The competition in Tooele was quite intense - both times - but I had great fun. Attending the Invitational was a great experience. Not only did they give us totally fabulous jackets and horse blankets (since, as you can see above, it was cold and snowy), but they fed us, gave us great audiences, and treated us very kindly.
The Invitational was unlike any other shoot I've attended. The riders were divided up into 3 teams - red, white and blue - and the audience was also divided up. That way, each team had their own cheering section. And there were only 3 stages for competitors, with a different audience for each stage. Members of the teams would go into the stands and get the crowds up and cheering for their team. It got quite noisy in those stands!
The order of go was also unique - from the slowest qualifier to the fastest qualifier. That way, the audience could first see what the sport entailed and then get truly awed by how fast the best riders are. In addition, after every 6 riders, there was a break for one of the Wild West Show acts - roping, whip-cracking, fancy riding, singing and man-on-man competitions. WOW!!
The show had a grand entrance and grand finale, with the flags from the United States, Mexico and Canada parading around the arena. And after each show, there was a meal with the spectators. We got to sit and chat with them, which was also a fun experience. While many of them were from the U.S., we got to meet visitors from the around the world, including Japan. Seems a love of "the West" crosses many borders.
The fabulous bonus of the event was the fact that my friend Gillian and I managed to take in some of the Olympic action. We went to downtown Salt Lake City on Sunday night to visit Medals Plaza, spotting the illuminated 5 rings on mountainside above the city (the same ones seen on the TV broadcast every evening). After wandering downtown and buying some Olympic tchotchkes for ourselves and friends, we drove to the stadium and saw the torch. That was totally amazing!
"Oh, Canada, our home and native land...."
But we weren't done, yet. We had tickets to the Canada vs. Khazakstan Women's hockey game 11 AM on Monday morning. We decorated our faces with Maple Leaf temporary tattoos, carried along our Canadian flag (which the previous days had been carried by Annie Bianco-Ellett in the Wild West Show Grand Entrance), and had a blast as the Canadian women blew by their competition. This is the team that later took the gold medal.
Although I didn't bring home any buckle from the event, I sure did bring home some great once-in-a-lifetime memories. Oh, yeah....and a truly cool coat!
Running off to join the Circus
In April, I joined the Australian Light Horsemen and performed in the Wild West Show at the Single Action Society's End of Trail. I had performed at End of Trail in 2001, but I played a townswoman that took a fancy to a certain "horse soldier."
This year, I was a fully-uniformed member of the team. We had 4 performances - each better than the other. Hopefully, I will have some photos from that event on Anthony's website soon. Anthony and Colin took targets from my hand with the bullwhip and lance at the gallop, then Anthony and I finished off with our synchronized whip dance, the Toowomba Tango. We even performed during a freak storm that pelted the area with heavy raindrops on Friday. A few even suggest that our show was a rain dance. :-)
We had a wonderful time in the show, and the audiences on Saturday and Sunday were fantastic. The stands were full both days, and since our segment was near the start of the show, I got to actually watch the other performances. It is always fun, and I highly recommend people in the area during the 2nd week of April 2003 to come out and enjoy the event.
Wow! It finally happened!
I won my first buckle at the Southern Pacific Regionals at Lone Pine, CA. I managed to win Ladies Division 1 on my sweetie Sundance. And since there were 4 Ladies Division 1 participants, the win counted towards moving up the ranks. Charlye Parker (on my left) of KHAY took 2nd, riding the same horse I did (thank you, Sundance!), and Jerelle Davis (on my right) took 3rd.
I was so proud of that buckle I wore it when I went to Louisiana to visit my family. Something like that is rather hard to miss - especially when you have to walk through a metal detector with it. The security people were quite amused when I told them what it was for.
Well...that didn't take long!
The CMSA rule book changes meant that I would compete as a Ladies Division 1until I won a second buckle. So I settled back and waited for the Nevada State Championships at the Ponderosa Ranch the last weekend of June (I registered for the competition back in April). Wouldn't you know it - Anthony decided he wanted to compete in the CMSA Grand American Championship being held in Tehachapi the weekend before our trip to Nevada.
You know, it seems senseless to sit and watch the "show" when you've got guns, leathers and a willing horse nearby, so I signed up to compete. The shoot was held at Rick Keemer's place in Tehachapi, and there was a big bar-b-q along with the event. It was a wonderful shoot in a gorgeous location, and I had a great time. So did Anthony.
In fact, we both won our divisions. This was Anthony's first buckle win, and the competition was keen. His division had 5 riders, and it was neck-and-neck between him and Lee Brown (Gun Doc). Anthony pulled it out in the very last stage. Whew!
A Whole New Game
They call them the "terrible two's" because there are so many Division 2 riders, the competition is really tough, and you have to win 3 buckles to move up. You can be there for years. And that's where I am now. So, although I have some experience under this gaudy belt, I have a lot to learn about this sport. It's not enough to shoot clean (although that is a key attribute towards performing well) - you have to move fastfastfast!
I managed to compete in September's CA State Championship, shoot clean AND place 29th out of 64 competitors. I also managed to shoot clean on 5 of 6 stages at 5 Dogs, earning a Division 2 Reserve Champion scarf slide. I also managed to make it into the top 10 Ladies Club points earners. So I'm learning.
Rethinking the game and "retooling" the horse are part and parcel of the experience, and I'm doing both. For Anthony and me, the 2002 season has come to an end, but we are looking forward to the future. We won't be competing as much this year because we are busy with new horses - our own horses.
The New Challenge
Back in September, Anthony bought a new horse - a 15.3 hand chestnut Paint breeding stock gelding named Spot the Beduino. He was trained as a race horse, but never raced. He's big but young (only 4), so he spent 4 months in training while we were getting our horse facilities finished and Anthony was off in Austing working.
Well, I needed a horse, but something with a bit more education and more years, so a-shopping for a pal for Spot we went. And we found a lovely 6-year old guy named Natchez who is a bay Morgan/Quarter cross. He's bigger than I had planned - 15.1 hands - but he's well-built, sound and has some education.
He had been living in Big Bear, but the owners weren't riding him and decided to sell. He's home in our new horse facility, so now the BIG work begins. Since it's much warmer here, he has shed his wooly mammoth coat and is as smooth as velvet. His tail is almost to the ground, and his forelock falls halfway down his head. What a beauty!
He and Spot have taken quite well to their new home and each other. They love to carry around the traffic cones in the arena (sometimes playing tug-of-war with them), and stealing each other's food. But it's not all fun and games. It's also lots of ground work (including jumping), work in the saddle, neck reining, trail riding, and gunfire desensitization. They are coming along and are almost ready for a practic shoot. We'll see what happens during the 2003 season.
Now, if only I could get those reallyreally GOOD Division 2 riders moved up into the 3's, I could perhaps actually win....
I'm also working on improving our wardrobes. Because, not only is the riding and shooting a great time, but dressing up is also fun. I even made my dress for our recent wedding. To see some of my handiwork, visit My Old-Time Wardrobe Page
What's on tap
For Anthony and me, we are looking forward to the 2003 season. We may not have a season in top form, but we are certainly looking forward to the new challenges...
and seeing old friends...
and making new friends...
and building strong relationships with our horses...
and smelling the black powder...
and watching Marley run and romp...
and sharing a cold beer at day's end as the sun sets the sky afire.
Happy Trails, or as Marley says, "Happy Tails."
Copyright 1998-2003 Mary Gallien. All contents, unless otherwise noted, are the property of Mary Gallien or used with permission of the copyright owner. All text and photos herein may not be reproduced or distributed without the express written consent of Mary Gallien, her official representative, or the copyright owner.
I would like to express my special thanks to my dear friend Barb Green for generously supplying me with photos for this page.
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This page last updated January 21, 2003
