We're not going to Texas

Just got the news from ACTHA that we were not selected to go to the finals in Texas May 8-12.  Patrick is OK with that, he thinks it's time to hit the longer trails and get in shape for the Endurance season. While I'm a little disappointed, I wasn't really looking forward to the long drive. Thanks for all your support and maybe we will try again next year !

Still waiting to hear if we're packing for Texas....

The final selections for the finalists of the AFTH auditions have not been announced yet. I am waiting on pins and needles as are all the other auditioners out there, I will post here and on Facebook as soon as I know something. Finally looked at my atlas and it will be  1000 miles each way.....Yikes, I need a co-pilot, any volunteers?

AFTH Audition

Loaded up and drove down to the audition site at 9AM yesterday morning, arriving at 11:30AM in plenty of time for our 12:50 audition. The lower pasture and both sides of the driveway were packed with every type of trailer you could imagine. It looked like every breed of horse was there too! Before I had even walked up tosign in, a woman approached and asked what breed my horse was " because he is so gorgeous ". Saturday I had bathed and show sheened him ( something I haven't done in years, the show sheen part I mean ) The sun had just come out from behind clouds, so he was glowing. So, I gave her a shortened version of breed history and gave her a WEG booklet. I was fortunate in seeing that the indoor was set up the same as we had practiced on the week before...I watched a few horses go and it was time to tack up and warm up. For the elective at the end, I saw a lot of things, roping and dragging a log, slide stops and spins, bows and pushing balls around, so I felt my finale would be appropriate. We entered the arena and were introduced, that's always interesting with my hyphenated name and the breed name it can be challenging for some! The cavelletti spacing was quite tight, but we made it, his stop over the pole was great and the side pass of to the right was flawless. The halt at the figure 8 cones was good and backing around the first one went OK, but he tends to loose interest for the second one, doesn't see the point of this exercise, so he cut it close and knocked the second marker over ( I suspect he does that on purpose!) Crossed the finish line and our time of 1 minute and a few seconds was called out. Then I was asked if i had an elective and I replied, "yes, but you are sitting on it." Here's what I did, "Patrick" put both front feet up on a rather tall tractor tire pedestal and I tied a savvy string to my reins and dismounted over his butt with him just standing there calmly and very proudly looking at the crowd. We got a lot of applause and then answered questions about the breed and I feel like we did great!

Mini Clinic this Sunday

We are going to a mini clinic this weekend at the host site of our Audition next Saturday, April 9th. I had contacted Travis Andersen at Andersen Acres to get permission to come down before the auditions to practice and he had had others contact him with the same request. So, he has offered to host a mini clinic for us this Sunday from 1:30 -4:30 PM to work on the obstacles and get his help with any problems or with fine tuning. I see this as a great advantage for "Patrick" and I and I am really looking forward to going down there. I'll let you all know how it goes!

More information

For more information on this competition, go to www.ACTHA.US and click on the America's Favorite Trail Horse links. Please pass this on to everyone you know that would be willing to vote for "Patrick" and I as the event is televised!

Our Quest to be " America's Favorite Trail Horse"

We have an audition to become America's Favorite Trail Horse on April 9th, 2011 in Keenesberg, CO! This is a contest sponsored by ACTHA and if we are chosen in the regional finals, we will be headed to the finals in Texas May 9-12, 2011. I saw this as another opportunity to showcase the Akhal-Teke breed and to introduce them to more horse people. The finalists will be chosen by the American Public and there will be 13 hours of televised coverage that everyone can watch and vote on. So, this is my plea to the AT Community to help me make it all the way! More details to follow, but suffice it to say that "Patrickhan" and I are diligently practicing our trail obstacles!