Bad Betty Versatility Challenge Information and Entry

Bad Betty Versatility Challenge

Saturday, October 7, 2017       

Walk-through 8am

Ground and Cowboy Dressage Divisions 9am-1pm 

Trail Division 1pm-5pm

Course open on Friday, October 6, 2017 for ride-through

General Rules

Entries due September 23, 2017.  All post entry fees will apply.  A release form and payment must be submitted before riding on course Friday or Saturday. 

Course maps/instructions will be provided the day of the challenge.

Obstacles or maneuvers will be judged with 30 seconds allowed per obstacle or maneuver. 

An adult must accompany all youth.  No stallions are to be ridden by youth.

Western tack and attire required including western hat (may be substituted by a helmet).

No training devices allowed.  Bosals, snaffles and riding with two hands are permitted at any age.  Cowboy Dressage rules and guidelines apply (see www.cowboydressage.com).

Different riders may not ride same horse.  Same rider may ride more than one horse in the same level. 

All dogs must be kept on leash and away from the riding areas.  No dogs on or near the courses at any time.

No abuse to any horse or animal will be tolerated.  Offenders will be asked to leave and will forfeit any winnings.  Judges may dismiss a horse or rider for safety reasons when well being of horse, rider or spectators is at risk. 

Description of Levels for all Divisions

Ground

Level 1 and In-hand – maneuvers will be performed with horse on lead

Level 2 - maneuvers will be performed with horse on neck rope

Level 3 – maneuvers will be performed with horse at liberty

Cowboy Dressage (all Cowboy Dressage rules apply, see www.cowboydressage.com)

Level 1 – test will be Challenge Walk/Jog Test 1

Level 2 – test will be Challenge Walk/Jog Test 3

Level 3 – test will be Challenge Walk/Jog/Lope Test 1

In-hand – test will be Partnership on the Ground Test 2

Trail

Level 1 and In-hand – obstacles performed at a walk only – appropriate for green horses

Level 2 - obstacles performed at a walk or trot only – includes but not limited to backing, side pass

Level 3 – obstacles performed at a walk, trot or lope – includes but not limited to trotting one-handed, loping small figures, haunch turns, backing on uneven ground

 Bad Betty Versatility Challenge Entry Form

Important:  Payment must accompany this completed registration form to be accepted.  No refunds without vet certificate.  Mail entry with payment to Marcia Moore Harrison, 5985 Hwy. 95, Potlatch, Idaho 83855.  Make checks/money orders payable to MM Training & Consulting.

Horse name:                                                                          

Owner name:                                                                                      Phone:

Exhibitor name:                                                          Age:                Email:

Address:                                             City:                                        State:          

$45.00 per division entered.  If entering all 3 divisions, $35.00 per division.  Only one level may be entered per division, per horse.  In-hand is $25.00 per division. No cross-entry of in-hand classes.  Freestyle is $25.00.  Cross-entry is permitted for freestyle.    Use separate entry blank for each horse entered.  Post entry fee of $55.00 per division if entry received after September 23.

Ground Division
Level 1	$
Level 2	$
Level 3	$
In-hand	$

Cowboy Dressage Division
Level 1	$
Level 2	$
Level 3	$
In-hand	$
Freestyle	$

Trail Division
Level 1	$
Level 2	$
Level 3	$
In-hand	$

 

Division fees              $__________

($105.00 if entering all 3 divisions, In-hand is $25.00 per division, freestyle is $25.00)   

Mandatory office fee $__10.00___

Haul in fee   ($5.00 per day, applies only if not camping) $__________ 

Dry camping ($25.00 per night) $__________

Stall fee ($15.00 per night) $__________ 

• ·        Total fees owed         $__________

Bad Betty Versatility Challenge

Scoring

Judges decisions are final.  Scoring will be based on a 0-10 point system with 10 being the highest points possible for each maneuver or obstacle.  Judges will score each maneuver or obstacle and provide comments as appropriate.  All maneuvers will be judged on fluidity, connection, partnership and correctness.  Bonus points will be added in the areas of soft feel and harmony and partnership. Score sheets with comments will be available at the end of the day.

 Judges and Callers

There will be one judge and one scribe for the Ground division and one judge and one scribe for the Cowboy Dressage division.  There will be two judges and two scribes for the Trail division.

Callers for the Cowboy Dressage division will not be provided.  Please plan accordingly.  A caller may be available for hire on the grounds for $5.00 per test called.  Please see Cowboy Dressage tests, rules and guidelines at www.cowboydressage.com.

Awards

Champion and Reserve Champion Bad Betty Versatility awards will be given.  A belt buckle will be the top award for the highest cumulative score of all three divisions: Ground, Cowboy Dressage and Trail.  

Awards will also be given to the High Score in each of the three divisions: Ground, Cowboy Dressage and Trail.  The highest score in each division will be determined by the total number of points earned on the ride according to the judge’s scorecard. In addition, a cumulative High Point award will be given in each of the three levels: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.  These awards will be determined by the total number of points earned on all rides ridden within a certain level.  For example, a rider that enters and rides at Level 2 in all 3 divisions will have a greater chance of winning this award than a rider who enters all 3 divisions but chooses a different level for each. 

Champion and Reserve Champion awards will be given for In-hand, to be awarded for the highest cumulative score of all three divisions:  Ground, Cowboy Dressage and Trail.  There is no cross-entry with other classes.  In-hand is not eligible for the buckle.

Champion and Reserve Champion awards will be given for Freestyle, to be awarded to the highest scoring freestyle test as set out by Cowboy Dressage rules.  Cross-entry with other classes is permitted.  Freestyle is not eligible for the buckle.

Awards will be calculated for one horse/one rider (or handler). 

The Calm After the Storm

We do love spring!  The weather warms up, the days get longer and horses come back into people’s focus.  There are colts to be started, older horses to be tuned up, clinics and lessons to be given and summer shows to prepare for.  It’s an exciting time, full of hope and promise of the future and illustrated by the greening of the grass and the shedding of winter coats.  The wonder of new life, seen in the bunnies, chicks, foals, and other young critters, is celebrated. We celebrate the most important time of spring, Easter, which is the gift of Christ’s freely given life, his burial and triumphant resurrection, by which we have new and abundant life.  

Every spring we give a ground clinic in which participants spend two focused, intense days developing a real relationship with their horse.  After a long winter, it is a chance for horse and rider to either reconnect, or maybe connect for the first time, and emphasizes a healthy balance of trust and respect, optimal stress, recovery and reward and safety.  Almost always there is a horse or two who have not been out and about much and are pretty worried, or downright scared, of the new place, noises, other horses, people, the lunch table, etc.  They are disconnected, frightened, can’t relax, can’t focus, and can be dangerous.  Their demeanor is the opposite of calm and peaceful.  They have not connected with and given their trust and respect over to their handler.  They have an “every horse for himself” attitude.  If pushed they may become aggressive in their behavior and run into their handler or may shy over the top of someone. 

Does this sound familiar?  It does to me, and not just in terms of horses.  I see people act like that, too.  Disconnected, tense, unfocused, frightened, aggressive, selfish – all of us know, sometimes live with, and may work with these people everyday.  Sometimes we are these people, even when we don’t mean to be.  There are folks who run over their spouse, children, and employees in their desire to protect themselves.  Some do not seem to have any sense of peace but choose to live in chaos, and to spread their chaos abundantly.  They are no fun to be around.  Being with them is like being caught in a violent storm on the surface of the water.  You get tossed about, emotionally and mentally bruised and battered, overwhelmed and scared.  Marcia and I each have our own stories of being caught in the “storms” of our life.  Sometimes we have been the creators of a storm in someone else’s life.  Whether you are the one living in a storm or the one causing the storm, there is hope.  You don’t have to live that way. Peace is available to you.  How do you find it?  How do you survive and thrive after a storm?

Whether you are working through a “storm” with a horse or in a personal relationship, the answer is very much the same.  The secret is in building a relationship built on real and true connection.  I’m not suggesting you develop a relationship with a person who is showing these scary characteristics.  Rather, I’m suggesting you develop a deep relationship with Jesus Christ who can help you weather the storm that exists. In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  With Jesus, all of us can have peace. 

Too often our stress and lack of peace is tied up in our circumstances.  We may be struggling in a relationship, hurting financially, too busy, or any other number of things.  But these situations are not the cause of our stress.  Stress is caused by our reaction to these circumstances.  We react to what is happening around us in a way that causes us to lose our peace. We work hard trying to get rid of, or “manage”, stressful situations.  Instead, we need to learn to work hard at embracing peace.  Spend time reading the bible, praying, asking, listening, and heeding the counsel of wise people. The bible tells us that God gives us grace for each day that we live.  This means that He gives us what we need, in order to do what we need to do, and He gives it abundantly.   

Let’s look at what we can learn about this from the horse.  Sometimes we end up in chaotic circumstances with horses.  Go to a show and try warming up in the warm up pen.  Go anywhere new and different with lots of other animals and people.  Ride in a parade. Run into mountain bikers on a trail ride.  The crazy situations that pop up are endless.  How can we avoid having our horse act like the disconnected, frightened, scary animal described earlier?  Develop a true, deep, connected relationship with your horse over time.  Teach them a balance of trust and respect. Help them learn to connect by being firm, fair, and consistent.  Give them healthy stress and balance stress with recovery time.  Reward the try you see in your horse.  Teach them a cue to relax (we use breathing).  Above all, practice maintaining your calm and consistent demeanor when things around you are crazy.  Accomplishing these things takes desire, time, and consistency.  Jeremiah 12:5 says, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?  If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”   Get your relationship solid in “safe country” and then take it out into the “thickets of Jordan” and test it. Over time, the horse will recognize and trust in your calm leadership even when things around them are anything but peaceful.   

The same is true of us in our relationship with God.  We will never get rid of all the stress in our lives.  But how we choose to react to it is always in our control.  When we turn our stress over to God we can be at peace, even during times of chaos.  It’s an attitude of “I’m trusting God”, no matter what happens around us. 

Christian author and speaker, Joyce Meyers, describes it like a storm on the water.  On the top of the water you can see the ripples and waves, but down deep under the water, the water is quiet.    Our relationship with the horse can be like that.  On the outside the circumstances that surround us may get crazy but down deep there is peace in the relationship we have worked for and it’s a peace we can rely on.  That’s what connection looks like.

It takes time, focus, and the grace of God to be consistently peaceful.  Invite Christ into your life and ask Him to take your stress and give you peace.  That’s what Easter is all about.  Christ’s life freely given to spare us from our sins and give us the gift of eternal life and His peace. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)  May you have a blessed, peaceful Easter and spring, in both your human and horse relationships!

“And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) 

What is Your Horse-Related Dream? Make This Year The Year!

Do you allow yourself to dream?  Do you give yourself permission to really dream big?  I love being at the Cowboy Dressage Finals; we get to be surrounded by people who put their dreams into action.  It’s very inspiring!  Closer to home, we strive to bring a little of that experience back to our clients. 

At MM Training, we try to encourage all our clients to dream big, to think of their potential and life’s amazing possibilities.  Some know right away what their dreams are, while others need a little more encouragement.  Which are you?  Are your dreams right on the tip of your tongue or have you buried them deep thinking its just nonsense to even think about them?  If you’ve buried your dreams deeply or just never put your dreams into reality, I would like you to consider thinking a little differently.

What if our dreams are very important?  What if they are messages directly from God?  This is what I believe.  Listening to dreams and not squelching them might just be critical to our peace and joy in this life.  Dreams can possibly be an indicator or a clue of our Godly purpose.   Pursuing a big dream is not so much about the achievement of reaching that dream, but about the person we become while pursuing that big dream.  I think that’s what God really is concerned about.  Can we pursue our dreams, grow in Him, inspire others, and give Him glory in the process?   Allowing ourselves to dream is very healthy.  C.S. Lewis once said, “We are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”  In the following, we are not only going to encourage you to dream big, but I will share with you some of my personal experiences and give you a template for taking your own horsey dreams and making them your reality. 

Space to Dream

I love winter for only one reason!  I’m ready for the change of pace.  After pushing myself so hard during the busy show season, it’s nice to shift gears a little.  It’s a place we call recovery time.  A time that’s so important but often under-valued and overlooked.  My horses and I work very hard during the busy show season.  To be our best physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and to come back strong in the New Year, it’s important that I give my horses and myself a break.  As James Loehr reminds us in his book Toughness Training for Life, we need to rest as hard as we work.  Just as our muscles need a break so do our emotions and our brain.  It’s important to allow space in our busy lives.  When we do it gives our minds the opportunity to dream. 

Application: 

• Do you feel you (and your horse) get adequate recovery time (physically, mentally, emotionally)?  Do you rest as hard as you work or play? 

• Make a list of how you recover.  What are some things that really feed your soul?  Are you consistently getting these in your schedule?

• Have you created enough margins in your life to free yourself up to dream?

• What, if anything, holds you back from pursuing your dreams?

No Limitations to Dreaming

The feeling I have during the recovery months is like a big deep breath; an end.  It’s pretty much the opposite feeling I have in January.  Although it’s still winter in Northern Idaho, it’s also a new beginning.  The New Year is so exciting for me!  I’m a big dreamer by nature.  My struggle is narrowing my dreams down into goals and action steps to make them my reality.  A quick fix for this problem is entering a big show or a big competition that stretches me.  I’m able to quickly narrow things down and my dream suddenly becomes more focused.  

Application:

• Take the time to brainstorm your dreams for you and your horse.

• While dreaming do not limit yourself by money, time, energy, fitness, skill, etc.   We can tackle those things later.  Let your mind go to places it may have never been since you were a child.

• Now pick your top dream.  Does it stretch you to learn and grow but with hard work is still achievable?

• Is there a specific time line for this dream?  As they say, a dream is a goal without legs.  Put some legs on your dream by giving it a time line.  A competition date makes for an easy time line.

Make a Plan

After I get my big goal on my calendar, I then break it down into smaller goals.  Last year, my big goal was Top Hand at the Cowboy Dressage Finals Gathering.  I had to honestly look at where I was with my skill level as a rider and a trainer.   And I had to take an honest look at where my horse was in his training.  Frankly, after I rode Challenge Test #2 a few times, I was wondering if I took on a little more than my horse and I could handle.  But that’s what’s so great about a big goal; it pushes us to places and teaches us things we never would have gone to or learned about without pursuing the experience. 

My other big goal was that I wanted to ride two different horses in the Freestyle competition.  One I did with the Garrocha pole and the other I did bridleless.   Although one of my horses didn’t travel very well bridleless, I didn’t feel I was lacking in my skill level or that my horses didn’t have the training they needed to get the job done.  My challenge with a Freestyle routine is my personal standards.  I want it to be meaningful to me and hopefully the crowd.  I want it to be visually appealing with an appropriate outfit/costume.  Plus, I really like the routine to be well choreographed (those that do this know it’s much easier said than done).  What I’m trying to say is, with my own self-imposed standards and my own limitations, Freestyle can be stressful for me and become a big goal.

Application:

• Take the time to honestly look at your own skills as a rider/trainer.  Where are your specific weaknesses?  Do you lack knowledge?  Or is it more physical?

• What are a couple of baby goals to help you grow and become a more effective partner for your horse?

• Now look at your horse honestly.  Where is he lacking in his training?  Is it foundational?  Or has he been at the same level for quite awhile without his training moving forward?

• Look honestly at your personal situation.  Time, money, season of life, resources, etc. all need to be considered before tackling a big dream or goal. 

• If you need help with this evaluation, don’t hesitate to ask a professional.  Sometimes when we get an honest evaluation, it might send us back to picking a more achievable goal for the current year.  But don’t let that derail you.   It will be time well spent because you will still be working towards your bigger goal. This is a process and we need to love the process. 

Intermittent Goals and Time Lines

Top Hand and Freestyle were my two big goals for last year and I definitely had a time line: the CD Finals.  After I knew specifically what I was going to do, and had honestly looked at myself as a trainer, my horses training level, and my personal situation, I could make a monthly plan to help fill in my and my horse’s weaknesses. Plus I could set some intermittent time line goals.

I scheduled many smaller, less important events, shows, play dates, etc. every month leading up to the Finals.  For example, I performed at events where I could do my Freestyle in front of a crowd.  I signed up for a couple of clinics.  I took a few lessons.  I attended some smaller open and CD shows.  I planned trail rides just to give my horses a mental break but still keep them physically fit.  I made a point to go places and spend the night with my horses.  All these things were specifically scheduled, not for just fun, but to help us toward my bigger goals:  Top Hand and Freestyle.

Application:

• Looking at you and your horse’s weak areas, what do you think you would benefit from?  One on one lessons?  A clinic?  Getting out and about more?

• What about you as a competitor? Do you need practice in stressful, intense situations?

• What events, shows, clinics, etc. can you schedule that would help you set some intermittent goals and time lines on your journey to your bigger goal?

Daily Habits and Sacrifices

After I had my schedule set, I then broke my intermittent goals down into daily habits.  Daily habits are so important.  Consistency is key to transformation.  We cannot hit and miss and expect any change.  As Joe Frazier once said, “Champions aren’t made in the ring; they’re merely recognized there.  What you cheat on in the early light of the morning will show up in the ring under the bright lights.”  Or as an English poet once put it, “We first make our habits, then our habits make us.”  We can’t force training, but we can show up and nurture the process.  

I know, for myself, I have to give up a few things in my life and schedule if I want to be serious about pursuing a goal.  I have to say “no” sometimes to myself and to others.  Yes, that can be hard at times but those that love us will understand.  And in the end the sacrifice can be so worth it!

Application:

• Are you serious about your dream…your goal?

• What are you willing to give up to pursue your dream?

• What kind of daily habits do you need to establish in your life to making your riding/training more consistent?

• It’s always good to have a lesson plan and a schedule, but do you listen to what your horse is telling you he needs?  A good leader can adjust when needed.

Make This Year the Year!

In closing, although there can be much more to this goal setting process, I hope this blog was helpful and will get you started on the way to your horsey dreams.  Remember, it’s healthy to dream.  It is a way that God speaks to us uniquely.  Dreams might be a way to discover our purpose in life.  Don’t ignore them!  Get excited about the person you will become for taking a courageous step in following your dreams!

 If you want to learn more or want some personal help with your dreams and goals, please give us a call.  We are coaches at MM Training; our passion is helping others achieve their dreams.  We would love to work with you!

For more information on goals and goal-setting to reach your dreams please see our website at www.mm-horsetraining.com

Celebrating Successes - How Cowboy Dressage and Liberty Have Helped Us Define Success

As you look back on 2015, have you considered and celebrated your successes?  How do you define success?  Stephen Covey suggests that success is very personal, and each individual has a different definition.  For some, wealth or fame makes a person successful.  Others consider the quantity or quality of their relationships.  Webster’s dictionary defines it as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, the attainment of popularity or profit or as a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity.  At MM Training and Consulting we believe that having a solid foundation of horsemanship and relationship skills, rooted in faith and principle, coupled with a strong work ethic and commitment to growth, leads to success.  We celebrate the successes we’ve had in the last couple of years and share them with you.  

Foundation of horsemanship and relationship skills

In 2014, when Marcia decided to compete in the American Horsewoman’s Challenge, none of us knew how much it would test her horsemanship skills and all of our relationship skills.  The three components of the Challenge – Liberty, Cowboy Dressage, and Competitive Trail – seemed fun and interesting.  Liberty and Cowboy Dressage were new to us but we had always had a systematic ground-training program and liberty appeared to just be the next step.  Sign us up – we were ready to take on the Challenge!  It didn’t take long for us to figure out that liberty was a whole new ball game.  Marcia spent hours and hours working with her young gelding, Stretch, to prepare for the liberty section of the Challenge.  Never had their relationship been so tested, and never had Marcia worked a horse on the ground to this degree.  It was intense; yet, the rewards were evident and lasting.  Marcia’s horsemanship went to a whole new level as she experienced a new degree of awareness of her body language and developed a deeper connection with Stretch.  This was success before we ever even got to Oklahoma and the competition. 

 On the people side of things, we developed a team to take our show on the road.  Kori, Marcia and I drove all the way to Oklahoma in two days.  We spent five days there in full-tilt competition mode.   Then we spent three days driving back.  It took extreme thought, energy, commitment, communication and tolerance, for us not only to survive the trip but also to triumph in the midst of stress.  We worked as a team, gave each other grace, and appreciated each other’s strengths.  Many people commented on how great our team was and how well we worked together.  This was the picture of success. 

 There were the external rewards of Marcia’s placing first in Cowboy Dressage and top 5 overall.  The money, trophies and kudos were nice.  The true success came from the deepening of relationships, both horse and human.

 Rooted in faith and principles  

Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh, says success is about living in accordance with your values.

“Your personal core values define who you are. For individuals, character is destiny,” he says. 

Going into the 2014 American Horsewoman’s Challenge, we knew that there would be some testing of our horsemanship principles.  The Challenge was specifically for trainers, and had a time constraint of six months.  The horses could have no more than ten rides at the beginning of the training period and in many cases that meant the horse would be young.  In Marcia’s case, Stretch was a 3 year old.  I figured with the expertise we were facing in terms of the trainers competing, Marcia would have to expect to reach a level of training where Stretch would be able to do a consistent flying lead change. That would potentially be a physical, mental and emotional stress for him.  Marcia and I sat down to talk about what she wanted to achieve during this competition.  We didn’t talk about placings or money or notoriety.  We talked about the best way to take care of Stretch mentally, emotionally and physically and how to bring glory to God while we were there.  Setting parameters to stay within the boundaries of our faith and principles helped us achieve freedom to easily make the decisions that needed to be made along the way.  In the end, Stretch was able to do multiple beautiful flying lead changes as well as perform bridleless.   But the real success was setting the boundaries that we return to again and again to help us stay in alignment with our faith and beliefs.  This was success. 

When Marcia and Stretch competed in the Top Hand competition at the Cowboy Dressage World Finals Gathering in 2015, we returned to the values and principles of taking care of Stretch mentally, emotionally, and physically.  This included turn out and rest time at the show, not drilling patterns, not expecting more than Stretch had been trained for, taking time to connect with him, and maintaining his usual good routine of care.  Top Hand stretched over several days and included increasing levels of stress.  Stretch handled it all beautifully and he and Marcia came away as Reserve Champion Top Hand.  That’s the payoff for sticking by your values and principles while under the pressures of competition.

Work ethic   

Thomas Edison - holder of over 1,000 patents - had an insane work ethic.  He stated, “Success is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.” 

People sometimes discount the value of hard work.  Sayings like “work smarter, not harder” are valid in certain situations, but often the difference between success and failure is the amount of “perspiration equity” that has been invested.

When Marcia was planning for 2015 and considering new challenges, I mentioned to her that her older gelding, Sam, looked like an excellent Cowboy Dressage prospect.  He is a reining cow horse, with a nice handle and amazing athletic ability.  I had a picture in my head of Marcia and Sam doing a La Garrocha freestyle routine.  Marcia could see the vision, and off she went. 

Traditionally, the Garrocha was a pole used by vaqueros to work cattle, and especially fight bulls.  Today, the Garrocha pole is used as a prop in a kind of dance with horse and rider.  It requires surprising precision and control to achieve the perfect circles and other movements with the pole.  Then there is the difficulty of handling the pole in a graceful manner while riding the horse one-handed with soft feel.    Holding a fourteen-foot pole in one hand can become shockingly difficult and awkward when doing a rollback or spin. 

There was no doubt that Sam had what it took physically, and mentally he is a happy boy who can handle the stress of learning very well.  It was the emotional part that we knew would be tricky.  He has a ton of energy, can be quite silly when exposed to new things or places, and has a hard time being focused and precise.  Just to get his energy to a level where he could focus on learning took a lot of time each ride.  It was hours and hours of riding, day after day, which got Sam to the point where he was able to perform successfully.  Marcia’s work ethic really came to the forefront and it paid off.  Success was measured by Sam’s ability to listen and focus, his soft response, and his happy expression. The freestyle wins and placings at the 2015 Cowboy Dressage Gatherings in Bend, Oregon, and Rancho Murieta, California, were just the icing on the cake.

Commitment to growth

Taking on a new discipline in the midst of preparing for the biggest competition you have ever faced may sound a bit crazy.  But when Cowboy Dressage was billed as part of the American Horsewoman’s Challenge, it was exciting to dive into learning about this specialty.  We had experienced the Cowboy Dressage culture at the 2013 World Gathering and knew that it was a great fit for us.  Now, we just had to learn all the details.  Simple, right?  Well, in a way it was and in a way it wasn’t.  Cowboy Dressage’s guiding principle of soft feel was something we had been living for a long time.  But there were many things to learn about forward movement, lifting the forehand, the court, the challenge court and the nuances of the detailed simplicity that is Cowboy Dressage.  We decided we wanted to learn it from the founder himself, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, and found a clinic with him that was within driving range, near Tahoe, in Nevada.  We invested the time, money, and “sweat equity” and we had great return on our investment.  When you attend a clinic you learn both what to do and what not to do, and there is wisdom in both.  Getting to know Eitan and his wife, Debbie, and discovering that we loved Cowboy Dressage as much as we thought we would, was life and goal changing.  Our commitment to learning and growing in Cowboy Dressage has led to many successes, both personally and professionally.  We have met countless amazing people with similar faith and principles, developed wonderful relationships, experienced a culture of kindness, worked hard and had fun, and grown in our horsemanship skills.  That’s what we call success!

We invite you to share in numerous upcoming success opportunities in 2016!  Check out our Upcoming Events here.

Herod as The Grinch in...Jesus Came For Us All!

 (based on Dr. Seuss’ poem, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”)

Every Jew down in Jew-ville liked Jesus a lot….

But Herod, the mean king of Jew-ville, Did Not!!

Herod hated Jesus!  The whole Jesus season!  Now please don’t ask why.  No one quite knows the reason.

It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

But, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, he stood there in his palace, hating the Jews.

Staring down from his castle with a Herod frown, worried that baby Jesus would take away his crown. 

For he knew every Jew down in Jew-ville below, would be glad to bring old King Herod woe.

“And they’re bringing Him rich gifts,”

he snarled with a sneer,

“Those Wise Men, they had better steer clear.”

Then he growled, with his vile fingers nervously drumming,

“I MUST find some way to stop Jesus from coming!”

For all too soon, he knew….

…All the Jews around would hear of Jesus’ coming.  They’d cry out their joys!  And then,

Oh the noise!

Oh the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!

That’s one thing he hated.

The Noise!

Noise! Noise! Noise!

Then the Jews, young and old, would sit down to a feast.

And they’d feast.

And they’d feast.

And they’d Feast! Feast! Feast! Feast!

They would feast on some berries and bread baked with yeast.

Which was something Herod couldn’t stand in the least.

And THEN he’d heard something he liked least of all!

Every angel in heaven, the tall and the small, would stand close together, good news they were bringing.  They’d stand hand-in-hand. And the angels would start singing.

They’d sing.

And they’d sing.

And they’d Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!

And the more Herod thought of this whole-angel-sing,

The more Herod thought,

“I must stop this whole thing.  To this ordinary baby, I will not bow!  I MUST stop this Jesus from leading!  But, HOW?”

The he got an idea.

An awful idea!

Old Herod got a HORRIBLE, AWFUL IDEA!

“I know just what to do,”

Herod laughed in his throat.

And he made up a lie over which he could gloat.

And he chuckled and clucked,

“What a great, sneaky trick!  I’ll pretend to like Jesus and find Him real quick!  All I need is a snitcher…”

Herod looked around.  But since snitchers are scarce, there were none to be found. 

Did that stop Old Herod…?

No!

Herod simply said,

“If I can’t find a snitcher, I’ll use them instead.”

So he called the three Wise Men.

Then he asked them each when

The star had shown the site of God’s gift to men.

Then he loaded their bags

On some camel’s humped backs

And sent them away

With some gifts in their sacks.

Then Herod said,

“Go now!”

And the Wise Men went

Toward Bethlehem, the town to which they had been sent.

Herod told them to make a search of the city

And find the young king then bring him news quickly

So he could honor the child so sweetly.

“This is a splendid trick,”

Herod said to himself.

“I better keep this nasty plan to myself!”

For Herod did not want Jesus to be the king

To kill the baby boy, he thought

Would be just the thing.

He feared the baby, no ordinary child

But God’s only Son, both tender and mild,

Sent to this earth to bring the good news of God’s love.

The Shepherds heard the news from angels above.

As they were watching their sheep in fields dark at night

An angel appeared and said, please don’t take fright!

I bring you good news, of great joy,

News of celebration, all should be overjoyed!

Today in the town of David

A Savior has been born.

He is the Messiah,

He is Christ the Lord!

You will find him wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Then a host of angels praised God and the newborn Savior.

Glory to God in highest heaven, and on earth

Peace to all to whom He gives worth!

So the Shepherds, amazed, said to one another

Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this youngster

For the Lord has said, through His heavenly host,

And with a bright light,

That this babe is foremost!

The Shepherds hurried off as fast as they might,

With their sheep and their lambs, right then in the night.

To find Joseph and Mary and the babe in the manger

All were welcome; shepherds, Wise Men, angels and even those stranger!

Why, only a king with the biggest love ever

Could gather those with the most and the least and bring them all together!

When they had all seen Him and praised Him as Lord,

The Wise Men agreed and were of one accord,

“We cannot tell King Herod of the babe in the hay.

He will try to kill him,

We’ll go home another way.”

So they went home by a route that Herod did not know.

Herod was so angry the nasty king said,

“So!”

“I’ll get rid of all the baby boys and also of my foe!”

“I’ll stop this Jesus from coming, some way, some how!”

“I’ll stop this new King!”

Herod said as a vow.

But no matter how he tried, Herod couldn’t stop word from spreading,

News swept by word of mouth, even by barking, mooing and baaing,

Of baby Jesus, the King, who came

Without ribbons, tags, or bows, but a gift just the same.

And what happened then…?

Well…in Jew-ville they say

That the world’s small heart grew three sizes that day!

And Jesus brought us love

And He is death’s downfall

And He…

He Himself…!

Jesus came for us all!