Ready for some more NFR action!

It has been a great weekend for those who love barrel racing.  Not only has the NFR kicked off but the Champion of Champions race in Ardmore was webcast.  Hats off to Matt and Bendi Dunn and their great horse Mulberry Canyon Moon who won the Open Champion of Champions race for the 3rd year in a row.  I am a little bias toward this horse because our weanling's sire is a half brother to her.  My favorite trainer, Latricia Duke, cleaned house in the $100,000 race winning first and second place.  This lady is a genius with a horse.

I am off to watch the action in the third round of the NFR!

Sick.....

I have really neglected the blog for the past few days.  Reese has been sick all week long.  Just when I think she is about to rebound from it she takes a turn for the worse.  It is a cold and what I thought was a stomach virus.  But last night she started with a fever so we are off to the doctor for a professional opinion.

In my absence if you are a reader...and yes there are a few of you (THANKS!)...I want to recommend you jump over and read one of my most fav blogs http://www.thesouthdakotacowgirl.com/.  Enjoy and hopefully I will be back tomorrow with better news on Reese and time to actually blog something worth reading!

A Great One Lost

Last week was such a busy week for me, as I am sure it was for everyone. Two Thanksgiving dinners to attend, had to decline a 3rd.  Friday we visited with friends in from out of state. Saturday we rode all day and I gave a lesson, Sunday barn chores and a sick baby.  I am still trying to recover from literally NO sleep all night.

But that is nothing compared to the loss my friend experienced last week when her great horse Go For Tears former AQHA World Champion barrel horse had to be put to sleep.  Sue, as he was affectionately referred to, had been batlling illness for a month and she made the tough decision to end his pain and suffering.  He was such a fighter and so tough right to the last moment.  Sue had an almost human personality.  He won too many awards to mention.  I loved watching my daughter hop on him bareback and ride when we would visit Jennifer.  Sue will be GREATLY missed.
                                Jennifer and Go For Tears at the Houston Livestock Show Rodeo

Back on track

Yes I have been on a hiatus from blogging...and I miss it!  I will be back in the real world and blogging again tomorrow.  I also have a lot of reading to catch up on as well.  I need to find out how to add tabs to the top of my blog that link to different pages, so if any of you are tech experts on how to modify blogger please help.  Until then have a great rest of your weekend!

Stay tuned....I will be right back :)

Menacing Mule

Oh my what a morning.....  Background to this story several years ago my dad, for whatever reason, decided to breed a quarter horse mare to a jack and raise a mule.  Which he did.  About the time this mule was born he was diagnosed with cancer and for about 6 years battled cancer, many operations, radiation, chemo...very aggresive treatments.  He was unable for these years to really do anything but feed the horses and mule that he had.  Fast forward to 2009 and we have this 7 yr old, only broke to lead, stubborn, smarter than a human, mule.  Her latest antic is to just get out of the pasture and back in as she pleases.  We can not figure out how, possibly jumping the fence we just dont know.  She gets out and it drives our Australian Shepherds crazy...herding instinct kicks in and they insist on herding her somewhere.  So here we have mule, dogs barking and chasing, mule running through yard and down the road ( we live on a dead end one lane road so not really a traffic hazard).  It has been going on for 2 weeks and is very annoying to me not to mention to my husband who loathes the mule I named Mabel.  This morning it all about went wrong.  Mabel had gotten out again during the night and when hubby went to feed the horses the dogs began to herd her as they always do.  Mabel didn't want to be herded this morning and turned on the dogs and trampled Josey, our red Aussie.  Josey ran into the woods and my hubby is fearful she went off to die.  Mabel knowing she was in trouble retreats down the road and somehow back into the pasture while hubby looks for the dog.  All is well as Josey showed up with just a slight limp and Mabel is back in the pasture for now....but something has to give or Mabel is going to end up on a trailer out of here in search of another home if she can't stay behind the fence.  Anyone else ever dealt with a mule or any animal that is so contrary??????

Wordless Wednesday...cause I'm sick!

I have a cold or possilby sinus infection and feel terrible today.  So I will just post a picture of my toy Australian Shepherd Gracie...the sweetest little dog ever.