Fork Horse Trials

As promised, here are a few photos of my brother and sister competing in the Fork Horse Trials near Pinehurst, NC. My other brother, Ian, actually took most of these photos and he did such a good job! I think we have another photographer in the making! I took a lot of video as well - I am going to edit it and post it online, but I need to catch up on editing a few recent photoshoots before I get into all that. But until then, enjoy these photos!



^ Matthew & Misty during dressage. I guess someone suggested he needs a bigger horse (she is 15 hands), but I think they complement each other perfectly, don't you? He is so good to her and they have come so far together - if you ask me, they are a match made in heaven.



Cymry & Patriot during dressage. Mom said that Patriot seemed a little nervous the night before the event, so we worried how he would do in dressage. But he actually relaxed and did quite well!



Cymry and Patriot complete show jumping. I love how the trees frame them here! This image was actually taken by my youngest brother, Ian. It was Ian's 13th birthday, and he spent the day using my equipment while got a break from still photography and took video :)



My sister and her horse Patriot take a cross-country jump at yesterday's horse trials. Cymry was competing at Novice level and Matthew at Beginner Novice.



Matthew & Misty during the stadium jumping phase of the event. Misty dropped one rail, but was so steady and calm - I was so proud of them!



A shot of Matthew & Misty going cross-country! (taken by Ian)



Yay! They did so well!

I'm so proud of all of them - horses and people both!

The removal of America's last wild horses....

Please take a moment to watch this video. This is something I feel very strongly about, and hope that folks will feel compelled to make a difference by taking action.

You can also sign a petition by clicking here.

For more detailed info and beautiful photography of these wild horses, you can visit Pam Nickoles blog and Carol Walker's blog.

Better Days

I plugged in my old hard drive today and accidentally stumbled across a video I never knew I had.

Back then, I only had a 3 megapixel vivitar p&s, but I used it to death. That camera got banged up and beaten down and it still took everything in stride and lasted a good three or four years before it finally gave up the ghost.

The video clips were silent, of course, but it was almost better that way. The sorrel pony in the video is Lady. She was my childhood pony, who came into my life one Christmas when I was approximately 5 years old. She was old when we got her, nonetheless I was devastated when she passed away about three years ago. Maggy, my German Shepherd dog you can see loping ahead of us on the trail, is also recently deceased.

You may remember Cima, the mare I am riding in the video as the sweet and gentle horse who gave my daughter one of her first horseback rides in a recent post. She is about 35 years of age now...I cannot imagine how it will be when she is gone as well.

(music credit): www.jimmyg.us

Those were better days. Back then, my only responsibility was completing schoolwork and chores before my sister and I would take off with the horses and spend our afternoons riding the trails behind the house. We would goof off - tell stories and play games. I was more at home on horseback than I was in my own bed.

I really miss those days.

Sleeping Beauty

Some of you may remember my mom's new colt, Spring Dance Mathafarn. He was born July 1st and is the son of our Section D Welsh Cob mare, Tess:



And our Section D stallion, Glenhaven Panash:



The baby's name is Spring Dance Mathafarn. (My sister told me that his barn name is "Farnly".)



Sunday evening I dropped by the farm to see Farnly. He is without a doubt one of the friendliest foals we have ever had. He was completely at ease around me and as you can see, allowed me to sit down right beside him and take his picture while he was napping.



There's just something about young foals and lying in their mother's hay. They should come out with a pony bed for young foals...I bet they could make a lot of money off it.



Farnly opened his eyes to see what I was doing, but he was perfectly at ease with me and did not even lift his head.



I had a 50mm lens on here so I had to sit pretty close to him to get this picture. But he doesn't seem the least bit bothered by it. :)

Grace's First Ride

Onward soldiers!

On Tuesday, my husband and I took Grace to my parents' farm for her first "official" horseback riding lesson. I cannot remember the first time I rode a horse, and so I have no fear of the large animals and it comes as naturally to me as breathing. If Grace chooses to pursue horseback riding, I would like her to have the same opportunities that I did.


Grace has great balance and really enjoyed herself! She screamed when we told her it was time to finish the ride.



Afterward, David shows Grace how to groom the horse.

Grace was more than happy to try it out for herself.


Afterwards, Cima (the mare on the right) and Patriot said hello. Cima is partially blind in her left eye after poking it on a tree branch in the pasture twenty years ago.

By the way, Cima (short for "Rose of Cimarron") is a former BLM Spanish Mustang, whom my mom adopted in Wyoming over 25 years ago. She is really a bay but is so old now her entire coat is sprinkled with gray.


Cima and Siwan also said hi. Siwan is so sweet and has a very similar temperament to Cima's.

I cannot believe how gray Cima has gotten. This photo was taken of me with Cima by my friend, Michelle, last year and you can see the difference.


This is Patriot, my sister's loveable boy.


Cymry's telling me here how she did during the USPC Championships. Sounds like they did pretty well!

While Cymry and I were talking, Grace was doing this... :)

While we were there, Dad and the boys drove up.

Wait - what is that in the front seat?


I love Zorro's face here...he seems absolutely puzzled! (Zorro is the German Shepherd, by the way....he's rarely seen without a ball in his mouth).


This is actually a buck Matthew shot last fall! They had just picked it up from the taxidermist.

Not only does Matthew have this beautiful head to mount now, but he supplied the family with a freezer full of venison for the year.



I told them this photo looked like they were at an Alaskan hunting lodge. They said, "I wish!"

My youngest brother, Ian, shows off a couple of skeletons he found in the woods a few days ago.

I took this just because I liked it. This is Lily (left), my sister's dog and Ian's pup, Jack. They are both purebred Jack Russell Terriers.