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IRAQ TO NEBRASKA:
A DONKEY'S TALE

Posted April 27

This is a great story involving U.S. Marines, a rescued donkey and international politics.

Smoke the donkey was rescued in 2008 by Ret. USMC Col John Folsom and his Marines at Camp Taqaddum, according to SPCA International, brought back to good health and soon became the unit’s mascot and friend. This photo is from the SPCA website.

The organization, which has also helped numerous dogs befriended by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, initiated a petition to bring Smoke to the United States and, with the aid of Turkish authorities, appears on the way to getting it done.

To read more from the SPCA, or to donate to the effort to help Smoke and other animals, click on the link below.

SPCA website on Smoke

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TRAIL ACCESS REPORT

Posted April 25, 2011

The American Horse Council has released its 2010 report on horseback access to trails on public lands. Because the survey size is limited, it isn't advertised as an exhaustive report on trail access. But, when taken with the 2009 report, it offers some insight on where trail access problems may be occurring.

One of the issues mentioned — in fact the only one on BLM land and one of only a couple of concerns related to Colorado — was a complaint over the fact that the Bangs Canyon Special Recreation Area south of Grand Junction is closed to equestrians. But that area has never been regularly used by trail riders, although I know a few people who rode there years ago. Now, it is a small area to serve primarily rock-crawler, four-wheel-drive enthusiasts.

To download the 8-page report, click on the link below.

 

Click here to download report

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Inside Lead website on 'Pursuing You' retreat

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BACK COUNTRY HORSEMEN APRIL NEWSLETTER

Posted April 21

A May 7 meeting that includes a tour of a backcountry horse camp setup and a May 14 ride in Main Canyon at Cameo are two of the upcoming events listed in the Grand Mesa Back Country Horsemen April newsletter.

To download the newsletter and read more, click on the link below.

Click here for GMBCH newsletter

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JUDGE RULES FOR WILD HORSE ADVOCATES

Posted April 21, 2011

On Wednesday, a federal judge in Sacramento ruled against the Bureau of Land Management and said a coalition of wild horse advocates can move forward with their lawsuit accusing the Bureau of Land Management of violating U.S. laws that protect wild horses and burros.

The case pertains to roundups in Nevada and California, and the judge said it's possible he could order the horses returned to the range. To read more, click on the link below.

Associated Press story and judge's decision

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HorseChannel.com article on dressage helmets

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Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame article on 2011 inductees

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WIDE OPEN KENTUCKY DERBY

Posted April 13, 2011

Since Derby favorite Uncle Mo came in third in the Wood Memorial last week, and his health status is uncertain, the general belief is that the 2011 Kentucky Derby is wide open. There is no clear favorite.

Below is a link to a Daily Racing Form article on the current Derby possibilities.

Daily Racing Form article on Derby favorites

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NETWORK TV COVERAGE OF ROLEX

Posted April 13

NBC Sports is to air parts of the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, Sunday, May 1, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT.  It is the first time the top three-day event in this country has received live coverage from a major television network.

To read more, click on the link below.

ROLEX web site article on live TV coverage

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FUROR OVER THE GRAND NATIONAL

Posted April 11, 2011

While horse race enthusiasts in the United States get ready for the Kentucky Derby next month and the race for the Triple Crown, there is a furor in Great Britain over one of that country's most famous races — the Grand National.

Two horses died in fatal falls at The Grand National this past Saturday, and many British race fans are up in arms, demanding changes in the race to make it safer.

The Grand National is a steeplechase, with more than 16 jumps over the 2 1/4 mile course that the horses run twice. This photo is from the 1956 race.

To read more about Saturday's race and the controversy it created, click on the link below.

BBC article on the Grand National

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WOBBLY NEWBORN

Posted April 10, 2011

Barb Young of Montrose is shooting a photo a day for the entire year. This is the one for today, titled "Newborn, Lesson 3."

To see more, click on the link below.

Barb Young Photography website

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RIDE FOR THE MUSTANGS

Posted April 8, 2011

The American Competitive Trail Horse Association, which last year staged the largest recognized simultaneous trail ride ever, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is planning to do it again, this time to help bring awareness to the need for mustang adoptios. This is from the group's website.

"On June 4th, trail riders from across the Nation will saddle up and ride for a common cause. Each Competitive Trail Challenge on this one amazing day will benefit the Mustang Heritage Foundation. Be a part of this extraordinary annual event! Bring your friends and your favorite Trail Horse, enjoy a beautiful ride and have fun, knowing you're doing something special. Join thousands of other trail riders as we ride in support of America's Horse, the Mustang."

To read more, click on the link below.

ACTHA Ride for the Mustangs

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Guardian article on show jumping cow

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Thoroughbred Retirement
program still going strong

Posted April 5, 2011

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to a story from The New York Times, discussing alleged problems with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, an organization more than 20 years old that helps care for and adopt out thoroughbreds that have retired from the racetrack.

The posting was seen by members of the foundation, who contacted me to say there were several problems with the New York Times article, and they wanted to give their side of the story. So here it is.

Earlier today I had a telephone conversation with Tom Ludt, chairman of the board of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which is based in Lexington, Ky. He pointed to three things he said were glaring errors in the article.

First, a veterinarian hired by the Mellon Foundation to inspect many of the horses in the care of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation said over 25 percent of the horses inspected needed urgent care. But another veterinarian, hired by the first vet to help with the inspections, disputed that claim. He inspected 260 horses at a facility in Oklahoma, and found only three in need of urgent care — and none of them was life-threatening, Ludt said.

Also, the first vet said many of the horses were malnourished, but again, the second vet hired by the first one disputed that claim.

Additionally, The New York Times writer reported that, as a result of these problems, the Thoroughbred Retirement Fund was in danger of losing funding that it received from the Paul Mellown Endowment Fund. But money from that fund was specifically bequeathed to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Ludt said, and the organization continues to receive 5 percent of whatever is in the fund on Jan. 1 of each year. It drew its funds at the beginning of this year.

The endowment fund is separate from the Mellon Foundation, he said.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation cares for more than 1,150 retired racehorse at nine facilities operated by the organization and numerous satellite facilities — mostly private farms and ranches whose owners care about the fate of the horses. It also works with prison inmates to retrain racehorses that are sound enough to take on other jobs when they retire. It is continuing its inspections of all of those horses and expects to complete the work by the end of next week.

There are untold numbers of racehorses that retire from the track each year. Many find welcoming homes, but too many don't.

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"We need more people who care for horses," Ludt said. "We're trying to draw the industry together to come up with a more formalized plan to address a growing need."

 

If you want to learn more, or contribute, check out the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation website at the link below.

 

 

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation website

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WINNING PHOTOS FROM THE WESTERN SLOPE

Posted April 3, 2011

Montrose equine photographer Barb Young has won the Professional Best In Show award, with this photograph called "The Chase," in the Equine Photographer's Network Winter 2011 Photography contest.

She also won first place in the Professional Performance category, and in the Professional Black and White class.

Congratulations, Barb! To see more from the contest, click on the Equine Photographers Network link below. To see more of Barb's work, click on the BarbYoungPhotography link.

Equine Photographers Network contest winners

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NEW BARN AND EXPANDED ARENA
GREET FAIRGROUNDS EQUESTRIANS

Posted April 3, 2011

Below is the lead story I wrote for Today's Horseplay section in The Daily Sentinel.

On a blustery weekend in mid-March, the revamped equestrian facilities at the Mesa County Fairground hosted its inaugural event.
The Grand Valley Dressage Society held its spring fun schooling show, with a clinic on Friday and about 90 horse-and-rider combinations in dressage competition Saturday and Sunday.
Things were warmer and less blustery Saturday for the Grand Junction Horse Show Association’s Fuzzy Show, the second major event held at the refurbished fairgrounds.
Grand Valley Dressage Society is a 15-year-old organization and has about 70 members, said Kathy Sassano, who was show secretary for the March 19-20 show. While the bulk of those members and those who attended the spring show are locals, a number of competitors came from far enough distances that they stabled their horses in the brand-new 75-stall barn on the fairgrounds property. The new, tall and airy barn is a big improvement over the six, small steel structures that served as stables before, but were torn down to make room for the new barn and adjacent parking area.
“One of the things that strikes me is how much the barn changes the look of the places,” said Marsha Kosteva, the fairgrounds manager, during a tour of the new facilities last week. “It adds a ‘Wow!’ factor.”
Most of the stalls are larger than those in the old buildings, the lighting and ventilation are far superior and the aisles between the stalls are much wider.
The barn is unquestionably the most visible change at the fairgrounds’ revamped equestrian facilities, but hardly the only one.
The covered arena, where most of the competition takes place, was extended 40 feet, with 25 feet of that adding to the competition area and 15 feet covering the entrance area, judge’s stand and show office.
The additional 25 feet of competition space makes a difference in several different equine venues. For instance, ti’s much easier to fit a full-size dressage court, plus surrounding lanes, in the expanded arena.
Additionally, the footing in the arena was removed down to the roock and replaced wih new footing determined after one county staffer attended an equestrian footing seminar in Texas.
There is a new show office with new heating and cooling facilities. It includes a new public-address system that reaches to the barn and the horse-trailer parking area.
The warm-up arena just outside the covered arena has been reconfigured and has new footing. There is a new arena designed specifically for trail classes. A new round pen is being built.
The improvement to the equine area were completed with a special capital improvements funding package approved byt the Mesa County Commissioners last summer, money that is also being used for road improvements and purchase and remodeling of a building for county administrative purposes.
The improvements to the equine area at the fairgrounds are important because nearly a third of the fairgrounds revenue comes from events at that end of the fairgrounds complex, Kosteva said.
From the beginning of April through October, there are horse events most weekends at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. Both the Grand Valley Dressage Society and the Grand Junction Horse Show Association host multiple shows at the fairgrounds each year. At least one horse organization, the Western Slope Reining Horse Association, has booked a new show at the fairgrounds this year, largely because of the renovations, Kosteva said.

 

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Equisearch.com article on Jamaica

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