Our First Cowboy Challenge

Our horse club put on a Cowboy Challenge Saturday.  It was postponed from August because of rain.  This time the weather was perfect.  I asked if they needed help running the event or did they need me to bring horses.  The answer was, bring horses.  We had added a Jr. Horse category and they wanted to make sure that there would be several entries so that's what we brought.  

J rode Brother.  This was J's first time showing in anything.  He claimed afterward that he wasn't nervous all but I have my doubts.  I rode Wangler and I was plenty nervous.  He acted the best he's ever done though, not a single whinny the whole day.  It pretty much goes without saying that Brother was a dream.  The event was judged on horsemanship and style.  There was a time limit but time was only used as a tie breaker in the event of a scoring tie.  J went before me and his score was 79 1/2.  He was the only one that they gave a time warning to but he managed to finish all of the obstacles.   E took some videos of him but they are pretty long.  

Wrangler on the other hand flew through the course.  He had never been under a tent like that but the way he was loping I was hopeful that he would just keep going but no, had to stop first.  I got extra points for waving the flag around but lost them when he fell out of the plastic bottle box.  Our score was 84 1/2 which tied for 1st but the other horse ended up about 12 seconds faster.  Oh well.  2nd and 4th out of 6 wasn't too bad.  I count it as a success for our first try.

Just Kit Sunday #64

Just Kit and the great outdoors. 

In Bloom At The 4R's

The flower season is winding down here but a few things are still blooming pretty. 

 E's mums continue to come back year after year.

 The Ever Blooming Hydrangea really didn't have many blooms this year due to a late freeze this spring.  But now it has several new blooms starting.

 Looks like the butterfly bushes will continue to bloom until frost.

 This late summer weather was very confusing to the forsythia.  It is taking this opportunity to bloom for a second time this year.

And yes, I know, these aren't blooms but they started out that way.  The pears are getting ripe.  Not as many this year but they sure are big.  Unfortunately, J says their flavor isn't as good this year.  Maybe they will improve as they ripen more.
Hope things are pretty where you are.

Good Fences #27

Last week when I was photographing the goats I noticed this fence post.  It looks like something I just not sure what and I'm a little afraid to ask. 

But here goes.  What do you see?

For more Good Fences click HERE.

Unbelievable

I was cleaning off the garden some today and look what I found. 

Two beautiful cucumbers!  I have never had cucumber plants last this long.  What a treat.

Yet Another Show

We had beautiful weather Saturday for our potentially last show of the season.  I think J might be tired of driving us around.  But this was our horse club's show which I try to support the best I can by both showing and working which gets a little sticky at times.  More on that later.    

 E was in the running for High Point rider so I had her take Wrangler into the halter class.  I though she might have a good chance at some points with him.

 It was a big class with lots of nice horses.  Wrangler didn't place and E doesn't like showing him anyway so I said I would quit chasing points and let her show in what she wanted as long as she took Brother in Jr. Horse GAYP so I could show Wrangler in it too.   Sometimes my competitiveness gets the better of me.

 E handily won Showmanship again so she will be high point in that for the season.

 Stock Horse Western GAYP had 19 entries.   Wrangler did pretty good, a little fast a time or two but nothing bad.

 E was in there with Pep too.  Pep was her usual steady self.

 There was a lot going on in this class.  Several horses loping for the pleasure gait and one small pony running around.

 E and I got called back for a second round.  E ended up 4th (just out of the money) and I didn't place.  But top 8 out of 19 wasn't bad.

 E had a very good pattern with Pep in Ranch Horse Pleasure.

 She ended up 4th out of 12 against some reining horses.  She then went in Juvenile GAYP and was 3rd behind some gaited horses.

 Then came Jr. Horse GAYP.  Brother looked great and Wrangler was doing pretty good.

 But some how I had over looked entering E in the class.  The judge placed her 2nd but the show staff wouldn't allow it since she wasn't entered.  I argued that I was setting up the trail class and got busy and J had been at the concession stand all day cooking hamburgers but they wouldn't budge.  The judge even asked why we couldn't add her.  J got so put out that he stopped taking pictures and didn't get any of Brother in his next class.    It's just a small little local show not the national finals, lighten up some.  I can't count the number of shows I've been to that when they call out the placings the announcer says, "we don't have any information on this one, stop by the booth and give us your name."  The other part was someone had asked for a tack change before this class.  The booth just counted horses and didn't check numbers or check for the person that asked for the tack change so she missed the class.  There were only 5 horses in the class and all well known to everyone there.  I'm sure this will be a big topic of discussion at our next meeting.   Brother did super in  his next class, Western Pleasure where he placed 2nd.

 Our last class was with E and Pep in trail.  No problem with the bridge and she sailed through the gate.

 A couple of tics on the U back

 and a little off on the pole trot but ok.

 She almost forgot the mailbox and had to back up to get it.

 That's a blue ribbon under her arm while she is counting the money in the envelope.

I took over for J in the concession stand and he went to ring crew for the gymkhana events.  We finally made it home about 9:30 after a very long day.
Next week is the club's Cowboy Challenge that was postponed from the fair because of rain.  Haven't decided if I'm taking anything to it or not.  "We'll see."

Just Kit Sunday #63

Who is that peeking out from under the barn?

 Well, it's Kit Kat!

 "What's going on out there?"

 "Looks like rain."

"Better clean out these drains."

Hope you enjoy your Sunday.

Miscellaneous Cattle

J wanted to get the cattle up yesterday to do some odds and ends.  

 Any excuse to ride a horse and I'm in.  J even got Hank in the lot for me the night before so I didn't have to go hiking to get him.

 J took the 4 wheeler but was off it more than he was on.

 Between the 3 of us, we made short work of getting them in.

 Now for the sorting.

 There were 3 cows that haven't calved yet that J wanted to separate.  We also had two cryptorchid calves that we weren't able to cut earlier.  One was now doable but the other one will have to stay a stag.

 Then a couple of weeks ago this heifer got in on us from a neighbor.

 And this wild steer has been over here all summer.  J was able to get them in the barn and the owners came to get them.

 Hank waited patiently in the riding ring.

Now the newly sorted cattle are back out on new pasture.  It is unbelievable how much grass we have right now.   If this wetness goes on through the winter we are in for a lot of snow or mud one.

Trail Cam 2

J set the trail cam up at the other end of the farm this time.  I keep hoping to see something more exciting than deer. 

 But we got some pretty good deer shots.

 The time one these was 8 am so I'm not sure why the flash.

J is going to have to learn to turn the camera off when he brings it to the house.  I got 56 pictures of sky and tree tops.

Good Fences #26

Last week Kit Kat and Pep were in the lime light.  So this week I thought I would let the goats have their turn.  

 While we were out of town at the horse show J had the goats penned up in the only field they have trouble getting out of.  We always worry about them getting out on the road or in the neighbor's yard.  Now we are back we let them out to roam again.

100 + goats can do a lot of roaming.

For more Good Fences click HERE.

State Show Day 2 - Conclusion

Day 2 started out wet and drizzly.  E's first class of Western Pleasure 2nd Go was to start at 8:45 in the indoor.  When we went there to warm up, Pep was off.  She started out racing but settled down and was going at a reasonable pace.  But now what to do about being off.  I didn't think there was enough time to reset her shoe and I had seen horses win being more lame than what she was doing.  So I gave her some Bute and hoped for the best.  

 E had a good position going into the class.  They entered at the jog and she passed the slow POA and then had the ring to herself as everyone else jogged in.

 Then something happened that I have never seen at this show.  The judged stopped the class and dismissed E and the 1st place horse from the day before for being lame.  One lap around was all she made.  So with only a 4th and a DQ she wouldn't qualify for the Classic which she had been in every year that she has shown Pep.  We went straight to the farrier and had the shoe reset.  But this time he said he really didn't see anything wrong with it.  She did trot off a little better after but we still had 2 more classes to do.  While E and I were taking care of Pep J stayed and watched her class.  He said all h#$* broke loose after we left.  Horses were running off, bucking, breaking, picking up wrong leads, you name it.  In the end, the judge only placed 6 of the remaining 8 horses giving 6th to the POA that was slow and calm.  The 2nd place horse from the day before won so that made her Champion.  The really frustrating thing was I went and watched another class were there was a lame horse (rear leg lameness)  and he placed that one.   Just a little consistency, that is all I'm asking.

Next, was E's go at the trail final.  Instead of pictures I just filmed the whole thing.  

 There were some problems but we were hopeful for a ribbon. (the cantering was suppose to go over all 5 poles).  But the results would have to wait 4 hours.

 Meanwhile, E had her horsemanship class which was another pattern with a counter canter.  This time she got it but Pep had to poop in the middle of the pattern after the pivot so she was slow taking back off at the canter on the correct lead.  There was a big extended trotting circle in which Pep was totally sound.  She ended up 5th.  Only the top 3 go back for the Classic, so another missed class.  Once again, the other horse was DQ'ed for being lame.

E did pose for a picture with Pep.  I have much fewer this year because I was expecting more classes.  This was before the trail results.  She ended up 10th in trail out of 46 (17 made the finals).  We stayed and watched the Classic and the same horse was dismissed for being lame again.  The POA ended up 2nd this time and the Champion that E has always place above was 6th.  You just never know one time to the next what will happen, what the judge will like or how your horse will do.  That's why we have to keep trying. (or in J's case just go to Endurance Riding where none of that other stuff matters)

On a high note, the other girl from out county won Sr. Barrels with the fastest time (17.1)  for all divisions so she won a trophy for that too.
I guess we have one more year of eligibility for 4-H so maybe next year.