Here is a repost of one of my first ever blogs, posted around this time last year. Enjoy! This week, the Clark County Fair takes over the small town of Ridgefield, Wash., and erupts into a 10-day flurry of wild rides, cotton candy, elephant ears, dozens of vendors, animals of all shapes and sizes, demolition derby and monster trucks. All the good, traditional fair activities aside, the Clark County Fair lands near to my heart. Apart from having shown horses at the fairgrounds for most of my life, I represented the fair across the Pacific Northwest in 2004. I was a Clark County Fair Court Princess. Yes, I know what...
Reflections on the 4th
I had the privilege of going to four rodeos, a parade and a pageant fashion show over the past weekend and my head is still a-spinnin’. But it was a wonderful time and brings about a time of reflection for me. The Fourth of July symbolizes the birth of our nation, but also a big weekend for cowboys around the country. Cowboy Christmas – the 4th of July weekend – is a where most of the men and women of rodeo make their earnings. They hit several rodeos over the course of the weekend and rack up all the points and dough they can. In our area, the grand Pacific Northwest,...
An eye-opening experience
On Saturday, December 18th, the Clark County Fence Riders hosted a Christmas Round Up for local families to come and learn about rodeo and horses. Children got to learn to rope and ride and got their pictures taken with a horse. More than 300 toys were donated and every child got free hats, scarves and gloves. The 2010 Clark County Fair Court and other royalty arrived to help lead groups of children from station to station. What these young ladies found was an eye-opening experience. The steady rain hardly slowed us down as dozens of families arrived. Children from ages 1 to 18 got to mingle with these majestic animals...
Legends: The story of *Witez II
If I could credit a single book for my current work-in-progress, the Dreams of Yesterday series, it would be the Western Horseman Book called “Arabian Legends.” Published in 1999, the paperback book features 24 of the most successful and legendary Arabian mares and stallions. I have worn down my copy to the bare threads of the binding. I have spent hours pouring over this book and the photos of horses from in the 30s to the 90s. There are pen marks, pencil marks, highlighter marks, bent pages, sticky notes and everything in between. A hybrid of my two loves: horses and history, this book has followed me everywhere – even...
Beyond the hairspray…
This week, the 141st Clark County Fair takes over the small town of Ridgefield, Wash., and erupts into a 10-day flurry of wild rides, cotton candy, elephant ears, dozens of vendors, animals of all shapes and sizes, demolition derby and monster trucks. All the good, traditional fair activities aside, the Clark County Fair lands near to my heart. Apart from having shown horses at the fairgrounds for most of my life, I represented the fair across the Pacific Northwest in 2004. I was a Clark County Fair Court Princess. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Oh. One of those girls. Well, I was. However, the world of rodeo queens...