Mounted Shooting

Wow we have done a lot of touring this summer, I gotta go through my pics of Atlas Coal mine but that was a super cool tour right nearby.  And seeing the Biplanes from Vimy that was cool too.  But we also did a bunch of horse stuff, like going to a mounted shooting competition down in Brooks.  I don't compete but Neil's cousin and his wife do as well as a friend of Neil's from Hanna and a friend of mine.

(Micheal First Pattern)

(Michael Second Pattern)

(Miranda second Pattern)

(Miranda another second pattern)

We found out when Miranda msged me and asked if we were going, well sure we can go and visit cause way closer than where they live lol.  Micheal's Mom and Dad (Cathy and Bumpy) were coming down and so we visited with them as well.  Neil's Mom and Dad came and his Aunt Doris as well.  It was a family reunion lol. My nephews came as well cause they never seen it before and they thought was kinda cool.

(I don't know who she is but her horse coulda been Razz!)

(Denise and her Bandit, 

we missed later on when she did the shotgun class woulda been cool)

(and I don't know who he is either but he has one of those compression hoods on, 

I guess he can be kinda spazy but it seems to work so far)

(and a mule, they run so weird)

I got a few pics, was nice cause it was in the outdoor arena so pics turned out really good.  Jaret wanted me to get a pic of a balloon bursting but I wasn't fast enough, maybe next time I will try to do a burst shot and maybe get one.  Looks like a fun sport, might be cool to try but I still like cutting more.

Stampede Ranch

When My Mom and Clint were here she said she wanted a tour to the Stampede Ranch, she knew it was close to us but never realized how close.  Its about 12 miles away.  We have 2 neighbors that work there and so we hear a lot about of it but I too had not been in the yard.  So we phoned up the managers and asked if we could come up.  She said they were at a rodeo that weekend, her hubby is also a pickup man but the other guy Charlie was there and he would show us around.  Sounds good, we had no real big plans just kinda wanted to see it.

(Outside the gate is the graveyard, they don't bury the horses there anymore but they used too)

(The loading chute in the yard)

(I just liked this bridge going across the creek to the barns)

(the gate into the yard)

So we headed up there and he met us at the gate and led us in.  They put up a locked gate this spring just to keep crazy people out.  They spend a lot of time keeping it looking nice, they do a lot of fancy spancy deals there where city people come out and "trail horses" in and then have a meeting.  So they want it to look nice and it does.  There is a lot of pens and this time of year not much in them which we kinda knew but thats when they were out.

(the saddle horses, even the mini under the feeder lol)

(a sore clydeish horse in the pen, he was super interested in us)

(and some bulls)

(the nephews looking at bucking bulls)

(the chute, under a roof, sure be a long day trimming 600+ horses)

(the retired horses halters)

They had some horses, some bulls and a few studs up close and so we toured them and then he took us in to see the chute where they trim feet and brand and then into the tack room and then the boardroom where they have the halters of the retired horses hanging in there.  Neil had been there quite a few times as a kid cause the kids went to school with him and even he said it was changed and updated, looked a lot better.

(Speedy Delivery)

(Wanamaka Rocket, we saw him at the bronc match in Pollockville)

(Shadow Warrior, 

he was an older horse, really calm just stood there eating while we were there chatting)

Kinda a cool day there.  I would like to go when all the mares and colts come in.

Irricana Farm Days

I hadn't been to the Annual show at the Irricana truck and tractor museum for a few years and this year there was a painting class that was doing a really cool windmill picture I wanted to do so I thought I should go.  One nephew, Tristan, came with me and the other, Jaret, went with Neil to an auction sale.

(honey demo)

(Joan Deere had a homemade cab)

(funny looking tractor)

(only steam powered roller tractor in the west)

(I really like those coal powered tractors)

(and the oil cooled ones, sure are unique)

(and an old grader out back)

(threshing with horses and stationary combines)

(mini threshing)

(I love this picture cut out of an old disc)

(one of the Ron Carey trucks)

(and another, someone said over 250,000 to sell one restored vehicle)

We got there just in time to miss pancake breakfast and we were starving but of course too early for lunch, so we had popcorn lol.  We looked at a lot of old stuff, pretty cool, saw a honey demonstration, wheel making, a bunch of restored trucks all belonging to the same guy, plus a truck and car show off,  threshing demonstration and then a parade which had everything from minis to drafts, donkeys and even a team of oxen.

(adorable minis)

(creepy circus wagon pulled by Fjords,

 it even had a small pipe organ in it)

(Tristan loved the Mohawk horses)

(my neighbor Austin driving a team of Clydes, he saw me as I took the pic haha)

(the donkeys were so cute!)

(an odd combination for a stagecoach, 

quarter horses in front and Clydes in the back)

(the oxen team, I think they were from down east, Nova Scotia I believe)

(this team isn't doing too well)

(some cool old cars)

(and of course a cowboy statue)

(crowd was pretty big they had different parades all day long)

Then it was painting time and what fun it was and we came out with an actual decent picture!  What a miracle lol I didn't know I could paint.

(took my pic in front of a windmill, even if mine looks like a flower, 

oops I guess the ends are not rounded)

(Tristan's and mine)

(and the whole group of us, kinda cool how they are all the same and yet all different, 

the teacher is the one is the reddish dress)

(our attempts, Jaret's drawing on top, 

my creek with red barn, 

My Mom's birds, and Tristan's Mario cause it wasn't working out)

Was so fun we had to paint for ourselves one day down in the creek, turns out I can't paint that great without instruction but I would do it again for sure.

The Pregnant Girls

So my nephews are here for the summer and so I made one come with me when i went to pick up Jessie.  It seems so far away, its about 3.5 hours but its hot and blech.  Anyways we got there and it was lunch time so we just wandered around looking at stuff and mostly standing in the shade of the barn cause it was 37*C and boy does he have flies down there.  Anyways he come out and we got Jess after paying and filling in paperwork and chatting for a while.  Then he asked if I was going by Doug's cause he had a mare and colt there.  So we loaded Jess and the mare and the colt was not halter broke yet so we just sorta herded him in.  He took off a few times so we got a panel and he just jumped in no problem but he was a terrible traveler.  But he will get better over time, there was lots of room and he moved around a lot and I think annoyed both mares.  Gerry says he expects to see me and the foal in the futurities in a few years, I said that's the plan but I may not be riding it.

(She looks good, this is when she came home, 

needed a feet trim but otherwise fat as usual)

So off we went and dropped the pair off and then we headed home.  Jess was glad to be home, probly mostly cause there was a lot less flies.  The others just accepted her right back in after Easy had to chase her around a bit to make sure she knew he was boss lol but otherwise pretty boring which is how I like it.  Super excited about this foal!

(after her feet were done figured I might as well ride)

(and see the new gate we built this summer)

Then a week or so later got a call from Carol that Nita was bred, that was a bit more ordeal they bred her and then when went to ultrasound her she was in a silent heat so they injected her and tried again and she caught the second time around.  So shes due later than I wanted but she is bred, I hope its a colt.

(Nita looks good too, fatter than when she went I think even)

So Jess is due June 4th and Nita June 23, be kinda  pain in branding season but that's how it is.  Pretty sure I wont breed next year so we can get earlier again if I like them.   Been trying to think of names for both and I got a few I like but we will see how it goes when they are born.