Wild Weekend at the Extreme Cowboy Race!

Craig Cameron, clinician and inventor of the Extreme Cowboy Race.

Thank you, Judy Rogers, for the invitation for a great weekend!

I had the privelage to attend the Extreme Cowboy Race Finals in Kansas City, MO at the Saddle and Sirloin Club. Craig Cameron ( http://www.craigcameron.com/ ), an accomplished clinician and horseman, is the mastermind behind this absolutely amazing competition. It showcases true, functional horsemanship and adds excitement because the outdoor obstacle course is timed. Each day the course changes and challenges mount, but there were many extremely talented horses and riders in Kansas City this weekend that tackled the thich brush, tree dragging, roping, jumping, water crossings, and other obstacles with precision and class.

Bill Hull, Barn Manager and Groundkeeper at the Saddle and Sirloin Club in Kansas City, MO

While at the race, I had the opportunity to meet and visit with and be interviewed with Craig Cameron which was an experience! He is very easy to talk to and definitely has the "gift of gab" as any good clinician does. If you enjoy trail riding and horseback ranch tasks, you should consider entering one of the competitions. There are quite a few preliminary races around the United States with very nice saddles to be won, as well as the chance to compete in the national competition. It is definitely a true test of the horse's training and ability, as well as the rider's horsemanship--you should look into it!

Hoosier LOVES to have his ears scratched!

Also during the day, I met Sue Cole, the editor of Mules and More magazine ( http://www.mulesandmore.com/ ). Her "grand-mule" Hoosier was one of the competitors in the race. After telling her I was a mule owner, she asked me to come by after the race and take a few pictures with the famous mule. I was delighted! Hoosier is a beautifully built ~15.3 hand sorrel mule that placed in the top five, beating the rest of the horses! He was not very excited about putting his ears up for the pictures, but he sure didn't mind me scratching them! It was fun to meet Hoosier because I haven't been in the presence of a mule for a while!

Jerry and Nicolas giving us the abbreviated version of their show

Charro Jerry Diaz ( http://www.charrojerrydiaz.com/ )was one of the competitors in the race, so it was a great opportunity to watch one of the most talented men I have ever seen sit a horse. He has been riding and training since he was young, and is quite a hand with a lariat. Jerry performs at many rodeos and events performing rope tricks and horse acts (bowing, laying down, difficult dressage moves, etc.). Judy Rogers studies horsemanship and training under Jerry, so I got the opportunity to meet Jerry, his wife Staci, and their son, Nicolas. Nicolas is quite the performer already and definitely steals the show with his own trick rope and ornery grin. They Diazes are a very kind and caring family, and I felt very honored to meet them! (Even though I have spent the entire last year traveling and meeting many famous people, I still get star-struck!)

Nicolas Diaz, a future 5th generation Mexican charro, who will be a heartbreaker in a few years!

The fun is not quite over! This week I will be in Louisville, KY for the Great Lakes Circuit Finals rodeo. I am very excited to help carry flags and chase out cattle during the performances. Once I return home from Louisville and take two tests at school the next week, it will be FASHION SHOW SEND-OFF TIME! Come one, come all to the Shenandoah Middle School commons at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November for a sneak-peek of what I will be wearing during the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas. I will be in the presence of Aleigh Beahm (Miss Rodeo Iowa 2008), Rachel Burton (Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2008), Holly Soucie (Miss Sidney Iowa Rodeo 2007), Suzi Fife (Miss Teen Rodeo Lenox), and possibly a few more queens! It should be a fun afternoon, and I would love to see you!