Enjoy the Ride

14 Oct posted by

Yesterday I was contacted by a girl from a Public Relations Company. She informed me that there is currently a writing contest tied to equestrian champion, Ashlee Bond.

From the email:

The prizes are the best part! The winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to the U.S. debut of the world’s leading equestrian championships in Lexington, Kentucky in September, 2010, as well as a collection of personally autographed items from Bond.

Bond has teamed up with Legend by Bayer Animal Health for their “Enjoy the Ride” contest. This website has more details: www.enjoytheridecontest.com.


To enter, you simply write a 150 word (or less) essay on what your horse has given back to you, how much you love and care for your horse, and the winner will be chosen from the field of essays. Those of you that read this blog that own horses, should certainly enter! I plan to, and when my submission has been entered, I’ll post it here for all y’all to read.
Please check it out!

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Filed Under: horses

Rain and Snow and Wind

5 Oct posted by

Ah yes, friends. You read the above title correctly. We awoke to rain; and then it began snowing with the rain- big, pretty snowflakes. Though there might be a time when I’ll tell you snow isn’t so pretty. In fact, I’m right on the verge of it now. Seeing as how it’s really too early for snow- even in this part of the country. The weather is calling for rain of a 100% chance today- then more rain tonight and more rain tomorrow. Sunday they forecast the temperature to not even be above 40- so this week we can plan on chilly weather to say the least. I must say that I’m doing better with the temperature this year than I was last year at this time. Maybe I’m becoming climatized. I don’t know.

Regardless I figured I’d just share some photos today; though since I’m inside there might be more than one blog written. A couple of these are of Sonora from 2006- but the rest are of the world’s muddiest horse, Gump. I found him like this earlier this summer- of course it was on a barrel race day when it took me the better part of a couple hours to clean him up. But they’re fun to look at!


Gump standing next to his little brother, Festus (on Gump’s right)


Told you he was muddy. I bet he looks very much like this when I get the chance to bring him in after this dreary weather has passed!

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Filed Under: horses, life, weather

Birthday Fun

4 Oct posted by

Yesterday was my birthday. I spent part of it on the road, returning from our trip to Grandma’s funeral. I have some fun things to share about family history, and I thought I’d also share the obituary from Grandma too- that way it’s in print here, in case I ever lose my paper copy.

We got home to find that some packages had been delivered. I had ordered some new chairs for our living room- they’re zebra print and oh so pretty! Mom and dad sent a package as well- some whole bean coffee, in my favorite Starbuck’s flavor- Winter Blend (formerly known as their Christmas Blend) and they’ll also be getting us a coffee grinder! Score!!!! There was also about 10 different types of herb tea in that package- which is lovely, because that’s my favorite thing to enjoy on blizzarding, cold winter days!

The weather since we’ve been back has been cold and rainy and otherwise dreary, but it is fall so that’s what it’s supposed to be like, I figure. Baby Bam Bam is still adorable but his mother is looking really rough. Sometimes a mare’s first baby is super hard on them, and she is no exception. We’ve put her on feed twice a day, and she’s getting free choice alfalfa and grass hay, but somehow it seems to be not quite enough. I would really like for her to be packing more flesh than she is going into winter, but I don’t know what else to do for her. It’s not like I can keep her up in a stall.

I’m off to make the best of this gray, fall Sunday!

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Filed Under: family, horses, life

Huron, SD Barrel Bash

20 Sep posted by

Yesterday I loaded up the trailer and took Sonora (Streakin Iron) and my Gump to the Barrel Bash at Huron. This makes the third barrel bash I’ve been to this year and I really hope to get to go to one in Minnesota in October. I’m really liking the producer of these races.

Anyway, I didn’t win any money, but my horses did good. Like I’ve said before, Nora is a pokey gray mare, and she’s just not a sprinter. But I love to ride her and I don’t care if she doesn’t win any money- she’s gorgeous and she turns good for the most part. Here is video of her running:

Gump made a good run- we’re just still not running as hard as he is capable- I felt like he was really getting after it but the clock said otherwise. So we’ll just keep working on things. Here is his pretty run:

Then of course, in true Jenn fashion, I had a pity party on the drive home that snowballed into absolutely craziness. Sometimes, I believe it is a wonder that Zach still loves me. I had convinced myself by the time I got home that I am never getting better; considered quitting; that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to ride a smokin’ horse; and was wondering why anyone ever sent me a horse to train in the first place- because certainly I hold no credibility if I’m not out winning barrel races. Zach wants me to remember that I *get* to barrel race. That it should be fun. And that if I’m not happy when I don’t win a check, that I’m in the wrong business. That my horses are works in progress. It’s true- I just need to keep at it, remind myself that it took 2 years with my black horse before I ever won a check on him and that it took another year after that before he clocked a 1D time. I’ve only been on Gump for a year. So things really aren’t as bad as I tend to make them.

I just gotta keep on keepin’ on; not let what anyone else thinks or says get to me, and know that I have what it takes to make a super horse. I think I’ll go ride this afternoon, actually!

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Filed Under: barrel racing, horses

I’m Back

15 Sep posted by

It was a crazy, short, trip, full of ups, downs, rain, and a case of what I now know to be food poisoning. I didn’t see everyone I wanted to see, but otherwise it was fun. I hated the timing of my illness- 4am Saturday morning when I was set to leave that day to head back home I wake up with a seriously upset stomach. I’m not going into the details, but needless to say, I am sure that I wanted to die. I got very little sleep that night, and tried to sleep later, thinking, I’d just leave later that day instead of in the morning. But I couldn’t rest. I didn’t feel good, but all I could think about was getting back to be sick in my own bed.

Then there was the truck seat that broke when my dad was packing me. In the rain.

Oh, the pouring rain. Rain. Rain and more rain.

So I left, that afternoon to go north. I struggled with stopping off in Duncan, Oklahoma to see my awesome friend Lacee. But it was raining…still, and I didn’t know how bad the storms would get, and I didn’t know if I was contagious. I spent the better part of the afternoon in the truck, hating myself for being sick, not going to see my friend and downing tums so I wouldn’t get sick. I didn’t know if I was getting the flu or if I simply had a case of food poisoning. I wondered about whether or not I had the flu because I was achy on top of being sick to my stomach.

The good news is, the next day I woke up with a better feeling stomach; all the aches were gone and I was able to drive the rest of the way home. I was glad that I had escaped without getting the flu.

Of course the first thing I did when I got to the house was go see my new baby, Bam Bam. He is just the cutest thing ever. I adore him. After Dolce was born last year, I just knew that there was never going to be a cuter baby than her, but you know what? He is cuter!

I’m glad to be home. Glad I’m not sick. Glad to be back with Zach.

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Filed Under: foals, horses, life

Topeka, KS Barrel Bash

9 Sep posted by

I have to admit that there are times when I hate the traveling that is involved in getting horses seasoned. Maybe I just got spoiled when I was in Texas, because I could go a lot of places without driving for hours. But, if I really want to make the big time as a trainer and someday maybe make it to Vegas, I have to get over it. There are no if, ands, or buts, about it.

So despite my dread of driving I-29 through Iowa (I HATE that road!), I made the what is supposed to be 9-hour drive to Topeka, take 12 hours. Ok, so it wasn’t me that made it take that long. It was the road construction. But I suppose that is neither here nor there.

We made it. That’s the important part.

Saturday’s runs weren’t super fast. I really wanted Gump to do everything correctly. The last couple runs we made at home, he was blowing off the first barrel. So I really needed to keep him picked up going to the first. I just wanted everything to be smooth. No complaints from me in that department. He went where I told him, at the speed I told him, and was correct.

Sonora’s run was just funny. There’s really no other way to look at it. She was actually a teeny bit sore from the trailer ride the day before so she wasn’t really as free as she can be. And of course, her being sore, isn’t the funny part.

Wait for it.
Wait. For. It.
She ran in there, looking at everything! Like she is a darn colt! She scotched the whole way through her run. You could see her/feel her thinking, “Crap, what’s that there? Wait. Is that a sign? Are you sure I need to go right at those signs on the fence by the second barrel? Seriously, you want me to run at more signs?”
I didn’t even pack a spanker with me on this trip, because Lord knows Gump doesn’t need one, and while Sonora is bred to be a racehorse, running fast is usually the farthest thing from her mind. I know this. I pay her fees anyway. At best she’ll be a 3D horse. I don’t really care. I love her. I think she’s gorgeous. And I don’t care what anyone else says. Besides that, she really hates an over an under, or a dressage whip.
Sunday, my horses both felt better, and I could tell it was going to be a better day. Gump ran nearly a second better than the day before and I rode Nora in a bridle that had split reins on it, so I could get her attention. It worked. She ran over a second better.
I have decided however, that I must borrow a 1D horse from someone. STAT. I have completely forgotten what it feels like to blow in there, and make a run on one, and I think I’ve lost my ability to get a horse to that level.
I do have video, but my aunt took it for me on her camera. There are photos too, but I don’t have those yet. I promise I’ll share when I get them!
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Filed Under: barrel racing, horses

Congratulations, Mamma, It’s a Boy!

7 Sep posted by

I knew it would happen this way! I just knew it. Despite my best efforts of wishing and trying to will it otherwise, my beloved Shuttle (Fleefoots Dakota Sun) gave birth to a healthy baby boy early Saturday morning, September 5th. Zach snapped some video of him for me, and yesterday Kels took some photos with her phone. I think he’s just perfect.

Without further Ado, meet Bam Bam (I have no idea what I’m naming him for registration purposes!):





I am glad to be on my mini-trip to Tx to see everyone; but I wish I were there to play with him. I’ll update y’all on the barrel race that I attended in Topeka, KS later. Right now, I smell coffee and breakfast. There’s nothing quite like being back at mom and dad’s to move the soul!

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Filed Under: foals, horses

Up, Up and Away!

3 Sep posted by

Ok. So I’m not going up, up and away, but I am going south.

I will head to Topeka, KS in the morning, and I’ll spend a couple days with family while I run at the Barrel Bash on Saturday and Sunday. Then I’ll head further south to hang with my folks, drop off my old horse, Zero, for the winter, and see my friends- as many as possible while I’m there. I plan to lay out, tan, get a pedicure, have my brows and lashes tinted, and do some things I can’t do while I’m here on the ranch.

I’ll head back to the north country on Sunday the 13th- after I run in my hometown of Duncan, Oklahoma on Saturday at a D and G Productions Barrel Race.

As much as I’m dreading the driving, I’m looking forward to running my horses and seeing my friends, having some sushi and time to get some sun!

I will try to keep everyone updated while I’m away.

But in the meantime- have a look at the Ranch’s newly redesigned website:

www.ducheneaux.com

I just slaved over that for the past few weeks…

Now, I should probably go finish doing laundry and packing!

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Filed Under: horses, life, travel

Summer on the Ranch

27 Aug posted by

Every day on the ranch brings a different set of challenges. A different circumstance; a new set of chores. There is never really a set schedule. The only thing set in stone, is that each day will be different and sometimes the same. Circular logic, I know.

What we can count on is gorgeous weather. Awesome horses. Cows that escape into pastures-namely the alfalfa pasture- where they shouldn’t be; and machinery breakdowns.

It’s haying season here- we’ll put up around 2000-3000 round bales this summer. We start haying in June- or at least thinking about it- getting mowing machines ready; making sure the baler is in good working order. But despite the boys’ best efforts something always goes awry. The baler may pick up a rock, or a bearing just wears out. One of the mowers breaks. On a non-haying note, two weeks ago it was the four wheeler- which got stuck in fourth gear (we still haven’t taken it to the shop). This week the dump rake broke, which forced Zach to borrow a rake from the neighbor as ours is kaput until we get it to a welder’s shop (which won’t happen until next year).


Last week a dozen cows and their calves were out in our alfalfa field. This week a dozen more. The best part about all of this- is that I’m fortunate enough to get to be the one to put them back. Which means I’m the one horseback; the cowgirl that gets to ride across a pasture putting cows back where they belong. How much better can life get, if you’re me, than to saddle a pretty horse (lately it’s been Wayne’s stud horse Nukie) and move cows through a pasture?

Since the four-wheeler is dead for the moment, I’m the one that gets to saddle a pretty gray mare (Sonora) and ride through two pastures to bring the geldings in. And actually, as much as I hate it that Zach is in the hayfield this week, I like it that I get “saddled” with that job. There’s not much in this world that’s more fun (at least to me) than to long-trot out across a pasture on a good horse, in search of, well, more good horses!

Summer evenings are now bringing weekly barrel races at the ranch. Gump has won me two checks at these- including one from last night. That pretty gray mare y’all all love so much- made her debut back into the barrel racing arena last night- and ran 2 tenths off of my Gumpers.
I can honestly say that there’s no other place on earth I’d rather live my life or spend my days than right here where I am. I’m to a place where getting me off the ranch and in to town or even to the mailbox, 10 miles down the road, is becoming less and less attractive to me. Thank God for the internet, UPS and FedEx; now if I could just get groceries delivered!
Here’s to hoping everyone has as great a Thursday as I’m going to have. I’ve got to go water horses, saddle a Nora, and bring in 26 gorgeous geldings!
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Filed Under: barrel racing, horses, life, ranching

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting…

26 Aug posted by

I’m still waiting.

Waiting on Shuttle to have her baby.

I figure she’ll have it when I’m gone to Kansas next weekend.

Oh, yes, I’m going to Kansas to run at the Barrel Bash. And then I’m going to run in Duncan, OK (my hometown- but shhhhhh…don’t tell anyone!).

I realize that I also owe y’all photos of the baby that was born around the first of August. I haven’t forgotten. I just haven’t taken the camera with me to the barn. Maybe I’ll do that today.

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Filed Under: foals, horses
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