Kerri Baker

I don't know where to begin... We lost a wonderful friend Saturday night. She was a horse lover, school teacher, a mother, and a very giving person. She was always full of energy and ideas and would do anything for anyone. It is a tragedy to lose anybody, but the shock of losing someone as wonderful and caring as her is devastating. She was looking forward to our Jacksonville Florida show in 3 weeks and planning the weekend so we could all get together. She was the person who introduced my husband to me back in 1998 in Orlando which I am thankful for every day. I guess life isn't fair, life is life. You just have to live it to its fullest. Keep reaching for your dreams, dreaming new dreams, and keep your loved ones close. We never know where our life will take us, so we have to take life where we want it to go. Sometimes it is the most wonderful exciting place in the world and other times it is days like today when you hear the news of the passing of a friend. She was a family friend who shared the same passion of horses as we do. No one knows exactly what happened or how it happened with her horse, but as unselfish as she is, it was giving the children something special for Halloween. It was a tragic accident and a shock to us all. As I get teary eyed calls from all her friends I can only ask that we pray for her and her family; Tim and her daughter, Paige. Bless her God and give her family the strength to carry on through these days. She will be missed in our hearts as she brightened our lives. It is a sad day. A very sad day for those who knew her and those who never will.
We love you and you will always be in our hearts.
Kerry Baker - Oct 15, 1971 - Oct 29th, 2005
Ride Fast... Take Chances
karen

National Finals Rodeo 2004

My Brother, Tommie and I at the 2004 NFR in Las Vegas. Little did we know he would be back here performing at the final 2 shows in 2005!

Going to the NFR!

Tommie got his PRCA card to work at rodeos in 2004. He worked a bunch of rodeos around the Midwest and Eastern States since then and received incredible praise where ever he performed. We went to the NFR last to watch the rodeo, but this year Tommie will be performing at the biggest show in rodeo; the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. We have a show in Raleigh, North Carolina the weekend of Dec. 2-4, and then we head off to to NFR on a 2,300 mile journey with Ace, Joker, and Pokerjoe. Tommie and his horses will be performing in the 8, 9, and 10th performances of the Rodeo which is the final 3 events with the BIG money winners. It is an incredible honor to be part of the NFR and we are getting ready to make a big splash in Vegas. We went last year to the Showman's Convention at the Las Vegas Hilton while my husband and I were working with the Cavalia horse show in Santa Monica. We hung out with a lot of great friends from our circus days and wild west days. Then they have the PRCA convention for it's members and then the NFR. We took a quick flight from LAX and were in Vegas in no time! I love Vegas. Three of our friends who were also in Cavalia are based out of Vegas now. Eric Martonivich, Alethea Shelton, and Pierre Luc Silvain. Eric and Alethea are doing great with their vaulting. I talked to him the other day and he told me that "Comet" (the big draft he rode in Cavalia) was doing great. Pierre Luc who was the main acrobat in Cavalia, is now in the mega-production of "KA" at the MGM Grand. He is an incredible acrobat with a great stage presence. I have pictures of him when he started in Cavalia. He was a skinny little short-haired acrobat. In the past 2 years he has built pure muscle, grew his hair out, and learned how to "awe" an audience. He is now a true performer. I can't wait to see him in action. I've got a ton of projects I'll be working on including some of the best performance teams in the industry. The next big project after the NFR is our Equine Academy of Performing Arts. We will be offering a 3 part training course on what we have been doing for the past 17 years; entertaining on horseback. Our curriculum we be revolved around creating personal acts and teaching what it takes to have a spot in the equine show business. We'll have levels for everyone since we get tons of email from people wanting to live out a fantasy and perform a trick riding routine or to hear the crowd cheer as they perform with their horse. We'll also have intermediate courses on teaching what you need to do to develop a memorable routine and an advanced course which involves everything from ideas to a polished act ready present to the public. I am scheduling upcoming clinics to help already established acts like the Canadian Cowgirls, The Riata Ranch Girls, and Ohio Top Hands Drill Team. Our goal is to set your dream in motion and help you reach it with our experience and know-how. Keep an eye on our website for more info in early 2006. We are also starting our intern and apprentice program at our training center. It's a great way to learn from the ground up. I did it, Tommie did it and we feel the only way to appreciate and always strive for more is to start at the bottom and learn EVERYTHING. We learned the right way AND the wrong way, but were adept enough to figure it out and keep finding better, faster, easier ways to work with horses. Not only do we have to teach our horses, but we have to teach ourselves, and teach an audience. It is a never ending task, but a rewarding one. Every night when I do a final check on our horses, I make sure each one is content and knows I am there. I will say their name and quietly say goodnight. What a rewarding feeling. Email me if you are interested in the school or the intern program at karen@equineextremist.net. I'll send you the application and information.
Ride Fast... Take Chances!
karen

Here's a photo I just dug up when I was in Santa Monica with Cavalia. She is, Dana the "World's Most Dangerous" bartender. I miss the fun times we had there at the Moor! She is an avid horsewoman too! If you're ever in SM, check out the Moor Bar and you'll know what I mean. I know a lot of bartendar's, and Dana is the best. This was taken on New Years 2005.  

Here is a great shot of Tommie Turvey with the world famous, Pokerjoe during the "Riding Instructor" comedy act. It really shows the fun they have performing.

Here is Tommie Turvey with his horse Ace, the legendary "horse whisperer" Monty Roberts (far right) and Canadian horse trainer, Chris Irwin (far left) during the Can-Am International Horse Expo Sept 05 in London, Ontario, Canada.