The One Wild Ride mustang group wishes everyone a Happy New Year!
Recently the discussion of trucks have come up. Every cowgirl or cowboy knows the importance of a good truck for your special horse, as well as a good trailer. Junior year is usually the year in which a high schooler starts driving, and as soon as we turn 16 many of us are on the roads. As of Winter Break, Maggie has gotten her first truck, a cherry red F-150, complete with a trailer hitch to pull a bumper pull horse trailer.
My work with Drifter has been paying off. A few weeks ago, he was having trouble with transitioning into a lope, and would tend to bolt. For the smaller girls that ride him, this was a complication. Upon the arrival of the 110th National Western Stock Show, I proposed the idea of riding in the Kick Off Parade. With just three weeks to spare, we rounded up a group of 10 riders, and created a few formations to be able to wow the crowd. I was nervous, due to the fact that I was riding Drifter, and even though he had been riding better, this was his first parade.
Most people choose to have the first parade for their horse be a small town gathering, with just a few groups of people on the sidelines, a few flags and parade floats, definitely not the National Western Stock Show Parade, harboring over 60 groups of riders, hundreds of horses, flags, and cheering people.
As soon as I mounted, I showed Drifter all the Westernaires and boy scouts, sporting bright red glimmering outfits, cowboy hats and a neon colored flag. We walked past the large draft horses that towered over the rest of the predominately quarter horse population, draped in shiny silver bells that jingled their beautiful chime each time the horses pranced about. We had parked next to the RTD train, which screeched by as the train engineers attempted to go slowly past the massive herd of horses.
I was astounded that Drifter could care less about any of the loud sounds and flags billowing in the chilled breeze. He simply walked by, head held low, ears perked at each and every object, calmly observing his surrounding. We rode in the very front of our group alongside my trainer, and by the time that we entered the streets of downtown Denver, Drifter was perfect, and in fact he could have cared less. Everyone loved him and his buckskin color, and the crowd especially loved Tuff, my trainers cattle dog that ran out in front, running up to lick little kid’s cheeks, and posing for the photographers.
If you haven’t already—get out and discover the 110th National Western Stock Show in Denver through January 24th!
–Emma
