Monday, August 11, 2008

Barrel Racing and Southern Stars

I played harder than I worked this weekend. Now that Monday is here I buckled down to clean tack and start loading the trailer with items we won't need until the family trip. We are leaving Thursday morning!

One of the things I did this past weekend was attend a small rodeo. It was fun to watch the 4-H kids and rodeo queens come galloping in during the grand entry.

There weren't a lot of competitors in the events and despite a mid-summer drizzle that made us think it was October, we definitely enjoyed the show and cheered them all on. One highlight was a saddle bronc that completely went down on it's side with his rider, only to jump right back up and keep bucking, with his rider still aboard! The bull riding was not what you see on T.V. I have a new found respect for bull riders. Staying on a bull for 8 seconds must be a lot harder than those at the NFR or at the Calgary Stampede make it look! I think only one rider made it 8 seconds, the rest barely made it past a twisted buck or two.

Goodness, I loved the barrel racing! I could have watched that all night. Of course, I thought of our blogger friends over at Brown Eyed Cowgirls and Around the Funny Farm! The first horse to run, a big white, stumbled badly around the first barrel. I was worried he could have injured himself (Pony Girl, worry? Shocking!) I really enjoyed watching the horses that had those tight turns down around the barrels, it made all the difference. You'll get a chuckle out of this but we are doing a play day at our family horse camping trip next week and the barrel pattern is one of them. So, I set up muck buckets as barrels in the arena last week and trotted My Boy through the pattern. I will not be loping him. It was fun though, My Boy has a good turn and I posted a long trying to keep my head up and my eyes on the where I was going to the next barrel (okay all you real racers, yep, you can chuckle harder now!)


After the rodeo, we took a reminiscent stroll through the 4-H horse barns, replaying our days of showing at fair. Then I saw this! It appears the in thing these days is to paint and glitter and bling-bling up your horses and ponies. This horse seemed to be a bit embarrassed and hiding in the shadows of his stall. He was a black horse, painted with white stripes to look like a zebra- or wait, or was he a white horse and painted with black stripes?


The weekend got busier as we attended a concert featuring two country western stars. The clouds opened up and we even got a little late afternoon sun. Can you tell who this guy is? Hee hee. I know, I know, he's far away. It is Darryl Worley. Great performer.

What about this one, do you know who this cutie is? She actually is quite humble and charming on stage and can sing, too. I love anyone that can sing southern and twangy.

This shot is for my cowboy readers. Oh wait- I don't think I have any cowboy readers?!

Okay, so it's time to get out the Leather New and get back to work! And miles to go before I sleep..... I hope ya'll had fabulous weekends, whatever you were doing!

19 comments:

  1. Oh my...that poor horse does look embarrassed. I let Megan tie feathers into her barrel horses mane or tail-hey Sherri Cervi tied a hawk feather into "Hawk's" mane at the NFR.

    No one will giggle at you PG. You have no idea how much a person has to practice where to look when you are running barrels. I usually get it right about the time the barrel racing season is wrapping up-LOL. Come on...lope that appy pill around the buckets, I bet he would do a fantastic job, with all of that reining horse training. Your a cinch to win at the family playday!!!

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  2. I agree with BEC lope that appy pill! Just go into your pocket wide so you have room to turn nice and come out close.
    And practicing 'looking' is good... I have a bad habit of looking down at the barrel I'm turning. Well, on 2nd I do. (have no idea why its THAT one barrel!)
    Sounds like you had a good weekend, next weekend will only be better. Have a great family trip!

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  3. That would be Kellie Pickler, right? She’s a sweetheart. Too sweet which is why she didn’t make it further in American Idol.

    Aw, heck! Give the barrels a go! You gotta at least toy with it to figure out what you need to work on at slower speeds. Speed amplifies those holes in your horsemanship so you can see them better.

    Most of all, have fun!

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  4. Yes, it was a fun and busy weekend. A rodeo and a concert in one weekend!
    Hey sis, did you still want me to get some glitter for the horses for our trip? I'll be at the local feed store tomorrow and I can see if he has some.
    Stripes won't look good on your boy or my girls so we'd have to do glitter.

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  5. Liz~ Yep, it's Kellie Pickler!

    Sis~ Yes, get the glitter! Just make sure it's not pink, my poor boy will be mortified! ;)

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  6. Paint Girl- I don't know...your mare is gray, so you could really have some fun with stripes AND glitter...teeheehee!!

    Pony Girl- Just make sure that the glitter matches My Boy's new saddle pad...and shipping boots...and fly sheet...lol!

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  7. My bud Julie always puts glitter on her horses at finals. She swears it makes them go faster! lol

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  8. Sounds like you had a fun weekend. I've always wanted to try barrel racing too - but am a bit chicken...

    I totally think your appy boy would look dashing with his hooves painted with glitter! lol!

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  9. What a fun weekend! We don't have anything around here like that and I really feel that I am deprived! I have never seen a rodeo except on tv and would love to see one in person. I guess I'll just have to travel somewhere where they have them. That poor horse with the stripes! That is sad, he looks so embarrassed. My poodle used to act that way right after he got his hair cut!

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  10. I tried barrel racing for the first time this past weekend at a fun gymkhana show. Possum does not have the tightest turns. I alwaya tell everyone that the brakes don't always work and there no power steering, but boy does he try when he figures it out. We also tried our hand at pole bending and the relay races we did the best at. It was definately different, but as The Very Large Colt wrote about yesterday I believe that cross training is a great thing for horse and rider. Glad that you had a good weekend Pony Girl, I really enjoy reading your blog.

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  11. PG: Yes, you have some cowboys (at 39+ maybe a cowgranpa?) out here reading.
    Thanks for the post from Monday and the pictures of Kellie Pickler... *grin*
    I've been reading your blog since July (yea, a reallllllllly looong time). I'm trying to read previous posts because you write well and are down-to-earth interesting. I found you thru PioneerWoman while I was looking for recipes like Crash Hot Potatoes. My wife and I love 'em.
    Mike aka GarlicMan76458

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  12. Poor horse! Painted up like a zebra!! I can't say much normally for our Christmas parades, "Angel" gets all kinds of lights, tree skirts, bells, etc. Alittle glitter, will look marvelous! Be careful or you will become addicted!

    No one will make fun of you! I say go for it and lope My Boy on the barrels. The only way to get better is to practice!

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  13. You keep posting pictures like that... and you'll get more cowboy readers! ;)

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  14. Just wanted to say I finally found your comment, and thats great you are doing some parelli too. Your blog is amazing and a fun read, plus I must add the zebra horse is stunning *winks*

    Hope to chat with you soon through comments
    -Savvy Horse

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  15. That poor zebra horse:-( Don't let him near the lions. Looks like a fun weekend. You can do those barrels! Go get em!

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  16. Yeah!! Some of them came out of the woodwork (the cowboys....)
    I will have to check out Crash Hot Potatoes (sounds like a hot new band.) Thanks for stopping by, Mike!

    Welcome Savvy horse, you can always email me, too!

    Okay, the pressure is on to do some barrel racing at the lope...we'll see how My Boy's mindset is and if we can get a rehearsal or two in before the play day...but I definitely think we can lope down the homestretch, regardless! Wooooohoooo!

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  17. hehe, Like you I like to watch Barrel Racing, and I might like to TROT a barrel course, but gallop. Nah! :D

    That black horse painted with white stripes is cool! That would have been a fun themed horse at the Arabian Youth National's Freestyle Reining show I recently attended. I posted photos and a story on my blog.

    I'm thinking "Horse of a Different Color" as a theme. Or maybe "Dr Doolittle"? hehe

    Have a great trip with your family and My Boy!
    Can't wait to read all about it when you get back home.

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  18. I've seen Kellie Pickler live and SHE'S AWESOME! I saw her when she was on tour with Brad Paisley last summer....The whole show was awesome!

    That horse really does look embarassed!

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  19. Have a fun time with the family this weekend. I can't imagine who much fun it would be to have family all on horses. =)

    Good luck too on the barrels. You'll do fine. My girls always glitter up at the big shows. (or big to them)

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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