of horse that liked to try a crow hop or two when we lope, although that tendency has dimmed with age (thank God!). I'm sure I could think of a few other times Lena has posed a potential hazard for me. The photo below shows Lena getting her energy out on the longe line—and let me tell you, she bucks like a rodeo bronc when she feels good, and gets in a good jump or two when the border collie (Rascal) gets too close.
So I'm incredibly thankful at this moment that I've never been seriously injured by my horse, or any horse I've ridden.
I met Trudy Shaw on the 2009 Chief Joseph Trail Ride, a week-long trail ride sponsored by the Appaloosa Horse Club. I had the privilege of attending when I wrote for Appaloosa Journal, and Trudy was kind enough to let me ride her horse on the first day of the ride.
It was such a fabulous experience, I'm forever grateful for her for allowing me the pleasure. It's interesting to realize that even that horse could've hurt me. Many horses are extremely excited on the first day of the ride, and Trudy's horse was no different. (I'm a little ashamed I don't remember the horse's name, only that he was a certifiable Appaloosa.) As I rode out with the group and Trudy's daughter-in-law Bethany, the horse gave me a bit of trouble, trying to crow hop and generally express his excitement at being surrounded by so many horses in motion.
It wasn't a big deal for me, he was easy enough to contain. But there was at least one rider that parted unceremoniously with his saddle that morning. I'm more thankful now that I was unhurt on that ride than I ever was during the course of it!
In light of the loss of Trudy, I intend to acknowledge the mighty power of my equine companions when I ride, to always respect them and remember that the time I get to spend with them is something to be treasured and something to do carefully.
Next time you ride, I hope you'll take a moment to reflect on the power of the animal you're interacting with, and above all, be as safe as you can!
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