Ridin', Reinin' and Writin'

I never know for sure where I am going to get an idea for my Monday blog (which is late this week). Most times something in my life, on the news, or in the horse world inspires me, but this week was different. An email from Germany got me thinking...

I was away last weekend at the 100 Mile Sliders Horse Bazaar with my two stallions and though I brought my laptop with good intentions of writing for this blog, I didn't even open it. When I got home Sunday evening, I checked my email. There were several redirected from Facebook, most of which I deleted right away. One, however, caught my attention - a girl in Germany had read my post on AQHA regarding pasture breeding. Apparently that led to her checking out my Facebook photos and Wildwood Reining Horses web site and prompted her to send me a message:

"I love, love love everything about it. Reading about you and looking at your pictures takes away the fear of getting older," she wrote

Wow! That's really interesting! I have several reasons for posting photos on my web site and Facebook, but not once did I intend to be a poster child for growing old. However, if my life as presented through my web page and Facebook truly did take away the fear of aging, then that makes me happy. She's right. I am not afraid of the years stacking up - dismayed sometimes that they go by so fast, but not afraid. I suppose I live my life the same as I did twenty, thirty or forty years ago and that is what shows in my writing and in the photos. That too, will change in time, but I will adjust.

In 1987, a grey filly is orphaned. She is feisty, though, and thrives in spite of a shaky beginning. Her name is Two T Whiskey Royal. When the orphan is two, someone starts riding her. She bucks – a lot! Enter Doug Milholland. He likes her, deals with the bucking problem and becomes co-owner. He puts her on a training program and starts making payments into the 1990 NRHA Futurity. He changes her name to Silver Anniversary – because that year is the 25th anniversary of the NRHA Futurity.

In late November, in Oklahoma City, Silver Anniversary runs the first two go-arounds of the futurity with Doug Milholland in the saddle. They do not qualify for the finals. They are, however, within one point of the qualifying total and eligible for the consolation round. If Silver Anniversary can win the consolation, she can compete with the other finalists for the championship. She wins the consolation round.

In the meantime, Doug competes in the Freestyle Reining on another horse. What music does he choose? He selects Run ForThe Roses, the song that will be playing when the Futurity Champion enters the arena for award presentations on the final night of the show. He wins the Freestyle.

As winner of the consolation round, Silver Anniversary must compete first in the finals (a distinct disadvantage) and she has already run one more reining pattern than the rest, but the pretty little grey mare delivers and scores a sweet 219. Many years, that score, though good, would not hold up for the championship, but as horse after horse finishes pattern number 5, no one tops 219. Silver Anniversary wins the Silver Anniversary running of the NRHA Futurity!

Follow along with me:
1. Doug changes the name of his futurity mare to Silver Anniversary because the year she will be competing in the NRHA Futurity is the 25th anniversary of the show.
2. Doug rides his Freestyle at the same show to Run For the Roses, the music that will be played for the Futurity Champion.
3. Silver Anniversary and Doug Milholland win the NRHA Futurity.

It seems to me Doug Milholand never lost his focus.

…or how about this?

In the spring of 2006, a sorrel colt sired by Dual Rey out of Boon San Kitty is born on the Rockin W Ranch in Millsap, Texas. Alice Walton names the new baby "Rockin W" (the only time she named one of her colts after the ranch). For three years, as Rockin W grew up, the ranch funnels “Rockin W Ranch energy” through the sorrel stallion and plans for the 2009 National Cutting Horse Association Futurity.

In December of 2008, Tony Piggott starts working as resident trainer on the ranch ... and riding Rockin W, now a long two-year-old. Piggott continues the horse's training with the goal still the NCHA Futurity in December of 2009. Though the stallion's former trainer is given first chance to ride Rockin W at the Futurity, he turns the offer down. (Bet he's re-thinking that decision!) so Piggott shows Rockin W not only to the finals (first time ever for Piggot) but to the 2009 NCHA Futurity Championship!

Now Rockin W Ranch stands a NCHA Futurity stallion named Rockin W. Can it get any better?

…and closer to home…

A man is choosing a stallion for his mare. He searches the internet for stallions he likes. He finds several but he cannot make up his mind. Thinking about his options, mulling over the pros and cons of each, he goes for a walk up the mountain behind his property. Suddenly, he knows. He knows because, there in front of him, is the answer - wolf tracks! He is walking with wolves . . . and he books his mare to Walking With Wolves!

It's no accident that Silver Anniversary won the 25th Anniversary of the NRHA Futurity. It's probably not a fluke that Rockin W won the 2009 NCHA Futurity. And it's not coincidence that the mare owner was given a sign indicating the best stallion choice for his mare.

The logo for Wildwood Reining Horses is the combination of a horse and wolf. I named my two stallions Running With Wolves and Walking With Wolves. There's a reason for that. The wolf lives his life with integrity. He protects his own. He is gentle-hearted but not cowardly. Best of all, he is loyal. That's Positive Power.

January 2010 is done. It’s my least favourite month – post Christmas, ridiculously-short days, frigid temperatures, snow to shovel and plow, a never-ending cycle of forking hay to horses and cleaning manure away, water troughs to fill, water troughs to unthaw, de-icing everything, more frigid temperatures, more snow . . . green grass, new foals and reining shows too far away to imagine! January usually seems longer than the thirty-one days it is.

This year not so much. After a wicked December (-40 twice, lots of snow), January was kind. I took advantage of long evenings to catch up on jobs (like mending horse blankets) and to start a new hobby. Although riding was trimmed down to not-too-enjoyable, bundled up, circles in the snow on slippery footing for my young stallion (who I must continue training if he is to compete in 3 year old reining futurities), I had more time to read Quarter Horse News, peruse tack catalogues, check out reining and performance statistics, transfer 2009 video to my computer, update my web page and make Fan pages on Facebook for my stallions! I planned and dreamed about spring and summer activities. January slipped by. I turned the page on the calendar . . . and flipped a switch in my mind.

Today I am going to start riding my 5 year old stallion, Running With Wolves (aka Wolf), laid off since September. I counted the days ahead - in two and a half months my mare will foal. Breeding and show season begins in May, only three months away. With the sky overcast more than it has been sunny for the past month, what’s the chance the ground hog will see his shadow tomorrow, heralding six more weeks of winter? Even if he does, nobody can take January 2010 away. It’s all good…