Posts Tagged ‘winner
PA Horse World Expo – Raffle Winner Announced!
While we were at the PA Horse World Expo in Harrisburg last weekend we held a raffle for a free custom 11×14 painting by Minnow the Painting Pony.
We had HUNDREDS of entries to win Minnow’s one-of-a-kind painting, but there could be only one winner. So when we got home from our trip (after rolling in the biggest mud puddle he could find), Minnow helped choose our winner.
Congrats to Brittany of Garnet Valley, PA!
Thanks to everyone who came by the booth and entered. You can check out all of the ponies’ available paintings in our online shop.
Champion
We’ve all taken to calling little Ammo the Dachshund “Champion” this week. Because last Sunday we took him to the annual Keystone Dachshund Races. We didn’t have high hopes for him in the racing department – because the last two years he was sort of a racing dud. Not that he didn’t try, but he was just way too excited about being able to play with a bunch of puppies his size!
But this year Ammo decided to kick it into warp speed – as he flew past his competition in the heavy weigh division. Ammo weighs a hefty 20lbs – but he’s far from over weight – in fact he’s got some mean muscles and he’s in great shape. But most of the dachshund that attend the races are considered mini’s weighing 15lbs and under. And at 20lbs Ammo doesn’t qualify to be a standard dachshund (weighing more 25-30lb) so he’s what is called a “tweenie”.
Ammo finished first in 3 out of his 5 preliminary heats, earning him 3 spots in the semi-finals. And in an almost-to-close-to-call finish Ammo narrowly won his last chance race in the semi-finals. This earned him a spot in the Final race. Ammo went head-to-heat with lean mean mini-dachshund Dudley! It was a close race, but Dudley snuck across the finish line a nose ahead of Ammo.
We were super proud of our little Reserve Champ! Perhaps next year he’ll bring home the gold!
Racing wasn’t the only reason we were at the Keystone Dachshund Races, Ammo had also been invited back again to perform during the lunch break.
This year his best friend Trooper (my mom’s dog) performed with him. This was Trooper’s first performance ever – and there were a little kinks – but we all had lots of fun!
We look forward to visiting again next year!
Read all about Ammo’s big race and performance on his blog.
Winner! CSN Stores Giveaway!
Last week I posted a little giveaway contest sponsored by CSN Stores. And today we announce the winner! So today will be a very Happy Friday for Virginia!
Winner was chosen using random.org
We hope you choose something fun from CSN with your $50 gift certificate! I know Minnow has his eye on the citrus fly spray….
And Ammo the Dachshund says the Big Chew Turkey Leg can be for little dogs too!
Congrats! And thanks to everyone for entering! If you are interested in sponsoring a giveaway on our blog please contact us at info@paintingpony.com
Extreme Cowboy Race Winner
The winner of the 2011 Extreme Cowboy Race at the Horse World Expo was Wayne Yoder. He was actually the only rider to be undefeated the entire weekend too!
After the preliminary rides he was in first place, with me tailing right behind him by about 10 points. But after his amazing ride in the finals he jumped to a huge lead on his Stallion, Ornery.
Boomerang was fortunate enough to be stabled next to the winner in the barns, which meant I got to learn all about his “story”.
Wayne is a horse trainer from Ohio, where he trains between 12-14 horses a day with his business partner at Lonesome Hollow Stables. He works with problem horses, as well as starting young horses under saddle. When he’s not training horses his favorite thing to do is compete in Extreme Cowboy Races. Wayne said that at the Horse World Expo he was going on his 9th competition.
Wayne actually had his own rescue Stallion that he used to compete in the races, but a few months ago he died unexpectedly. He later discovered the horse had an abscess in his stomach, something that probably developed when he was malnourished years earlier.
Wayne’s friend Morgan, a horse chiropractor and masseuse, decided to offer him use of her Stallion, Ornery. The palomino stallion’s registered name was something like TC’s Golden Mist – but I can’t remember for sure, Morgan calls him Ornery or “Orn” for short. Orn’s story is also a rescue story as well. He was in a situation where his owner’s were not caring for or feeding him, the owner was forced to surrender their horses, and Morgan rescued the now 15 year old Stallion.
6 weeks ago Wayne started working with Orn, who’s previous experiences were mostly in trail riding. And this would be the stallion’s very first Extreme Cowboy Race.
I was immediately impressed with how quiet Orn was. He had never been around the applause and cheering (like most of the extreme cowboy race participants), yet when I saw the horse experience it for the first time – he was nearly unfazed.
Unfortunately I don’t have any videos of Wayne competing, but through most of his rides Orn was just as steady as ever. But what I was most impressed with was Wayne’s initiative to better himself and his horse through this competition. After the preliminary rounds, Wayne realized that there were some areas he could improve in with his horse while at the Expo. He set out and found a riding instructor that agreed to give him a jumping lesson after the expo closed for the day. So the night before the finals this cowboy attempted to learn the proper way to release his arms over the jump so as not to catch his horse in the mouth. And when I saw him take the big jump on Orn in his western saddle the day of the finals I was so happy for him.
Wayne, if you ever read this, I think you deserved this win! I know you were just as nervous as all of us, as we all huddled in the arena entrance breathing deeply. I wish you much success in your Extreme Cowboy Race endeavors, and I hope we meet up again soon!
Here’s an article I found on Wayne and his efforts to organize an Extreme Cowboy Race in his area.
Photos curtsy of Black Rock Photography.
Find out on monday what I did to better my horse and myself at the expo! I’ll give you a hint, it involved a lariat! 🙂
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.
