The Desert Rodeo!

Today was the desert riding group Rodeo! (actually a few weeks ago ) Boy was it fun. Ride along with us and win some ribbons! Or BEER MUGS in this case! Toby Jack was still with us so today we had a nanny. She was wonderful, an emergency physician in FRANCE and taking her boards here in the US in 3 months. I felt totally confident with Toby Jack in her care!

No those are not little devil horns growing out of his head...he is an angel!

Because I had Toby and the nanny with me today SPANKY from the stables had Jesse saddled and delivered for me to the host stables. Normally I would have ridden Jesse with the others from our stables going to the Rodeo the short 1/2 hour down the wash. But Jesse and 2 other horse friends of his got a lift down there today!

When I arrived and was settling Toby and the nanny I was "scolded" by the trail boss as he hollered out...ARE YOU RID EN TODAY!!! YOU BET YOUR SWEET ASS I AM!!! ( I wanted to reply)

1st up BARRELS! OUR FAVORITE!

Jesse and The Rose take the 1st barrel!

Heading for the 2nd...still in the saddle!

3rd barrel...looking good!

Look at that Jesse "bring it home"! Boy does he LOVE to do that. In fact...it does become a problem later in the games!

Here comes the finish line....oops Jesse had not noticed this before and....he jumped over it at the end. Yes...the Rose was surprised yet stayed with him!

We took 3rd place and have another beer mug to add to past year wins!

Next up is pole bending!

So many people had questions about the pattern that I rode 1st. Jesse and I have done this many times...we took 1st at the pony cousin rodeo and took 3rd last year in the desert, this should be another "BEER MUG" for us! Sorry there are no pictures, I forgot to give my camera to someone...besides Jesse would certainly loose face if pictures were posted.

All started out well. We raced down the line of poles to the end and made our 1st circle and started our weave in and out the poles. On the 3rd pole...Jesse saw the white chalk finish line and off he went in a flash! Jesse has NEVER done anything like this before and he was not going to stop till he crossed that damn white line! Just before he reached it I got him pulled up and made him go back to the barrel he skipped out on and finish the run the right way. Of course as we rounded the last pole......we were off in a flash again! The PONY COUSINS all remember how Jesse loves to bring it home....he has become obsessed with it! Needless to say we finished LAST!

Next up...Mexican Hat Dance.

This game is a take on musical chairs. The hoopla hoops act as the chairs and you throw your hat down in the ring to secure your "chair". The hat can not touch the hoola hoop or it is up for grabs! You should see them running after the empty hoops! No accidents though. The Desert Rose and Jesse were out 3rd round...the visor was just to hard to get off and throw down and Jesse was a bit "prancy"...looking for that white line again!

Look close in the dust at the 2nd horse's hooves...see the hoopla hoop???

Luckily there were "hat picker uppers" so you did not have to dismount to retrieve your hat!

4th in the games was Western Pleasure! I have no idea what this meant....we all rode around and went through the gates requested but I have never shown before and was not surprised we did not place!

5th is the Peeled banana relay! 3 riders must circle the barrel at the end of the arena and hand off the peeled banana in one piece. The teams were drawn from the hat and team one was the "dream team". The rest of us said just give them the trophy! But....they dropped the banana! Our team place 3rd...could have done better if Jesse had not gone for the finish when we were 2nd hand off. This is what one team looked like trying hand off the banana. They were totally in each others way!

Now they get the pass off!

Jesse searches for Toby Jack!!!

Here's Toby, playing in the dirt!!! Last up is the trail course....Jesse and I go first so we can get Toby for his promised ride on Jesse! Sorry no pictures again...but the trail obstacles were, a tarp to walk over, poles to back up through, a pole to pivot left then right, large plastic cactus to take rings off off and place on another large cactus. Jesse will back up straight on a cliff trail but put him in an arena between two poles...no way! No more beer mugs for us :(

Toby sees Jesse poop and is actually AFRAID of it! I don't blame him! Jesse looks a bit embarrassed!

Poor Jesse...he can't understand why his "boy" won't come over!

Toby gets his ride! Jesse is sooo proud to take Toby for a ride! (See the curly hair on his neck??? We will be clipping him soon!!!)

Zsa Zsa, Toby and Jesse watch the rodeo!

Watching the Rodeo with the "crowd"! Next up is the BBQ, hamburgers with grilled onions, pickles, chips and all the fix en's with fresh fruit and CHOCOLATE CAKE for desert!

Looks like Toby approves of the desert!

The end of the Rodeo! ....Zsa Zsa and Toby go home to take a 3 hour nap! Jesse goes back to the stables! What a GRAND day!

Your Desert Rose!