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POKER and HORSES May 30 More than 70 horses and riders participated in the Mesa County Sheriff's Posse Poker Ride Saturday. The ride began at the Escalante Creek turnoff from U.S. Highway 50 near Delta, and riders could complete a loop of more than 6 miles that took them to the bluffs overlooking the Gunnison River. The weather was great, although somebody let the gnats out late in the morning. Horses and riders all appeared to enjoy themselves. Riders also paid for poker hands, with the top four hands winning cash prizes. The event
is a fundraiser for the Sheriff's Posse. Thanks to Joh Swanson
and all of the folks with the Sheriff's Posse for staging the annual event. For more photos, click the link below. Click here for more Poker Ride photos
POKER, DRESSAGE AND MORE On tap this weekend for horse folks are a wide variety of events. One that typically draws many trail riders is the Mesa County Sheriff's Posse Escalante Poker Ride. The ride takes place south of U.S. Highway 50 between Delta and Whitewater in the high desert. Portions of the trail take riders to spectacular views of the Gunnison River canyon below. Although the ride has been held here for years, this is the first time it will take place with the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. The NCA won final approval from Congress earlier this year. The poker run is a fundraiser for the Sheriff's Posse. Click here for more information on poker ride The Grand Valley Dressage Society is holding its Ned Marshall Memorial Show Saturday and Sunday at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, with dressage competition beginning at 9 a.m. each day. For more information, click the Grand Valley Dressage Society link on the right. There is barrel racing and team roping scheduled for the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle. And there are clinics in Southwestern Colorado. Enjoy the weekend.
HORSE SHOW WITH A HISTORY May 28, 2009 There's a horse show getting under way Monday, not in Colorado but in Virginia.
What makes the Upperville Colt and Horse Show worthy of mention is that it is the oldest continuously held horse show in the
United States, dating from 1853. It is also believed to be the first horse show not associated with a county fair or a race
meet, according to the show's Web site. It involves hunters, jumpers and cross-country competition. According to the Web site, the show "extends a full seven days, and involves over two thousand horse and rider combinations from young children on ponies to leading Olympic and World Cup riders and horses." You may not be able to fit a trip to Virginia into your schedule next week, but
you can check out the show's Web site below.
Upperville Colt and Horse Show Web site HORSES FOR HEROES May 26 This is a day late, but it's still a good Veterans Day story. It seems that a horse-therapy outfit in Texas wants to work with U.S. military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who have suffered head injuries, lost limbs or have other severe injuries. Although there is a bureacratic snafu with the Texas program, similar horse-therapy projects are already working with veterans around the country. It sounds like a great idea. Click the link below to read the full story in
the Houston Chronicle.
LITTLE BRITCHES RODEO ACTION The Little Britches Rodeo is taking place at the Delta County Fairgrounds in Hotchkiss all this weekend with scores of young contestants from across the Western Slope. We took in some of the action Friday evening. For more photos, click the link below. LONG WEEKEND May 22 Despite the Memorial Day holiday, there aren't a great number of horse-related events this weekend. The Friends of the Mustangs work weekend and spring foal count in the Little Bookcliffs Wild Horse Area is one of the most important. Check out he link on the left side of this page for more details. Also going on nearby is the Little Britches Rodeo in at the Delta County Fairgrounds in Hotchkiss and the Colorado Quarter Horse Show Association all breeds show at the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle. There is a ranch horse clinic near Durango. Enjoy the weekend. COLORADO HORSES SEIZED May 22 In Jefferson County this week, a dozen emaciated and neglected horses were taken from a suburban ranch. It was the second time in two years that neglected horses were taken from the same ranch. This week's visit by authorities came after neighbors called the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and reported that they saw ranch owner John McCulley tie a rope around the neck of a horse that was lying on the ground, then pull the animal across a pasture with a pickup truck, reportedly trying to get it to stand up. McCulley told authorities the horse was 43 years old. The Denver Post has much more on the story. Click the link below to read more.
RABBIT VALLEY RIDE It was hotter than I anticipated, but we had a great ride in Rabbit Valley Sunday. We started at the horse corrals along the frontage road about two miles east of the Rabbit Valley interchange, on the south side of Interstate 70. We rode south and west toward the river. For more photos and more on this ride, click the link below.
FAST FILLY May 17 And a tough gelding. Rachel Alexandra on Saturday became the first filly since 1924 to win the Preakness Stakes. But Mine that Bird, the gelding who won the Kentucky Derby and whose owner has a Western Colorado connection, (see "West Slope Derby Connection" lower down on this page) proved his victory two weeks ago was no aberration. He came from the back of the pack to challenge Rachel, and was closing on her as they reached the finish line. It was another great race. Calvin Borel, who rode Mine That Bird in the Derby, switched to Rachel Alexandra and guided her to a sixth straight
victory. There
is talk of the two horses challenging each other again in the Belmont Stakes. But it's not at all clear that Rachel Alexandra
has the stamina for that 1-1/2 mile race, while Mine that Bird has demonstrated in the first two legs of the Triple Crown
that he really comes on toward the end of the race. He would have caught Rachel Saturday if the race had been longer.
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES May 15 It's not quite as busy as last weekend, but there is still plenty going on. At the Mesa County Fairgrounds on Saturday, there is the horse show jointly by the Grand Valley Pony Club and the Grand Junction Horse Show Association. That will be followed Sunday by the Grand Valley Pony Club Benefit Hunter/Jumper Schooling Show. This is the first of three hunter/jumper shows the Pony Club is hosting through the summer, with points combining for each show and a new saddle going to the overall winner following the August 15 show. Show bills for both the Saturday and Sunday shows are available in Events this Month listing on the left side of this page. At the Delta County Fairgrounds in Hotchkiss, there is barrel racing scheduled for Saturday. The Garfield County Fairgrounds this weekend will be taken over for the Rifle Rendezvous, which should be intersting, but does not include much for horse-related events. There is another Kathleen Sullivan clinic in Durango, with a link on the left. And, as always, it appears there are great opportunities for trail riding throughout the region.
A FILLY FOR THE PREAKNESS May 14, 2009 Rachel Alexandra, the top 3-year-old filly in the Thoroughbred racing world, is going to take on the guys at the Preakness this weekend. And she is the favorite. According to the Associated Press: "Having
repeatedly bullied many of the world's most talented fillies with embarrassing ease, Rachel Alexandra has found that competing
against her own gender has become a bore.
MORE MUSTANG HEADACHES May 13, 2009 The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is continuing to try to come up with a plan for dealing with the 30,000 or so mustangs it has in captivity but cannot get adopted. Those animals cost the agency millions of dollars a year and detract from the effort to manage wild horse ranges. But every idea the agency comes up with, from legal euthanization to finding and leasing more pasture, seems to get stymied. There are a few national wild-horse protection groups that fight many efforts. There is an ongoing dispute with Madeline Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens, who wants to help but not on the BLM's terms. And there is the public perception of wild horses. The Salt Lake City Tribune has a story today offering a very good outline of the problems. Click on the link below to read it.
West Slope Derby Connection May 13, 2009 The owner of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird also has a ranch in Mesa County, Colorado. Read The Daily Sentinel story on Mark J. Allen by clicking on the link below.
RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM May 12, 2009 The American Horse Council is working to preserve the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program. According to Equine.com If Congress does not take action this year this program could no longer be available to recreational riders. The RTP provides funding directly to the states for recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. It was created in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and was last re-authorized in 2005 as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act The RTP will have to be re-authorized in the next national surface transportation program bill if it is to continue. Although each state manages its own program, 30 percent of RTP funds must be spent on non-motorized projects like equestrian trails, 30 percent on motorized, and 40 percent on multiuse projects. This is not a huge issue in the Rocky Mountain West, where abundant federal lands provide miles and miles of riding trails. But in other states, it is critical for maintaining many equestrian trails. For more information, check the link below. American Horse Council Web Site HORSES BOOST THE ECONOMY May 11, 2009 This is an interesting, but somewhat unclear story from the Associated Press. The headline says, "N.C. horse industry boosts rural areas." But it jumps from there to the fact some folks in North Carolina are looking for taxpayer money to help the horse industry. Here's the brief story. "RALEIGH
- North Carolina's advocate for rural economies has some ideas about how the state's horse industry can help business
down on the farm. Colorado already has such a promotional organization. It's called the Colorado Horse Development Authority. It doesn't rely on taxpayer dollars but from contributions from horse lovers. One of the main ways of funding the authority is through "Support the Horse" license plates, which just became available Jan. 1. For
more information on that, click the link below. WILD HORSE FILM May 21 Tonight, KAFM's Radio Room is to present a screening of the new film, "Wild
Horse Redemption." The movie tells the story of the incmates at Colorado's Canon City Correctional Facility who participate
in a program to saddle train mustangs. For more information, click here
HORSE AROUND THIS WEEKEND May 9 Now that spring is in full swing, horse activities are everywhere, and this weekend marks one of the busiest for equine events so far this year in western Colorado. To begin with, there are the Grand Valley Dressage Society Spring Shows at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. The shows start at 8:30 each morning and run until early evening. Accompanying the GVDS shows is a silent auction fundraiser, with scores of items available to be purchased. The Grand Mesa Back Country Horsemen
are holding a trail ride in the Moab Area beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
A FAVORITE HORSE LIVES ON May 6, 2009
Here's an interesting story from the Front Range about medical technology and a family's love for a treasured horse, which had to be put down after it was injured in a tornado last year. Veterinarians at CSU's Veterinary school couldn't save the Quarter Horse mare named Tuesday, but they harvested her ovaries and collected eggs. And now the family has two new foals from Tuesday. To read more, click on the link below.Greeley Tribune article on new foals
BOSTONIANS WORK TO SAVE HORSE PATROLS May 6 Budget cuts may force the city of Boston to give up its 12-horse mounted police patrol. But not if a good many residents of the city have their way. This is from The Boston Globe Tuesday: "The narrow paths and crooked corners of Boston's Victory Gardens were
inviting territory for burglars and drug pushers when the cavalry rode in, literally, and the Boston Police Department's
mounted unit began patrolling the area. Now gardeners are worried about crime returning if the historic unit is disbanded
to save cash.
CLINIC WITH CHRIS May 3, 2009 Sunday at Lynn Ranch Equestrian Center near Loma was the next to the last day of a five-day dressage and jumping clinic with Chris Woodall, a long-time eventer, trainer and coach. For more photos and article, click on the link below.More on the Chris Woodall Clinic HORSE WANTED Hannah Ellis, a Pony Club rider in Grand Junction, is looking for a new horse to take her to intermediate-level competition. She just sold her beginner horse. Hannah is 14 years old and is looking for something around 15.3 – 16.3 hands, under $4,500. If you know of a horse that might meet the needs of this young eventer, contact Jule Ellis at: j64ellis@gmail.com or 970-241-5775. A MASTERFUL RIDE May 2, 2009 Mine That Bird, with jockey Calvin Borel aboard, blasted to the lead after the final turn and won the Kentucky Derby by about seven lengths Saturday. They were 50-to-1 longshots going into the race. Judy and I replayed the final quarter of the race about a half -dozen times following the victory, trying to track down the winning horse and rider as they made their play for the lead. It wasn't easy. Listening over and over to the race announcer, it's clear even he didn't see them coming. He mentioned Mine That Bird early in the race, when he was near the back of the pack, then not again until he burst into the lead on the home stretch. Most of the announcer's attention -- and I would guess that of most of the viewers in the stands as well as those watching on television -- was on the half-dozen horses battling for the lead as they rounded the final turn. But when you view the race several times, and you're able to pick out Mine That Bird as they enter the final the turn -- near the rear of the main group as they enter that turn, you realize what a masterful ride Borel had. He zigged left and right as openings presented themselves, then squeezed through on the rail to take the lead. And equally impressive, this relatively unknown horse -- a gelding, no less -- had the speed to explode through those holes when Borel asked him, then the endurance to pull rapidly away from the rest of the herd once he had clear sailing. It was a great race, and entirely unexpected by any of the pre-race handicappers I heard or read. Today's
Kentucky Derby is what make horse racing a great sport. Mustangs Rescued from Nebraska Ranch Ready for New Homes May 1, 2009 I wrote about this when the abuse was first discovered. These horses need help. From Habitat for Horses: "Alliance, NE – More than two hundred
neglected horses and burros found at a Morrill County For
more information about adoptions or to send a donation, visit the Web site below. |
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