Tommie, Odd Job Bob, Brooke Shields, and Kris Kristopherson

Tommie gets set for the shots of the farm house with Whitney's mom, played by the wonderful Brooke Shields. I wish I could have been there. I love the movies and Brooke is one of those people whom I grew up with and appeared in many of many favorite movies. Tommie said she was awesome and perfect for the part.

Here is Tommie, Bob, and the legendary Kris Kristopherson. Tommie had him work one of the Rocky Mountain horses we have. His name is Doctor Feelgood which we got from Van Bert Farms in Kentucky. Tommie picked Doc for the role since he is such a beautiful horse, but very easy and calm to use for the part. Tommie said Kris and Doc did great. That's all for now.
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Tommie and Bob on the Set of "Greening of Whitney Brown"

It was a beautiful day. Tommie and Bob wait patiently for the crew to get set up for a series of shots. Bob is such a cool horse. It's been a pretty hectic shooting schedule. Tommie has to coordinate the stunts for each shot, figure out how to get Bob to do his part safely, work with the cast so it looks like they've known Bob their entire lives, keep each horse (Yes, there is Bob and 2 other stand ins, along with Doc, a Rocky Mountain which Kris Kristopherson works with.) healthy, happy and trained for each particular shot. Tommie had a lot of work getting stunt players for shots. Lori Miller, who has been working for us for the past 3 years was a perfect double for Sammy the little girl. Lori did all the riding and stunt shots. It was her first movie, but she did a great job. They should be wrapping soon. We'll have to go down and work a few days soon. I'll post more when we get there. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

More photos from the Set of Greening of Whitney Brown

Tommie has been doing a lot of cool shots with Bob, the Gypsy Vanner. After all the training Tommie now has to get Bob in different situations. Here are a few photos of some of the shots they needed to get. Tommie gets Bob into the shot with Brooke Shields and Kris Kristopherson. (Below) Tommie gets into the shot with Bob. They had a lot of really cute and fun shots. I think kids are gonna love this movie and want a horse like Bob of their own! Bob poked his head into many situations. He had the run of the house and made himself at home.

Stay tuned for more!!!

Training Sammi Hanratty to ride with Odd Job Bob.

Tommie has been in Conyers, GA which is Southeast of Atlanta to begin working on a movie with Gypsy Vanner horse, "Odd Job Bob". Tommie has been training him for this movie since March and now has to get the star of the movie, 14 year old Sammi Hanratty, ready to ride and play with Bob. Sammi has never ridden a horse before, let-a-lone bareback and bridless! Here is a photo of Sammi on Bob. This is on her first day of riding! Tommie said she did an awesome job of listening and taking direction. Sometimes it is better to train someone who knows nothing, than to try and train someone with experience. You can tell she is just a delight to work with. She is a directors dream and lights up when she talks. She is perfect for this movie. I had to bring supplies down to Tommie, so I got to meet Sammi and see them ride. We made the 1100 mile trip to get hay and other training stuff to Tommie. Atlanta is flooding really bad, so hay is pretty scarce. Tommie starts scouting locations and prepping scenes in a few days as well. He is the Stunt Coordinator and Horse trainer on the movie, plus he will be doing stunts as well. Lori Miller our assistant trainer will be doubling Sammi for the serious horse riding and stunts. This will be her first movie too, but she has been working with Bob for 4 months and really knows him well. Here is Sammi with Odd Job Bob. She was incredible with Bob. Tommie did a great job getting both of them to understand what they need to do.
Here is another cute photo of Sammi and Odd Job Bob. Check out www.sammihanratty.com and see what she has been up to. more to come! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Minnesota State Fair

Tommie just returned from 12 days at the Minnesota State Fair. Tommie performed with Pokerjoe, Joker and Ace 2 to 3 times per day in the Warner Coliseum to packed houses. The fair does over 1,000,000 people over the 12 days. It is incredible. They have everything you could ever want to see at a fair. It takes 3 days just to walk to the entire fair, which is held at the same place they hold the MN Horse Expo. Tommie said the crowds were awesome, especially during the rodeos. The response he got from the crowd was outstanding. We are hoping to back in the area pretty soon for more performing and clinics. The weather was perfect too. No rain and little or no pesky flies or heat. All in all a great show to be at. He wanted to thank everyone who stopped by or seen his acts. Hope to see you all down the road. I'll get photos on here as soon as I can. I'm trying to figure out my Iphone as well.
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Chincoteague Pony Swim 2009

OK. I finally have time to write about the Chincoteague Pony Swim. First off, I would like to say a big thank you to Billy Beebe and his wife, Bonnie for having us at their ranch for the week. They are incredible people who are trying to keep the legend of Misty and Stormy alive, so future generations can truly see what inspired Margarite Henry to write her wonderful books. Tommie presented Nightmist's Legend to the crowds each day at Beebe ranch. He is a direct descendent of Misty. There is a lot more to the story, but that's for another day. In a nutshell, the ponies run wild on the island of Assateague. They got there back in the days of explorers from the wrecked ships or the first settlers. They roam around the national park just like any other wild animal. During Pony Penning week, the local Fire Dept crew, dubbed the Saltwater cowboys or as we called them "mud-riding cowboys" (They rode more in the mud than in the saltwater.) would pen two herds of ponies in a corral on the beach. Then, at low tide, they drive them to the lowest point to cross through the water and onto Chincoteague Island, then about a mile to the fairgrounds. As the tide drops, it leaves a big swath of mud and muck. Boat Capt. Jimmy took us to the Assateague Island side for a great view of the round up and the ponies getting in the water. You have to be up and in place by 8am and the swim started at 9:30am. Once the ponies reach the fairgrounds they are rested until the auction the next day.

At the auction, Tommie brought out Nightmist's Legend and had him do a few tricks and finish with standing on the pedestal. The place was packed with people as they got ready to bid on the foals. Most of the foals went for $1,000 to $2,000 with the proceeds going to the fire dept. It was a pretty cool event to see. Time to work our horses... Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Great Article about Lizzy Traband

Tommie has been working with Lizzy Traband for 4 years now and she is an incredible student. She is a favorite at our shows here in Sterling and everywhere we perform. During Breyerfest, she did a media call with Tommie and got this wonderful article about her in USA TODAY
They even made her pony, Toby into a limited edition Breyer model. She is a really cool kid and a solid horse trainer and rider. She has this wonderful sense about horses and she loves every minute she's with them. She is very inspiring and I don't think I've ever seen her without a smile on her face. Keep on the lookout for Lizzy on Youtube and at future shows.
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

NIGHT OF AMAZING HORSES!

Happy Independence Day everyone! It's raining and gloomy here, but we have a full house for the weekend. The show on Friday went very well with lots of people attending and watching our show. We try to do this every year to help raise money for HALO. We also did a 50/50 raffle to help benefit a local girl who was just diagnosed with cancer. Our raffle raised $125 for her to help with the expenses. There also are having a benefit in Rock Falls on July 12th for her to raise money as well. We understand the need to help out the community and do what we can. Times are tough all over, but if we all do what we can and weather the storm, it will get better. Shows are down here at the facility mainly because of people and associations cutting back on travel and training for their horses. We understand and are doing what we can, but we need to stick together. Thanks to Norinne at Primp Your Pet for providing a bunch of cool giveaways from Wahl Clipper. The people loved the hats, clippers, and frisbees. They are proud of WAHL and what it means to this community. Tommie also gave away a Pokerjoe Breyer model to a lucky child. The show featured a good friend of Tommie and I, Brad "Wild" Hair. He travelled 400 miles and brought his clown car to perform. Lizzy Traband travelled 700 miles to be here and performed 3 acts in the show. She is 11 years old and is such an inspiration to everyone. I also need to thank Kathie Oberman for letting us use her quarterhorses Eli and Jr. for the show. They are such wonderful horses and got a chance to be in the shows finale. It took quite a bit to put together this show with all of the acts and such, but it was well worth it. Tommie brought in 2 of his fellow stunt guys to put on a quick demo with a human fireburn and then a fireburn on a horse. We also brought out "Odd Job Bob" a Gypsy Vanner horse from El Brio Vanners and talked about his childrens book and upcoming movie. Thanks to everyone who helped out (Seth, Jesse, Kayla and her friends, Mom, Kay and Liz.) plus all of you who attended the show. Thank you!!!!!!
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

July 3 Night of Amazing Horses!

Tonight we put on a show here at our facility in Sterling, IL. We've been rehearsing and putting together a great show for tonight. We try to have a show around the 4th every year here. Lizzy and her family have been here practicing and hanging out. They came from PA (700 miles away...) just to perform tonight. Tommie also has two of the stuntmen he has worked with on movies here to put on a "fireburn" for the show. They will also be hosting a stunt clinic where they will teach the basics of stunts like fights, falls, burns, and the general industry. Brad Hair and his wife are here too. They do PRCA Rodeos around the country and will be performing in the show tonight. We also put together a square dance drill with 8 riders. It will be a great show and a fun start to the 4th of July weekend. There is sooooooooo much to do today. Gotta run. Calls are coming in.
Have a wonderful 4th! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Blaineville Classic FEI Event

Tommie made a special appearance in Blainville, Quebec on June 27, 2009 during their FEI dressage event. He just finished up at Cook Forest and had to trek 640 miles outside of Montreal for this event. It was a bit wet, but the crowd was incredible. There were over a thousand people at the event and everything went really well. Tommie got covered in mud during his performances, but after a quick washing he was ready to go for the next act.Here is Tommie riding Blade and with Maverick (his red heeler dog) at the opening of the show. You can see it's a bit wet.

This is a shot of the arena while Tommie was performing with Pokerjoe. All of the announcing was done in French for the locals. The announcer, Nicho is great to work with. We have worked with him at shows in Las Vegas, Jacksonville, and Ocala. The crowd really enjoyed Tommie and are looking to have him back again next year for this event and the hunter/jumper show the following week. We would like to thank http://www.equivents.com/ for having us and giving us great accomodations. Thanks Cara!

On the 1200 mile trip home, Tommie, Jamie, and the interns took a moment to check out the 1000 islands observatory. You can see the US and Canada. Here is shot of the parking lot from the tower (400' high!) Tommie's rig is in the middle.

Here is a cool shot of Tommie's rig from 400' up! They drove to PA for an overnight stop at Carousel Farms and then continued home the next day. Tommie also picked up 2 Gypsy Vanner horses from El Brio Vanner Horses in PA. They will be doubling the main horse on an upcoming movie Tommie is working on. They are such beautiful horses. They are a lot of work with the training and care, but well worth it. I would love to have a matched pair to perfrom with.
Well, time to get back to work. I'll keep you posted on what's going on here.
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Tommie at Skydive Chicago

Just got a photo of Tommie when he's NOT riding or training horses. To train for stunts and to get his mind off horses, Tommie will grab his rig, jump in his truck and head to Skydive Chicago to get in a days worth of jumps. When Tommie returned from the movie set in New Orleans, he headed to the jump zone with 2 of the interns and our nephew, Gary. He says it a great way to get yourself in control. You make the decision to jump out, you make the decision to open your chute and you make the decisions to land safely. You can't take any jump lightly and you must be prepared for the bad things to happen. He says it's even safer than training horses. He said he loves to jump with the interns for their first time. It really gives them a "rush" of life and the adrenalin levels get maxxed! It gives them a wake up call on life.
Here is Tommie under canopy in a blue sky at Skydive Chicago.
Ride Fast... Take Chances!
karen

Lots happening here at Turvey Horsemanship

Well, we've got a lot going on. Tommie got back from New Orleans just in time for us to plan a show for our facility here at Double G on July 3. We'll have our good friends and PRCA clown and barrelman, Brad "Wild" Hair and Hollywood stuntmen Michael Ortiz and Blake Pocquette here to perform in the show as well as Tommie, the interns, and me. For the interns, we got a great bunch this summer. Here is a photo of Tommie, Lori, Me and the intern crew.

We also have a barrel clinic this weekend with Marlene (Edelman) McRea. She's won everything from the WNFR to Olympic Gold. It's awesome to see someone of her caliber here teaching people from 9 to 70 yrs of age and all levels of competition. Here is a photo of her and her students talking about bits and how they pertain to barrels. She is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. I bet that anyone in her clinic will drastically improve their times at the next barrel show.

We also have the Family Big Top Circus set up on our property. They will be doing shows Fri,Sat, Sun at 5:00pm and 7:30pm. They have many talented kids and performers in the show. They also have pony rides, petting zoo, and quite a few cool animals for the kids to see like a camel, mini horses, llama, donkey, and percheron horses. Bring the kids it will be a great time! I can't wait to see the show. I think we'll be able to catch it Sunday night once we get Tommie on the road to Cook Forest trail ride in PA and the barrel clinic finished up. The weather is great too. It's just getting warmed up and time to start up the AC units.... Here's a photo of the Big Top. "When I say Big Top... you say... CIRCUS... BIG TOP... CIRCUS."

I guess only circus folk would understand that one. It's a Soul Circus thing. Did I mention Cavalia is coming to Chicago? If you haven't seen it and you love horses, you'll love it.

Well, gotta run. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

More movie set photos

Here's a photo of the bad guys... They are all costumed up in the 90 degree heat! It's Michael Ortiz (left), Tommie on his horse Blade & then my dad -Tommie Sr, Jason Rodriguiz, Kristien Kery, and Scout Hendrickson. They look very "cartoon-esque".

Here is Tommie and our nephew, Gary. Gary got to spend time on the set with his uncle and grandfather. As you can see, it was pretty hot in New Orleans... especially wearing the costumes they had to wear! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Tommie to be featured at Chincoteague pony swim!

Tommie will be working with the horses & ponies and getting involved in the festivities. It is going to be an amazing event. Come and join Tommie and the ponies for an incredible time. Experience first-hand the respect and understanding Tommie has with horses. I'll keep you posted on the events, times, and schedule once they get set. This is open to the public and you'll get to see the magic unfold!

INFO:
Chincoteague Wild Pony Swim - Annual event that brings thousands of spectators who travel from all over the world to see the Virginia herd of approx. 150 Assateague Ponies swim across the Assateague Channel. Usually held on the last Wednesday in July.
Date & Time: July 29, 2009 (On slack tide between 7AM-1PM) Wild Pony Auction - One of the highlighting events during Pony Penning. Ponies (yearlings or younger), owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co., are sold on this day. Approx. 80 foals are sold each year. Usually held on the last Thursday in July.
Date & Time: July 30, 2009 (8AM-NOON)

Tommie just finished up with "Jonah Hex" movie..

Got word today that Tommie is heading back home tomorrow with Blade. They did a really extreme shot of a tent being burned down on Friday night early Saturday. It was a 10pm to 6am call time. He said it was pretty intense. Blade is doing great. Tommie said it's quite an accomplishment for this mustang to be a "movie star", when 4 years ago he was running wild in Nevada. That's pretty cool. He said Blade hit his mark everytime and fit the role of an "old west wild horse" very well. (It wasn't too much of a stretch for him!) The movie will hit in 2010. Be on the lookout for it. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Here is a photo with Mike Ortiz, Lex Geddings, and Tommie Turvey on the set of Jonah Hex.

Tommie on the set of "Jonah Hex" movie

Just got off the phone with Tommie. He sent me this photo of him in full wardrobe on the train he had to jump on from horseback. He then had to undo the coupler to release the train cars. This week he'll be doubling "Billy". Not sure what he'll be doing, but I'll let you know when it happens. It was pretty cool. I can't wait to see it on the big screen. Stallone is also filming a movie there as well and he was talking with Stallone's double at the hotel. After Katrina hit it looks like they gave the movie industry a lot of incentives to film in New Orleans.

We got the script for the Odd Job Bob movie, so we're working with the horse to do the "acting" in the movie. Bob hooks up with a Paris Hilton type in the country and helps her along her clueless journey back to civilization. It's sounds like a fun script. I know the kids will like watching Bob. He's been doing awesome. We've been working with him on the follow, walk, kissing, come to, and off camera cueing. We actually have this weekend off, but the interns are starting to arrive. Looks like it is going to be a busy summer with the horses.

Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Tommie working on movie "Jonah Hex"

Just got off the phone with my brother, Tommie. He is in New Orleans doing stunts for a new movie for 2010 called "Jonah Hex". It's a comic book character from 1970's starring Josh Brolin and Megan Fox. Tommie was hired to perfrom a transfer from a horse to a moving train. He filmed it on Saturday and it went off without a hitch. Tommie has been training with Blade, his mustang, so when he was called to do this stunt he brought Blade along. To make it new and interesting Tommie did the transfers while standing on Blade. Tommie did it with wardrobe consisting of a heavy trenchcoat, pants, boots, and hood. He has been doing other stunts as well, but this one was a one a kind. He said all the stunt guys in the business are in New Orleans including Terry Leonard. I'm tring to get a few photos of Tommie and the crew. Everone's been extremely busy with this film. I would love to be there too, but I've been busy here with a clinic, show and running Double G. Here are a couple of pictures of the production. This is the beautiful Megan Fox in her costume during the filming of "Jonah Hex". Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Lots of learning and fun at the Sensory Clinic!

Here is Lori with a horse we have in training, High Power. He is doing very well. He was pretty buddy sour and pushy, but Lori has worked with him over the past 45 days to get him responding and respectful. Lori worked with him to get through most of the obstacles on the first day and then got him quietly and safely through all of them on the second day. He really wants to please the rider and loves the attention.

This is Lizzy Traband and her pony, Toby. She was at our facility for the Night of Amazing Horses Show and then participated in the Sensory Clinic. She is an incredible rider and has a great relationship with Toby. Toby is not an easy pony either. He has a bit of stubborness to him. Most ponies will let kids do whatever to them. Toby has his own agenda sometimes and Lizzy will see it and doesn't let him get away with it! She has quite the training ability.

I recently hosted a Sensory clinic here at Double G with students and their horses. This is where you expose your horse to many different distractions and obstacles. It is a great way for you to understand and work your horse in a controlled environment and see what and how you and your horse will react. Most riders will have a tough time at first, but with a little coaching, confindence, and coaxing will make it through the obstacle. I see many people who say their horse won't do it, end up riding through it with a little confidence and try. Believe me, a horse can ride over a teeter board, go through a wall of barrels, or push a rolling object, it just takes a leader to let them know they are going to get through it safely and have fun doing it. There is nothing better than your horse not understanding how to cross a scary water crossing or tarp and then with correct encouragement gets over it and goes through it with no problems. You give them a rub and a happy "good boy" and they know they did good! They are always looking to the leader for praise and guidance. The sensory clinic really gets people and their horses on the right path and the confidence that they can do it!

Here is a few of the students and their horses as they work the courses. I got quite a few calls to do another clinic, so I added a new Sensory Clinic for the weekend of June 27 & 28. If you would like to come and participate and learn with your horse, contact me at karen@equineextremist.net or checkout the website at www.equineextremist.net or www.doublegarena.com.

Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

IJRA Rodeo here at Double G

We host many shows here at the facility. We have a big indoor arena which seats 1800 people and an outdoor arena plus 208 stalls for horses. We just hosted the IL Jr Rodeo Association. We have been doing this the past 9 years, so we love having them here at our place. It is K-8th grade kids, so this is where the kids get started in rodeo. It's awesome and the're a great bunch of kids. This is something that needs to be supported and continued. I know that kids who are brought up with this type of responsibility and challanges grow up to have good character, hard work ethics, respect for animals and good sportsmanship.

See you next year kids! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

New Home for Apollo!

When we went to perform in Murfreesboro at the AQHA Quarterfest we brought along Apollo, one of my first chariot horses, who was being picked up by his new owners. I raced him and Dakota in the chariot race on Friday to give him one last run in the spotlights. He did great! The new owner was there and saw the show. They are from Texas and will give him a wonderful home. It was truly sad to see him go, but knowing he is in a good place with caring people and a job makes us feel better. We are very selective on who we allow our horses to go to and we had many wonderful opportunities for him. Apollo is such a great horse and to see him doing so well after a couple of weeks is awesome. They said they love to ride him bareback and he has been driving the cart really well. I'm looking forward to hearing about all the awards and ribbons he will win at the shows. He is a beautiful Morgan horse who is very calm and forgiving. Kids love him! Thank you to all who responded regarding Apollo. I just wanted to share a few photos which they sent me. Thank you for giving Apollo a good home!

Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen :)

I love this photo, Apollo looks so happy! You can tell he loves to drive!

Update on Dolly

Hey everybody. We just finished a show we put on last night at our facility here in Sterling, IL. It was a great night and a fantastic turnout. As I was getting ready to post an update on the show, I was sent an old photo of Tommie, me and Dolly performing at Arabian Nights in Orlando, FL. They asked about Dolly, who now lives with us and is in retirement. This is Dolly in her heyday! She now loves being in the pasture, but her latest duties include being a good buddy horse for students, plus being a good friend and mentor to the little filly we have here on the farm. At her age of 26, she is doing very well. She worked every show at Arabian nights and Tommie and I worked with her just like you see in the photos. So, to let you all know she is doing well and still being active with other horses. She's should be in the hall of fame for performing horses!
Well, I've got to get back to my Sensory clinic. I'll have photos to post in a day or so....
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Can Am, London Ontario

It was a lot of fun for Tommie getting back up to London, Ontario. Paul and the crew have been working real hard and it has paid off for their Can-Am show. Tommie performed in 3 shows along with his favorite student Lizzy Traband, Gudmar Pederson's Icelandic horses, and Clay Maiers. Here is a great photo of one of the demos Tommie did with Lizzy and a volunteer.

Tommie really gets the most out of people when it comes to their horses. They come in to demos and clinics a little timid and shy or not understanding what it takes to create a bond with their horses. Most think it is magic or the horse has to be smart, well.... It takes being a leader and to think like the horse thinks. Be one step ahead and know what he is going to do. I work with more people who want the horse to like them so they don't get forceful or demand respect. It only takes time before their horse is doing whatever he/she wants and they are wondering why. Being forceful isn't mean or terrible. Do you think it hurts a horses feelings when another horse puts his ears back or kicks out? No. They are communicating and saying "hey, you listen to me", and when the leader evolves they listen to them. That's their behavior and that is what they understand. Don't think your horse will hate you if you raise your voice or a whip. They will respect you more. Like any tool, it can become abusive when it is done without provocation or without cause. I don't use spurs, but I will if it becomes necessary. I don't use my whip until it becomes necessary. We train with these tools so we can ultimately NOT use them. Our goal is to be able to ride a horse without tack, saddle, bridle, bit, whip, spurs, boots, or neck rein. Sounds impossible? It may be more difficult for some horses, but our goal is alway that. Each training step we take is towards that end. Even with my chariot horses. We work them with the goal of getting away from tack. They may drive chariots with lots of tack, but as we roundpen or ride each time with the goal to build the relationship with them and give them the freedom. It's amazing what more control you have over a horse without tack than with.

I'm putting on another Sensory course here at Double G, May 9 and 10. This clinic is designed to give the horse and rider a place to gain confidence and work on their skills together under supervision and in a safe environment. At the beginning, most attendees and their horses are skidish and resistant to some of the obstacles, but with the right mindset and leadership their horses do whatever they ask. We ride the trails through water, hills and even a train. It's very empowering for the horse and rider. Hope to see you here.

Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Having fun with the boys!

Tommie had his best friend, Josh Lyons stop by this weekend on his way to Canada. They took the boy interns out in the woods for a little "paint ball" fun. Josh and Tommie teamed up to fight against the interns. (Photo is Ben, Tommie Turvey, Dennis, and Josh Lyons) It was a little wet and not much cover yet, but it was fun. They work well together and I'm glad I wasn't on the opposing team. We had the barrel series finals this weekend. It was awesome. Cal Vandermyde won the 1D title. This was the first year I did barrel shows and it was quite the learning experience. We got it straight about the 3rd weekend. I now can see how the divisions work. It gives everyone a chance to win and run, instead of just the best times. If we went on best times, then you would only get 10 people. This way the take the best time, add .5 secs and you have the next division and so on. It's good to see that it takes consistancy and you'll win. Knock a barrel, you get a no time. We had a lot of great prizes from our sponsors. Thanks to Ariat, Wahl, Montana Silversmith, Double G and M & F Accessories. We are already scheduling next years shows. Thanks to all the help and support you gave us over this hard winter! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

The report is in on Callaway Premium Horse Bedding

Here is Blade, Maverick and Tommie.

Tommie makes sure his horses are well taken care of. Since October, Tommie has been testing out a new horse bedding from Callaway Farms in Rayle, GA. With their 3 sizes, Tommie and the crew have come up with the results... They love them! (The horses and I do too!) We tested them in trailers and stalls. We tested them on dirt, matts, and concrete. They do the job, are incredible fluffy and keep the horses happy and healthy. The biggest piece of mind for Tommie is knowing that Callaway does all the manufacturing of the product, from tree to bagged flake. They don't just buy the shavings or wood chips. They know exactly what is going into the bag. The Triple Crown is the favorite with 3 sizes of flakes in one bag. It's perfect for the stalls we keep them in at our facility. We used to mix 2 sizes flakes to keep it fluffy and managable, but that was a tedius process tring to get the right mix. Now we just add a bag of Triple Crown. The Sure pick is great for the trailer and for stalls. It's a medium flake with excellent absortion. The large flake, Derby Select is great for temporary stops, stalls, and when we need the trailer really fluffy. The great part too is they put 8.5 cf in a bag, so 2 bags fill a stall very nicely. They also put a convenient handle on it so you can carry 2 at a time. We have tried them all and have found that Callaway shines above them all. Tommie is also working together with them to create new ideas and keep the focus on what's best for the horse, not just for the wallet. As far as price is concerned, you might be thinking that it must be expensive. It's the same as most other brands at about $6 to $7 a bag. So, if you're thinking about horse bedding, then look at Callaway Farms in Rayle GA. They do it right. Well, gotta run the barrel show today. It should be awesome weather! Ride Fast... Take Chances!

PA Horse World Expo 2009

Here is Tommie with his favorite student, Lizzy Traband. She worked her horse in the demos with Tommie. This was them having fun for the TV cameras and practicing for an upcoming demo.

Here is Tommie during an interview with a local TV station in Harrisburg PA to promote the PA Horse World Expo. He's there with Blade the Mustang and his red heeler, Maverick. They both performed in the demos. If anyone has any photos please email me, I'd love to have a copy.

Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

New Horse Hauler Rig for 2009

Tommie and I have been pretty busy since 2009 started, but as the saying goes "You need to keep building!". Well, last year Tommie added a Freightliner Sport Chassis hauler to haul his trailer, but the 300hp Cat engine couldn't cut it. So, Tommie has been searching for a nice replacement and he found this really nice International with a 430hp Detriot Diesel engine. Lots more power and room! It has a full sleeper with bunks, tv and entertainment center, GPS, CB, DVD, CD, and room for 4 people very comfortably. The sport chassis was a bit smaller, but it had a lot of vibration driving down the road, this new truck is very smooth. it has full air ride cab and rear axle which means a nice ride for the people and the horses in the trailer. He had to customize to suit his needs with the ball hitch and single axle, but it is ready to go and get us down the road with a lot less hassle. The dual 240 gallon fuel tanks are a big plus too. We won't have to fuel up which means less wear on the horses. The hardest part is pulling off to a truck stop and weaving in and out to find a spot. Now, we can pull in a rest area, check them, water, hay, and keep on going. Everything we do is for the horses....

Keep on the lookout for Tommie driving your way. With the amount of travel he does, you'll probably see him on the road with his horses! Ride Fast.... Take Chances! karen

North Dakota Winter Show

Here's Tommie and riding Joker bareback and bridleless during the show on Thursday Night.

Yes, I know I skipped the PA Horse World Expo on my blog. Don't worry, I'll get to it. We got to PA on Wednesday, set up our 5 horses, set up our booth, did 2 demos a day, rehearsal, shows on Friday and Saturday, signed autographs after the shows, packed it all up on Sunday, left Monday at 8am back to our facility in Illinois, got home at 10pm, unloaded the horses, slept, woke up at 7am, unpacked everything, repacked everything PLUS the chariots and gear, did office work, worked the western store, slept, woke up at 6am and left for North Dakota at 7am. We arrived here at 8pm during the truck pulls, sho we had to wait until they were done at 11pm, hit the hotel, slept, got to the barn at 8am, set our schedule for the show the 7:00pm show and took time to get caught up on phone calls. Sooo, now you know why I haven't written anything about the PA Show yet. That is basically our daily routine in a nutshell. We did the show here which was Tommie's 4 acts plus the chariots. It ran about 1 hr and was a lot of fun. The arena is narrow to race chariots, so it is really tight turns and side by side racing. I had Apollo and Dakota and Tommie raced Caesar and Spartacus. Now we are back in the hotel at 10pm. I leave for home at 7am Friday. Tommie is staying to perform at the Rodeo on Sat and Sunday. Once I get back I'll have time to answer the emails and comments. This is our first time at the North Dakota Winter Show. They have 8 ft snowbanks and its 10 degrees out, but the people here are fantastic. We love working with shows where the people are a joy to work with. The barn manager, Ben and his crew are awesome. They put panels up and made our area exactly what we needed. Thanks guys. Also, thanks to Nancy Allen for having us. Hope to see you all again next year. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Here are a few shots of Tommie and I racing the chariots. It was a narrow arena, so the turns are pretty tight. We've raced together hundreds of times, so it was a lot of fun and a great audience. They were very surprised at the ending. Thanks NDWS!

Here I went deep to the corner. I knew Tommie wasn't cutting it enough so I could pass him as he slowed to turn. Dirt was flying as we got wheel to wheel quite a few times. It is quite exhilirating driving these 800 pound chariots with 2,000 pounds of horses pulling them. Like we say, "Ride Fast... Take Chances!" karen