Posts Tagged ‘got talent contest
2010 Equine Extravaganza Winner!!
Early morning walk with Minnow & Ammo
On Friday, October 29th I proceeded to pack up the pony (Chincoteague Minnow) and the dog (Ammo the Dachshund) for a big journey to Doswell, Virginia for the 2010 Equine Extravaganza. I had entered the boys into the 2010 Got Talent Contest, and we spent the past month or so perfecting our new skit. We were only able to practice the skit in it’s entirety about 4 times before we left, so my fingers were crossed that everything would go smoothly.
I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous before hand. Although I have been performing with Minnow for several years now – this was the first time the two of them would perform a skit together that required them to wait stationary while I worked with one and then the other. This was also the biggest venue we have ever performed in. Usually it’s local horse shows, camp demonstrations, and the once-a-year trip to the Chincoteague Pony Centre (which Ammo has never been to). Never a venue alongside well-known trainers/performers like Kenny Harlow, Julie Goodnight, Lizzy Traband, etc.
I shouldn’t have been nervous though, because the boys knew what they were doing. Here’s a video of their performance, which had the crowd giggling in their seats the whole time!
Mark & Dusty opened the competition for us, and then we were followed by our fellow compeditiors.
Rachael & Casper
and then
Taylor & Vesper
Then while the judges made their decisions Lizzy Traband closed out the competition
Each one of my competitors had something different for the crowd, and I loved how we had our own unique style. But in the end, my bubbly Dachshund – and the Chincoteague Pony that was born to perform took the winning title!
After the performance we got to enjoy the expo for the weekend. I got to meet and talk with animal trainer (for the movies), Doug Sloan, whom I will get a personal training session with in the near future as part of my winning prize. He was really nice to talk to, and we even talked about clicker training – and how he had clicker trainer, Karen Pryor, out to his farm to help him tap into training with this method. He told me about his new project horse whom he’s started with clicker training.
Amazing Grace
We also talked about Gracie, the trick mule who won the 2008 Talent Contest at the Equine Extravaganza. Gracie went on to stardom afterward, with the help of Doug Sloan, and starred in the Movie Get Low with Robert Duvall. She now travels with her trainer, Steve Foster, performing at venues and performing for television (she just finished filming a part in the show Larry the Cable Guy, which will air next year).
Fortunately I was able to catch Gracie’s Act at the Expo as well.
Amazing Grace the trick mule
I enjoyed watching Gracie perform, you can tell her and Steve have a special bond. Although don’t tell Gracie, I still think Minnow is the better painter! 🙂 I was excited to see that Steve trains Gracie with food rewards. I don’t think he uses “clicker training” per say, but I did notice him using a marker word of “Good Girl Gracie” occasionally. Later Steve filled in for Doug Sloan in a clinic (Doug missed most of the expo over the weekend due to being sick) on mule training (he admittedly told us he had never done a clinic before) – where he talked about training with kindness and food rewards. You could tell her truly loved his mule – although she may have needed a little refresher course on treat mugging – but Steve did say she had been performing all week and was a bit cranky. So we should give her the benefit of the doubt, after all she is a movie star!
a sleepy Ammo on the way home to Pennsylvania
We had a great weekend down in Doswell, Virginia – and I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone a bit to experience it. I think both Minnow (who wanted to keep performing all weekend long) and Ammo (who never tired of saying hello to fans) really had a fun time. The best part was that I got to enjoy a beautiful weekend with my favorite Dachshund & Chincoteague Pony. Can’t wait for our next performance!
Check out Ammo the Dachshund’s recap of the performance here.
Equine Extravaganza Got Talent Contest
Most people assume that dogs are much easier to train than horses. I mean we can house break dogs, teach them to lead the blind, do search and rescue, and countless amounts of tricks and tasks.
But one thing I find that people fail to factor into the equation is the food drive that horses have. Now I know this varies from horse to horse, but we all know that horses graze ALL-DAY-LONG. If there is food, they will eat. They will eat until they get sick!
My little Minnow is a prime example of this. I know that no matter what trick I ask him to perform, if I have a treat in my pocket, he’s more than willing to give it a valiant effort. Performing in front of crowds with him, I never worry that he might not do what I ask, I know he’ll always make me look good! 🙂
Now my Dachshund, Ammo, on the other hand can be quite a challenge. As much as he enjoys his treats, he also has other driving instincts. He’s a hunting dog through and through. Noises, smells – they all serve as added distractions for him – so much so that sometimes they outweigh the drive for food.
I consider Ammo to be a pretty well trained dog. He’s housebroken, knows a number of commands and tricks, and generally speaking he listens fairly well – considering he’s only about to turn 2. Now I’m not saying Minnow is any smarter than Ammo – they equally master tricks at lightning speed – but the difference is, Ammo can not be trusted. (I love you Ammo, but it’s true). His attention can only be on me when he wants it to be. No amount of food, excitement, or the promise of praise will get him to obey the commands he knows….so long as he “just doesn’t feel like it”.
So when I’m getting ready to perform with the pony and dog, I tend to worry. Will Ammo run off in the middle of the performance to play with another dog, will he do all the tricks I ask of him….who knows? My typical performance nerves of steel are tested when I know Ammo is with us. I love the boy, but like I said, he cannot be trusted! I’m sure anyone who owns a Dachshund can understand how I feel. They are an amazing breed of dog, but they certainly have a mind of their own.
A few days ago, I did something that will test my “performance nerves of steel”. I entered Minnow and Ammo into a talent contest at the Equine Extravaganza in Doswell, Virginia. I perhaps have an unreal expectation of having the two of them perform an act TOGETHER. Can I keep Ammo with me while I work with Minnow, will he stay on his box like he’s supposed to….I’m not sure? All we can do is practice and prepare as much as possible, and I’ll have to swallow my nerves and try! One thing can be sure…..it’s sure to be entertaining. You’ll either see some amazing tricks by a talented Chincoteague Pony and his quirky Dachshund, or you will see me chasing a Dachshund around an arena while frantically trying get him to do tricks.
I think I’m going to need a back up plan for this one!
Check us out at the Equine Extravaganza on Saturday, October 30th from 11:30am – 1pm!
