Back in business

Back from Fort Worth and my Texas adventures. Good to be home! Eager to get back to working the horses. Hopefully Cat has healed up so we can get her going again. Polly has been a handful during my absence and sure needs to be put to work also. Camillas Eros I think has benefitted most from a 10 day rest to soak up all the new info and we're going to pick up where we left off.

Watching the first 2 go's of the Super Stakes Classic in Ft Worth, you really appreciate the quality of horses and horsemen on the other side of the pond. It takes a special horse to go all the way in Will Rogers Coliseum and I really applaude our friends Styrbjörn & Monas decision to go for it with their new mare Miss Hickory Cat! Though the result maybe was less than expected, I'm sure the experience will be remembered with pleasure for years to come.

Special Nu Baby
Speaking of the Super Stakes Classic, Matt Gaines and his Special Nu Baby "won" the goarounds posting a 441.5 pts combined. An average of 73.5 to 74 in the two go's. It took a 435 to advance to the finals Saturday.

2nd go result.

Roger Wagners Stylish Martini also had impressive rounds, first go especially scoring a 222. A three way tie for 3rd between the three High Brow Cat's; 2012 World Champ. Bet Hesa Cat & Austin Shepard, Arbuckle Champ. Little Pepto Cat & Matt Gaines and multiple LTA Amateur Champ. Wiley Cat & Michael Cooper. Theese five should be the ones battling it out but former Futurity Champ. One Time Royalty has also looked decent and might have a say.

Stylish Martini

Bet Hesa Cat

Little Pepto Cat

Wiley Cat

Had it not been for a lousy draw in the finals I think Clint Allens Blue One Time would've had a shot also but showing last in the 2nd set is far from ideal.
Blue One Time

Sunday

Somebody likes her pony!!


Dragging the arena on an oldie from the 50:ies.


Had a full day yesterday, replaced some broken tiles on the roof from the winter storms, rode Eros, drove Annelies trotter mare Ritzy, held a lesson and then put the first ride on Polly. Will repeat on Polly and Eros today hold another lesson and then start packing for my Texas trip tomorrow.

La Flor del Viento, first ride

Got on "Polly" today. Pretty uneventful, just walking around letting her go where she pleased, stopped her and backed a step here and there. She's a whole lot tougher then Kick The Cat was and just about everything needs to be questioned before she does what I ask. Once the mandatory objection is noted, she's willing enough usually.

PCCHA Derby finals

Russ Westfall and Just As Reckless was head and shoulders above the rest in the PCCHA Derby, winning 2 gorounds out of 3. Posting a grand 225 in the 3rd go and scoring a combined 666.5 points total, 11 more than 2nd place El Gato Benito & Mike Wood. 3rd place to Morgan Cromer and Fay Reys Sis.
Just As Reckles

Finals score sheet

Next up is the NCHA Super Stakes kicking of with the classic March 24th. I'll be attending in person cheering on our own Styrbjörn as he makes his Will Rogers debute!

Rode Eros out on the trail the other day. Ida tagged along riding Elton and everything went smooth as can be. Worked him alittle more in earnest in the arena thursday and he again got alittle stiff and bracey working to the right. He'll get 10 day's off while I'm in Texas, something I think will do him good. Fixing to put the first ride on Polly aswell this weekend and have her soak alittle during my absence. Should be fun.

PCCHA Derby

The PCCHA Derby kicks off tomorrow in Paso Robles, California. The best 4 year olds of the west face off in a 3 goround deal. Scheduled fairly close to the Super Stakes in Ft Worth later this month, the event is pretty much a western state deal. The premier Texas trainers & horses stay home, leaving a cool $100.000+ added for the taking.

Some pretty decent horses lined up though. Morgan Cromer's, Faye Rey Sis probably is the one to beat with two Futurity Championships (PCCHA 2011, Idaho 2011) and close to $50.000 in earnings.
Faye Reys Sis

Russ Westfalls CD Royal duo, Futurity semifinalist Just As Reckless & CD Royal Highness aiming to take his former apprentice down.
Just As Reckless

Interesting appearances from Luke Neuberts This Cats Crackin and Gavin Jordans Tomcats Chick Magnet also. Friend Håkan was seriously contemplating a purchase of the latter as a 2 year old and I was looking long and hard at Lukes pony.

Sunday March 11

Another great day today! Warm n sunny but still that crispness in the air, really nice. Started off early feeding horses and cattle, cleaning out the stalls and the regular morning chores. Ida, Annelie and Sofia took a morning ride/drive on Elton, Ritzy and Sofias horse Max. I got busy wrapping up the chores and then helping a lady with her horse. She's had some trouble with bucking issues so I rode him for a bit and later helped with some loading training. Turned out the heiffers in the little pasture by the arena today and they went jumping and hopping around there like crazy, pretty fun to watch.

Next up was Eros. Our second go out in the arena. Worked him there yesterday too for a bit. Ida borrowed old Avenir from Annelie and also rode in the arena.

Eros did really good too.

Super nice and responsive considering he's new to the arena, ghusting wind and another horse in there with him. Had to tie his tail up as it's really thick and long and he steps on it if I dont. He did super as stated and is really coming along good.

Eros has been here for a month today and I've only rode him maybe 8-9 times or so. First couple of weeks we dedicated to ground work and building some sort of a foundation.




Avenir and Ida looked great together! He's a great ol horse that really takes care of his rider. He's 25 years old and an ex racehorse Annelies had in her care for 23 years now. Ida looked pretty cute ontop with her feet barely beneath the saddle!


Our friend Styrbjörn is entered up in the NCHA Super Stakes Classic on March 24th! I believe he'll be the first Swede horseback in the Will Rogers Memorial Arena, pretty cool. I'll be flying over to Fort Worth on March 19 and follow his progress aswell as check out a couple of ranches and their yearlings while I'm at it.

Up and down

Gave Eros a pretty good workout yesterday. He started out great, soft, quiet and fairly responsive. When we stepped it up alittle he tensed up and got stiff as a board, especially working to the right. Had to take my foot of the pedal and worked on suppleness for quite awhile. Moving different body parts in different directions. We will take a little x-tra time to bring the softness with us when we move up in speed. We finished on a good note though and he pretty quickly got back into his comfort zone.

The Cattlemens open Derby and Classic are in the books and this is how the finals shook out:

5/6 yo Classic


Pounce and Phil Hanson claimed the 5/6 championships with a 221 over Cat Zahir, Boons A Dreaming and Tarins Ric & Miz Savannah Taz.

4 yo Derby


Bonanza Champ Pete Branch and Kit Kat Sugar dominated the Derby finals. The duo posted a great 223 (same as Bonanza) to win the event pulling away! They really stood out as the only exeptional run of the night. Cuts were good and the stallion by High Brow Cat x Sugar N Dulce worked without flaw.

Kit Kat Sugar

Reserve went to That Sly Bob & Tarin Rice scoring 218. Tarin had a great outing in Graham as he took reserve in the derby, won the gelding and placed split 3rd in the 5/6 classic, collecting a cool $26.000 total!

Cattlemens day 2

Some pretty rough runs in the Cattlemens 4yo yesterday. Misstakes a plenty by horses that normally would breeze through to the 2nd go. Matt Gaines Smart Lookin Hanna maybe most notably. They were going pretty good when the mare had a small miss that had her overshooting the cow in her next stop and Matt had to grab a rein and turn her. An automatic 60 as a result. A couple of similar runs by Futurity finalist Austin Rey, Fut.semifinalist RL Mojo Cat and the one I was keeping an x-tra eyball on, Fut.Non Pro Ltd finalist Bratz Cat.
Kit Kat Sugar

Leading the pack is RL Chartier and Light Reys with a 219 trailed by Pete Branch on his recent Bonanza champ Kit Kat Sugar, 218.5. A bunch of nice runs followed the top two but I'm pulling extra for CR Smart Brow April & Boyd Rice, 216, who's back after the terrible trailer accident wich claimed Boyd's turnback horse Paints life in January.
CR Smart Brow April

After the 5/6 2nd go, 3 horses share top honours heading in to todays clean slate finals. George C Merada, Pounce and Boons A Dreaming all scored a combined 437.5 in the 2 gorounds.

Spring is in the air

Beautiful day today!
Sun shining from a cloudless sky and actually starting to warm up a bit.

Just got back in from working the little "yeller feller" Eros. He's been off since Saturday and was a bit fresh. Did really good though and he's a little more comfortable working in all gaits and speeds now. He was a little tense lopeing the first couple of sessions, but I think it's important for them to know they can lope with me on their back, knowing nothin bad's gonna happen. He was excellent today, though alittle weary bout the sunreys streaming in through the arena windows.

We've had a run of bad luck here lately with a couple of the horses. My filly Cat's been hurt for a couple of weeks and I'll leave her alone for another week or so. Eva's arabian mare hurt herself also the other day, so Eros is getting most of my attention at the moment. Have been working Polly aswell and she's about to burst with energy and being a general pain in the pasture. She's pretty much all business when she gets to do something though and she'll be fun to ride I'm sure in a couple of weeks when it's time to step on for real.

Cattlemens Derby is in full swing in Graham, Tx. 1st go of the 5/6 classic yesterday and 2nd go today. The 4year olds will wrap up their 1st go today also with the remaining 4 sets. Will keep an x-tra eye on Matt & Patti Sargood's Bratz Cat. I'll be looking at a full brother when I fly over for the Super Stakes later this month.