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

Another Day on the Farm

Tommie drives the skidloader and unloads all 30 pallets of Callaway Horse Bedding.

I thought I'd throw in a few photos of what happens when we are not performing. There are so many things you need to do for horses which don't include riding. Tommie is unloading a truckload of 30 pallets into our barn. We give our horses the best we can. We found a very nice product with horse bedding. We now carry and use Callaway Farms Horse Bedding. We like the fact that the bags are 8.5 cf expanded and 2 bags really fill a stall. Tommie like the Triple Crown style which is a mixture of large, medium and small shavings. He used to mix bags to get a good base with the small and then put a layer of medium or large on the top to keep it comfortable and fluffy. With Callaway Triple Crown it comes all in one bag! They made it easy. The best thing is that Tommie even went to their facility in Rayle, GA to see how they make their bedding. Some people say its just wood chips, but Tommie knows better. You have to be careful what goes into it. We've found shavings made from pallets, old wood, and all types of wood that don't absorb well or the horses have a reaction to it. Many shavings companies buy the chips and then sift and pack them. Callaway starts with a pine tree to the finished product. They know exactly what they are getting from start to finish. They have an incredible commitment to providing the best possible product and have even taken in Tommie's feedback on what products and benefits they need to focus on. They even put a handle on the bag to make it easy to carry. The bags sell for $6, so its in the same ballpark as all the rest. When looking at products, Tommie takes his horses into consideration first, how the product is made or produced, does it make life easier and is it cost effective and non-wasteful. Callaway hits a home run on all of these. Now if they would only unload it for us! They pack 30 pallets in to cut down on shipping cost too. We love companies that do things right and really care about their products. Most shipping is done right away too. No waiting or backorders. Tommie said they have a football field size warehouse filled with pallets ready to ship. Well, gotta go run the chariots. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

PCB Bullriding Finals III

Tommie was close to home this past weekend, with a show at the Sears Centre near Chicago. He was featured at the PCB Bullriding Finals and performed with Pokerjoe to a crowd of 10,000 people over the 2 nights. Tommie did a meet and greet and sign autographs. Special thanks to Callaway Farms Premium Horse Bedding for their support and for making it possible to meet the fans. Thanks Chris and Andy! We'll see you in Georgia.

This rodeo event is really cool since it just has bucking bulls and fast barrel racers. They had a lot of mean bulls and there were alot of hard hits and falls. The bullfighters really earn their money protecting the cowboys. They even showed a video of a bullfighter getting his arm and ribs broke a few months ago. He jumped in to save a cowboy from a bull and took a big hit that tossed him like a ragdoll. If you think bullriders have guts, think about the bullfighter. We got to meet the master bullfighter, Rob Smets too. He did the commentary right from the middle of the ring. Radical Ryan Rodrigez was the clown and barrelman. He's pretty cool. We've worked with him in San Angelo, Texas. He's got a little dog he does his act with. Tommie had the crowd in stitches with his "Riding Instructor" performances. Tommie was really impressed with Haley, who is a 5 year old barrel racer who ran a 16 sec pattern in the show. Top runs were 14's, so this little lady kept up that's for sure! She saw Tommie and said she wants to learn how to lay down her horse and she wants him to teach her, so Tommie presented her with her very own Pokerjoe Breyer model. She was very gracious and even asked for Tommie to sign it for her. You'll see this little girl around the barrel racing circuit for years to come.

This is Tommie's horse trailer parked at the back door of the show. This is to make sure the horses and Tommie have a nice place to rest near the stage entrance for the show.

Tommie always has his dogs with him as well. This is a great shot of Maverick, his Red Queensland Heeler. He is an audience favorite at expos, fairs, and horse events. He's featured in Tommie's video on "How to teach your dog to fetch a beer". http://www.fetchmeabeer.com/

I held a 4 D barrel race here at our facility on Sat and Sun. The weather was nice and we had a good turn out. Paid out a lot of nice checks with 80% payback and added money. This series runs until April, then we'll have schedule more shows over the summer, plus the series for next year as well. That was our weekend, hope yours was fun too!

Ride Fast.... Take Chances! karen

Gypsy Vanner in Training with Tommie

Here is Bob, a Gypsy Vanner just started training with Tommie. This is Anna, one of our interns getting him ready for his daily training session. Bob is being trained for a movie and general tricks. We have quite a few horses coming in for training this year. We'll keep you posted on their progress. You can also check out videos on Youtube as well. Bob is a beautiful horse, he will be a sensational Liberty horse.
Gotta get some sleep. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Liberty with Joker and Ace!

Here's Tommie working liberty with his horses Joker and Ace. He is riding bareback on and bridleless on Joker while directing Ace with out any type of restraint. It's quite an amazing thing to see. Most people thinks it takes a lot of training, but it really only takes patience and training in small steps and all starts in the stall. Liberty training is the art of working in harmony with your horse without any tack. Lash whips and dressage whips are used as extensions of you hand to direct them to you and around you. Once they learn your body language you can ultimately use only your hands and they will understand what you are asking. It's basically how they learn to communicate with you and know what you are saying. They want to please you and have fun doing it, but you do have to be the leader.
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

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