Forgot I had this!!

My goodness, it is just over a year since I last updated this blog!! Perhaps I was so upset about my labour weekend efforts on Gilbey last year I didn't want to come back.....
SO long story short, had an awful first run on Gilbey and didn't make it round the second barrel, we were both so nervous and it wasn't a good combination at all. The second day I kept him in so tightly fearing the worst that we got around but it wasn't pretty, poor old boy. Thank fully H & G suggested that perhaps it wasn't the best thing for both of us to do the Christmas circuit and a week before Christmas I got my darling Ricky back to barrel race on the Christmas circuit. He had been sold to a man but bucked him off 2 weeks later and shattered his femur, (he doesn't do well on green grass - dry meadow hay and old short non-nutritional grass is all he can cope with) so I got to go and pick him up and had a very short time to get him fit and ready for the Christmas circuit. When I went to pick him up he whinnied and trotted towards me, and a previously tricky horse to float magically turned into an angel as he practically jumped into the float and looked around at me to close the door! I was so glad to have him back and I'm pretty sure he was very happy to be back with me.

The first rodeo on boxing day was scary. I went out just to get my confidence back and have some fun, and boy oh boy the first rodeo at Millers Flat on boxing day I was so nervous!! But a girl gave me a very good piece of advice "Trust your horse" and I did just that, galloping home I couldn't get the huge grin off my face. We came in 4th that day, 3rd at Waimate the next day, 3rd at Te Anau, bombed out at Omarama (we had to pen them the night before on a field of rocket fuel dairy grass!!), changed the bit for Wanaka the next day and came in FIRST!! It was such a thrill, an amazing feeling being at one with my horse and the turns were so tight. After my race the rain started bucketing down and I just wanted to stay and celebrate, but we left for Christchurch (a cool 8 hour drive!) and I came 2nd, it was an absolute dream season. Winning isn't everything but it sure feels good! The social life of rodeos is pretty fun too :P


My partner rides bareback horses and bulls and he was having an amazing season too, placing at just about every rodeo in one or both events!! We definitly had the lucky truck that year!

After the high of the Christmas circuit we headed up to the North Island which was a great adventure. I rode a beautiful paint mare who was so kind to me and didn't make me look like a fool, although she was a bit slower than Ricky Bobby :) ...

We made the long trip up to Richmond Rodeo but Ricky didn't like the hard ground and tripped 3 times which just cost those split seconds, I was really disappointed because it was the first of the 3 rodeos you have to compete at to get the "Top of the South Buckle", where your 3 times are added up and the person with the fastest average wins. At the Southern Rodeos I came third both days, and the next weekend we had the Tough Enough to Wear Pink Waikouaiti Rodeo, where I made Ricky all pink but he didn't like it very much and tried to buck me off at the first barrel!!

Needless to say I didn't place at that rodeo!! However the next day at Outram I got 2nd and picked up a nice pay check :)

The last points rodeo of the season was Lawrence Rodeo, and I knocked the last barrel - the first time I knocked a barrel my whole (short!!) career, so I laughed about it all the way home as I was so surprised that it had happened.

My friends and I then travelled to the West Coast to the cutest rodeo at Reefton, it was a great day and although I was a little nervous about knocking another barrel, Ricky loved the deep coal dust arena and took me around to come in FIRST!! I lent him to my friend to ride for fun and she came second on him. He is such a legendary horse.

The next weekend we made the huge trip up to Tua Marina where again I came first and another girl that I let ride him came third in her first barrel race ever. This meant that with my 3 times altogether I won the coveted "Top of the South Buckle".

I had to move to Australia a week after so Ricky went to a new home :( But we had such a good season together and I hope one day I'll get him back so he can retire on my farm, spending his days lying in the sunshine or flicking away flies in the shade of apple trees.

This is my niece and I at the Waikouaiti Rodeo, he is such a honey and now she is horse mad too, just passing it on to the future generations :)

GIlbey the WONDER horse!!

Gilbey is actually the horse I am barrel racing this season and he is such a character! He really does all these things, and I thought someone, somewhere might want to read about him!! I'm a primary school teacher and actually have a blog for my class, and they love hearing about Gilbey. That's why the story is written in 3rd person : ) I hope you enjoy it!!

One sunny spring afternoon Miss White and her friend Hetty went for a lovely ride on the horses. They saddled the horses up and Miss White put her boots and spurs on so she could get Gilbey to move to the gates if she needed to. The spurs are very blunt, they just help the horse understand what you want them to do! Miss White was riding the amazing Gilbey and leading Dodge, and Hetty was riding her darling horse Midge.
The river that they had to cross was running a little bit high because of the heavy rain the night before, but the horses didn’t mind. They liked the splashing of the water on their bellies, and they knew that on the way home they would get to have a long, cool drink to quench their thirsty throats.
Up the hill the horses strode, by the top they were sweating and puffing, but they loved being out with the wind in their manes. Hetty and Miss White chattered happily, they were glad to be out riding too.
 The sun was starting to go down, so they headed towards home. On the last gate, Miss White unhooked the gate and Gilbey pushed it open with his nose, then everyone walked through and both Gilbey and Dodge closed the gate with their chests, then waited for Miss White to hook the chain up again. They are such helpful horses!
It wasn’t until they were home and unsaddled, with their tummies rumbling for some food, that Miss White noticed one of her spurs was missing. The hill was so muddy that day, and they had ridden such a long way, that Miss White resigned herself to the fact that she would probably never see her spur again.
A couple of days later, Hetty put the horses out into the paddock that leads down to the river and the hill. There was plenty of green grass, and the horses were very glad to be there! They kicked up their heels and galloped around, then put their heads down to munch the delicious, juicy spring grass.
When Hetty went to bring them in the next morning, Gilbey wouldn’t come when he was called. Usually all the horses run to the gate when they see Hetty coming, but this time it was different, Gilbey wouldn’t move. He had his head down, peering at something on the ground under his nose. Hetty walked over to see what the problem was, and saw something glinting in the early morning sun. It was Miss White’s spur! Gilbey had found it, and wasn’t moving until Hetty picked it up to give back to Miss White! Hetty couldn’t believe her eyes, and when she had picked it up and put it in her pocket she gave Gilbey a scratch and he happily let her put on the halter and lead him away.
Gilbey is such a clever horse, I bet you can’t wait to read another one of his adventures!

A story about Gilbey...

Early one spring morning Purvy and Hetty woke up and got ready to start the day. Hetty cooked breakfast while Purvy went out to check on his baby calves. On his way out the front door something caught his eye. Right in the next paddock there were two rabbits, digging a hole!
Mr and Mrs Bunny had just hopped over from the far paddock, looking for a new home. They were looking for a suitable place to raise all their children and had just found the perfect spot. Well that would be fine and dandy, but on farms, rabbits are not welcome! They eat crops that are needed for stock, and dig dangerous holes all over the place. Purvy decided that enough was enough and snuck back inside to get his gun.
Just as he had the two bunnies lined up in the scope of his gun, he saw a large brown nose come into the picture. He took his finger off the trigger and laid down the gun, only to see Gilbey telling Mr and Mrs Bunny that they had better move quickly because it wasn’t really a suitable place to stay! As Purvy watched, Mr and Mrs Bunny thanked Gilbey and hopped off. Gilbey lifted his head, winked and grinned at Purvy then trotted off.
Purvy could only shake his head and laugh, Gilbey is such a character!

Thoughts..

Three and a half weeks til Labour Weekend and I haven't even done a fast run on Gilbey yet! I'm not too worried, there's a long time til the Christmas circuit and we can just see where we're at at Labour weekend!
Looking forward to the hoedown though, catching up with old friends will be great.

Barrel Racing

I just had to post this photo of my beautiful quarter horse Ricky, this was the best run we ever did together even though we only got 5th! He wasn't mine but I ran off him all last summer, and he was the best horse you could've asked for to learn off. I look really funny because I'm kissing him to the next barrel but I think his beauty really takes over this photo! Reading through my other post I've realised how often I use an exclamation mark and how annoying it really is! I really should stop but I can't!!! It's an addiction! I don't know why I do it! 

New blogger!

I've been horse mad all my life. I competed on the 2009/10 New Zealand barrel racing circuit and had the time of my life. Now I live for riding and barrel racing, and absolutely love it! Moving cattle is great for downtime (only about 20 of them at a time, no huge herds around here!).

I have one dog, Ali, who is totally gorgeous but good for nothing (except making me feel totally loved and keeping me fit!) She's a rottweiler but thinks she is a person. I don't have my own horse at the moment but am lucky enough to be riding an amazing one called Gilbey at the moment, lent to me by my very dear friends H and G. Will keep you posted on our progress through this 2010/11 barrel racing season, fingers crossed!

Here is my darling Ali after burying something in my vegetable garden and knowing she is in deep trouble!

Will post more soon