French towns worried about fuel prices, pollution and striking transport workers need look no further than the horse.

Horses are a possible alternative for vehicles such as school buses and refuse trucks, say groups eager to pick up on global concerns about eco-friendly transport.

“It’s all about sustainable development and bringing some humanity back to today’s monotonous, machine-driven jobs,” Stephane de Veyrac, from the French National Stud Organisation, said at this week’s annual conference of French mayors.

De Veyrac’s group says it is the first in France to offer consulting on a wide range of horse-powered vehicles that could also haul bottles and aid street sweeping.

“It is a serious alternative – horses are already in use in over 70 towns as replacements for gasoline- and diesel-powered service vehicles,” said de Veyrac, pointing to the ‘Hippoville’ prototype parked in the exhibition hall.

With prices starting at 11,562 euros, this revamped horse-drawn carriage with disc brakes, signal lamps and removables eating, goes for around the same price as 170 barrels of crude oil.

De Veyrac’s group was founded by Louis XIV’s Finance Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert to supply war horses for military campaigns. 

The group is advising French towns interested in horses for city services. One project in northern France involves a pick-up route for glass bottles in the seaside resort of Trouville.

The project is backed by the Regional Horse Promotion Commission,which holds an annual convention in Trouville to promote horses for collecting recyclables, street sweeping, and even transporting children to school.

Olivier Linot, who heads the project, said towns are realising the beasts are well-adapted for certain work and can reduce job stress and dissatisfaction.

He expects at least 30 more communities to start using horses next year.

Studies about cost and overall carbon footprint are still underway but supporters say the animals beat cars and trucks on a number of criteria, especially for transport work requiring frequent stops over short distances, like emptying trash bins.

“It’s great for workers and the community to have contact with a living thing,” Linot said.

“The civil servants are on strike now, but I tell you if they had their hands on a horse they’d be happier – I’ve never seen a driver kiss his truck.”

Story Link:
 

 Norm Wilke is proud of his girls.

~~~

“It’s a hobby,” said Norm, who is 75 years old.

He keeps the Clydesdale mares in a stable near his Bargain Barn warehouse in Shiloh, Missouri.

He has raised Clydesdales for the past 17 years. Two mares, “Ruby” and “Babe”, stay at the Bargain Barn.

“Dawn” grazes near his farmhouse off Illinois 161 in Belleville. All three are pregnant and should deliver their foals in early spring. Norm plans to keep these three foals.

“I’d like to raise a few babies again.”

Most are dark brown (bay) with black manes, a white blaze on the forehead and white feet.

“They call those white stockings,” said Norm who grew up in St. Libory and has been around horses all his life.

Norm was asked about the gentle giant draft horses, famed mascots of Anheuser-Busch.

“People from Anheuser-Busch came out to look at it. The width of the white blaze was just right and so were the length of the stockings.”

Being chosen is also referred to as “making the hitch.” The foal’s father is from a Clydesdale farm in Springfield.

Norm was asked how he started raising Clydesdales and how did he drive them.

“I’ve always liked horsin’ around. When I was about 60, I thought it was time for retirement, time to try something new.

I went to an auction and got my first team of draft horses in Columbia, Missouri. They were both females and easy to train.”

Norm uses reins to guide the horses. Usually three are in a line. The middle horse has to be adaptable, able to turn by side-stepping, “To be good, they have to be ground-stompers and pick up their feet and hold themselves up and look proud.”

He drives them in local parades, most recently Mascoutah’s homecoming.

The reporter continued to ask Norm about his his pride and joy … his Clydesdales.

Do you have a favorite horse?
“”Dawn” had a foal this spring that qualified to make the team of Clydesdales at Anheuser-Busch.”

How much do they eat?
“They each eat a gallon and a half of grain a day and go through two-thirds of a bale of hay a day,” said Norm. “I have to keep the trough full because they can drink three to four gallons at a time.”

How big are Clydesdales at birth and how long do they usually live?
“Babies are about 3 feet tall at birth and weigh 125 pounds. Adult Clydesdales are 6 feet tall at the shoulder and usually weigh between 1,600 and 2,200 pounds. Most Clydesdales live to 20-25 years of age.

“Most of the babies are born late at night. I stay up with them, but if I leave for awhile, that’s usually when they have them.”

When can people visit the horses?
 ”They can come by anytime we’re open,” said Norm. Sometimes people come by after we’re closed but the horses are still out.” Visitors may pet them but are not allowed to feed them.

Norm is proud to still be enjoying the Clydesdales.
He plans to continue, regardless of his age.

Horse racing jockeys experience their first camel race.

Australia’s first outbreak of equine flu this past August saw racing stop across the nation and thousands of recreational horses quarantined on properties to try and stop the flu spreading.

City officials had imposed an indefinite ban on racing, which left racetracks abandoned and losing millions of dollars in revenue and punters desperate to place a bet.

Australia’s horse-racing circuit may have hit a bump after equine influenza paralyzed the pool of steeds this year, but it’s not a hump the industry couldn’t get over.

Pat Farmer encourages his camel
as he rides his mount to a win in the second race.

In October, Sydney hosted its first camel race with contenders such as Sir Hump-a-lot, Sand King and Speed Hump competing to help arenas suffering financially from the ban on horse racing imposed by officials over the equine flu.

The camels were among six beasts that competed in seven races at Sydney’s Harold Park Paceway.

Even though spectators were not able to place bets on the races — camel racing is not recognized by Australia’s premier betting organization TAB — the event expected to attract 10,000 people.

“People haven’t been out and about and they’re just wanting to get out and see something race,” said Harold Park’s food and beverage manager Robert Vine. “I think it’s probably the novelty, something not many people have ever seen in Sydney before.”

Camel racing, which started in Australia more as a tourist attraction than a professional sport, usually takes place on outback racetracks. Australian camel racing jockeys are mostly women, unlike the Middle East, where boy jockeys are the norm, and camels race in sprints, not long distance races.

Cameleer Lionel Keegan stands with one of his charges at Sydney’s first camel race meet

Camels were first brought to Australia from Afghanistan in the early 1800s to help build major railway and telegraph lines in the outback. They were also used extensively for exploration purposes and as a pack animal.

By 1895 the camel population had increased to approximately 6,000 head and today the population is estimated at up to 150,000 animals.

Reuters Photographs

 A horse-drawn caisson slowly rolls toward a burial site
at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

It could be an old man who lived a full life. It could be a young man who died too soon.

Better not to know, they say. Do your job, do your best to pay tribute to them.

“This husband, this son has earned the right to have a caisson funeral,” says Sgt. Jason Baldwin.

“We get to take them to their final rest.”

Baldwin was riding Hall, a 22-year-old veteran of these ceremonies, a horse that knew without being told the route through the painful beauty of Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, with its bright white headstones, to the burial site where the soldier’s family waited.

Fort Sam Houston’s is the only full-time caisson section in the country other than the illustrious Old Guard at Ft. Myer at Arlington Cemetery.

It doesn’t share the same high profile, but it has the same charge: to convey departed soldiers to their final resting place in a rite with deep roots in military tradition.

In this age of modern warfare, there is something comforting in the fact that the Army still has a need for horses.

On this day, when the hearse arrived, the men straightened up in their saddles, their backs erect and their faces grave. The horses shifted their feet and arched their necks, sensing their job was about to begin.

Baldwin trotted out on Hall and saluted as he passed the hearse, then turned to face the caisson.

A six-man military honor guard removed the flag-covered casket from the hearse, gently carried it to the caisson and secured it to its bed.

Baldwin swung Hall around and began to walk. The caisson moved forward.

There was a rhythmic clop-clop-clop of horses’ hooves, jangling of the harness chains and creaking of wheels as the caisson section made its steady, solemn progress.

When the group arrived at the burial spot, the honor guard removed the casket and carried it to the bier (elevated platform).

The caisson moved on. There would be taps and gunfire and a eulogy, but the men on the horses wouldn’t be there for it. Their job was done.

If there is one thing the soldiers of the Fort Sam Houston caisson section are sure of, it’s that what they do has a place in today’s world.

“This is not a regular job, this means something to me. I’ve been to Iraq, I know what happens,” Baldwin says. “I love being able to give honor to those who have fallen or have returned and done their part.”

The Army itself even changed the lyrics of its official song from the original “And the caissons go rolling along” to “And the Army goes rolling along.”

But at Fort Sam Houston, nine soldiers, eight horses and a stable master make sure that a caisson does still roll — for those who served their country and those who paid the ultimate price doing so.

To anyone who has walked along the beaches of Canada’s Prince Edward Island after a storm, the sight of Irish Moss is very familiar.

This seaweed is found from the low tide mark to approximately 30 feet of water and is one of the seaweeds thrown up by the action of the waves.

A fascinating sight is the collecting of Irish Moss with the use of horses.

Irish Moss is a small edible sea plant that may be greenish, reddish or purplish in color. Although small, it is sturdy and fan-shaped like broccoli and has many “branches” near the top.

It flourishes in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence where it grows around the low tide mark.

Irish Moss can be harvested by boat, tractor, horses or by hand.

The horse-hauling method, which could be considered the old traditional means of gathering moss, is actually still quite common.

When the weather is especially windy with heavy wave action, horses are sometimes in water up to their necks.

Pulling the loads of moss can require 30 to 40 horses abreast. The horse mossers collect Irish moss near shore with rakes and wire-mesh scoops pulled through the  water by a moss horse.

It is, indeed, a fascinating sight to see the collecting of Irish Moss with the use of horses. Such horses are usually large and fearless.

While a seemingly unassuming little plant, the carrageenan extracted from Irish Moss is extremely useful.  It is an emulsifier – a kind of natural gelatin and stabilizing agent.

Irish moss is an important component of many of our favorite foods and useful products. When we consume ice cream, chocolate milk, salad dressings, sherbet, flavourings, confectionery, beer or use insect sprays, water based paints, shampoos, toothpaste or cosmetics, we’re almost certain to be using carrageenan, a starch-like non caloric substance extracted from Irish moss.

These are just a few of the thousand or more products that contain carrageenan which is extracted from the Irish Moss.

Once a small cottage industry, Irish Moss harvesting is now a lucrative commercial activity that takes place in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in early spring through until late autumn.

In some parts of the Island, Irish Moss harvesting is second only to lobster fishing and is worth approximately $1-5 million annually.

In addition, because of the use of horses for harvesting, it remains a popular tourist attraction.

~~~

Irish Moss Gathering Photographs: Courtesy of Roger Hicks

Link: Storm Photographs

This story is from a letter written by
Pete Lammert with the Maine Forest Service

~~~

The man in the picture is Jacques Leroux who lives near Escourt Station, Maine. He has always had work horses, first for actual work and then for show at Maine’s’ many summer fairs.

I think he had two matched pairs, one Clydesdales and the other Belgiums.

He would turn them out to pasture each morning and then work them in the afternoon dragging the sled around the fields.

Three springs ago, he noticed a female moose coming to the pasture and helping herself of the hay and what grain the work horses didn’t pick up off the ground.

Jacques said he could get within 10 feet of the moose before it would turn and move off.

Two springs ago, the moose foaled at the edge of the work horse pasture and upon getting to it’s feet had not only the mother in attendance but the four horses.

The young moose grew up around the horses and each afternoon when Mr. Leroux took the teams for their daily exercise the yearling moose would trail along the entire route next to the near horse.

At some point, the yearling got so accustomed to Mr. Leroux that, after he had brushed each horse after a workout, he started brushing down the moose.

The moose tolerated this quite well so Mr. Leroux started draping harness parts over the yearling to see how he would tolerate these objects.

The yearling was soon harness broken and now came the question of what could you do with a harness broke moose.

NEWS BULLETIN FROM MAINE
Oh no!  It just ain’t true !!
Yep, sure nuf’ … they got me !!

And to add insult to injury, I’m even way behind the times.
This story started making the rounds nearly a year, ago.
Check it out, unless you (like me) still believe in Santa.

Link: The real trufff … according to Snoops

However, these photos are true (I hope)

Link:

Ben Moore’s Moose In Harness
Historical Photographs
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Link:

Finally, the word is out. It’s official.

Tina, from Niota, Tennessee is now in the Guinness Book of World Records for 2008 as the Tallest Horse in the World.

Tina’s owners Jim and Marge Williams received the good news Thursday morning, October 25, 2007.

In July, Guinness representatives traveled to the Springbrook Inn in Niota to officially measure the very large Shire horse.

At 20 hands tall, Tina has officially claimed the title, “World’s Tallest Horse.” That puts Tina at nearly seven feet tall. She has taken the top spot from former record holder Radar who is a little more than 19 hands tall.

Tina should have no problem holding on to her new title. Her owners expect her to continuing growing, topping out around 23 hands.

Tina’s sire “Deighton Royal Diplomat” was imported from England and stands at 19.1 hands.

Tina was raised on the Jenson Shire farm in Blair, Nebraska and sold to the Williams when she was 4 months old.   Her official name is “Jenson’s Diplomat Tina “.

~~~

Re-written from news sources:

Knoxville, Tennessee News

Tina Grows Another Inch Since Setting Guinness Record

Link:  Simply Marvelous Earlier Post -Tina, Tallest Horse ? Update

                                                                                                      Link:   Simply Marvelous Earlier Post – Tennessee Horse Could Be World’s Tallest

~~~

Sad Update April 2008
Tina Dies

Racing The Flames of the Southern California Fires

There’s always a way…

 
With contact number quickly added …
horse is now safe at center.

Home Sweet Home is now a horse trailer in a parking lot

Horses rescued from one ranch stick together.

At rescue centers, names and identification
of each horse are clearly marked on paddocks.

Rescue horses were brought to Laguna Woods Equestrian Center, a horse facility for senior citizens.  Many of these riders are well into their 80′s, still caring for their horses. 

They didn’t hesitate to take the horses
threatened by the fires.

Coming Home !

One family manages to save their pets
plus those of their neighbors.
Story Link:  Here is their story.

~~~

Link: News Rescue Stories

Photos: Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register,
San Diego Tribune

For Details:
Strawberry Lane

Horses wait for rescue as fire threatens in San Diego, Ca.

Link: Looking For Mom

Medical student, Katalin Szabo, examines Apache
for telling signals of discomfort 

~~~

It’s hard to ignore a patient who weighs 1,200 pounds, stands 7 feet tall and won’t hesitate to nip you if she doesn’t like what you’re doing.

But those attributes are precisely why medical students can benefit from working with horses, according to the philosophy behind a new elective course at Stanford Medical School, “Medicine and horses: A communications model for the doctor-patient relationship.”

Not intended for veterinary students, it’s geared toward making medical students more conscious of how they come across when interacting with others.

On the first day of course No. 252 at the Stanford University School of Medicine, a pack of horses were brought down from pasture near Portola Valley and herded into a corral, so the students could lean against the fence like wranglers and study … horses.

They were looking for both leadership and followership in the horse hierarchy, as indicated by ear pinning, tail swishing, nudging and nipping.

 
Dr. Beverly Kane with “Dream”

For many people, the idea of horses helping medical students hone their communication skills might conjure up images of Mr. Ed, the “talking” horse of TV fame, the bangs of his palomino mane flopping around as he tossed his head while lip-syncing to the soundtrack.

But Mr. Ed would have no place in this class, as horses who can’t speak the language are preferred: The point is to improve nonverbal communication.

Still, why don’t the students just stick to human beings?

“Animals in general respond to people in ways that are so transparent and honest,” said Sam LeBaron, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and director of the Center for Education in Family and Community Medicine.

“They hold up a mirror for students that they may not get from human patients.”

Beverley Kane, MD, added that just because patients can talk doesn’t mean they will. “Human patients don’t always tell you what’s on their mind,” she explained.

“We’ve all been socialized into hiding our feelings and reactions, especially from somebody in a white coat.

Horses will tell you in no uncertain terms how you’re affecting them—if you pay attention to the right signals.”

During every class, the students encounter a new horse, so just like a doctor with a new patient, the first task is always the introduction.

On one particular day, the task was to listen to the heartbeat. Kane said a common complaint is that doctors come at patients with a cold stethoscope, without taking time to establish rapport.

Medical student, Szabo, with her hand on the horse’s side, gently applied the stethoscope, sliding it down to the belly, behind the foreleg, to the heart.

After a few moments, she said she could hear the heart as well as a good amount of “digestive rumbling.” But the real measure of success was her patient’s calm—no ears laid back, no fidgeting, no walking away.

Fifth-year medical student, Tracy Dooley, said “I became a lot more conscious of how I behaved in certain situations. “What my body language would be telling a patient, or in this case what it was communicating to the horses, as opposed to verbal signals.”

But the class is about more than just making students aware of how their behavior affects a patient. Many medical students who don’t have experience dealing with horses are intimidated when they have to approach such a large animal, which LeBaron said is another thing of which doctors need to be aware.

“We want to become more mindful, as doctors, how we behave when we feel a little stressed or a little intimidated,” LeBaron said. “That’s something that virtually is never talked about, and the truth is doctors are as human as anybody else.”

Last spring was the first time the course was offered at the medical school. At the end of the session, Kane and the students hoped to see the class continue. It’s an elective and is completely supported by donations, so the future wasn’t guaranteed.

However, the latest word from Stanford University is that the classes have proven so popular and successful that the funding has been provided and the classes will continue.

So now, the  lesson horses are on notice that herds of med students are about to stampede onto the ranch again.

Story Link:

  ”Angel “and “Missy” prepare for World Class Show
with Ken and Sonja Airgood

In an American first, the annual world showcase event for Clydesdale horses — the big, stylish breed of draft-style animals made famous by the Budweiser hitch — will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

“Jake” of the Budweiser Team
gets beauty treatment.

Organizers said they would have felt the show was an unqualified success with 500 horses. Well over 600 stallions, mares and geldings of all ages and from all across North America have registered to be shown in a variety of classes.

“Flower Girl” and “Penny” arrive from Alberta, Canada
with owner, Allen Gordeyko.

“It’s really a terrific opportunity to have a show of this quality here,” said Ken Airgood of rural Marshall. He and his wife, Sonja, have been breeding and raising Clydesdales for almost 10 years

Classes at the show will range from halter classes, which are like beauty pageants, to pleasure riding classes to genuinely exciting driving classes where elegant rigs pulled by the powerful animals compete against each other.

The carriages and wagons are powered by as many as six of the huge, high-stepping horses harnessed together, driven by expert drivers who handle up to 40 pounds of reins.

There’s little room for error, and drivers need to be strong, capable and confident to handle horses that average about a ton each.

As they wait for the shiny show harnesses to be carefully attached to the cart, carriage or wagon they will be pulling, the towering horses fairly dance with excitement, eager to be off.

“The breed has a reputation for being tractable. They are bigger than the light horse breeds, of course, but you handle and train them the same way you’d train any other breed, with consistency, discipline, rewards and praise.  It’s important, though, not to be intimidated,” Airgood said.

“The draft horse people are so welcoming and really helpful as you begin to learn about the horses,” he said.

“If you are at a show, and you have something break on a harness, for example, three guys will trip over themselves to help you get it fixed or replaced, and these are the same people you’ll be competing against in the next class.

It’s a great community.”

Airgood believes the popularity of all the draft breeds is increasing.

While there are several other popular draft breeds of horses, including Belgians, Percherons and Shires, the Clydesdales are undoubtedly the best-known heavy horse breed, thanks to the buzz surrounding the Budweiser hitches.

“They have really made the Clydesdales, which originated in Scotland, instantly recognizable.”

Ken and his wife have always loved the Clydesdales’ appearance.

“They’re just classy-looking to me. They have so much presence and personality,” he said.

 Scrooge Heads For Greener Pastures

Inspector Caroline Hemmingway
says Scrooge is fearless and brave.

~~~

His grumpy disposition earned him the name Scrooge, but no-one can deny the remarkable service the 20-year-old horse has given the Greater Manchester Police, in Britain.

Scrooge has retired, having given 16 years of service as a police mount.

He finished at the end of last week after what his human colleagues in the force all agree was a distinguished career, having chalked up the record as Manchester’s longest-serving police horse.

“He is a fantastic horse and has been a regular on patrol and at football matches,” says Chief Inspector Lynn Roby, head of Manchester’s mounted unit. “We will really miss him but, as he reaches his 20th birthday, he deserves a rest.

“Over the years many officers have learned to ride on Scrooge. He has faced every situation with a steadfast and calm attitude.

It is a sad day for the unit and for me as I often rode Scrooge when on duty at football matches. He is well loved by both officers and grooms.”

The 16.3hh bay joined the force in January, 1991, when nearly four years old.

He was originally named Morris, but all Greater Manchester Police horses are named after Charles Dickens characters.
Morris became Scrooge, because of his grumpy nature.

In the last 16 years he has policed football matches, as well as the Commonwealth Games and a recent Labour Party conference.

Inspector Caroline Hemmingway, who worked with Scrooge for the last four years, described him as fearless and brave. His strong personality helped him in his policing role, she said.

Scrooge will be returned to his former owners in Yorkshire. They have followed his career with interest, and are looking forward to taking care of him in his retirement.

Link:

A three-year-old Shetland pony named “Alfie” had a loneliness problem.

His owner, Sharon Sutherland said that the little pony started accompanying her to the pub three months ago after he started squealing when he was left alone in his pen.

Almost every day, he makes his way to the village pub in Woodmansterne, Surrey, England for a glass of Guinness and cheese crisps.

“He hates being alone so, if I go to the pub, he has to come, too,” Sutherland said.

‘There was a sign saying dogs weren’t allowed in, but it didn’t mention ponies,’ she said.

And though patrons at the pub were a bit surprised to see a horse in the place, he is now a welcome customer.

Landlord Matthew Lowe said: ‘I was a bit surprised but he’s a lovely horse and doesn’t cause any problems.’

Story Link:  Little Alfie

Earlier Post:  Shire Saddles Up To Bar

The Marwari horse of today is descended from the splendid war horses that have served the ruling families and warriors of feudal India.

Then, and throughout most of India’s history, their status was unparalleled.

They were declared divine, and superior to all men, including those of royal blood.

The Marwari horse is native to the Marwar region of India, and its origins are entwined with local folklore.

The Rathores, a warrior clan of the Raiputs, were driven from their kingdom of Kannaju around the 12th century.

The harsh and desolate land in which they resettled was known as “Maru Pradesh,” the land of death, and it required a rugged horse.

The native Marwari horse proved well suited for both the desert and its role in battle for the Rathore cavalry.

With their long history as warrior horses in the desert, the Marwari are adaptable and agreeable in a variety of rugged environments.

In the desert, their smaller frame and light weight help them negotiate uneven and soft desert sand.

The Marwari breed has long been noted for its exceptional hearing: allowing both horse and rider early warning of impending danger.

The Marwari horses have several distinctive physical characteristics.

They have an extremely proud bearing, distinctive aquiline head and deeply expressive eyes.

Perhaps most noticeable are the ears with their unusual lyre-shape which often appear to meet at the tips.

This is unique to the breed. They are noted for their graceful, active gait and their good nature.

~~~

Link: About The Marwari Breed

Link: Saving The Raja’s Horse ~ Smithsonian Magazine

THE LATEST FROM ROB PHILLIPS
Organizer ~ Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Ride

~~~

New Website

~~~

Word has come from Rob Phillips that they
are anticipating and preparing for the next
Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Ride.

~~~

There will be a limit of 60 riders.

~~~

All entrants must agree to place the care
and condition of their horses above the win.

~~~

Emphasis is made that this is not a race to the finish line,
but a safe and enjoyable ride through history.

~~~

Any riders pushing their horses in an unsafe or
aggressive manner will be pulled from the ride.

~~~

Each rider who completes the course and whose
mount is judged fit to continue will be awarded the
Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Ride buckle along with
the bragging rights of completing the historic trail.

~~~

The Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride,
sometimes referred to as the Santa Fe Ride,
is an annual event.

It is a 515 mile equine endurance ride conducted
over a fourteen day period and in
close proximity to the historic Santa Fe Trail.

The 2008 Ride will take place
August 31-September 13, 2008.

The ride will begin in Wagon Mound, New Mexico
and end in Council Grove, Kansas.

Both the start and the end are very historic sites
on the Santa Fe Trail.

~~~

Further news will be made available as plans progress.

Officially billed as “On The Trail of Genghis Khan”, Tim Cope described his expedition of more than three years as a tribute to the nomadic people from Central Asia who over the centuries made their way west toward Europe.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — He scared off wolves with firecrackers in Mongolia and rescued his dog from hungry miners in Kazakhstan. But after three years on horseback, Tim Cope has retraced the route of Genghis Khan and other Asian nomads who crossed into Europe over the centuries.

The 28-year-old Australian arrived in Hungary on Saturday, Sept. 22, ending a 6,200-mile trek through Mongolia, Kazakhstan, southern Russia and Ukraine.

“I’m very happy to be here,” Cope said in the Hungarian town of Opusztaszer, surrounded by his traveling companions — his dog and three horses. “Sometimes I didn’t think I would ever arrive.”

A former law student who decided to dedicate his life to adventure, writing and film documentaries, Cope was inspired to make the horseback journey during a bicycle trip from Moscow to Beijing.

Trying to push his bike through the sands of the Gobi desert, Cope watched in frustration as nomad horsemen appeared out of nowhere and disappeared over the horizon.

That got him interested in nomad life on the steppes and the journey made over the centuries by the Avars, Mongols and Huns, among other Asian groups. He set off from Mongolia in 2004 for a trip he thought would take 18 months.

It ended up taking three years, and in late 2006, he had to return to Australia for several months when his father died in car crash.

Cope, 28, traveled with three horses and black hunting dog named Tigon that he received as a gift in Kazakhstan. Twice, he had to get his horses back from thieves.

In the Kazakh steppes, it became so hot that he added a camel for a while.

Cope, who speaks Russian, quickly learned to trust the wisdom of locals.

“In Mongolia, the nomads always told me that wolves were the most dangerous things on the steppe and I didn’t believe them, at first,” he said.

Then one night he found himself surrounded by howling wolves.

“When you hear that howl alone at night in the forest, it’s one of the most frightening sounds you’ll ever hear,” Cope said. “After that I took their advice and threw firecrackers out my tent door every night to keep the wolves away.”

Cope says he probably spent about half of his nights in his tent and the rest in farm houses and huts of strangers along the way.

“In Kazakhstan, once you’re someone’s guest, it’s really hard to get away, everyone wants you to stay,” he said. “They believe that if you invite a guest, luck will fly into your house.”

Cope brought gifts from Australia to exchange with his hosts and gave away many hundreds of photographs. “Exchanging gifts is an important thing in the steppe culture, a way for them to feel you have become a part of their lives,” he said.

Cope, who won the Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year award last year, wants to complete a book and a film about his voyage, and is already envisioning future adventures in northwest China and the Middle East.

“It’s my way of life, it was not just a trip,” Cope said. “I’ll be back in the saddle as soon as I can.”

Link: Tim Cope Journeys

Nevada County’s Draft Horse Classic has been selected for a visit from the Budweiser Clydesdales and their red, white and gold beer wagon, known to millions from their appearances in television commercials.

The Budweiser Clydesdales will make several appearances at the 21st annual Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair, running from Thursday September 20th through Sunday the 23rd at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, in California.

Clydesdale Operations in St. Louis schedules the popular teams, picking from the thousands of requests received for the big horses every year.

The Draft Horse Classic, held each fall at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, California has become one of the most highly regarded draft horse shows in the nation.

The Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company has acknowledged the event’s importance by sending their big horses to visit.

Once a destination is decided upon, three 50-foot tractor trailers transport the team and its colorful wagon to waiting fans.

The big horses ride on thick rubber flooring in trailers with air-cushion suspension. Cameras in the trailers and monitors in the cabs let handlers keep a watchful eye on their precious cargo. The team stops each night for rest at a stable.

There are five traveling hitches of Budweiser Clydesdales, covering a total of 100,000 miles a year in their special big rigs.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are scheduled to arrive in Grass Valley on Tuesday, September 18th.

The famous horses have represented the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company for 70 years.

Originally from Scotland, the Clydesdale takes its name from that country’s river Clyde. Farmers in the 19th century, along the Clyde’s banks, bred the Great Flemish Horse, forerunner of the Clydesdale.

Their ability to pull loads of more than a ton at a walking speed of five miles an hour quickly spread their reputations beyond Scotland’s borders.

Six performances will present competitions between the most talented drivers and best trained draft horses as the Gentle Giants perform crowd-pleasing maneuvers in pairs, three, and four abreast.

They’ll skid logs, pull classic antique farm wagons, and demonstrate how the draft horse started American farming.

Performances start Thursday evening, September 20th at 6:30 p.m. Following performances are Friday, September 21st at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, September 22nd, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday, September 23rd at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Budweiser Clydesdales will impress draft horse fans with their tremendous teamwork in all of the evening performances and in the Sunday late afternoon performance.

News Link:

Link:  Grass Valley, California Draft Horse Classic

Budweiser 180 degree team rotation demo

Don’t worry, he came out of it with just a few bruises. Story and title courtesy of the redoubtable raincoaster, who loves a good ass pun as much as I do.

Related posts:

Firefighters rescue horse from icy pond

Hope he didn’t take the keys

The bad pun possibilities are endless

Ponies soothed by classical music

~~~

Horses and ponies at a Derbyshire stables are being acclimatized to the noises of bonfire night – by listening to Tchaikovsky.

It is well known that fireworks can startle and frighten many pets.

But Kenstud Pony Rescue, near Belper, England, is employing Tchaikovsky’s famous 1812 Overture, complete with cannons and explosions.

The music is played to the animals in the stable block to steady their nerves in the run-up to bonfire night.

Lesley Manger, of Kenstud Pony Rescue, said: “If there’s music like that playing all the while, they don’t hear the fireworks, they’re not bothered about them.

“So it’s better to make sure there’s enough background noise before the fireworks are let off.

“I’ve used it for 30 odd years, so it does work!”

Story Link:

“Poppy” with her new arrival, “Sandringham Sailor II “

~~~

Queen Elizabeth II is giving here support in the survival of one of England’s most endangered native breeds.

Four years ago the Suffolk Horse Society (SHS) presented the Queen with a filly foal named Whitton Poppy, who had been bred on a farm at Ipswich, England.
 
This past May,  Poppy produced her own foal, a colt to be named Sandringham Sailor II after a Suffolk horse once owned by the Queen’s father George VI.
 
Amanda Hillier, administrative secretary of the SHS said Sailor is registered number 9000, meaning he is the 9000th Suffolk colt to be born since the society was formed in 1877.

“It’s lovely that he should have a special number like that,” said Mrs Hillier.

“We are still a critically endangered breed according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

“We are moving forward, but slowly.”

Before the First World War there were more than two million Suffolk heavy horses used on farms in the UK.

Now the breed is considered by some to be more endangered than the Great Panda, with only 420 registered – 110 of which are geldings.

Sailor could become one of the breed’s registered stallions if at two years old he is found to conform to breed standards.

News Link:

“Ego-Trip”

~~~

A thoroughbred suffering from blindness caused by glaucoma can now see after Florida doctors performed laser surgery on the horse earlier this year.

The 11-year-old horse, Ego-Trip, was already blind in his left-eye due to a previous trauma.

Owners Lisa and Larry Dahl and their 15-year-old daughter Victoria noticed Ego’s right-eye becoming cloudy as his behavior began to change.

“Ego was bumping into things and not acting the same,” said Lisa Dahl. “We realized he was going totally blind.”

Dr. Franck Ollivier, an ophthalmologist for horses at the Equine Surgi-Care Center in Brandon, Florida examined Ego in March, 2007.

Ego’s right eye was diagnosed with glaucoma, which affects less than 1 percent of horses. Swollen and bulging out of its socket, it was the size of a pingpong ball.

A 1,000-pound blind animal isn’t safe to ride, and caring for him is difficult.

Most are put down.

Instead, veterinary ophthalmologist Franck Ollivier performed laser eye surgery on Ego’s right eye in April.

The surgery relieved pressure caused by fluid build-up from the glaucoma.

The Diode laser used in the surgery was from Florida Veterinary Specialists and CancerTreatmentCenter in Tampa, a state-of-the-art specialty veterinary facility where Dr. Ollivier also practices ophthalmology for pets.

The laser procedure was a first for the Surgi-CareCenter, which has been treating horses from Florida‘s west coast for 13 years at its Bloomingdale Avenue hospital.

Dr. Olliver stated that “Glaucoma is also the number one cause of blindness in people, which is significant.

We treated Ego with a Diode laser to decrease the production of liquid inside the eye, and therefore decrease the pressure. Since then, Ego is now visual and comfortable.”

Ollivier pronounced the surgery a success. Ego has 50 to 60 percent vision in his right eye, and Tori is able to safely ride him again.

“The next day after surgery, Ego returned home was back to acting like his old-self again.” said Lisa.

Ego has since returned to the hospital for a check-up. Ollivier said it was crucial because glaucoma is so rare in horses and there are no clinical studies to predict the outcome.

Ollivier said there’s a chance Ego might need another round of laser treatment in a year or so.

“Hopefully we don’t have to cross that bridge again,” Dahl said.

Ego will never be the race horse or the jumper he once was, but that’s fine with Tori.

The Dahls have been working with Ego, schooling him for a dressage career. “Sight is not as important in dressage as it is for jumping,” says Lisa.

“We’ve been working with him in dressage for about a month and he’s doing great.”

“He was my first horse and probably the only horse I’ll ever have,” she said.

“We’re very thankful.”

Story Link:

 ~~~~~ 

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 ~~~~~

Great Santa Fe Trail Ride ~ 2007

Riders trot out the first leg of the 515-mile Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race on Labor Day morning in Pecos, N.M.

~~~

Sept 17, 2007
End of the Trail

Chelsey Palmer, left, and Carolyn Smith ride into the Independence Square Saturday evening to commemorate the mail messengers of the Pony Express. Chris McNeill, Beth Jones, Josh Jones and Britney Palmer also rode for the post office Saturday

~~~

Six horses and their cowboy-clad riders arrived on the Independence Square Saturday afternoon, commemorating rides by messengers who worked for the Pony Express.
 
The symbolic messengers greeted applauding spectators on the east side of the courthouse, and Mayor Don Reimal proclaimed the ride a historic representation of the days when the Pony Express delivered mail.

One rider even carried a leather satchel, like the ones carriers used to deliver mail, which she presented to acting Independence Postmaster Bruce Logan. The mail pouch represented one brought up the Santa Fe Trail from New Mexico.

The historic ride was held at the culmination of an 800-mile horse race that ended in Gardner, Kan. The winner was Scott Griffin of Seattle, who was competing in his first horse endurance competition.
 
The race’s founder and coordinator, Rob Phillips, of Lawrence, Kan., originally wanted the race to end in Independence, following the trail of the covered wagons that once traveled there. But that route had too many roads, highways and other barriers.
 
From the Square, the horses and riders went to the Bingham-Waggoner Estate to be part of the annual Pig Pickin’ Chicken Lickin’ roast.
 
Emery Staton, who met up with the riders and horses on the Square, said she liked the historic aspect of the event.

“I thought it was pretty cool because it was a re-enactment,” said the elementary-aged student who considers herself a horse lover.

Rita Porter, vice chair of the city’s Tourism Advisory Board, said such re-enactments are important. “The historical things make up our culture, and when our culture’s strong, so is our community.”

Another spectator, Nina Anders, of Independence, said she was glad to see young faces in the crowd as well as on horseback. “It’s nice to see young people who want to be a part of something historical,” she said.

Mark Inglett, manager of the Truman post office, agreed that history is important. “It’s nice to rediscover our roots sometimes.”

News Story:

~~~

Sept 16, 2007
The Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Ends

Griffin gives a kiss to his horse, MN Khourusen
after winning the Santa Fe Race.

Griffin, who was competing in his first horse endurance race, and his horse MN Khourusen finished without injuries.

~~~

Scott Griffin of Seattle won the race, competing in his first horse endurance competition. His reward was a belt buckle presented Saturday night by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. There was no prize money, just bragging rights.

The Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race began Sept. 3 in Santa Fe, N.M., with about 60 riders and 160 horses and finished Saturday in Gardner.

About half the riders reached the final day. Some dropped out because of dehydration.

The race (participants preferred to call it a ride) covered 515 miles. Only two riders completed the route without changing horses. Many wore spurs attached to tennis shoes. Instead of cowboy hats, they wore helmets.

Riders spent nine to 12 hours in the saddle each day for three days, rested and traveled a day, then repeated another three days at a different location along the old Santa Fe Trail.

Jeanie Hauser, a veterinarian from Leavenworth County, said all the horses received regular inspections by veterinarians each day. About five or six horses a day were eliminated for minor ailments.

“They have fared very well, and that’s because people have been taking very good care of their horses,” she said.

Phillips, the race organizer, said some riders often walked miles to rest their horses. Water troughs were spaced every five miles.

Although injuries are rare in endurance horse racing, there is an element of danger.

Rick Lee, a rider from Adams, Neb., said wearing the right clothes was important, especially for riders spending hours in the saddle. A rider wearing just a pair of jeans would finish the day with badly battered legs.

Rick Medlin, a team rider from Paola, Kan., said Saturday that he could have gone three or four more days and wasn’t saddlesore.

“The most enjoyable thing is seeing the country and riding horses,” he said. “It’s the adventure of a lifetime.”

News Link:

~~~

Sept. 14, 2007
On The Way To The Finish Line

Jim Hole was among the riders in the Great Santa Fe Horse Race finishing the 515-mile endurance ride this weekend in a town where pioneers had to decide which route to take on their westward journey.

The race called for riders to go 50 miles a day for 10 days, sometimes through blistering heat and daylong downpours as they covered the sweeping landscapes of open prairies and rolling plains.
 
Hole, of Sacramento, Calif., was one of two riders Friday who had made the entire trip on one horse, even though the rules allow for multiple horses.

Since the start, Hole’s constant companion has been Little Big Man, an 8-year-old bay Arabian gelding he calls his “friend and partner.”

For Hole, the race was a link to the past, as he slept under the stars with his horse and saw much the same landscape the settlers saw.

“Sometimes you have to experience what they went through to appreciate what you’ve got today,” Hole said.

“You feel the wind on your shoulders, the smells, hear the birds. It takes you back to another day.”

That’s something Rob Phillips, founder and coordinator of the race, had in mind when he came up with the idea a year and half ago.

“We wanted them to get the feel for the terrain, and I think they are getting a good feel for that, but you can never replicate how it was in the 1800s,” said Phillips, of Lawrence

Susan Thompson, of Sweetwater, Tenn., took a scheduled break while her horse, a 7-year-old brown Arabian gelding named Thee Macade was being checked by veterinarians — one of four vet checks each horse undergoes each day.

Thompson said the biggest challenge at the start was the New Mexico heat. But she said the day-to-day challenge is taking care of the horses.

“They can’t tell you when they don’t feel good, or are hungry or thirsty,” she said.

The arrival of the riders coincides with 150th anniversary celebration of Gardner, which owes its start to the Santa Fe and Oregon trails.

News Link:

~~~

Sept 14, 2007
Nearing the Finish Line

Riders in the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race are due in Gardner, Kansas this weekend to finish their trek.

Riders in the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race are finishing their 515-mile trek this weekend in a town where pioneers had to decide which route to take on their westward journey.

The arrival of the riders coincides with 150th anniversary celebration of Gardner, which owes its start to the Santa Fe and Oregon trails.

Race officials say the journey from Santa Fe, New Mexico, started September 3rd with 60 riders, but that number has dropped to 45 or 50.

The endurance race has traveled backward along the wide, meandering trail that opened in 1821 as a trade route between Santa Fe and its starting point in Independence, Missouri. But the 35 miles between Gardner and Independence is a metropolitan area and too congested for the ride.

Today the riders started at Melvin Lake in Osage County to race on a horse path around the lake. They planned the same routine tomorrow at Hillsdale Lake south of Gardner to wrap up the race.

“The original settlers were blacksmiths and suppliers for people on the trail. This was the last stop before deciding whether to use the Santa Fe, Oregon or California trails,” said Chamber of Commerce President Peter Solie.

The three trails were one coming out of Independence through Gardner. Then, west of town, the Santa Fe went southwest, mainly as a two-way trade route, while the Oregon settlers’ route split to the northwest. The California Trail then parted from the Oregon in southern Idaho.

The overall winner is the person with the shortest time.

But the true winners are the ones that arrive at the finish line with safe horses and safe riders.

As race organizer, Rob Phillips says, with that accomplishment … everyone has bragging rights for the rest of their lives.

~~~

Sept 14, 2007,
Scenes Along The Trail 

~~~

Jason Stasiuk of Humble, Tx., pours water on his horse during a break in The Great Sante Fe Trail Race Thursday across the Flint Hills near Council Grove.

~~~

Thirty miles into his 51-mile race through the Flint Hills on Thursday, rider Jason Stasiuk dismounted and pulled the saddle off his horse.

He walked alongside the animal as they arrived at a required rest stop.

At a water trough, as Razzmataz drank, Stasiuk dipped his cowboy hat in the cold water and began pouring it not over himself but over the 18-year-old Arabian horse.

“He takes real good care of me,” said Stasiuk, from Humble, Texas. “And I need to take care of him.”

The 60 riders are racing the 515 miles over 13 days — for the experience and for bragging rights — in the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race.

Veterinarians travel with the race, and twice a day the horses must pass inspection. If there is a question that a horse is suffering, it’s pulled from the race.

“We’re doing this not for the ribbon, not for the money, but to promote our breed of horses,” said Mac McSwain of Winona, Texas, who raises Spanish mustangs.

“The horse means more to me than a race.”

Riders leisurely made their way east toward the rising sun. Some of the more ambitious went ahead at a slight trot, careful not to push their horses too hard, too early.

Endurance racing is all about going the distance in all kinds of conditions. In this race, which began Sept. 3 in Santa Fe and will end Saturday with an awards ceremony in Gardner, horses and riders have gone over sand and mountains.

They’ve persevered through rain and wind, on highways and chipped rock.

The 10 legs of the race average about 50 miles a day — nine to 12 hours a day. Most of the time they travel back roads and lonely highways.

Joe Reilly, Humble, Texas

The riders come from Washington state, Maryland, California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Kansas and Texas.

Susan Thompson

They’ve brought Arabians, mustangs, quarter horses, Tennessee walkers and Morgans.

McSwain, who is in his 60s, wanted one last great adventure. He and his wife brought six Spanish mustangs, intending to ride as a team.

On Monday a crowd in Dodge City, Kan., frightened the horse he was on. It reared, and McSwain fell off, breaking his collarbone and shoulder.

“He’s a country horse,” McSwain said Wednesday, arm in a sling. “He’s not used to people yee-hawing. He’s not a bad horse. He just had a bad rider.”

April Cyrek of Humboldt County, Calif., was concerned about her 5-year-old Arabian stallion and 9-year-old Arabian mare. The mare is blind in one eye, and the rain and wind on Wednesday blew into the horse’s good eye.

Still, she was glad she was on the endurance ride.

“You can see the country on the back of a horse,” she said.

Jay Allen, Fresno, California

The Great Santa Fe Trail Race has been an experience filled with memories … another chapter in American History.

News Link:  
Photo Link:

~~~

Sept 14, 2007
Stories Along The Trail ~ Stepping Back In History

Minnesotan Craig Opel looks like your modern-day cowboy. He’s dressed in boots, blue jeans and a short-sleeve flannel shirt and a wide-brim cowboy hat — perfect for the fickle Kansas weather over the past two days — and is even traveling with a pack of horses.

So it’s surprising and a bit unexpected when instead of mounting his horse and continuing his journey on the Santa Fe Trail, he simply turns the ignition key in his PT Cruiser and puts the car into drive.

Opel is one of the nearly 100 teams of people involved in the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride – - an 800-mile journey from New Mexico to Missouri.

While most involved are riding teams competing against time and each other, Opel is here for a different reason. Major Gouverneur and Anna Maria Morris — Opel’s great-great-great-uncle and aunt — traveled the exact same trail by wagon train from May to July in 1850.

In March, Opel said he stumbled upon the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race online and began to research it.

It was around that same time he discovered his great-great-great-aunt’s published diary in the pages of the book Cover Wagon Women, Vol. II: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails.

“When I found out it was her diary about the exact same journey I was looking at, I just thought, ‘oh my gosh! This is fantastic,’” Opel said.

Opel’s reenactment of the Santa Fe Trail ride began Sept. 2 with the rest of the participants. Since he wasn’t involved in a riding team — Opel said he hasn’t ridden horses since his hunting days, which were many years ago — he signed up to work with the vets who check the horses three to four times a day to insure proper health during the riders’ 50-mile spurts by horseback.

In his time off from helping the veterinarians with paperwork, Opel uses a laminated neon green travel log of the 1850 journey to visit the same locations his relatives wrote about 157 years ago.

“When you can stand some place, in the exact spot in some cases — and I mean exact — where she stood 157 years ago, that’s pretty amazing,” he said.

“I’m also keeping a diary every day, because maybe 150 years from now, they’ll wonder about their great-great-uncle who traveled along with the new Santa Fe group,” Opel said.

Story Link:

~~~

Sept. 14, 2007
Looking For The Answers

Officials to Investigate Horse Deaths at Endurance Ride

The American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) will investigate the deaths of the two horses that were hit by a car after crossing the finish line on day seven of the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Ride, said AERC President Mike Maul.

The investigation will be conducted independently of the insurance investigation into the incident.

Rider Teresa Wilcox suffered bruises and scrapes. Rider Sandy Olson suffered a dislocated hip and broken thumb. Both riders were released from the hospital and returned to the ride site.

“This is a terrible thing that has happened,” said Maul. “My heart goes out to the riders who were injured. I am so glad to hear that they are back at the ride site.”

“An incident such as this during the ride or at the finish has never happened before in the 35-year history of AERC,” said Maul. “

All incidents, whether large or small, are investigated by the AERC with the purpose of making the sport safer for both riders and the horses participating in the event.”

According to Maul, the AERC sanctions almost 800 rides in the United States each year, with more than 23,000 total entries.

“AERC sanctioning provides a uniform standard for those rides, which are put on by members of the AERC as ride managers,” said Maul. “The ride itself is supervised by the ride manager and is not under the supervision of the AERC.”

The Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race is an 800-mile endurance ride completed over a 13-day period. The ride started in Santa Fe, N.M., on Sept. 3 and will end in Missouri on Sept. 15.

One of the main objectives of the race is to educate the public not only on the national historic Santa Fe Trail, but also to introduce the sport of endurance riding to thousands, said Maul.

It’s extremely rare for horses to perish during endurance rides, said Mike Maul, president of the American Endurance Ride Conference, a national governing body for long-distance riding that sanctioned the Santa Fe Trail race.

“It’s very tragic and it’s very sad that it (Tuesday’s incident) happened,” Maul said.

Maul said it appeared as though riders Tuesday had adequate room to stop their horses between crossing the finish line and reaching the paved road.

Dennis Latta, director of the New Mexico Sports Authority, said that agency- which is listed as a “partner” of the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race on the event’s Web site, along with the New Mexico Tourism Department-would also evaluate the incident.

Indications are, however, that it “wasn’t a matter of poor planning on the organizers’ part,” Latta said.

“There were no real problems in New Mexico, and I don’t think there would (have been) in Kansas if they (Wilcox and Olsen) had stopped at the finish line,” he said.

McPherson County Sheriff’s Department officials consider the incident an accident and have not pressed charges, Johnston said, adding that the driver of the car was on a “straight through” section of road and unable to avoid the animals.

Riders were told before the day’s stage began that the road was just a half-mile away from the finish line, Johnston added.

News Link:
News Link:

~~~

Sept. 13, 2007
Two horses killed, 3 injured in collision

~~~

Organizers of an 800-mile horse race that finishes in Gardner this weekend are investigating an accident Tuesday that killed two horses and injured two riders.

The collision came on the ninth day of the 13-day race that began in Santa Fe, N.M., and snakes through parts of the Midwest before ending Saturday.

The two riders, a woman from southwest Missouri and one from Oklahoma, were airlifted to a Wichita hospital, where they were recovering Wednesday. The driver of the car was also injured.

“It’s made everybody sad for what’s happened,” said Rob Phillips, organizer of The Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race.

On Tuesday, the two leaders of the day were finishing the race just before 2 p.m. when they collided with a car traveling down a blacktop road south of Canton, Kan.

Jim Johnston, McPherson County undersheriff, said the two riders had sprinted past the finish line about a half-mile back and kept riding.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, if they got caught up in the excitement and just kept going or what happened,” Johnston said Wednesday. “But when they got to the road, there just happened to be a car there at that exact time.”

Undersherrif Jim Johnston clarified the details of the accident saying, “the car hit one horse the other horse hit the side of the car.”

“It was like hitting a dad gum brick wall,” Wilcox said of her horse slamming into the Buick.

Phillips said the finish line was clearly marked about a half-mile back from where the crash occurred. Someone was there clocking times. 

“We take it as a very serious incident,” Phillips said.

Both horses, Mr Valentine and Foxfire, were killed instantly.

They were buried at the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge.

News Link:
News Link:

~~~

Sept 11, 2007
*Tragedy Strikes -Two Riders Airlifted*

An accident at 1:58 p.m. Tuesday marred the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race traveling through McPherson County. The accident at 27th Avenue and Cimarron Road seven miles south of Canton.

A vehicle struck two horses and two women riders were airlifted to Wichita after sustaining apparent disabling injuries, according to the McPherson County sheriff’s department.

The driver of the vehicle was transported to McPherson Memorial Hospital, according to officials.

Eyewitnesses reported the women riders apparently went past the finish line and into the path of a vehicle moving northbound to Canton.

The McPherson County sheriff’s department, Canton fire and EMS personnel and Moundridge EMS were dispatched to the accident.

The riders followed a route from Dakota Road to Fifth Avenue, to Cimarron Road across McPherson County Tuesday.

News Link:

~~~

Sept 8, 2007
Dodge City
Riders Reach The Halfway Point

A farrier works on a horse Saturday at the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo grounds. Participants in the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride stopped in Dodge City for a weekend stay.

~~~

For Joe Reilly, one of the most enjoyable moments of the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride came when he rode out of Santa Fe, N.M., the first day and saw the spectacular scenery around him.

Joyce Adams also raved about the scenery in Santa Fe. But for her, the most memorable part of that day was just finishing the race.

“I took a flatlander horse from western Kansas, and I took it up to the mountains and we completed it right in the middle of the pack,” she said in an interview Saturday.

“I wanted to say, ‘Look at us! Look what we did!’”.

Reilly is an experienced endurance rider, while Adams is a novice.

Both of them are competing in the first-ever Santa Fe Trail Horse Race, which began Sept. 3 in Santa Fe and will end 13 days later in Independence, Mo.

The race route mirrors the old Santa Fe Trail, with overnight stops in several communities along the way.

The riders took a weekend break at Roundup Arena in Dodge City, then saddled up early Sunday morning and hit the trail again.

News Link:  Dodge Globe

~~~

Sept. 7, 2007
Special US Postmark Available

The Overbrook, Kansas Post Office will offer a special postmark to celebrate the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride from Santa Fe, N.M., to Independence, Mo., Sept. 3-15. The special postmark will be applied to any item with first-class postage affixed and will be available from 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 7.

~~~

Update: Sept 6, 2007

According to a phone message I had late Sept 6 with Rob Phillips, who is one of the race organizers, the race positions were at that moment:

First: Scott Griffin
Second:  Theresa Wilcox
Third:  Dawson Higgins

~~~

Sept 6, 2007

 Kathy Myers and her Arabian horse Blue, the only Santa Fe area duo participating in the 515-mile Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race, ended their bid to finish the event today.

The team made it through back-to-back 50 mile rides on Monday and Tuesday with flying colors. But Wednesday, near Clayton, N.M., Blue stepped through a metal panel on a small bridge at mile 39 and cut one of his rear legs, according to Pete Myers, the rider’s husband.

Although the gelding was fine, Kathy Myers felt it was better to take Blue home and let him rest.

The only other New Mexicans — Shawn Davis and Dawson Higgins, both from Tucumcari — are still in the event, which drew 60 riders from all over the U.S.

Update: Sept 5, 2007

Team Liberty of Tucumcari is in the No. 3 spot after two days in the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Endurance Race, said Shawn Davis, Liberty Team captain from Tucumcari.

“We’re in third. We’re doing okay. We’re right up there where we need to be,” said Davis in a telephone interview from Springer, the layover for the second day of the ride.

“They’re doing good,” said Rob Phillips, one of the race organizers in charge of accommodations.

Dawson Higgins, also of Tucumcari, rode the first day and completed 50 miles from Santa Fe to Las Vegas in the 850 mile endurance race. Davis took the second leg, another 50 miles.

“We’re really surprised,” said Davis.

Riders and horses are doing well, said Davis.

The horses, all five of which are from Quay County, “are performing better than we expected,” Davis said.

Higgins and Davis will ride a fresh horse for the first five days, and then begin again on the most rested horse.

During the race, veterinarians on the trail check each horse to be sure that its in race condition.

Today, Higgins will ride again starting out at 7 a.m. from Springer, Davis said.

Their destination today will be Clayton.

Davis heard about the race at least 14 months ago and was inspired by the challenge.

“It’s a challenge because of the length of the race and it’s never been done before,” said Davis, when he began drumming up support for team members and for the trail ride.

One of the main objectives of the race is to educate the public not only about the national historic Santa Fe Trail, but also to introduce the sport of endurance riding to thousands, according to its organizers.

It’s also a test of horse and rider, who will gain a greater appreciation of the trail that brought many homesteaders and adventurers westward.

Davis said before he left, that often because of the terrain or to meet daily goals, the rider will have to dismount and run along with his horse during the race.

The name Team Liberty has roots in the past.

“I picked the name Liberty to stay with the Santa Fe Trail era,” Davis said. “Tucumcari used to be a community north of here called Liberty.”

Liberty was founded in the late 1800s, north of Pajarito Creek, for the soldiers of Fort Bascom. Five men from Liberty founded Tucumcari in the early 1900s when the Rock Island and Pacific Railroad decided to build a line to connect with the El Paso and North-eastern Railroad at Santa Rosa.

Race organizers said early on that they wanted to make the ride as much fun and as competitive for as many riders as they possibly could, so that it will be an event that can be repeated annually.

Entrants were able to enter as a team or as an individual. It’s also why the event has a targeted 50- to 55-mile goal race day, so that more people would enter. There are also many prize categories, including a $2,500 saddle.

Over the past year, Davis has been soliciting support from sponsors, both for the entrance fee and for their travel budget, that includes five horses. In all he estimated the costs could reach $20,000.

On Friday night, there was a sponsors’ dinner to say thank you and to support Team Liberty on its entry in the inaugural race.
Win or place, when Davis started out he said he just wanted to complete the 515-mile endurance race.

Team Liberty
Team Number: 2
Team Rider:
Dawson Higgins, Shawn Davis
Horse Breed:
Quarter Horses, grade horses
Team Members:
(All from Tucumcari where noted)
Shawn Davis
Dawson Higgins
Austin Higgins
Dereck Owen
Donnie Bidegain
Jason Lafferty
Ryan Hamilton
George Price of Capitan
Van Robertson
Pete Walden Silver City
George Owen of Clovis

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New Mexico News Release

 Anky van Grunsven and Keltec Salinero

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Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven and Keltec Salinero won the title of 2007 FEI European Dressage Kur Champion in La Mandria, Italy. This is Anky’s third individual European title after Arnhem in 1999 with Gestion Bonfire and Hagen in 2003.

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Video
Grand Prix 2007
Anky and Salinero

 Earlier Post:  Anky and Salinero ~ Final World Cup 2006