Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everybody. Here's a photo I just took this morning of the Western Store. We have a white Christmas here AND very cold. It's just me and my husband, along with the 22 horses and 3 dogs. Time to go give the horses their Christmas carrots and clean their stalls. The wind has been blowing pretty hard, giving us lots of snow drifts, so I'll have to plow out the driveway and parking lot as well. I could barely get into the barn last night with all the drifting snow. Well, thanks again for all your support in 2008 as we get ready to make 2009 even bigger and better! We've got lots of plans to share with all of you. Keep in touch, and again.... Merry Christmas!
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Just before Christmas and all is sooooo cold.

All I can say is that I'm glad to be home, but..... it is -30 below today with the windchill and -10 below without. It is tough just to stay warm! 3 mins outside and you are frozen solid. We've got all the horses inside and stalled in our heated indoor facility (45 degrees). They are really happy. Our barn manager, Lori has been getting them out in the arena and riding them with our current intern, Jen. We've been busy shipping product, setting schedules, and just getting caught up. We got our Christmas tree yesterday and put it up today. It took a day to thaw it out. We had to cancel the Barrel Show here at our facility because of the freezing rain and ice we got on Friday, Saturday was 2 inches of snow and today was sub zero weather with wind and snowdrifts. It hasn't been a fun week... My mom and my sister Kimberly went back home to Florida on Friday. I drove them to the airport and it took 90 mins instead of the usual 45 mins. The roads were glare ice. I had to go and tow Tommie's wife's Ford back to the house after it froze up. I love my Dodge. 110,000 miles and no major problems. Tomorrow will be only -20 below but it will get up to 34 by Wednesday. Time to trim the tree and get ready for a busy week before Christmas..

Pokerjoe & the new Breyer Model

Here is Pokerjoe just before Tommie and him perform the "Riding Instructor" at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center.

AZ Horse Festival

Hey everyone. Well, I finally have a few moments to blog our recent show, because just did the Arizona Horse Festival at Westworld in Scottsdale. Three days of demos and two night time shows called "Equi-Dance". Tommie performed 5 acts in the show. I was set to do the Chariot Race, but one of my horses, Maugua had a stone bruise on his foot and I didn't want to risk him getting injured during the race. So, we came us with a new act, the Chariot versus Roman Riding act. Tommie comes out and races against Jon Wearley our chariot driver. This is at the end of the show, so the crowd is very loud and cheering for either Tommie or Jon (also know in the act as "maximus wreckamus". After the show Tommie signed photos and programs for the audience. He was there for over and hour after the show end. We also were selling the first lot of Pokerjoe Breyer models we got. We sold all 36! Tommie signed every single one. I also got the news that Cavalia is coming back to Scottsdale after touring Europe for the past 2 years. On Saturday night, Normand, the producer of Cavalia was there to give away tickets and gifts from the show. My husband and I haven't seen him since we left Cavalia after Santa Monica in 2005. He said the European tour went well and that Fred and Magali are coming back to do Scottsdale starting Feb 2009 and Montreal in April. I'm hoping to be able to see it, to see how it changed from when we conceptualized it in 2003.
Thanks to Lise Streit and her family for producing the AZ show. We are looking forward to next year and building it up to be a huge show. It has a great location and incredible facility, so make plans to come next year. http://www.festivalofhorses.com/
We left for Az last week on Tuesday at 5am from Sterling, IL. We hit really bad ice storms in IA and Kansas. We arrived in Scottsdale Thursday at 1pm, got the horses set, set up our booth and did the rehearsal. For our way home, we had to go south through Texas, since I-40 was iced over and Amarillo was below freezing! We are currently at the Pecos TX Rodeo grounds with 8 of our horses and heading for Dallas today. We'll stay overnight there where it will be in the 50's and then head for the last 900 miles home when the weather clears on Wednesday. There is ice and snow all day today through Illinois and Missouri, so we're taking it slow to make sure we don't get stuck in a storm or bad roads. We counted 52 trucks and cars off the road when we drove to AZ because of the icy roads. We were doing 25 mph most of the way to keep it safe. It was 1,800 miles to AZ and it will be 2000 to return, so we'll be home Thursday just in time to put on the Winter Barrel Series at Double G this weekend. Gotta get ready for the travel to Dallas. Thanks for those for came out to see us and the new fans of Tommie. We'll have a new website and videos coming soon. Ride Fast... Take Chances!

Agribition in Regina

Here is Tommie and Pokerjoe at the Brandt Center in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. This is a 6 day event which features livestock events, vendors, CCA Finals Rodeo and lots of food! Tommie performed each day at noon to 1:00pm in the Brandt Center with his horses and dogs. We're putting together some video footage to add to youtube as we speak. It was an incredible show. Even with the cold weather, people came out to see the show. Tommie said he worked with the big horses on Mon. Tues and then with the rodeo guys from Wed through Saturday. He said the hitches were awesome with all the harness, chrome, and beautifully detailed wagons. Bill from XPress and Gerald from Flatland Belgians had incredible hitches. The Canadian Cowboy Association also held it's Finals Rodeo with 5 perfs from Wed to Saturday. Tommie was the specialty act and performed each perf as well. They had sell outs of the 8,000+ Brandt Center on 3 of the 5 perfs. Canadians really love their Rodeo. My husband said it was one of the best run shows he's ever been a part of. That says alot coming from him. It is quite an honor for Tommie and Pokerjoe to have performed at the NFR and the CCA Finals.

Here is a great shot of Tommie and Pokerjoe. Tommie just got the first Breyer model of Pokerjoe right before he left for Regina. Here he is talking about his Breyer model to the audience at Regina. It is quite a proud moment for Tommie and his horses. When he got the model of Joker in 2006 he was quite humbled. That was an accomplishment for Tommie and what he has achieved with his horses, but to have his first and most deserving horse set as a Breyer model, well.... that is all Pokerjoe. He has done everything and everything with Tommie. Everytime Tommie performs somewhere, Pokerjoe is in tow. This horse has seen it all. This Breyer Model is a tribute to Pokerjoe and what he has given to Tommie and all of us. This wasn't from just being in a movie or running 2 minute race, this was an honor from being there for Tommie since 1996. He has done everything that Tommie has asked him to do over the past 12 years and it has brought him in front of millions of people and hundreds of thousands of adoring fans. Pokerjoe has truly earned the honor of a Breyer Model Horse. I hope you guys enjoy it as well and know what it truly means to us.
Pokerjoe Breyer Model # 1539

Ride Fast.... Take Chances! karen

Great to Be Back in Florida!

We just finished a big run here in Florida. Tommie started out performing at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center for the Paso Horse Federation Nationals. He performed Friday and Saturday Nights. He said it was an incredible time. The horses are the ones who do the steps on the walkway to hear their gate. It was one of the first shows he saw where the judges really take their time and effort to find the winner. Some classes took an hour or more. There were 6 judges who would put the horses through their paces to come up with the best of the best. Our good friend Richie Wingfield was there too. He works with gaited horses as we had him as a featured speaker at the Central Florida Horse Expo in Ocala this past weekend. After the Jacksonville show, which Tommie wanted to thank the Paso Horse Federation for having him there and treating him well with incredible hospitality. The Jacksonville Equestrian is growing as well. Tommie has been there 4 times in the past 5 years and it has grown into a huge top notch facility with everything you need to put on an expo or show. We are scheduled to do a show May 30th there so mark your calendars! We'll be back to put on another fun an exciting horse show.
The expo at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala was produced by mother and a partner. After the 2007 show there was a disaster, they decided it was too nice a place to not have an expo, so they put their plan into action and produced their first show there. We helped them out where we could and got them on the right track. We wanted to make sure we featured respected clinicians and awesome entertainment, so I think we did that very well. With the likes of Lynn Palm, Tommie, Matt Mclaughlin, and Richie Wingfield we had a top-notch line-up. We also added Caroline Williams who is an amazing entertainer. She is from a 7th generation circus family who has been working with horses her entire life. Add Matt Mclaughlin, who toured and was the head trainer of the Royal Lippazzaner Stallions, and is the most incredible dressage and high school rider, and Lynn Palm and you got an incredible show. John Wearley and I suited up and performed an all out chariot race. The horses were ready to run! They really let loose and gave us a great run. We like to add a bit of culture too, so our friends from the great cherokee nation, the Laughingwolf family come and do their traditional hoop and fancy dances. We even brought in our favorite rider, Lizzy Traband to perform and do clinics as well. This girl is amazing. She not only inspires you with here act, she also did a demo each day and sounded like a true professional. (She is only 10 years old) I was truly impressed. She talked about show jumping and such and was very knowledgeable. If you ever get a chance to see her, go check it out she is also You-Tube as well. http://www.lizzytraband.com/
We had lots of great vendors and exhibitions too. There were some lots of great stuff to see. The new Gulf Stream Coaches, Featherlite Coaches & Trailers and Merhow trailers were there to see and touch. It is really cool to be able to see the newest trailers, tack, fashions, and equipment at these events. Our next step is to go from a 6h LQ and a Sport Chassic truck to a Full Blown Freightliner with horse hauler and a motor coach with support trailer. This will get us down the road in comfort and peace of mind. I still drive a 2000 Dodge dually diesel that just doesn't quit, but my 6h trailer keeps getting heavier and heavier, and it's the transmission and the brakes I worry about most. On Saturday night we had a country singer who was recommended by the local radio station to come and sing before the show. We thought since it was "Shane Wooted", that it was a guy who sang to a track or a small band. Well they showed up with a full blown band! That was good, but they took an hour and 20 mins to set up, so they started at 6:30 instead of 6:00, so they played until 7:20 which set us back 20 mins from the start of our show. I also thought it was a country band, but 4 of their 8 songs were Lynyrd Skynyrd, so I guess they were a LS cover band too. I don't think they sang any country, pretty much Southern Rock. Oh, they did sing "save a horse..", so I guess that counts. Friday Night was really cool, because during the show, Tommie was performing his Liberty act and he stopped to add his second horse Ace, and as he did the space shuttle was launched and you could see the rockets light up the sky. It was cool. The timing couldn't have been better. A very memorable moment.
Our announcer was Wayne Williams. He has worked with us over the past 6 years and really knows how to work a show. It is always nice to work with people who know the business.
Well, it's late and we've been non-top since last tuesday when we got here. We hit the road back to home at 5am, so I better get some sleep. Thanks again to all of you who came and supported our Ocala show. We;re already making plans for 2009! Ride Fast... Take Chances!
karen

Dallas 11-03-08

Congratulations!

We just returned from a week in Las Vegas and you are probably wondering why we went. Well, of course we went for business. We're looking for opportunities to be there for the NFR and to make a deal with a hotel/casino to produce a show. We've had lots of requests to do a TV show and a live horse show like we have with "Night of Amazing Horses". We just need to find the right venue to be able to produce both. Well, that was the main reason, BUT while we were there, Tommie and his girlfriend, Karen Jones, got married!!!! My husband and I got married in Vegas in 2006 when we were in town for the NFR. It was awesome. They got married at a quaint little place, the "church of the old west" and they looked fabulous. Check out the photos below. Tommie's best man was Josh Lyons and I was the matron of honor. We had an incredible time. So, for most of you this is probably quite a surprise. Karen Jones, now "Karen Turvey", well I go by Karen Turvey-Marshall, so there could be a bit of confusion. Tommie has spent most of his life telling people that "Karen" is his sister, will now have to explain that Karen is his wife and Karen is also his sister. We stayed at the Venetian and basically went to every casino on the strip. Vegas is growing by leaps and bounds. City Center is looking like a monster. It is going to be a world on its own. Just when you think Vegas is at capacity, they build a hotel bigger than anything else. We had a great dinner at the House of Lords at the Sahara, and at Delmonico at the Venetian. Delmonico is Emeril's steakhouse. My husband's parents also came out to Vegas to see us and have a fun week as well. Ann and Roland are so much fun. It was great to spend Roland's birthday with him. He turned 75 and shows no signs of slowing down! Ann usually does slots, but when we were explaining roulette to her, a guy at the table had here place his chips and try her luck. She hit a 35-1 and then a 17-1. It was a bit hectic, but I think she got the idea of it. Well, we are now back and putting together more stuff for 2009. Tommie and Karen are really happy and things are looking great. We're looking forward to our final shows of 2008, The Central Florida Horse Expo, Paso Federation Horse Show in Jacksonville, the Regina Agribition Show and the AZ Horse Festival. They are also re-running his 2 episodes on RFD-tv on November 11 and 18. Gotta ride... Take Care. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karenTommie and Karen got married!Tommie and Karen Turvey!Here is the Chapel just as they get ready to tie the knot!Here is Jamie and I at the Palazzo fountain.Here we are arriving at the church with Jamie's mom and dad.Josh hooked Tommie and Karen up with this cool stretch Hummer. We cruised the town in style!

This is the view from our room on the 28th floor of the Venetian. (They also have a DARK OUT curtain which makes the room pitch black! I love it!!)Here is a great shot of Trump Tower. I can't wait til the casino pops up. What a beautiful blue sky! We love Vegas.

More fun with Horses!

Well, we have been working a lot on production the last few weeks. Our mom is producing a Horse Expo in Ocala, called Central Florida Horse Expo. http://www.centralfloridahorseexpo.com/ We are putting together a wide variety of clinicians and entertainment for the show, November 14, 15, and 16, 2008. We will be there performing and Tommie and our dad will be putting on some fun and educational demos. It will be at the HITS Show Time Farm facility in Ocala. The same location as the now defunct and bankrupt "HorseSmart" show which Tina Calhoun put on last year. We really love the people in Ocala and it is a great horse community, perfect for a horse expo and show like this. Check out the website for the line up and more information. We are also planning and producing more instructional books and DVD's as well. We could spend an entire year of just putting Tommie's training in a book for people to learn from. We have been researching what is available and most of it makes the trainer look good, but isn't that practical for a person who wants to have a good horses. There are a lot of myths out there and we hope to bring many of them to light while helping people to truly understand their horses so they can create a great relationship and enjoy their time together. I know people who spend 5 hrs a week with their horse and it is spent training or caring for their horse. They never get to "enjoy" the time. We're hoping to change all that.

We are booking 2009 as we speak. There are so many shows, expos, rodeos, and events that we could be a part of, but only so many dates. I know we travel more than anyone in the business when it comes to where we perform. This fall we go from Florida to Saskatchewan, Canada to Florida and then to Scottsdale, AZ. That is around 10,000 miles in 6 weeks. We have a lot of experience in traveling with horses. It takes a lot of preparation and discipline to get your horses down the road safely. We put our horses safety and well being first, that's why we make sure we do certain things and keep our focus on the horses the entire time. Our stops are calculated, we always monitor temperature, weather conditions, and prepare for emergencies. There isn't one thing that Tommie does that isn't done for a reason. We'll have people ask us why we keep the halters on the horse for a long trip if they are going to be on the trailer for a long time. Our answer is that if there is an emergency and you need to get the horses off quickly, you need to have the horses prepared. If you have a horse who thrashes his head around alot, there is a great product called Equiface Saver. http://www.equifacesaver.com/ This product will help protect his head which is the most vulnerable when traveling. We are putting together a book and DVD to cover the important things you need to think about when traveling. It goes above and beyong the "make sure your tires are good and you have oil in your truck" books. We'll also share many of our on the road stories as well.

Tommie was recently in Kentucky with the Rocky Mountain horse he had trained and snapped a great photo of him and his new puppy, Cutaway.

Gotta Ride. Ride Fast.... Take Chances! karen

Wild Horse and Burro Expo

I just got the chance to settle in after a full month of shows, event, driving, and preparing. First off, I want to thank Cindy and Bart Lawrence of the Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno. They are the producers of the show at the Reno Livestock Arena. They put on an incredible show to highlight the wonderful wild horse. There was lots to do and see. Tommie was a featured speaker along with Charles Wilhelm. There were busloads of kids and lots of interested adults. Of course, Tommie introduced everybody to Blade, his roan mustang from the BLM and all the rest of the crew including Maverick, Tommie's 3 year old red heeler. The kids loved it! Even with the 101 degree temps, it didn't keep people away. Tommie was just featured on Clinton Anderson's RFD-TV show, so we had a lot of people come to see the show because they saw Tommie on the show. For the night time show, we featured our own show "Night of Amazing Horses" with 14 amazing acts. It was a lot of fun. John Wearley and I dueled it out during the chariot race and I won again. Our trip to Reno is quite the haul. We have been documenting our trips to show how prepared you need to be and what to do to keep safe. Most books we have read on the subject only tell you what you need to do like check the tires, make sure the fuel is full, and the horses have plenty of ventilation. They never talk about the temperature, hills, bumps, how to feed, what to look for when stopped, how the horses are behaving and what to do if an emergency arises. They say to check the tire pressure, but what do you do if you get a flat? We have come up with many answers to these questions which most people need to know. The other important information is driving in different parts of the country. Driving over the Rockies is a lot different than over the plains of Nebraska. Knowing the weather forecast and how and where to stop for an overnight rest is important too. So, we're looking to put together an educational series on traveling down the road with horses. You may not ever travel the 100,000 miles a year with your horses, but you may learn a few things that may make a difference on your next trip. Our way may not be the only way, but it is the way we found is the best way for us and our horses. On the way to Reno, we spent the night on top of the hayrack on our trailer while our horses rested for the night under the beautiful Western Nebraska sky. We watched a meteor shower and falling stars and the temperature was about 50 degrees! ( In August!)


Tommie is headed to Kentucky to drop off a Rocky Mountain Horse he has been training. You can win the horse by entering a charity raffle. "Platinum Dreams" is a beautiful horse. Check her out at http://www.vanbertfarms.com/ Then, Tommie is headed to Midland Texas for a show featuring him and his best friend, Josh Lyons. If you are in Texas, you've got to so see them. They are awesome together. You'll never see a better pair of trainers who work together and are so entertaining. We are putting together the 2009 schedule as well, so get ready for a full year of us touring the US and Canada. Well, it is supposed to be a holiday tomorrow, but I'll try to up load some photos of the past month to this blog.


Gotta run. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Here is Tommie with Blade at the Reno Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno, Nevada. They did 3 one our demos and showed what amazing things can be done with these horses. Blade and Tommie has an incredible relationship of trust and communication. The mustang is making quite a comeback today and has been a staple of Tommie's training since he was a young boy.
Here is Tommie with the Rocky Mountain Horse Platinum Dreams at our Equestrian Center in Sterling, IL.

Here is a great shot of Tommie and Rocky Mountain Horse, Platinum Dreams. Thanks to Van Bert Farms for such wonderful horses and great photos. Larry and Vera are wonderful people and Tommie is a big supporter of Rockies and Van Bert Farms. If you are looking for a solid horse, look no further than Van Bert Farms. Great poeple and Great horses!

Awesome Cover of Tommie Turvey

When we did PA Horse World Expo in Feb. there was an awesome cover of Tommie and Joker doing the hippodrome (not Roman Riding as they say in the "explanation" of the photo.) What makes it really nice is that all of Joker's feet are off the ground! At that second, Tommie is putting all his trust into Joker, and as you can see Joker is pouring it on. He is such a fast horse. Tommie buzzes the audience as he flies around the arena. People really get to feel how fast Tommie and Joker are going when he comes inches from them.

Well, gotta get back to the horses. We're going to do the obstacles and a short ride today. Cees and Sparks are headed back to their previous owners, so I thought I have a few more times with them. I'll update you when I can. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Back home and working on new projects

Here is the legend himself, Bob Barnes with Tommie. This man has seen it all in rodeo and after seeing Tommie perform in Lincoln Nebraska, had to have Tommie for a series of his rodeos. Tommie was honored to work with Bob and his crew. They sure know how to run a rodeo. This next photo is the working guys of the show. Here is Tommie with the announcer, Kelly Kinney, clown & barrelman Brad "Wild" Hair, and stock man John Barnes. Tommie got a nice photo of his "boys" while the sun was setting. This was just a week ago and Cutaway has already grown a few more inches! (L to R - Maverick, Cutaway, and Bandit)
On his way back from Spooner, Tommie stopped for some good food and wings at Hooters in Janesville, WI. He did say the wings were the best he has ever had and the food was excellent as always! Thanks girls. Meow kittens.... Look who's smiling now! Here is Tommie with Ace an Joker as they smile with funnyman Brad "Wild" Hair. Looks like Brad has joined the ride fast... take chances club. If you've even seen his car act, you'll know why!
Tommie just did the PRCA Rodeo up in Spooner, WI with Barnes Rodeo. Tommie loves it because he gets to hang out with a bunch of great guys. Brad "Wild" Hair was there too and they always have lots of fun. Brad and his entourage will be stopping by our facility for a few days to layover and rest for the summer tour schedule. I've added a few photos below with Tommie and his friends. We've got a lot going on here, getting the finishing touches done on the Pokerjoe Breyer Model, more video and editing for the TV Show, and of course, the horses. We gotten most of our horses to a nice point in their training and are looking for good owners. Cees and Sparks are headed out next week. They are the awesome father/son team we got. Anyone can ride Cees, he is awesome. Tonto is our pinto mustang and then we also have two Morgans; Zeus and Apollo; I think they are 5 and are really nice horses for riding. We are training 5 Rocky Mountain horses too. They are incredible to work with. We'll have them available for sale soon. They are more than ready and way ahead of their age in trianing. Just fantastic horses! (Don't forget beautiful as well!) Anyone interested please let me know. karen@equineextremist.net Time for me to go and ride the chariots. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Thank You to Everybody!! "Night of Amazing Horses"

There are so many people we need to thank for helping make "Night of Amazing Horses" such a success! We were filled to capacity and everything went really well. The Family fun day got a great response from the public with the Moon Bounce and Rock Wall/Slide, the Sinnissippi Gun Club doing the Wild West re-enactments, the wagon rides by Troy Capp, the paintball challange and the all the kids games, there was fun for everyone! The water for the dunk tank was really cold, but Katie got in it for a few dunkings! We worked really hard to make it fun and enjoyable, so we hope you got a chance to stop by and say hi.
We got a lot of behind the scenes stuff for our TV show and executed the show really well. Tommie performed in 5 acts and we also had Lizzy Traband with her Pony, Toby perform her bridleless routine, the Midwest Renegades did their exciting drill, Annette showed off her dressage and jumping skills with Trekaner stallion, Sonset Sieger, Wayne Williams and his wife, Pat did a tribute to Dale Evans and Roy Rogers, Cassie J. performed her flawless sharp shooting and vaulting routine, and our dad Tommie Sr. and Rich Brunner put on the characters of Pancho and Lefty. We love to perform and best of all it was right here in our own backyard. The show was about 1 hr:40 mins long, so people got a chance to hit the fireworks display in the area. Again, thanks to everyone who helped out and made it a successful day and to all the sponsors who helped make it possible. The community support and attendance was awesome. Now,to put put on my clinic Aug. 2-3 here at Double G. Sensory and Confidence training! More info to come or go to http://www.equineextremist.net/ for more info. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Couple More Things...

Jamie found this on Bill Shatners site. http://horseshow.org/Photos.html
It's a photogallery of the past Hollywood Charity Horse Shows Bill has done.
There's photos of Tommie performing and Tommie and I with Bill and Scott Hamilton. It is so much fun to work with people like Bill and his wife, Elizabeth. We hope to be back there in Hollywood maybe in 2009?
OK, now I gotta run and cook up some vittles for the gang. Looks like lasagna tonight!
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Updates and more

Well, I haven't much time lateley, but I have 2 minutes to update this and hope to fill you all in on our every busy and exciting lives with horses. I got lots of email from people regarding Tommie's new puppy. He does have a name now which was given to him by Tommie. Tommie went skydiving about 10 days ago and with over 200+ jumps under his belt had to cutaway from his chute and use his reserve for the first time. This is pretty scary, because you have to decide that A) your main chute is not opening properly b) You have to clear the chute so it can be cut away and freed from you C) you have to know that when you cut it away your spare chute had better work! Well, Tommie cut-away and pulled his reserve around 2,500 feet. It the moment they say "you have 3 seconds to make a life or death decision, carry it out, and keep your composure to the ground". Tommie did just that. So, after a few more jumps he came home as he was playing with his puppy, he said "and then I CUTAWAY..." and the pup turned and ran to him. So, he the puppy is now named "Cutaway". He answers to it now very well and he is growing like crazy. More pics of him to come. The weather has been pretty wet and yucky, so we haven't done much with the horses except for working them inside the arena. Today, Lori and I took the chariot horses out for a stroll in the sun. They loved it!

We are working on our own Night Show and Family Fun Day on July 5th here in Sterling. It started out as just us doing a show and has blossomed into a fun day with Wild West Shootouts, Motorcycle Rodeo, Chili Cookoff, and lots of fun for the kids! We are also raising money and awareness for a local therapudic riding and disabled children's groups in the area too. Halo is a great bunch of people who we are raising money for so they can go and do social functions and fieldtrips. They are our special guest during our show as well. They came and hung out with Tommie too. They are so appreciative of everything and deserve any opportuntity we can give them. WHOA is a local therapudic riding group who uses horses to help people with disabilities overcome them. I know what horses do for me and these kids have had incredible changes in their attitudes, posture, and thinking abilities. It is amazing to see what horses really can do for children. Here is a photo with Tommie and the people from HALO.

The show is Saturday night July 5th, so we hope to see everybody here! We'll have Lizzie Traband with Bridleless riding, Cassie doing mounted shooting and vaulting, and Annette on a beautiful horse that I can't wait to see. You'll also get to see Tommie's new 2 horse Liberty act. it is amazing. I am still floored by the number of people who are trying to do Liberty and they don't really understand what it is. Most haven't even trained their own horses. The only way you can get your horse to connect with you is to train it yourself. You can cue a horse, but you have to connect with it. That is what Liberty really is. If you've ever seen Tommie you will understand what real Liberty is all about. Our arena here in Sterling holds 1900 people, so we want to sell it out and put on a show like you've never seen before. You can see our new video preview of our show "Night of Amazing Horses" at http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2876808/8261525

We're also doing the show 1,800 miles from here in Reno, Nevada August 15 &16. So, if you are in the Sacramento, Reno area, please come by and see us perform during the Wild Horse and Burro Expo. Showtime is 7:00pm Reno Livestock Event Center. We did the Western States Expo last year and had a full house there, so we are hoping we will get some of them to come to Reno for a night of fun and entertainment. Tommie Turvey's "Night of Amazing Horse" performing live with his horses Pokerjoe, Joker, Ace, and Mustang Blade. You can get tickets a www.wildhorseandburroexpo.com.

Here is a great shot of Jon Wearley and I battling it out in the chariot race.

We'll be doing this and more in Sterling and Reno! I can't wait...
We are working on final details on the model of Pokerjoe for Breyer. We'll let you know when it is scheduled to come out as well. We'll also be performing at the July 2009 Breyerfest in Lexington KY at the Horsepark, so mark you calendars! I want to say thanks to Jazz and Molly. They gave us a hand in Ohio when we did the Farmpark there. It was much appreciated. We really enjoy doing the Farmpark. We do so many rodeos and expos that when we can do a scaled down, face to face horse to horse place like the Farmpark in Kirtland it is a dream. The people are so nice and the facility is top notch. Thanks again to the crew there, Bill, Sue, Beth, and Karen. What else... My 2 minutes are up. Gotta run before the sun sets.
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Tommie and his new puppy!

Tommie just returned from New York and he had a new friend with him. This is his new 8 week old Australian Blue Heeler. We have a few names for his, but nothing definite yet. He is sooooo cute. He's holding his own with other dogs as well. He's dog #5. You'll see more of him. He's destined for stardom and Hollywood...

Ride Fast... Take Chances!

Manitoba Winter Fair

Tommie is up in Canada as we speak. I am in Sterling to keep this place running. He said they closed the road from Winnepeg to Brandon due to a storm, so he had to stop down with the horses for 10 hours until they plowed and opened the road. It is amazing what can happen on the road. Tommie is currently putting together a book on trailering which will not only cover the things you may need, it will the cover the decisions you may have to make. Tommie has been stranded on highways, out of gas, blown tires, no power, high heat, below zero weather, no lights on his truck and trailer, and so on. His wealth of knowledge on traveling and transporting horses is incredible. He really knows how to travel safely down the road. Most of the time it isn't what will happen, it is WHEN will it happen.
Here are some photos from the show, the Royale Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon, Manitoba. If you saw Tommie there, leave a comment and let us know what you thought.
As you can see, Tommie did lots of interviews each day of the fair. Canadian media really supports their events.

Tommie practices roman riding in the main arena in Brandon, Manitoba.

Here is a great shot which shows the relationship Tommie has with his horses. This is with Ace, an eight year old black and white Paint horse. Hope you enjoyed the show.
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

New Chariot Team

I just picked up a new team of horses. Do you know how hard it is to find a matched team of horses? Matched in age, size, and color? Well, I found a pair that we will be training to drive my chariot. I really liked the white and brown, so I could match a new costume with white and leather. They need a lot of work to be cleaned up, clipped up, and training. I'll keep you posted on their progress. We are looking to debut them at our Raleigh NC show May 2nd and 3rd, 2008 at the Hunt Complex. Talk to you soon, Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Tommie Turvey Horsemanship

We have been extremely busy here at our facility. We are gearing up for clinics and shows throughout the summer and into the winter. Tommie is really excited about the clinics in PA at Carousel Farms and the PA Trail Ride. I have been trying to get all the particulars together. Tommie is busy working with Clinton Anderson and his apprentices this week. They brought their horses up here to Sterling (which is where Clinton called home before he built his new place in Belle Center) for some instruction from Tommie and vice-versa. It is amazing to see such great trainers wanting to learn more. How humbling. Clinton and his apprentices worked on the bow, laydown, and the sit-up, plus some liberty with Tommie showing the way, and then Tommie got pointers on spins and rollbacks from Clinton to use on his mustang, Blade. After the couple days of training, we had Clinton over for a nice steak dinner. He said he did miss "Rock River Provisions" butcher shop in Sterling. You can't find a fresher steak anywhere. Here is Tommie with Clinton and the girls as they go over the laydown with their horses at Double G in Sterling, Illinois.

Tommie (in black/gray coat) watches as Clinton and the girls go through the laydown with their horses.

In Memorial - Joan Knapp

The world lost a wonderful woman, great-great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother. She lit up any room she was in and was as generous with her time to help out those who needed it. Anyone who was lucky enough to know Joan couldn't help but be touched by this woman. She was the most caring mother and grandmother many times over. She lived a full life of 95 years with the love of her children and their families. Most of it in the Jay, Maine area. I sit and think about what she has seen and been through; the world wars, the depression, the good times and the bad times, and how many lives she is responsible for, including mine. She was a beacon of honesty, strength, and generosity.I will never forget her for her kindness and wonderful ways and she will always be my "Memere". Today is a very sad day, but I know she is at peace at her place beside the Lord where she will still be watching over all of her family and making sure we are taken care of and protected. She will always be in our hearts and on our minds. We have lost an amazing woman, but heaven has gained a saint. We love you Memere and thank you for all you have done for your family and this world. It is a better place because of you. God Bless.
Your grandson, Jamie Marshall
Here is Joan and her children (70 years ago) in 1938 with Geraldine, Gerald, and my mom, Mary Ann.

My sis turns 21!

My little sister, Kim turned 21 on March 22. We wanted to make it special for her, so we flew out to Las Vegas to party it up in style! It was her first time in Sin City, so we kept it fairly calm. We took her to see the Hoover Dam, and the old Vegas at Freemont Street and at the Tropicana with the Follies Bergere. Then, we went to see "X" at the Flamingo. (Thanks for the hookups Peter!) We hit the casinos and played roulette, blackjack, and wheel of fortune slots. We had a great run of slots at the Bellagio right before we went to the Circo for an incredible dinner. Our reservations were for 8:30pm and we were supposed to get "window" seats and when I asked the maitre d' he said we were "near" the window. The meal was absolutely fabulous. The texture and taste was amazing. BUT they did mess up my surprise for Kim. A week prior to the dinner, I ordered a special cake for Kim and was told she would be a "VIP" Guest at Circo. I would surprise her with a birthday cake and tickets to go see "O", the Cirque show. Well, the staff didn't have any clue on where the cake was and the show is starting at 10:30pm and it was 10:15pm and we still hadn't gotten the cake. So I was getting pretty upset when the manager, Damian brought out this beautiful glass centerpiece for the table, 6 special desserts for us to try, dessert wine, AND the cake I ordered for Kimberly. We really couldn't enjoy the desserts, but the manager did everything he could including walking us into "O" theatre right to our seats. After the show, we went back to Circo and got the cake and had a chance to enjoy it. It was nice to have a manager step up and make a mistake they made right. Thanks Bellagio. Thanks to Damian, we'll be back. I could discuss "O" here, but I'll save it for another time. It is probably one of the best shows I have ever seen, (Besides Cavalia!) Here are some photos from our trip.
Here is Kim and me at Freemont Street in front of the Casino. (Yes I was a blonde when I was young too.)Here is a great shot of the Bellagio as we drove up for a night of dining, gambling, and "O".


Kim not only gets her cake and tickets to "O", but every dessert the restaurant had! I love my sis!I couldn't pass up the chance to rent a new Chyrsler 300. I don't like domestic too well, but this car rocked. It has 491 miles on it when I got it and I put it to the test. It moves when you need it too and it is roomy and elegent. My husband Jamie doesn't get much face time since he is the one with the camera, directions, and has to keep us on the right track. I thought I would show him rubbing the "butt" at the Riviera for luck! Happy 21st Birthday Kimberly! karen

PA Horse World Expo 2008

Here is Tommie Turvey performing with Pokerjoe in "the Riding Instructor" comedy act at the 2008 PA Horse World Expo in Harrisburg, PA. We just got back from the PA Horse World Expo and had an incredible show. First, we need to thank Bob and Denise for producing an incredible show. There is no doubt that this show is the best equine expo in the country. Where else can you see the best clincians and equine professionals, shop at the best vendor shops, and see an exciting show all under one roof! We've been to bigger shows, but this one is the best. We couldn't ask for better crowds. Everyone comes to celebrate and learn about the horse, and we hope to inspire them to do more, be more, and all in all to just have fun. Tommie had a lot of fun with his best friend and fellow trainer, Josh Lyons. They have the most entertaining demos and were always having fun. We got so many great comments from people who really enjoyed Tommie's demos. Our booth was swamped every day. Tommie signed so many autographs and Joker Breyer Horses, I think his hand was going to fall off. After the show on Saturday, Tommie got swamped in the arena by fans getting his autograph. I was getting the props put away and saw this sea of people crowding around him. He signed every program and picture until the last one was there. Here is a photo of Tommie and Josh Lyons signing autographs after the show. This year we had a friend of ours, John Laughingwolf to perform original indian dances with full costume while his sons did a traditional hoop dance. It was an awesome addition to the show. Matt McLaughlin performed flawlessly with dressage, while his horses Pecos and Corral looked great. Josh Lyons showed the crowd he can rein like the best of them. Flash hit his marks and spun and stopped on a dime. Texas trick rider, Austin Anderson, his girlfriend Pamela, and Leanne Pollick performed trick riding and mounted shooting in the style of the old west. Austin spun his six shooters like a true cowboy. They are always fun to work with. Lynn Palm and Diana Beuchert also performed with their beautiful horses as well. Our assistants, Lori and Giddy were part of the show too. They roped alongside Tommie as well as performed an act with fire bolos. We also celebrated 2 years of Lori being with our team.(Yea!) Tommie performed his fast action Roman Riding, Bridle-less riding & Liberty, comedy act with Pokerjoe, trick riding and roping, and on Friday performed a fireburn on horseback. It takes a lot of concentration and trust to perform and ride while you are on fire while riding a horse. He has performed the fireburn while roman riding, but this time he wanted to slow down the action and show how calm and trusting his mustang, Blade could be. This was the first time in front of an audience with Blade, so it took a lot of preparation, plus we got some great footage for our upcoming television show.
Well, we just want to say thanks to everyone who came to see us at the show. Your support really helps us keep doing what we're doing.Tommie did a morning tv show, several magazines, and this interview during the PA Horse World Expo.

Tommie gives a demo on his training during the expo. Here he shows the incredible relationship he has with his black and white Paint horses, Joker and Ace with Liberty and Trick Training.

Tommie showed how he has been working with two Rocky Mountain Horses. Our assistants, Lori and Giddy took them out in the arena and had them lay down very calmly. Tommie even rode by High Roller to see what he would do. They are the most willing horses I have ever worked with. These are 2 year olds with only 60 days on them. They will be up for sale soon, check our website if you interested in getting one of these wonderful horses.

During Tommie's demo in the Equine Arena (pictured above), one of Tommie's favorite students, Lizzie and her pony, Toby showed everyone how she now rides bridle-less and even jumped a fence while bridle-less and bareback!(Click here to watch her video) She is such an inspiration as she rides with only the horsehair neck rein Tommie designed. The arena was packed with standing room only as Tommie introduced his friends, horses, and even his red heeler, Maverick, who promptly fetched a soda from the cooler for a few audience members. Tim Farley, a friend of ours from our Arabian Nights days and the son of Walter Farley, who wrote "the Black Stallion" was there promoting the "Black Stallion Literacy Project". Tommie and I worked with them and toured doing shows in Texas and Arizona for kids who were inspired to read because of horses. Tommie also had a chance to talk with Dr. Anna Marie from the Weather Channel. She is also a friend from our days in Orlando as well. It was nice to see everyone and how things have evolved over the years.
All in all, we were incredibly busy, but we had time to go and visit our friends in Harrisburg after the show Saturday Night. It was nice to get away for a few hours and relax with great food and wonderful hospitality. Again, thanks to you all who have supported us through the years. Liz, Annette, Mark, Lizzie, and Hopefully we'll see you next year, discussions are in the works already for 2009. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen