Equine Extremist

Back home and working on new projects

2008-07-18T17:43:00.005-04:00

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"

2008-07-08T10:32:00.000-04:00

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...

2008-06-10T20:46:00.003-04:00

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

2008-06-10T18:24:00.005-04:00

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!

2008-05-22T22:21:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-05T19:47:00.000-04:00

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

2008-03-29T19:30:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-27T20:33:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-25T11:50:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-03-24T18:56:00.000-04:00

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

2008-02-28T19:08:00.020-05:00

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

Tommie Turvey Feb 2008 Clinic

2008-02-17T20:55:00.004-05:00

Tommie Turvey and his students successfully lay down the horses during the 5 day clinic. The participants came from PA, LA, WI, TN, IL, and MO.

We just finished up a 5 day clinic at our facility, Double G in Sterling, IL and then we had a 3 Barrels Productions, Barrel Race on Saturday, and today it rained and flooded everything. Now it is freezing and everything is a sheet of ice. Tuesday, we leave for Harrisburg, PA and the PA Horse World Expo. We also spent 4 hours today booking our Spring and Fall line of Ariat merchandise for the store. We have lots of shows this year and need to keep up with the new styles and fashions. For the PA show, we'll have a new DVD, belts, boots, cool hats, nice and warm hoodies, Joker Breyer Models, and lots more. Come see us if you are in the area.

The clinic Tommie put on was a lot of fun. Here are photos from it. Richard successfully lays down his horse using Tommie's techniques. The other students also brought their horses and worked on everything from liberty, groundwork, tricks, and riding. Each person worked on their goals as well as helping them discover new ways to work their horses. Tommie helped them gain insight on how he would work on a problem and broke it down step by step.

Cindy gets her horse up on the pedestal and communciates her actions and direction through body language and verbal cues.

Bonny's horse, Val lays down as her horse calmly relaxes under them. Her horse had been to several trainers without success, so she was very happy that Tommie was able to have her horse lie down after 2 days. Bonny said Tommie is truly a horseman who knows how to read horses and gets them to do things typical trainers can't do.

The girls have a little fun with Tommie! As you can see it's not all about learning, its about having fun, reaching goals, and learning the important things to improve your horsemanship skills.

We leave for the 900 mile trip to PA Tuesday, so I'll try to get some info and photos of the show while we are there. Talk to you soon. Ride Fast... Take Chances!

Nothing but COLD COLD COLD

2008-02-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

Oh my! It is -1 here and with the 40 mph winds it is unbearable!

Tommie and I are getting ready for the upcoming PA show and we also have a 5 day clinic here at the facility. It will be cold but our indoor facility is a nice 40 degrees. Perfect for training! We had the chariot horses, the Rocky Mountain Horses and our riding horses out to pasture and had to bring them in. It should get to -30 tonight. The horses love it outside, and we know people who will keep theirs outside, but we have a place to bring them in, so we don't make them tolerate it (which most horses will!). We bring them in and stall them inside until it gets back to 30 or higher. We've been digging out from the past 2 snow storms along with freezing rain and ice. Everything is frozen solid. I can't wait until we get a training facility in the South. We can train up here in the spring, summer and fall, but when winter comes, I want to be in Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, well, let's say anywhere it doesn't get weather like this. We are currently talking with sponsors and it looks like everything is on track for 2008 and 2009. It is so time consuming with the facility, store, merchandising, marketing, training, riding, booking, videos, website, and the horses. We are looking to add more staff and depts as we continue to grow. I just wanted to say thanks again to Claire and John at Guardian Horse Bedding. Due to the weather and backorder of bedding over the winter, we just ran out and aren't getting a load until next week. I called them up and without hesitation they got us set up with 2 pallets. I drove up the their farm in Rockford and not only did they hook us up with enough bedding to get us by unti the order arrives, they even helped load each bag on to the truck. That's just another reason we love Guardian Horse Bedding. Not only do they produce the best product, but the people are willing to go the extra mile to make it happen. Thanks for the "pin" too. Now I've got to get the facility plowed out from snow and drifts, plus get storage ready for the 14 pallets of bedding coming. We just finished post production on the dog training video. It's how to get your dog to fetch a drink from the fridge. That is the one trick that people can't believe. So, Tommie put together a video to show anyone how to do it step by step. It's really fun. Well, my to-do list is quickly getting longer so i better go while I can. Hope to see you all in Harrisburg, PA in two weeks. Keep in touch. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Here is Maverick getting a beer from the fridge. He is 2 years old and does it really well. It is usually hard to train a young dog to do complicated steps other than sit, shake, etc... He gets really excited, but he gets it. Check out our site at http://www.fetchmeabeer.com/

Maryland Horse Expo 2008

2008-01-18T23:29:00.000-05:00

Here is Tommie Turvey and Ace during a clinic at the Maryland Horse Expo 2008.

Tommie is at the Maryland Horse Expo outside of Baltimore. He is doing demos on training. They said it snowed about 5" on Thursday, but was really nice today. They sent me photos of Tommie's first demo. They'll have more on Saturday. If you are in the area, stop in and say hello. I'll post more photos when I get them. Tommie has 7am and 9am media spots on local Baltimore tv stations tomorrow, so you might see him then also. Wish I was there, but I had to stay back here to take care of the horse, farm, and western store. It is freezing here! About 15 below zero... Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Discovery Channel films show at Double G Arena

2008-01-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

The Discovery Channel film crew gets a shot of the racing chariot with the host and co-host.

This weekend was really warm. It went from 11 degrees below zero wind chill and 20" of snow to 50 degrees and lots of melting snow. It was a perfect weekend for the Discovery Network to bring its film crew and hosts of Weapon Masters to our facility for a 3 day shoot. It was awesome. They featured the archery from the battlegrounds where the soldiers would shoot from the backs of the chariots. We provided the facility, horses, drivers and chariots for the shoot. It is wonderful to be able to have a facility and the notoritety to be able to bring in national tv shows and events. Double G is the perfect place. We have plenty of resources and room to make any event a success. We have been expanding from offering horsemanship training, breed shows, speed shows, fun shows, and the like. We are always looking at new ways to bring in more exciting events. We are hoping to have the likes of Troy Crumrine (Barrels) and Larry Whitsell (Gaited) here this year for clinics as well our own with Tommie and I. If you have any ideas or want to add your event, please give me a call at Double G. 815-626-3770. Thanks again for all your support. Come check out our Western Store too. We have lots of new things that you just haveta have! I love the Cruel Girl Perfume, the Ariat Terrian Boots and the Pink Toes Shirts. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Here is Tommie and I helping the host and camera crew get a great shot inside the chariot. Ceasar and Spartacus were the horses and they were fast!

Welcome 2008!

2008-01-01T00:25:00.000-05:00

Just had to post one more time. 2008 will be non-stop. We have a barrel show starting at 8am and then we have inventory in the Western Store for 2 days, a video shoot for the Discovery Channel on Fri/Sat/Sun, then we head to Denver for 5 days of the the WESA market to get new product and check out cool stuff for the store, then we head to Maryland for the Expo with Tommie. Upon returning, we have production scheduled for our video, so that should round out January. If you have any questions, please email me at karen@equineextremist.net. Happy New Year! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T20:30:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. Just wanted to say Happy New Year. 2007 has been quite a year for us. Thanks for all your support and we are looking forward to seeing you all in 2008!
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

YESTERDAY'S TOWNS: IN MEMORY OF MATT ZAMPERLA ZOPPE

2007-12-29T18:54:00.000-05:00

YESTERDAY'S TOWNS: IN MEMORY OF MATT ZAMPERLA ZOPPE

Christmas in Maine

2007-12-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

Here is Jamie and I. Merry Christmas!
This is what a white New England Christmas looks like.
Here I am refreshed and revived after a nice night at the Wentworth by the Sea.
Here is Jamie overlooking the 8" of snow that fell during our stay.

My husband and I got away for a few days and went to Maine for Christmas with his family and to have a few days away for our anniversary. We stayed at the Wentworth by the Sea and had a beautiful New England Christmas with tons of snow! We drove up to LL Bean in Freeport to get a few presents and have sushi with our niece, Joann. We met one of Jamie's best friends, Webber and his wife in Portland for drinks and hear stories of Jamie and Webber's exploits. Then we had a big Christmas with Jamie's family and all the nieces and nephews on Saturday. Lots of great food and conversation. We went skiing at Sunday River Ski resort. It was awesome. We skied all day, had a great lunch at the Shipyard Ale House and there was hardly anyone there. (With 130 trails it felt like we were alone!) We figured it would be really busy, so we got to the mountain at 7:30am. We were the first in line for tickets and gear. It was cool to go skiing with the family, Mike, Sue, Lynn, Michael, Sheila, Chris, Alex, Andy, Austin, Colleen, Danny and Katie. I just want to say thank you to Jamie's Mom and Dad for putting everything together and making it a wonderful Christmas for us. Love you and Merry Christmas.
We returned home on Christmas eve to spend Christmas with Tommie, the horses, our doggies, and the girls. (Lori and Giddy) Here is Tommie, trying to guess the present before he opens it.
Merry Christmas! karen

In Memory of Matt Zoppe

2007-12-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

I just returned from my Christmas vacation with my husbands family and was floored. On December 22, 2007 a talented performer, wonderful person and a good friend's life ended too soon. Matt Zamperla Zoppe was 5th generation circus and a true performer. We watched Matt and his brothers perform marvelously at the Circus, Cheval Theatre, Dixie Stampede and at Arabian Nights Dinner Theater. My brother and I featured the Zoppe family in a pilot we shot called "Extreme Horsemen". We brought together the most talented bareback riders under one roof. Matt and his family showed us why they are the best of the best. We experienced the magic of the Zoppe family as they practiced and performed. This is a sad day to know Matt is gone from this earth. He will be missed by everyone. Our hearts go out to Diana, his daughter Angelica, his family and friends. Below is a few pictures of Matt as we will always remember him. God Bless.

Here is Matt with his brother, Olissio.
Here is the Zoppe family performing at Arabian Nights. Here is Matt and Olissio along with Timi Loyal, Christine Drentwett, Joanne Mintel and other talented bareback riders during our "Extreme Horsemen" shoot.

Here is Matt alongside my brother, Tommie. We will miss you Matt.

Great photos of Tommie Turvey

2007-12-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

I found a bunch of photos of Tommie performing this year. I thought I would post some for you to see.

Here is my brother, Tommie jumping his roman riding team of Joker and Ace over fire at a show. He has such confidence in his horses. I'm there standing next to the jump. I'm there for safety to set the jump, light the jump, and extinguish the jump. Tommie, Joker and Ace look awesome as ever!

This is the first shot I've ever seen of Tommie during his comedy act, "the Riding Instructor", where it was taken from behind. Tommie parts the tail and enters from under Pokerjoe and in between his legs. A lot of people are amazed by Pokerjoe's quiet stance. It is just very basic horsemanship of de-sensitizing and trust, NOT of bombproofing where the horse is oblivious of what's going on. We want horses to be horses and coherent to the outside world. We want them to "spook", because when they do we want them to look to us for safety and guidance. The trust is developed when we are consistant with the training and teach them to come to us. They learn to look to us for safety instead of running off or knocking us down. We teach a lot of this in our clinics and demos.

Here's a great shot of the arena during the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento. The Saturday Night Showcase was the biggest and most attended show they had ever done. Wayne Williams announced and Jamie, my husband ran the technical aspects of our acts. Hope to find more photos for you. Until then, Ride Fast... Take Chances!
karen

Has it Been a Month?

2007-12-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

I just noticed it has been a month since my last post. Well, we have been to the AZ Horse Fest and the Ocala Equine Capital Horse Expo. It was a nice 5,200 mile round trip. The AZ Horse Fest wasa great show. Tommie said he was impressed by how well it was run. The facility, Empty Acres was a large facility with nice stalls, arenas, and layout. Tommie said they were nice "mare" stalls with soft dirt and lots of room for his horses, so they can relax. Most shows have their stalls on concrete, so we have to use 8 bags of Guardian Shavings just to make it soft, so it is nice to have a place where you know your horse is very comfortable. It addition to Tommie's 4 acts in the show, they had the Mini Horse Drill Team, David Davis and some reining demos for the night time show. For clincians they had Tommie Turvey, Craig Cameron, Jane Savoie, Kerry Huhn, and Karen Scholl. These are some of the best clinicians you'll find. They are not only knowledgable, they are all approachable. People come to these events to learn something new or gain more insight on how they can create a better relationship with their horse. It is nice to have an expo where you can talk one on one with the clincian and get feedback on your specific problem or question. Tommie loves questions from the audience. It is the reason people support and come to these events. The 80 degree weather was real nice too. The people seemed to come from all over as well. We had people from AZ, CA, NV, NM, TX,CO, MO, and OK, come by and say hi. We were very impressed and are looking forward to next year and putting on a few clinics at Empty Acres in Buckeye as well. There is nothing better than working with promoters and trainers who respect and appreciate each other.

Here is a photo of Tommie and Ace from the Ocala Equine Capitol Horse Expo taken by Steve Priest. Steve has been taking photos of Tommie for about 10 years now.
The Ocala show went very well. We set up our 40x40 tent and had our own "compound" at the Post Time Event Center. Josh and Jana Lyons were there as well. Tommie and Josh did their demos back to back, having lots of fun as well. They remind me of 2 little boys trying to out-do or make the other flub up. They are best friends and had a great time. People say it was the most entertaining demo they had ever seen at an expo. In addition to Tommie and Josh, Matt McLaughlin, Stacey Westfall, Pat and Linda Parelli, and Jimmy Driver were on hand to give really nice educational and entertaining demos. The Dinner in the Dirt was held Friday Night and was exciting as always. Tina puts the audience in the arena and we do the entire show around them. Tommie did his 4 acts, plus Lori skied behind Ceaser and Jon Wearley and I did the Chariot Race. We planned it all down to the wreck at the end. The entire show went off without a hitch. Tina bills it as "extreme" and "dangerous", but don't worry, we know exactly what we are doing. Many many years in the stunt business makes sure that you are prepared. We looked at every position and found the safest way to perform each act. We just make it look dangerous. We would never put our horses lives or other peoples lives in danger for a "show". We are entertainers, not daredevils. Thanks to Tina and Gordon who put on this event for their incredible hospitality. This is our 5th year working with Tina and we love every show we do with her. We are now back in Sterling for much needed rest from the road as we prepare for 2008. Sorry for the being so late in posting. I'll try to add to this more often, now that I'm home.We've got so much going on from the Rocky Mountain Horses, Mustangs, Chariot racing horses, and more! Clinics coming for 2008! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

2008 Tour - Ready to Roll

2007-11-03T14:01:00.001-04:00

I wanted to thank our newest sponsors. Extend-a-Cool will be along with Tommie in 2008. We got the crew together and posed for this photo in front of Tommie's new rig for the 2008 Tour through out the US and Canada. Tommie also picked up 3 beautiful Rocky Mountain Horses from Van Bert Farms, KY to start working with. Tommie was looking for a friendly, good looking, and simply ridable horses to have for trail riding and pleasure. These Rocky Mountain Horses will be perfect for this endeavor. We'll track their progress as Tommie gets them ready for riding, liberty, and traveling. We've got lots of new and exciting things lined up for next year as well, so get ready to come by and say hi when we come to your area! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

A great entertainer, horse trainer, and a dear friend will be missed.

2007-10-31T17:27:00.000-04:00

A dear friend of the world has passed. On Oct. 6th, 2007 Gaylord Maynard was taken from this earth where he will forever be remembered in our hearts and laughter. He was truly a man of incredible talents. For those fortunate enough to see him perform, you know how he loved to make people laugh. I was in and saw his comedy act hundreds of times, and I couldn't stop laughing. Even when I was the "vamp", he would try hard to get me to crack up while I was on stage. He never did it to be mean or to make me look bad, he did it because he knew it put me in the right frame of mind to perform. You really had to concentrate, and he would always have me smiling the entire act. It was his way of keeping us on our toes and getting the best he possibly could from us. I learned a lot from this man. He had wonderful ideas and always took the time to share his wisdom. He will always be the man entertainers aspire to be. He was humble and never took his audiences or his animals for granted. He is a legend in the entertainment community and will be missed greatly. Here is a photo of me and Gaylord taken at Arabian Nights. This was my favorite part. I get to hit Gaylord with the blanket! He would whisper to me, "Give it to me baby!" and I would hit him good.

Here is Gaylord with Chief Bear Paw III. Gaylord was an incredible horse trainer. They don't make them like him anymore. Tommie and I learned alot about horses and the business from Gaylord, just being around him and how he kept his eye on his horse, the audience, and could roll with whatever happened. He will certainly be missed but not forgotten. Every time we hit the stage, we will always think of Gaylord Maynard. God Bless. See you on the other side.
Ride Fast... Take Chances. karen

Here's the new 2008 Rig

2007-10-17T16:45:00.000-04:00

Here is the Freightliner with the 6 Horse Trailer. Our horses are very happy!
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen