It took a week to recover, but it was a lot of fun...the 2010 NW Horse Fair and Expo. Friday, three of us headed down and hit Steve Rother talking about body control. Next we went to Al Dunning talking about Western Dressage. Then it was off to shop. I bought a few things, a Courbette dressage bridle, a dressage pad, and a cool bag.Sunday..we hit Steve Rother again, trail obstacles. Then it was the "Mustang Challenge." We did a little more shopping and decided to head back into Portland.
Things I liked about the Expo:
1. I went with a fun group of friends, interested in learning and exploring.
2. Steve Rother is coming into his own as a clinician. He did a nice job this year.
3. People were willing to "wheel and deal." Got some really good buys.
4. Parelli had a booth and I got to catch up with Ann Kiser.
5. Ansur Saddle was there. Beautiful saddles, and nice to see a big presence.
6. Mustangs that were auctioned off seemed to be going high. Great to see the demand for these horses and love that the program is gaining popularity.
Things I didn't like about the Expo:
1. A lot fewer vendors this year.
2. I liked Al Dunning, but wish he would have taught us about Western Dressage instead of giving us his resume. He started showing us some patterns with about 15 minutes left in his hour.
3. Tired of the ya-hoo's that do Mustang Challenge and place high even though they are just jerking their horses head all over the place and forcing their horses into maneuvers. Top two were said "ya-hoo's". I prefer watching trainers with softer hands and have a more willing partners.
4. Tired of judges who still give high scores to ya-hoo's.
5. They schedule it the same weekend as Canby tack sale. Boo!
I can bad mouth "ya-hoos" because I was one once...thank you Tom Dorrance for changing my ways.
8 comments:
I was a yahoo too until Mark Rashid got a hold of me!
I don't believe either of you were yahoos!
i just love looking at all the beautiful horses on your blog.
i'm so jealous. :)
Ansur saddles are incredible. My horses have been going treeless in Ansurs since 2000 and I have never looked back.
I cannot recommend them more highly. (I am a distributor, but this is an honest opinion, not a sales pitch.) The Excel dressage saddle is amazing. And I've also ridden in the Elite hunter/jumper saddle and loved it as well. I own a Classic and a Carlton too...which I use mostly for demos now as I have to be pried out of the Excel for my own riding.
I don't like the ya-hoos much either. Get very tired of their crap at horse shows. Feel so sorry for their horses.
Are you going to share pics of your Corbette bridle?? I love their products!!!
I always called the ya-hoos... people who "cowboy" their horses. For them, it is all about domination, not about cooperation. There are many of them in Idaho.
Also, many who think wearing a helmet is for pansies. Well this pansy is wearing her brain bucket!!!
I had a paint once out of Scribbles. Someone said that you can't "cowboy" those horses and I said "why would you want to?".....(silence).........
Glad to hear of the fun Jules!
I just knew I could not get out early and would not be able to hold the money in the bank!
That Yahoo-ing is the single most hated thing I remember from last year..I mean, take a wonderful mustang and yank it all about!
Well, hope the new owners go lightly so.
Yes..lets see your Maddy mare with her newest bridle!
Kac
Good to hear some nice feedback about Steve Rother. When he first started out...he was a "jackass", or maybe you'd refer to him as a ya-hoo. However, last year I saw him again for the first time in several years and was surprisingly impressed with how much he'd grown up. Yes, I believe he used to act like an immature child. I know Steve and have ridden in several Ray Hunt clinics with him. He was taught by one of the best and has invested a lot of money into his career, so I'm very pleased to see him coming into his own as a clinician. Sorry to hear about the mustang challenge...shouldn't be that way and awarded for bad behavior. The horses deserve better.
Post a Comment