Arkyhorse

Blake has started a facebook place for ropers to go and post ropings, news and such.  It's Rivervalley Teamropers so be sure to add it if you're a 'facebooker'.

If you keep up with our sale page, you'll see we don't have anything of ours for sale.  We were able to sell enough horses this spring to really get our numbers back down to the 'fun' range instead of it feeling like work.  Have several very nice young geldings that the plan (right now) is to hold off putting up for sale until we've hauled them to the winter jackpots and put some seasoning on them.

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Hey guys - we've been busy, busy, busy and I have really gotten behind on here.  It's been a great summer and now we have an associate to keep things going at the clinic, we've been able to 'play hookey' - a LOT lol!

Show season is over for Remington and me - he placed first for the year in all 3 classes that he showed in (Jr Trail, Boys Western Pleasure, and Youth Ranch Horse WP).  We are so proud of and happy for him!

Have just one more roping (Southeast Regionals at Tunica) before the finals catch up to us the end of October.  We'd both like to pick up at least one more shootout, so wish us luck.

I'll try to keep up a little better here on out!

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The boys had a great vacation over the weekend - they stayed home (their choice) and lazed around playing video games and watching tv all weekend while we roped out of town.

We got back in early enough Sunday to rest up a little before fireworks.  City ordinance allows us to shoot ANY fireworks up until 10pm and boy was that a mistake lol!  As a family, we're pretty much all agreed that the bigger the 'boom' the better it is!

Had some really good ones this year - I'll be trying to stock up on them for next year at the discounted 'after 4th' sales.

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Well, we did our first 'Saturday' roping at Guthrie and really enjoyed it.  We've always just roped in the low numbers on Sundays, but with the USTRC's new 'partner finder' option we wanted to see how things would work out if we stepped it up a little.

Worked out just fine!  Had to get over my "ohmigosh, I'm roping with a #8 heeler! nerves" in the Gold plus (did not impress anyone with my abilities in THAT one, for sure) - but laid down 3 solid runs (with one leg) in the #11 with a gentleman from Tennessee.  We were less than a second out of making the short go!

Blake won second high fast time money with a draw partner in the Gold plus incentive and was only a couple of seconds out of making the short go in the #9 on Sunday.

Overall a weekend of 'close, but no cigar' lol, but we had a good time and will be showing up on more Saturdays from now on!

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What a day!  Did NOT rope as well as I feel I'm capable of --- partly cattle, partly me, partly my horse.  I swear some of these steers had horns over a foot long - on each side - and I split the horns on several and had to fish around for a half head.  Lost my focus on many of the early ones and can't even picture what I was aiming for when I threw.  Not only did she want to pull back up the pen instead of driving more toward the fence, but Damsel has perfected the knack of knowing exactly when the heeler delivers and shutting down (yes, all my fault and we WILL be working on that before Fort Smith next month)  and causing slipped legs and complete misses.

All that said, got 3rd in the all-girl and 3rd in the #8 by the grace of god (and good heelers - one of which came all the way down from Columbia, MO to rope with me - THANK YOU, Michelle!).

Nothing like a money roping to show you all the things you need to work on!  Looks like we'll be HotHeel'in like crazy for the next few weeks lol!

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The big day finally rolled around and we were able to put all that practicing we've been doing (ZERO! lol) to work.  Had best intentions of putting some time in going over some things that had been hinted at and never got it done.

Well.  Blake on Prez, Remington on Damsel, Josie on CD and myself on Dozer managed to all get through the course with few problems..... AMEN!  Had my concerns as there was a bonus 'swim the pond' water obstacle and not only have we never swam with any of those horses, I know one horse (mine) had never been ridden bareback before and Remington himself had never ridden bareback.  Blake (the weenie) opted out of the water obstacle which is a shame because based on the final scores those 10 extra points would have put him in first (he placed 5th and everyone ahead of him DID do the water).

Remington had a little trouble getting Damsel into the pond, but with a 'leader' he did get it done.  I was very pleased with Dozer - mostly because he took the bareback thing like a pro!  Had a big bobble at the terrace when he tried to refuse jumping up it.  Josie had a good solid ride but got to watching some exciting action coming her way (a horse at the prior obstacle got a little worked up about pulling the cedar tree 'log' and darn near pulled it clear to the next one) and she had trouble smoothing out her backthrough.  I didn't see all of Blake's but I never saw his horse make a bobble except for stepping on the log one time in the backthrough.

Over all a very good time - Remington and I now have matching trophies as we both placed second in our divisions (there were 5 in the junior and 18 in the senior).  I barely edged Josie out into 3rd, she got a cool T-shirt!

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The last horse sale I went to was in September 2005 (and yes, I bought something).  Have regretted selling my cart pony, Tag, for the last couple of months.  Been hearing about how the local monthly auction down the road has been having a lot of ponies and decided to go check it out.  Yes..... I know, we sell off several to lighten things up - but I really miss my pony!

Sure enough, there were quite a few ponies so I walked through, checked 'em out and made my little list.  Long story short.... bid on several, bought one larger pony and on sheer impulse also bought a Two Id Bartender bred red dun colt.

Seem to have gotten lucky so far --- been long enough for any drugs to wear off and I can still catch, lead, tie, and handle them both and neither one have started limping anywhere!

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The guys were fine with not roping on Saturday at Grove, so Remington and I made the show this past weekend.  Just took Damsel (she had a full weekend of it, what with the show AND the roping) and Remington showed while I got most of our required classed worked to be eligible for year end awards.  He had a good day, managed to pull out a  first in trail (I had him placed dead last as I felt he technically DQ'ed in the back through) and did the same in his other classes. 

Told him he better start practicing up and putting a little more 'polish' on his trail performance as there are a couple of good riding, motivated young ladies who are really putting some work into it and improving every show.

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We went up Saturday, spent the night and got to visit some with a vet buddy so the trip was enjoyable - but we should have left it at that lol!

I heeled in the all-girl, first 2 headers missed and I tanked the heel shot on the third one.

Headed in the #9, drew a big heavy hard running steer and didn't get him handled good - he rounded out a little and my first heeler missed.  Next one wasn't much better, but we got a leg down.  Drew a good steer made a good turn, heeler missed.

In the #8 we both headed.  One heeler missed, one my miss (of course for the salty, undernumbered heeler of the day), and one catch (heeler missed second time out).

Blake had about the same kind of day.

Money ropings always leave you realizing what you really, really need to work on at home.  I have GOT to work on getting out better, roping more aggressively, and handling those big old practice type cattle we're seeing in the low number ropings.

2 weeks 'til Bentonville - be roping our tails off the next little bit lol!

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Boys are done with another year of school and looking forward to a break.  They obviously don't realize the plans we have for them!  Lots to do around here and probably going to take up quite a bit of their summer by the time you figure in off season ball practice and such.  Still it's nice not having to fuss about schoolwork or bedtimes for a while!

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