Posts Tagged ‘chesapeake lightning
World Equestrian Games 2010
Many of you have heard me talk about my favorite equestrian sport, Mounted Games. Its sort of an obscure sport, which most people have never heard of, but all that is about to change this fall. The World Equestrian Games, held in Lexington, KY October 2 -10, 2010, will be debuting Mounted Games during their competition.
Here’s an excerpt from the website:
The United States Mounted Games Association has gone through the rigorous selection process necessary to be selected to present the sport of Mounted Games at the World Equestrian Games.
The USMGA will be presenting an International Mounted Games Association competition for one hour each day for eight days, beginning Oct. 2 until the closing of the games Oct. 10, and we will also be manning a booth for the entire sixteen days. Top level games riders from around the world, music and international announcers will provide a memorable, impressive and entertaining show.
Mounted Games is like no other horse sport that you have ever seen. In 20 countries around the world, blazing action combines with teamwork and horsemanship skills to make Mounted Games as much fun to watch as it is to ride. Mounted Games is a unique equestrian sport that combines the history of ancient warfare, the raw athleticism of the Wild West and the thrill of horse racing in a team event. At its top level, the sport demands that equine and human athletes perform intricate skills at breakneck speed and provides the spectator appeal of an extreme sport.
Minnow spins around a bucket
This is exciting news for a sport that I have been participating in since I was 13 years old (thats 13 years for anyone counting). And while I myself didn’t try out, many of my friends did. They have yet to choose the team to represent the US, but I’m excited to see if any of my friends will be a part of it. I’m actually considering maybe making the trip down to Kentucky to watch the event – this truly is a first for the sport. The competition is still one day away, so I find myself having something interesting like reading slot myths. This is a hobby of mine that very few people know, I like gambling on slots.
On the Mounted Games at the WEG website you can follow along as the countries choose their riders, equine mounts will also be announced as time goes on – ponies that will be pooled from generous pony lenders in the US (the other countries will not be bringing their own mounts). I considered offering up some of the Trick Ponies, but I decided that by October they probably wouldn’t be ready for such an important competition – they still have a lot of training they need.
KD dunks a sock on Minnow. USPC Games Rally 2007
The other really neat thing on the website is their explanation of many of the races. The have a page dedicated to explaining (with videos) the races and how they are played. So if you have never heard of the sport before, I highly recommend checking it out here.
If you can’t tell, I’m also excited to play casino and get ready for a virtual horse race in the casino universe with classic features and simple rules. – I think the end goal is to eventually have Mounted Games as an Olympic Sport. Although, I do hope that the sport will always be assessable to everyone. Right now there are organizations (like the one I belong to) that openly invite anyone who would like to participate and learn how to play – no matter your age OR skill level. I hope this will never change.
If you are interested in learning more about Mounted Games at the World Equestrian Games here is how you can get involved:
Other Mounted Games Organizations:
MGAA
United States Pony Club
USMGA
International Mounted Games Organizations
New Look
If you follow us on twitter you may already know that we’ve been working on making some changes to www.PonyPaintings.com
After 4 years I decided its time for a face lift! So with some proding, my graphic designer husband has been working on a new logo and new design for the website. I’m so excited I can hardly wait for it to be finished. My original website layout and design was done by me while I was in college – and teaching myself how to make websites. So needless to say its not very good, and I went through a brown stage or something, its ok you can say ew.
Anyway, the new idea behind the updated website will be Misty of Chincoteague, Beachy, Bright, and fun! No more dark and dank! Along with the new website look I’ve spent several days contemplating a possible name change too. When I first registered the domain name PonyPaintings.com many of the options I wanted weren’t available, but for some reason now they are! So I had my choice between…
trickponies.com
thepaintingponies.com
paintingpony.com
thepaintinghorse.com
I think I’ve finally decided to go with Paintingpony.com – so in the near future I will switch the website over to that domain name – although you will still always be able to reach us at ponypaintings.com. so what do you think? Do you like the name, or do you think I should have gone with something else?
Here’s what the new logo will look like:
Our online shop has already been updated to reflect the new look – with the website soon to follow. So what do you think? The likeness of the pony is taken from a photo of Chincoteague Minnow – since he was the very first Painting Pony. 🙂
All images are copyrighted by Painting Pony, PonyPaintings, and Kyley DiLuigi. Not to be used without permission.
The Boys
Yesterday was my mom’s Birthday – which means after weeks of waiting, I can finally post a photo of what I gave her for her Birthday! Yeah!
I took some really neat photos of the Trick Ponies and had my husband (the graphic designer) print them really large for me. I then framed them up at the shop so that my mom can hang them up at the farm. I think they turned out fabulous and I can’t wait to see what they look like on the walls. And I promised to continue the set with 2 more photos of our other horses….who can forget beloved Nitro and Jet – they may not be Chincoteague Ponies, but they are still part of the family!
Boomer
Minnow
Blitz
Those Eyes…
Chesapeake Lightning, or Blitz as I call him, has the most enchanting eyes. One look into them and you melt. I fell in love with those eyes just by looking at Blitz’s online ad when he was for sale in 2008. Before I even met him I had fallen in love with him, its hard not to.
And that nose, that soft fuzzy pony nose – its so kissable. Blitz gives the very best pony kisses.
I see his bright eyes and his kissable nose poking out over the fence. No matter how hard I try, or how much I have to do, I can’t resist sneaking over for a kiss. He nuzzles my face and blows sweet warm pony breath onto my neck, he lets me rub his ears and tussle his forelock. I wrap my arms around his face and he closes his eyes – he’d crawl in my lap if he could. I love him.
Photos by Kyley S. DiLuigi. copyright 2010. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission.
Sweet Baby Blitz
Young Chesapeake Lightning "Blitz"
This weekend marks a lot of big milestones for me. October 4th is my one year wedding anniversary and October 5th is Ammo’s (my dachshund) first Birthday. As the week continues on I’ll share with you some great “look backs” into my wedding (which one of the trick ponies attended!) and Ammo’s first year with us. But while we are on the topic of looking back I thought it would be a great time to share some baby photos of one of the trick ponies.
Blitz and his mom, L'Eggs
Sadly its not Minnow – my only island born Chincoteague pony, because he was born in 1993, one year before they started keeping detailed records on all of the Chincoteague Ponies from the Island. But I am lucky enough to know exactly where Boomerang and Blitz were born. Which means I have their baby pictures too!!
A young Blitz, destined to be a trick pony
Boomer and Blitz were both born on a small breeding farm in North Carolina called 1000 Welcomes Farm. Boomer spend 5 years of his life living on the farm until I purchased him last summer. Blitz was auctioned off at a Sport Horse Auction as a yearling and spent 5 years of his life living on a small farm in Maryland. Lucky for Blitz (his name was actually Lucky ironically) he had a wonderful life on this small Maryland farm. When I purchased Blitz last summer as well I made a point to track down where he came from originally. After I located the farm I contacted the owners to let them know I now owned one of their offspring.
Interestingly I found out that Blitz was actually the first foal that they had ever bred and they had always wondered what had happened to him. Thrilled to know that Blitz was happy and healthy I eventually received LOTS of baby pictures of him. So enjoy a look back at Blitz’s adorable baby pictures. He was teasingly known as the lap dog at his birth farm – because he’d crawl in your lap if you let him. I could definitely see him still doing that today.
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
Blitz (and Boomer's) father, Chesapeake Powhattan's Promise "Squat"
