[hillary]

Guys - 10 pages and counting.......think we need a new thread!

I did not not show for a few decades and was very surprised that most of the shows are gone from the fairs. Merry's post really brought this back for me.

I loved having the shows with western and saddleseat. What an education! Not many formats today where any of these riders mingle. What a shame. And showing at the fairs was really participating in an "event" - nights especially. Loved the recount of all the applause and the horse bolting - too funny. I had the experience of waiting for a class at the fair and my friend from school drove up with his welsh pony (roadster cart). My green hunter took one look and backed up about 40 feet in 5 seconds! Heads up indeed!

I think the lack of a jog at the end of the class is also a loss. There is little that can compete with the thrill of getting called out first and jogging into the ring at the head of the line.

[hillary]

Guys - 10 pages and counting.......think we need a new thread!

I did not not show for a few decades and was very surprised that most of the shows are gone from the fairs. Merry's post really brought this back for me.

I loved having the shows with western and saddleseat. What an education! Not many formats today where any of these riders mingle. What a shame. And showing at the fairs was really participating in an "event" - nights especially. Loved the recount of all the applause and the horse bolting - too funny. I had the experience of waiting for a class at the fair and my friend from school drove up with his welsh pony (roadster cart). My green hunter took one look and backed up about 40 feet in 5 seconds! Heads up indeed!

I think the lack of a jog at the end of the class is also a loss. There is little that can compete with the thrill of getting called out first and jogging into the ring at the head of the line.

[HN73]

Can I beg and plead for pictures on this thread? I love all of the old pictures...

[JB]

speaking of "combo" shows - we have an Easter show very near by every year. Some days have draft pulls, Mule pulls, WP, saddleseat, etc. Hunters go on Saturday, but so do barrel racers and roadsters. I took JB one year for the heck of it. I was scared out of my mind that he'd take one look at the carts and just, well, LEAVE! One came zipping by us, and JB hardly blinked. In fact, he wasn't blinking at all. He was STARING at the barrel racers going round and round those barrels - not blowing or snorting or any of that scaredy-cat stuff, but it took all my strength to turn him away from it! Maybe it's his calling? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Cactuskate]

Harking back to the early 80's and Oregon State Fair. The warm up area for the H/J's was in an area that shared a common fence with the race track. They also had the race meet going at the same time. Needless to say there were many of the ex-racehorse TB's that stayed home from that one.

Every once in awhile they would have the length of race that required them to put the gate way back there. Interesting sensation as you are galloping your inclined-to-stop-anyway mare down to a schooling oxer and hear the clanging of the starting gate and the thunder of hooves. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

And I can't believe I lived to tell [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

The gated classes were a trip to watch. And the same lovely mare would have nothing to do with anything w/wheels attached to it. We, too, had some interesting clear-the-area moments.

Ah the good ol' days. Yah right! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[mo jo]

I was going to post this on the other thread but it was so long I figured I'd post it on this new one. Here is a picture of Marie on Snicklefritz in 1976 at The Garden. It was the first year she showed him there. Remember the other great horses she had, War Apple, Toy Soldier, Ninth Wave. All of those horses were before Snicklefritz, Homegrown and the numerous others that she had. War Apple was the first horse she began showing.

[Xani]

Here iz a picture of Colyn frum Blowing Rock in 1985. I wuz only 5 then hehe! She wuz sew in debt 2 her trainer, that she had 2 sell her pony, truck and trailer and ride a hog home. Glad she dyed her hair back 2 black.

[hoopoe]

So CactusKate did you ever come up to the LWSC 4th of July open show? English Western Saddleseat H/J, driving all at one showground, Bridle Trails State Park in Kirkland Washington. Sometimes we used the arena at Central Park Stables. This, to my knowledge, was one of the last of the recognized AHSA open shows. We last held on in 1985 or 6 if I remember. By then it had split out to H/J one weekend ( 3 or 4 days) then western and "other thans" on the following weekend for three days.

Not so unusual? The state park only has one large arena, uncovered and two warm up rings.

This used to be one of the largest shows in the region and during the late 60's it was not unusual for riders to come down from Canada and up from Oregon for it. Portable stabling in the parking lot with overflow to the neighborhood barns and people would hack in.

Clearly remember Laura Tidball (Baliski) winning the medal there as a junior.

Now all that remains is two "C" rated hunter shows in May and June.

[Canter]

I ALWAYS loved Bill Steinkraus' horse Snowbound, but what was the name of that gray he used to show? Was it the Minstrel??

[lauriep]

It was Bold Minstrel.

Merry, I worked in CA for about 9 months in 1975, worked for Leon Butts at Kaleidoscope and then for Max Bonham at Coto de Caza. Had completely forgotten the portable jump thing, but yes gang! That is exactly what you did out there - set up your portable jump(s) or whatever you had and do you schooling in the barn aisle.\

BTW, schooling in the barn aisle took on an entirely new meaning at the '80 World Cup in Gothenburg when Katie and Jonesy were so close to winning. You can imagine George and all other trainers/riders helping "school" Jonesy on a rubber mat about 20' long, one small jump brought in from ???? With three of us stationed outside to "guard." It was too funny.

Laurie

[Dementia 13]

Could it be Bold Minstrel who showed in working hunter as well as open jumper? At least I think he did.

Does anyone have any pictures of Early Light? If so, I would love to see them.

[Canter]

Yes it was Bold Minstrel. Loved the dapples on that horse!!

Does anyone remember Sympatico? He was pretty incredible too.

[Bumpkin]

We use to do that show, along with Nile at Central Park Stables, Sterling, Yakima etc...
Richard Keller use to bring horses up from California and Twinkie Nissan even would come up.
Whatever happened to Four Winds Farm that Richard Keller trained for?
I remember the year Lasma Arabians came and some other big California stable and the actor/singer Bruce Davidson was there, haha.
And the first year I showed my green horse "Bumpkin" in the Hunter Hack class which was scheduled after the Pony Chuck Wagon races. It was the wildest Hunter Hack class in history, no one looked relaxed or calm. haha
Now that I am starting over and not caring if the shows are A or B but fun, I look forward to jumping in the Bridle Trails State Park arena. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[ccoronios]

Yes, after Bold Minstrel retired (from showjumping AND eventing, if I'm not mistaken??), Bill ?'s wife showed him A/O hunters... Had to laugh at one show (Camden, if I'm not mistaken) - on of her first shows over fences, studying the course - and that great old gelding was standing there, gave it a quick once-over with the expression "Don't worry - I've got it..."
He was one of my most favorites....

[hoopoe]

Bumpkin, We have the two "C" rated shows this supring/summer. I will see you at the June one for sure. I think we have talked about form over fences. I will be around with my binoculars, so check in and make yourself known. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

I hope the cook shack is up to the usual yummy standard again this year.

[Beezer]

Oh, Max Bonham was the greatest! We felt we'd finally "arrived" when Max came on the scene. A real big-name East Coaster! He was a real kick, too. I can still remember him out on the old cross-country course Coto had at the time (before it was taken over by houses), alternately chasing horses and kids over the jumps and then flagging them down on the all-out run back to the barns. And having been one of said kids (though I never had the pleasure of riding with him, he was always willing to help anyone out on course), I can honestly say those were some of the most hair-raising, amazingly FUN rides I ever had.

It was years before Coto de Caza came into its own as a full-fledged equestrian center, but Max certainly set it on its way. Caroline Bonham still trains there. His son -- Michael, I think?? -- was a wonderful rider too; he was out here for a good while, but no longer. Anyone know what happened to him?

As for the multi-discipline shows ... I really miss those too. Grand fun they were. And not sure whether it was mentioned on this thread or the other old-timer one, but yes, the shows held on or near the racetracks -- or "runways" as my old trainer used to call them. Because that's what my horse and I used to turn them into. I'll leave it to my sister, Merry, to tell the tale sometime of one of my and the real Beezer's more, ahem, MEMORABLE turns around one of those tracks. We may have stampeded most of the warm-up ring.... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

As the old song says, "Those were the days, my friend; we thought they'd never end" ... and how very sad that they eventually did. But what great days they were. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Weatherford]

incredible horse - the only horse to MEDAL in two different disciplines in modern times! (Eventing & Show Jumping) Mike Plumb rode him in Tokoyo when Mike's horse went beserk in the plane & had to be put down.

He was owned by Billy Haggard - who hunted him with the Essex when I was a kid! Then he moved to Camden where his wife hunted him. He also showed him as a hunter, evented, show jumped, etc. I consider him to be the greatest horse of the century - just a notch above my other favorite, Idle Dice.

If I can find a picture, I will post it.

[wtywmn4]

Beezer, Michael is still around. He lives in either KS. or Ok. Finally got married and has 2 or 3 kids. Very happy from what I hear. Doesn't do alot with the horses any more, teaches here & there, no barn. Think he was Max's nephew. He was/is very talented. Still have the Hermes he sold me so long ago, it was practically new.

[Chef Jade]

"I loved having the shows with western and saddleseat. What an education! "

My trainer shares a barn with a dressage/valuting and morgan trainer.

We will have saddleseat, roadsters, western, dressage, and a vaulting horse being longed in our indoor all at once. And the morgan trainer uses a whip with a plastic grocery bag tied to the end of it to spook her horse as they pass her to make them more animated. Not to mention at one end having 3 people on the longeing horse at the same time doing all sorts of acrobatics.

My 4 year old isn't into any of the above. But we did use the vaulter's practice barrels as a jump once!

[Weatherford]

Circa 1966 or 1967 - we won, too! On a REAL outside course!