2008

May
Well, we are going to be staying a little closer to home over the next few months as Ernie just had hip surgery.  But their daughter Lisa, a Milwaukee police officer, came out to help during the surgery and rode me and practiced the mounted shooting which she enjoyed and I did good.

I am looking forward to MacKensie coming out from IL after her 8th grade graduation at the end of the month to stay for the month of June.  First stop is we are going to attend a Sharon Camarillo Clinic and then MacKensie is going to compete on me at the Eastern Classic in IL in October.

So May and June are going to be spent at home in Darbyland getting ready for shows, practicing and hopefully some trail rides.  I will write again when we start to travel.

Remember to all “Dare to Dream” and “Share a Smile it is Free”

March
Well it is time for CMSA Festival of the West competition and our Dare to Dream shootout with Horses Help center in Phoenix AZ.  What a fun time, one young girl showed up early so she was able to help get me ready with Ernie and give me a little special attention on grooming before we went out to compete in the big arena. (See Picture)

Well we are now getting ready to pack and prepare for our journey from AZ to IL to visit the family.  Wow this is an interested trip we took a different route and stayed at a feed lot the 1st night in Delhart, TX there were tons of cattle everywhere, but the pens were nice and rooming to stretch our legs.  Next stop was another sale barn in IA, not as many cattle and a great place inside from the rain to lay down and rest for the night.  Finally we arrived at a wonderful families farm the Neisendorf’s in Genoa IL.  We can not THANK them enough for their hospitality.  We had a lot of fun and even went on a trail ride one day that it was not raining.  (See Picture) We hope Farmer and his family get to come visit us in MT this summer or next.  Well finally we got Kendra 2 yrs old riding again after her getting close to me all week.  Now all she says is Jo Jo.

Part 2 of the Midwest trip is now Equine Affaire in Ohio – we made it in to Columbus Wednesday morning and Kim and Diane set up my booth in the Youth Pavillon and then Thursday am morning call for 4 days of show time, which was wonderful.  (See Picture)

We got to meet a lot of new people and see old friends, like the Kerestes family who stopped by the booth for a photo shoot with 3 generations. (See Picture)  Kendra says in contact with me throughout the year and lets me know how their 4H group is doing which 8 members attended the show this year.

Part 3 early morning 4am wake up call on Monday and we are off to Tunica, MS for the CMSA National Championships and our largest yet Dare to Dream Shootout with 19 students.  Tom Seay with Best of America by Horseback was also in attendance this year and did some filming for his show and they did some interviews and clipper product spotlights with me.  It was a great time working with everyone at Spirit Therapies center, it is one of our favorite places to travel to.   Also this year was fun as Kim Riege from WI rode me in the Ladies level 1 division and we placed 4th overall, Kim gets to shoot once a year with us and we had a good time I hope she comes and shoots again on me, soon.

Part 4 we all loaded up from Mississippi for the journey home to MT and 2,000 miles of freeway awaiting us – we stopped in Missouri the first night and then drove to South Dakota the 2nd day and finally home to Darby on day 3 – boy was there still a lot of snow here Montana, it was still winter.  One day we went from 83 to 33 temp’s, crazy.  The best part of being home is that we are all able to run in our pastures, although we all slept in the sun the first couple of days.

Well first thing we did when we got home was go pick up Grey and my little buddy Doc Holiday.  He was very fury with his winter hair coat so Diane and Ernie got out the KM2’s again and body clipped him, it was funny watching as he stood all 32” of him in the cross ties and they body clipped and the hair just fell like he was at a dog groomers, he looks great and is now ready to go school and read for the 1st graders.

February
Well we are all getting ready for Cowboy Mounted Shooting practice and the events that are coming up so I am running the patterns.  Also there is A LOT of team roping where we are staying so I am hazing the cattle and sometimes I get to heel a few steers or bring up the cattle during the roping's.

 Friends Steve & Peggy Gander have arrived for a few weeks visit and it is time for me to get my body clip and Peggy is going to do pictures with Diane, see www.guaranteedcowgirl.com.  Next thing I know Ernie & Peggy both have WAHL Clipper KM2’s and 5 wide blades and they body clip each taking a side and in no time at all I was done, I love the KM2’s for body clipping.  I was impressed with my new hair cut.  We then took some fun pictures in the desert.   (See Picture)

January
My year is so fortunate to kick off with one of my favorite events and that is going to Horses Help Therapeutic Riding Center in Phoenix, AZ  and visit the kids and this year it was their annual Winter Classic Show and Special Olympics.  Rick Lamb was there filming his TV show “The Horse Show” for RFD-TV and I was interviewed and it should aired sometime this summer.  Diane was able to help out as one of the judges and had a great time visiting everyone and helping out. 

So then some weather was upon us with the rains and cold temp’s so we did not do a lot of riding, plus Diane went back to Wisconsin for a few weeks to visit and I stayed back and just rested with the other ponies. (See Picture)

We received some great news that our own Shooting Ranch Student Jessica Beers of Missoula, MT is announced as Montana’s 2008 Goodwill Ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy (See Picture)

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2007

December
Well like most of everyone the weather was quite different this year and we had to wait quite a while till we could leave MT for AZ and wait for a break in the weather. (See Picture)

Finally it came and we loaded up the 2 rigs, 6 horses, 2 dogs and Ernie & Diane and we headed to Arizona, boy was there a lot of snow as we traveled through Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and finally Arizona where me and my hauling partner enjoyed some fresh air at a rest stop. (See Picture)

We got all checked in at our new home for the next few months at Silver Bit Ranch in Aguila, AZ.

November
Wow viva Las Vegas – I had a little round trip by Vegas down to the AZ State Finals in Prescott, AZ so Diane could compete and get ready with Dottie for World.  We arrived in Vegas on Monday and I got acquainted with my new jockey for the week Vayle Johnson who lives in WA state.  We practiced at Horsemans park before we all checked in at the South Point.  Wednesday started with the “WAHL Dare to Dream Shootout” and Spirit Therapies riders and CMSA contestants from around the country including TN and one young girl who flew in from FL and come right from the airport to compete with all of us.  Everyone had a good time and I enjoyed having all the kids ride me and go through the course.   Well Thursday started a little different as I was competing in the Wrangler division with Vayle as my jockey, I was a little nervous under the big lights and arena but Vayle did a great job of letting me know it would be OK and we competed in all 6 go rounds and finished in the Top Ten.  Best part was each day Vayle would come play with me in the stall for hours and just brush me and sometimes some of her friends would stop by too.  THANKS to Vayle and her family for making my trip to Vegas a great one and I hope Vayle and I get to compete again sometime.  (See Picture)

After World we went home to Darby for some rest and then it was time to get ready for all of us to head to Arizona for the winter.  We hit a snow storm on the way home from Vegas but all made it home safelyde it home safely

October
Next stop on the tour trailer was 2008 WAHL Sharon Camarillo Eastern Classic @ the WAHL Equestrian center.  It was an honor to have Sharon Camarillo ride me in the opening ceremonies at her event, I hope that next year I may compete in the Barrel
Racing.

While we were in town we were able to catch up with friends from WAHL Clipper that came out see me and ride with me as they have been part of my life since the beginning and I have to check and see how much all the kids have grown.

YAHOO we are finally on our way home to Darby, MT and can not wait to run in my pastures.  All the places we stayed were great but there is no place like home. But not so quickly, the truck has problems in WY and we U turn back to SD and get to stay at 7 Down Arena www.sevendown.net as our truck needs a new transmission. We were able to trail ride, practice shooting and team roping during our 7 day layover and it is a beautiful facility.  Thanks to everyone @ 7 Down that made our situation into a pleasant vacation stay…

Finally 7,000 miles since we left in August we reach Darbyland and see how pretty everything is with the fall foliage in full swing.  Our 1st visitors are the Beer’s family and they are quick to groom Doc Holiday and check out his new checkerboard print. 
(See Picture)

I am now getting ready to head to Las Vegas for the CMSA World Finals where I will compete in the “WAHL Dare to Dream Shootout” and have a surprise that I have a lovely new girl jockey of 8 years old from Washington (Vayle Johnson) that is going to compete on me in the 2007 CMSA World Wrangler competition.  We are busy getting all the bling bling equipment out for Vayle to ride me.  So we are packing and practicing for all this and will write more and send pictures Soon.

Happy trails to all & “DARE TO DREAM”

September
Wow, what a journey we were able to stop off in Missouri and visit some good friends and get some great tune up tips to help Diane for her upcoming shoots from her friends Roy & Theresa Cox www.CoxPerformanceHorses.com. 

We finally arrived for our 12 day stay in Murfreesboro and boy was it hot & humid, but a beautiful town and fun that it was so close to Nashville.  It was the CMSA Eastern Championships and there was also a great cancer fundraiser call Outlaw Annie’s Shoot for a Cure, which Ernie competed on me in and I wore bright Pink Rundown boots, boy did they stand out.

Hello, Wisconsin Mill’s Farm Technology Days in Albany, WI.  Doc Holiday and I traveled to this event to help with the WAHL Trailer and conduct demo’s on Therapeutic Riding and the Benefits and meet up with some old friend the Simpson family.  They helped conduct the seminars with us for the next 3 days and Doc Holiday helped at the WAHL Clipper trailer demonstrating on himself the different blades and lengths on his hair coat.  When it was all over it was he had a checker board on both sides of his hindquarters.

Now we were off to Tomah WI and a presentation at a VA Hospital and yes Doc Holiday also.  The weather was very cold and rainy so we made it through the first demo but then the 2nd one had to move inside and I was unable to attend because it was on the gymnasium floor, but Doc was able to slip on his tennis shoes and do the presentation. He was then invited to go to the hospital and ride the elevator and visit patients in their rooms.  This was truly a special day for Doc and he has a lifetime of memories and already is making plans to go back and visit next year.

We are back to a familiar area with everyone from last year and that is the Corn Maze @ Sandy Pine Elk Farm www.sandypineelkfarm.biz in Deer Grove, IL.   Last year I competed with Jessie Kuka from MN and this year I get to have Diane ride me and she is teamed up with Chad Little from St. Michael, MN www.littleperformancehorses.com.  The corn maze can be seen on Sandy Pine Elk farm site and it was a challenging 3 rounds of competition they combined the Cowboy & Cowgirl times together for 3 rounds and Chad & Diane won, it was an honor for this Mustang to hold his own and be paired with Chad’s great horse Ricochet.  The event was presented by Silver Lining Herbs www.silverliningherbs.com  which was great as Ricochet and I both use their products.  Also Chad and Diane each won a new Colt Revolver sponsored by Colt & AJ Horses, (www.ajhorses.com & www.coltsmfg.com ). The Corn Maze will also be aired in the spring of 2008 on Horsecity.com.  
(See Picture)

August
Oh my gosh we just got the news that I have been inducted into the Wild Horse and Burro Hall by Western States.  I think it was a first as they said Diane was speechless  so they asked if Ernie & Diane could come to Reno and accept the award for me, but that I did not need to be present as it was in banquet room above the Reno Livestock Event Center, so off they flew to pick up my award.  (See Picture)

Now we are planning a trip back East and will be gone for 8 weeks. First stop is the Montana State & Regional Shoot in Bozeman, MT then it is off to Murfreesboro, TN.

July
I received a great surprise in July when Jean Jackson stopped by to visit me and take me out for a ride.  Jean now leaves in AZ, but use to come help at the riding center so we went for a ride and enjoyed the mountain views. (See Picture)

Well the heat is on so we ride early or late at night, it has been in the triple digits for a long time.  A friend from IL came out and did a photo shoot with me, Doc & the Beer’s family for some new WAHL Clipper ads. (See Picture 1) (Picture 2) (Picture 3)

We were going to go to some shows but then the forest fires came and were very close to our house so we did not do anything but stay prepared for Stage 1 evacuation. Everything turned out OK and all animals and everyone’s structures were ok with the Tin Cup fire, which was good news (See Picture1) (Picture 2)

June
LA or Bust, not sure where we are going but 3 of us this time, me, Dottie and my best friend Doc Holiday are on the road to City of Industry, CA.  We are going to attend a cancer fundraiser and do a photo shoot @ Ford dealership in town
(See Picture 1) (Picture 2)

Doc Holiday put his new tennis shoes on and with Megan went and sold WAHL tennis balls for a fund raiser at the event (See Picture).  We were right downtown LA which was cool.

Next stop was Doc Holiday & I and the travel crew went to Havre, MD for a Muscular Dystrophy camp and conducted the 1st Annual Rodeo with Barrel racing and it was Team Doc Holiday against Team Nevada Joe.  I think Doc’s team won.
(See Picture 1) (Picture 2)

Fun fact about the event was that Doc Holiday decided he did not want to ride in the trailer anymore so he hopped in the Beer’s family van for a ride, until we found him (See Picture)

June 30th – Big day at the ranch as it was the FUN SHOW and all the animals where participating in a fun filled day of classes ranging from Halter – Horsemanship – Musical Stalls (which Emanda & I won) – Shootout and Egg & Spoon Race.
(See Picture)

Plus Doc got to participate in Mother, Bribe your pony class, he always seems to get in all the events. (See Picture)

Another big day was that is was MacKensie Oberg’s 13th Bday and she came already from IL to celebrate with her grandparents Ernie & Diane and me of course, but once again look who gets the picture with the balloons.  (See Picture)

May/April
Equine Affaire in Ohio was awesome, we performed in the main coliseum a demo for the BLM with Seymour.  It was very cold and raining out and I got to come in a little early to warm up as part of my Demo included Cowboy Mounted Shooting,  I got to meet Monty Roberts as he was conducting a demo after mine, that was neat. The rest of the weekend Seymour and I changed shift at the BLM booth and was able to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones.

Monday morning 4 am was an early wake call and we loaded everyone up and we were off to the CMSA National Finals in Tunica, MS.  We arrived in MS and quickly prepared for the WAHL Dare to Dream Shootout with team members from Heart’s Desire riding center.  It was great to see the staff and all the riders again.  Especially to hear about the accomplishments of some of the past year’s students.  We all had a lot of fun popping balloons and getting pictures taken.  I also got to compete in  stage 2 of the Nationals with Diane riding me which was FUN because we were in the Big arena, Diane won the Ladies 4 division and I had helped.

Well it is another week later and another early morning wake up call and we are heading off to MT, but not before one of our friends CMSA World Champion Tammy Scronce’s of Westhoff, TX and her  Aunt came to say goodbye.  Her Aunt came to visit from Australia and we went for a ride that morning.  (See Picture)

We have arrived back in Darby and started back with lessons right away and getting ready for another competition @ end of the month where I am practicing with my new partner 10 year Dustin Busenbark who will be competing with me in the Wrangler class  @ Townsend Ranch Shootout and his Grandma Pat Busenbark who is also a NARHA Certified Riding Instructor.  Wow did time fly as the shoot is here already and it is snowing and cold so the 1st day was inside and 2nd day outside and shortly after the final round the skies open and boy did it rain, but I was already home safe and dry.  Everyone loaded up to the awards where Pat won 1st Place on me & Dustin also place  in the Wranglers class, what a great weekend for all of us. (See Pictures)

Another surprise is we have a visitor for 8 weeks, Megan Fierro who is doing an internship with Black Hawk College of Kewanee, IL.  Megan is ironically from Hamilton, Michigan and I am one of her projects. When Megan arrived we told her she would see all different kinds of weather as it is snowy now and she can not see the mountains, but we do live in them and it will get real hot before she travels home.   (See Picture)

March / April - 2007
Well shooting season is getting ready and a good friend Kim Riege from Deerfield, WI came down and rode me at a MSA match at the Ben Avery Shooting Range and then off to Rawhide for the ACMSA Festival of the West where we finished 3 rd in her ladies class, with record temperatures of 104 degrees.

Now the journey begins as we are traveling to IL and stopping by and visiting everyone at WAHL Clipper & family and then heading to the Equine Affaire in Ohio where I will be part of the BLM booth – April 12 – 15. Then we are going to the CMSA Nationals in Tunica MS and then the big final drive back to Darby, MT.

I have also just been notified that I will be attending an event in June @ City of Industry Expo Center in CA called Rundown for Life –Mounted Shooting for a Cause to benefit American Cancer Society, please check it out on www.rundownrodeos.com

February - 2007
Equine Affaire in Pomona CA was our next travel stop after Border Wars as we were invited to participate in the Celebrity Horse section. It was very busy with visitors from a lot of different states and one group of 4 H students had a fund raiser and traveled from Alaska to attend the event. (see picture)

We loaded up and traveled from CA to Aguila, AZ, I was not sure where we were, but yes we were still in the desert country but it was beautiful and I worked on new tricks and even did some team roping.

We attended a 2 day seminar in Whittman, AZ for Silver Lining Herbal products and I got my teeth floated by a great equine dentist from Oregon Leslie Huford and guess what? At age 12 I still had my wolf teeth, I feel so much better now having my teeth worked on. Then everyone observed some before & after pictures of me since I have taken the herbs my Thyroid condition which was very visible in my thick neck line is not there anymore and I feel great. Thanks to Silver Lining Herbs and Mickey & Lori Young, for more information on these great products that I eat everyday checkout www.silverliningherbs.com

January - 2007
Saturday’s will never quite be the same since I attended Winter Classic horse show at a local Phoenix Premiere NARHA Center – Horses Help, www.horseshelp.org What a wonderful day we had meeting students that had competed with us @ the 1 st CMSA World Shootout and one extra special person, Dillion Hayes who is on the front of the website. We were both so excited to see each other and his brother finally got to ride by himself and we rode around together a lot it was fun.

All I have to say is the Dillion is truly an “Ambassador of Joy” as his instructor phrased it. I would have to say that it applies to the whole family.

Well then it was off to a wonderful training facility in Cave Creek of Dan Byrd’s which is where we spent January, with their record snow the year we are there. We can not thank Dan & his staff enough for the 1 st class treatment. Check out his facility at www.danbyrdhorses.com.

Border Wars they called it and the game was on in Blythe, CA, so Pat Busenbark one of own Shooting Star Ranch NARHA instructors flew down and competed on me in this CMSA event for 2 days and won her ladies class. Congratulations.

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2006

December

Well the family has decided to go to AZ for the Holidays and I meet up with my youngest rider yet, Kendra Oberg 1 yr old, who came to visit and rode me. We also got to stay at the wonderful equestrian facility, Pretty Penny Ranch, which is like an awesome equine spa. (See photo)

November
Viva Las Vegas we were on our way to the bright lights for the CMSA World Finals.

I competed with Diane at a Regional shootout event the weekend before as she just had gotten the ok to try and ride and I was her pick to ride. Then came Wednesday and it was the WAHL – CMSA World Therapeutic Shootout, students from Spirits Therapy in Las Vegas competed plus Kelsie Coalter from Ohio all teamed up with past & current World Champion cowboys and cowgirls. The winning team was Kenda Lensigne from Ellensburg, WA
www.huntercreekranch.ws and her partner.
(See photos)

October
The next weekend we were still in Sterling IL @ the WAHL Equestrian Center and Sharon Camarillo rode me in the opening ceremonies for the Eastern Classic barrel racing event. That was way cool as she was just inducted in the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. There is a picture of Sharon and me on the website, can you find it?

September
I am busy getting ready to compete at the WAHL Outdoors Corn Maze and I get the most amazing letter from a young girl in WI that would like to meet me that has had 2 heart transplants and is only 8 years old. So her Mom & sisters traveled to IL to meet Doc Holiday & myself. (Please see attached letters)

My owner had knee surgery and was unable to ride me in the Corn Maze so a good friend from MN Jessie Kuka came down and rode me, it was so much fun. We were part of the Rick Lamb Horse Show that was televised on RFD-TV.

August
Reno or Bust here we come as we were part of the Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno, NV. Boy was that fun there was all types of mustangs and burros from all the surrounding states competing for the weekend. I was in a booth on the main floor and kept looking over at the booth across the way and they had the most beautiful buckskin mare that was their featured horse for their therapeutic riding program and her name was Bella. Please see her picture as I was able to meet her by our truck. Also I was able to perform Saturday night a Cowboy Mounted Shooting demonstration and that was fun running full speed down the alley shoot 10 balloons and then back up the alley, the crowd had a lot of fun with the blast from the past.

July
July 1 st was a great day for all of us at the center as Abby & Lena aka “Twins” competed at their first horse competition at a gymkahna in Corvallis, MT. Abby rode Grey and Lena rode me and she kept telling me I was so handsome, we competed in 5 events and had a great time. (Picture Attached)

We had a visitor from CA that rides at a center there. She rode with me today and I was on a lounge line for the lesson and she enjoyed her ride and took a lot of pictures with me.

Now my favorite friend has arrived for a month, MacKensie (Ernie & Diane’s granddaughter) she lives in IL and only gets to ride when she visits who just turned 12. So I have been assigned along with Doc Holiday as her projects for her stay. So when entered another gymkahna in Stevensville, MT and it was MacKensie 1 st time and we placed in the goat tying. MacKensie was hooked on this event so we entered a Tuesday night jackpot in Darby and goat tied again.

The heat wave has arrived and it is very hot almost everyday is over 95 and we are trying to get ready for the CMSA Utah State Championships in Spanish Fork. MacKensie has entered me in the Wrangler division. We have to compete in 6 go rounds in the big arena and under the lights of the rodeo grounds. MacKensie and I were 1 st of all the shooters and when it was all done we won the Wrangler division and were the Utah state champions.

We went to Salmon ID for a Team Roping jackpot and MacKensie took me and we played all around the fairgrounds and the race track until midnight and then drove home.

We are busy packing and getting ready to head to Reno, NV for the Wild Horse & Burro Expo. I will be part of the opening ceremony and be able to do some cowboy mounted shooting and then lectures on Therapeutic Riding, my favorite.

June
Well most of May and the 1 st part of June we traveled around in the area from ranch to ranch preparing for the Extreme Cowboy Race in Sacramento, CA. June is here and we loaded only myself up which was a rare treat and we headed to CA. Oh my gosh we went through Donner Pass and was it beautiful and steep with 40 miles of grade. We arrived at the Western States Expo and competed on Saturday in the Race and finished 6th. We just missed the top 5 cutoff for the finals by 2 points. But hopefully you will be able to see me on the race highlights in September, it was a lot of fun. (Picture Attached)

We arrived home for a week and repacked and headed off to Gillette, WY for the CMSA Western Regionals where we had another WAHL Therapeutic Shootout with students from Freedom to Ride and we had the Magnificent Seven compete. It was also a treat as one of my instructors Pat competed in the main match of the shoot with me and placed 3 rd in the Senior Ladies division. Opps I almost forgot Tuesday night there was an open rodeo and I competed in the team roping heeling, I had only practiced at home and never entered a real rodeo it was fun.

May
We had riding classes all month and helped Lydia get ready for her 1 st CMSA event. Lydia was able to shoot all 60 of her targets even though it rained the 1 st day and snowed on May 28, in Darby.

May 31 st we loaded up the gang – Doc Holiday and Kid Boscoe and headed to Missoula, MT and Hellgate Elementary and 120 1 st graders where we talked about what my job as a Therapeutic Riding horse is. Jessica was so happy to bring me to show n tell.
(Picture Attached)

April
We loaded up for the trip to Equine Affaire in Columbus, OH. I had a booth in the Celebrity Horse section and was able to lectures and the benefits of Equine Assisted Activities with the help of a new friend Kelsey. She helped with our demo and was able to perform Cowboy Mounted Shooting via horseback with her own dowel rod and pop the balloons. (Picture Attached)

After OH we loaded up and heading to Tunica, MS to help @ the CMSA Nationals with the WAHL Therapeutic Shootout and a great group of riders from Hearts Desire center.
(Picture Attached)

We then traveled home to Darby, MT to help with PTA Spring Fling kick off and I performed on the football field Cowboy Mounted Shooting and then had a photo session with Doc Holiday and Kid Boscoe. We also were part of the 1 st Annual WAHL – PTA Scholarship with Shooting Star Ranch Therapeutic Riding Program (Picture Attached)

March
We traveled from MT to Denver, CO for the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo for 3 days with Doc Holiday. There were snow storm warnings all around us and we made it through Cheyenne just before they closed the Interstate. The lectures went great and educating the public about Equine Assisted Activities with Horses and how it can benefit everyone. Thanks to Jim & Maddie Cline for helping us out.
(Picture Attached)

February
Had a visitor from Kona, Hawaii come ride me and we all compared notes from her Therapeutic Riding Center and Shooting Star’s... I even let her ride backwards which she said was her best experience. (Picture Attached)