A gallop through news, history and events about
horses and people who serve them in Western Colorado.
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NEWS from the Equine World
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ENTRIES EXTENDED ANOTHER WEEK FOR
GVDS NED MARSHSHALL SCHOOLING SHOW
Posted May 13
The
entry period for the Grand Valley Dressage Society's Ned Marshall Schooling Show, set for June 2-3 at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.
The show features Kathleen Donelly as the judge. She will be offering clinics on Friday prior to the
show, with overflow on Saturday after the show.
For more information, contact show manager Susan Radka, 720-936-3522. Or check
out the entry form at the link below.
Ned Marshall Show entry form
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GRAND VALLEY PONY CLUB SHOW THIS WEEKEND
Posted May 8
The
Grand Valley Pony Club's May Fun Show is this weekend at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. Saturday is for hunter-jumpers. Sunday
is for Western riders.
To see more, click on the flier download
to the right.
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MONT BLAZE HUNTER EQUITATION SHOW IN JUNE
Posted May 8
Mont
Blaze farm near Fruita is hosting a hunter-equitation schooling show June 2. It includes a horsemanship challenge quizz.
To learn more about the events involved, and to find contact information and
an entry form, download the forms at the links below.
Click here to download show flier
Click here to download entry form
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MAY TED HOLLAND CLINIC CANCELED
Posted April 28
I received the following
email from Katey Kelly today. She coordinated the Ted Holland clinic that I participated in last week and mentioned briefly
in a posting below. He was scheduled to do another clinic next month, for which there was a lot of interest. Unfortunately,
that has been canceled due to his job commitments as a police officer with the Mountain Village in Telluride. Here's what
Katey wrote.
"Disappointing news! Last night Ted called
me. One of his fellow officers is having some health issues and is scheduled for surgery. That is making the Mountain Village
PD shorthanded. Ted is needed to work shifts and will be unable to conduct the May clinic. As many of you know, Ted is only
available between ski and tourist seasons so I am unable to get another date for this spring.
Ted and I have already discussed scheduling sessions next spring. I will be placing all of you on my email notification list
when I get things firmed up. We won't be setting actual dates until after the 1st of the year but I will again be looking
at late April, early May. In order to better serve the equine community, I would appreciate some feedback from each of you.
Mainly, are you interested in participating next year? If so, do you need a weekend? Is during the week Ok? Are you flexible
on dates? Any comments would be helpful. Also, if you have friends that want on the list, have them email me.
In the meantime, many of you are interested in continuing with your groundwork training. There
is a local source to obtain the training sticks like Clinton Anderson, Parelli, etc use. They also have rope halters and lead
lines that they make. Visit their website for more information.
On behalf of Grand Mesa Back Country Horsemen,
I thank all of you for your interest and participation in these clinics. I have posted photos from the April sessions on our
Facebook page (Grand Mesa Back Country Horsemen/GMBCH). I invite you to 'like' us."
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GVDS SCHEDULE CHANGES
Posted April 24
Grand Valley
Dressage Society reports that the Buck Buchanan clinic on Western Dressage that had been scheduled for May 12 has been cancelled.
No changes reported for the June 1 clinic with Kathleen Donelly (click on flier to the right for more info.
Also, the closing date for the May 5-6 schooling show has been extended to April
27. Download information on the show at the link below.
Click here for flier on May 5-6 spring schooling show
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SIRENS, UMBRELLAS AND FLAGS, OH MY!
Posted April 23
Turk
and I had a great weekend at the Ted Holland clinic this past weekend. Ted is a mounted police officer with the Mountain Village
at Telluride, but he spent 25 years as a mounted police officer in the St. Louis area.
His clinic is part despooking, part learning the proper techniques to get your horse to respond to you,
regardless of what else is happening, and lots of fun.
The
police sirens weren't too much of a worry for Turk, but the opening and closing umbrellas caused him a lot of anxiety. And
he had enough problems with the American flag that I was beginning to question his patriotism.
But we got through it, with Ted's help. Thanks, Ted.
I'll have more after May 6, when an article and photos about the clinic appears in the Horseplay section
of The Daily Sentinel.
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STEALING MONEY TO SUPPORT YOUR HORSES
Posted April 19
What
I don't get about this story is how the chief financial officer of a relatively small city could live such a lavish lifestyle
on a relatively small salary, and no one noticed. Much less allegedly steal $30 million from the city in six years.
The woman, Rita Crundwell, is reportedly one of the largest Quarter Horse breeders
in the country. This photo is of her with one of her horses at the Quarter Horse world championships in Oklahoma City last
November.
To read more, click on the link below.
CBS News story on horsewoman accused of stealing $30 million
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HORSE TRAVEL AT RISK IN SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
Posted April 17
This
is a troubling story that could set a really bad precedent for other national parks and other public lands. Although not mentioned
in this article, the Backcountry Horsemen of America have joined with the Wilderness Society to oppose the judge's effort
to exclude horses from the park.
This photo, from the Visalia
Times Delta, shows customers of a commercial pack outfit preparing to ride into Sequoia National Park.
Visalia Times Delta article on Sequoia horse issue
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THE HORSE IN SPORT OPEN HOUSE
Posted April 17
The Horse
in Sport tack store at 215 Colorado Ave. in Grand Junction is having an open house this Saturday, April 21, to celebrate the
opening of its store expansion. The new part of the store, adjoining the old part, offers much more room to better display
saddles and other tack, as well as horse-related art. I've been in it in the past week, and it's really nice. This is from
the store's Facebook page:
"It is finally finished! Our expansion came out great! Come by for our open
house on April 21st. We will be having a sale and refreshments."
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ANOTHER WEEKEND ADDED FOR TED HOLLAND CLINIC
Posted April 15
There's
been enough interest in the Ted Holland clinics, that will be held this weekend north of Grand Junction, that another weekend
clinic has been added. It will be held May 19 and 20 in Grand Junction.
Ted Holland is a mounted police officer from the Telluride Moutain Village who works on getting horses used to all
sorts of situations.
For more information on the clinics,
to participate with your horse or to audit them, contact Katey Kelly: Phone 970-596-4870. Email: boogenspike@yahoo.com.
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GARY DAY WESTERN DRESSAGE CLINIC POSTPONED
Posted April 13
The Gary Day Western Dressage Clinic scheduled for Saturday, April 14, has been postponed due
to inclement weather. The rain date for this clinic will be next Saturday April 21. The schedule will remain exactly
the same.
The flier and registration form for the clinic are in the forms section to the right.
If you have any questions please contact Thena Walton. Email thenawalton@hotmail.com
or call 216-0541
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MOUNTAIN VALLEY HORSE RESCUE RENDEZVOUS THIS WEEKEND
Posted April 13
The Mountain
Valley Horse Rescue Rendezvous is taking place this weekend at the Eagle County Fairgrounds in Eagle. Click on the flier and
schedule below for more information.
MVHR flier
MVHR schedule
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MORE COLORADO WEST PAINT HORSE
CLUB FUN SHOWS
Posted April 13
Received this from Renee Cowan with the Colorado West Paint Horse
Club this week.
"The St. Paddy's Fun Day was such a success (68 riders!) the Colorado West Paint Horse
Club decided to run a buckle series of 3 fun days. The flyer and registration form below are for the 1st one on May 12.
We' will be honoring Moms that day (day before Mother's Day) by giving every Mom a flower.
The other 2 are Sept.
1 & Sept 29th. We want to stress to people these are FUN days. The biggest classes were the 10 & under and
18 & Over. There will be a belt buckle awarded for each age group for the high point. We will still give high point
awards at each show and everybody gets some sort of prize."
May 12 Fun Show flier
May 12 Fun Show registration
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DRESSAGE SOCIETY SILENT AUCTION
Posted April 11
Grand Valley Dressage
Society will hold a silent auction May 5 and May 6 at the Mesa County Fairgrounds Horse Barn. There will be art, books, jewelry, tack, gifts, lessons,
horse greeting cards, Tuff Rider dressage boots, new horse dishes (12 placings), Horse in Sport $100 gift certificate. Gerry
saddlebags, baked
goods and
more. (Shameless plug — my book about the Utes, "Troubled Trails," is among the items in the auction.)
As auction coordinator Cindy Dennison said, "Shop for Mother's Day and enjoy our spring horse show!"
The photo of auction items already in hand is from her Facebook page.
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RIFLE EQUINE CASTRATION CLINIC THIS WEEKEND
Posted April 11
The
2012 Western Slope "Operation Gelding" equine castration clinic will be held Saturday at the Garfield County Fairgrounds
in Rifle.
Castration for stallion ages 1 to 4 is only $50,
but the procedure will be done by appointment only. Call 970-773-4030 (Colorado Veterinary Services) for more information.
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SADDLE SEMINAR THIS WEEK
Posted April 9
Harry Knipe with HK
Boots and Saddle in Grand Junction, sent the following now about this week's saddle seminar at Mesa County Fairgrounds:
Just a quick note to remind you of the Colorado Saddle Maker's Association Spring
Seminar this weekend (Apr 12 - 15) at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. Highlights include Thursday's "The Art of Making
Cinches and Girths with Natural Fibers: For your Equine's Sake". This is an educational program presented by famed
public educator/cinch maker Darin Alexander from Gentry,AR. On Friday Apr 13 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. the public is invited
to watch leather carving demonstrations. It will be an opportunity to watch and learn about leather carving and tooling.
Finally, of particular interest to the equine community, on Saturday, Apr 14th from 10:00 - 5:00 there is a saddle fitting
clinic open to the public. This is an excellent opportunity to observe and or participate in a free professional saddle
fitting ($125 value). The important points to consider when fitting a saddle to a particular horse will be covered
in these fittings. There are a still couple of slots open for individuals to bring their horse for a fitting. To schedule
one of the last appointments, call Harry Knipe, 245-3068.
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GRAND VALLEY PONY CLUB MAY HORSE SHOW
Posted April 6
The Grand
Valley Pony Club is hosting a weekend horse show, May 12 and 13, in conjunction with the Grand Junction Horse Show Association.
The show will be at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, with a hunter-jumper show set for
Saturday, May 12 and an open horse show scheduled for Sunday, May 13.
To
see the classes and learn more about the show, click on the show bills below.
Click here for Hunter-Jumper show flier
Click here for Open Show flier
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WESTERN DRESSAGE CLINICS
Posted April 5
The Grand Valley Dressage
Clinic is hosting a series of clinics on Western Dressage, which is much like conventional dressage, but the rider wears Western
gear and uses Western tack. I wrote about one of the local riders participating in it last fall.
There are, however, a number of rule differences and differences in technique between the two
disciplines. These clinics are an opportunity to learn about those differences and what is expected in Western Dressage. They
also are a chance for Western riders who want to learn more about the training and techniques of dressage but don't want to
invest in separate dressage tack.
The clinics are set for April
14, May 12 and June 1 with three different trainers. Dowload the flier and entry form below for more information.
Click for flier on Western Dressage clinics
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CONGRATULATIONS BARB!
Posted April 5
Equine photographer
Barb Young of Montrose won first place in Professional Black and White category of the Equine Ideal winter 2012 photography
contest with this photo called "Here They Come."
This
is a national contest with tough competition. Barb also won other awards in other categories. Check out her web page, listed
below, along with the contest web site.
Barb Young Photography web site
Equine Ideal Photo Contest Winners
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MUSTANG SANCTUARY 'STEADFAST' IN ASSISTING WILD HORSES
Posted April 1
This is from today's Horseplay
section of The Daily Sentinel
Paintbrush, a four-year-old mustang
recently removed from the Douglas Creek herd in Rio Blanco County, was nervous with a handful of strangers hanging about.
So he moved closer to the person he’s coming to trust — Tracy Scott.
Not a bad move on his part, because Scott will definitely reward
that trust, not just for Paintbrush but for other mustangs. Scott has a lifelong love of horses, especially wild horses. And
she and her husband, Blaine, are developing a mustang sanctuary called Steadfast Steeds on land they own on Glade Park.
The facility, just west
of the Glade Park Store on 16 1/2 Road, will have a grand opening on May 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be demonstrations
with some of the half-dozen mustangs that now reside at Steadfast Steeds, talks about mustangs and their needs, information
on Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching and music.
To read more about Steadfast Steeds, click here.
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HORSE TRAILER and HORSE CART FOR SALE
Posted March 31
These
items have been sold
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GJHSA FUZZY SHOW SUNDAY
Posted March 29
The Grand
Junction Horse Show Association's first show of the year, it's Fuzzy Show, is set for this Sunday, April 1, at the Mesa County
Fairgrounds.
New for 2012 are classes for Hunter Hack and
Youth Reining.
You can download the showbill at the link below,
or go directly to the GJHSA website at the second link. This photo is from the website.
Click here to download show bill
Grand Junction Horse Show Association website
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GOOD TURNOUT FOR PAINT CLUB HORSE EXPO
Posted March 24
The
Colorado West Paint Horse Club's All Breeds Horse Expo got off to a solid start today at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. There
were presentations by people like veterinarian John Harris and farrier Brian Crandall, clinics on showing horses, vendors
and stallions available for stud service.
Katie Turcotte,
one of the organizers of show, said there were at about 20 stallions and perhaps 15 vendors at the show, along with a 4-H
consignment tack sale. I counted 25 horse trailers across from the arena, and there must have been about 75 participants and
visitors walking around the show this morning. Not bad for the initial effort in getting the Paint Club shows back up and
running.
The top photo here shows riders preparing for one
of the Western Pleasure clinics. The second is the front of the new horse barn at the fairgrounds, showing Stallion Alley
and some of the vendors.
Sunday's session focuses more on
dressage, hunters and jumpers, with demonstrations from several trainers and clinicians.
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NO LUCK FOR 'LUCK'
Posted March 18
The HBO series
on horse racing called "Luck" has been cancelled after a third horse died as a result of filming. This photo shows
Nick Nolte, one of the actors in "Luck," in a stable on the set.
But think below is to a thoughtful, and troubling column in The New York Times by a journalist-turned-horse-breeder
who is worried not just about the HBO show, but about the future of horse racing, due in large part to the drugs being administered
to young horses.
I wasn't aware of the speed drugs that actually
drain calcium from the bones of young horses, just when they need it most as they are still growing.
New York Times Racing Blog
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TEACHING HORSE SHOW
Posted March 14
A teaching horse show for youth, sponsored by local 4-H groups, is scheduled for Saturday, March 31, at the Mesa
County Fairgrounds. The cost is $20 for the day or $5 per class.
The show is open to youth age 18 and under. 4-H membership is not required. It will
feature discussion, teaching points, and feedback after each class. Participants may enter different levels in different
classes, based on their skills. There will be ribbons, drawings, prizes, fun and learning for all.
Classes include different levels in showmanship, Western and
English categories.
For more information, call Nancy at 523-4167
or 201-9381.
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FOUR
STATES AG EXPO
Posted March 12, 2012
The 30th Annual Four States Ag Expo
is offering some outstanding horsemanship clinics and workshops March 15th – 18th at the Montezuma
County Fairgrounds, Cortez. Several horsemanship clinics will be offered each day.
They include Aaron Ralston, host of RFD-TV’s
“The Ride;” Jason Patrick, also a ranch-raised Colorado cowboy who specializes
in working cow horses;Doc Hammill, who is well known throughout the country for teaching people to drive horses for work or pleasure; and
Larry Whitesell a renowned
gaited horseman.
For more information, click on the link below.
Four States Ag Expo web site
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RESCUE RENDEZVOUS
Posted March 12, 2012
Mountain Valley
Horse Rescue is hosting a "Rescue Rendezvous" next month — April 14 and 15 — in Eagle, to provide clinics
and instruction on training (or retraining) rescued horses. There will also be demos on equine massage, nutrition, energy
work, hoof care and holistic horse care. Additionally, rescued horses in need of adoption will be involved in many of the
demos.
For further information and schedule details,
please visit mvhr.net. To reserve a vendor, sponsor or demonstration space, please call MVHR at (970) 376-1743.
To download a flier on the Rendezvous, click on the link below.
Click here to download MVHR flier
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ZENYATTA DELIVERS A HEALTHY COLT
Posted March 10, 2012
Zenyatta, the great Thoroughbred who was the first mare to win the Breeder's Cup Championship, was Horse of the Year
in 2010 and came up a nose short of ending her racing career undefeated, gave birth to a 130-pound colt Thursday. The sire
of the young prince is Bernardini, who won the 2006 Preakness. The photo was by Ann Moss, one of Zenyatta's owners.
You can read more about the birth in Z's Diary on Zenyatta's own web site, linked
below. But, for unbearably cute video of the foal and his mother, click on the Los Angeles Times link below that.
Zenyatta's website
LA Times story and video on Zenyatta's foal
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN HORSE EXPO BEGINS TODAY IN DENVER
Posted March 8
Sponsored
by the Colorado Horse Council, the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo is being held at the National Western Complex in Denver. It runs
through Sunday, with lots of exhibits and clinics. The photo above is from a flier for the expo. For more information, click
on the link below.
Colorado Horse Council web site
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IN
THE HOT SEAT: WILD HORSE
ADVOCATES TARGET
LOCAL WOMAN
Posted March 4
This article is from the "Horseplay" section of today's Daily Sentinel. The byline
should have read "By Bob Silbernagel" instead of "by Staff."
Callie Hendrickson has a wealth of knowledge and experience related
to horses, natural resources and conflict resolution.
Wild horse advocates don’t care about any of it. To them, she is the enemy. They are in
an uproar because Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar appointed the Grand Junction woman to the national Wild Horse and Burro
Advisory Board in January.
Callie Hendrickson article continued
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COLORADO WEST PAINT HORSE CLUB RIDES AGAIN
Posted March 4
This
is from the "Horseplay" section of today's edition of The Daily Sentinel.
Although the weather can be treacherous, March is typically the
month in the Grand Valley when horse people get out their curry combs and begin grooming their horses in earnest for the show
season that is reborn for another year. However, when the Colorado West Paint Horse Club hosts two shows this month, it will
mark a rebirth of another sort.
The Colorado West Paint Horse Club was once the largest horse organization in this region, among the
largest in the state. But over the past decade, and especially after the recent economic downturn, the club began to fade.
Paint Club article continued
