Bluebonnet Horse Expo
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October 16, 2010
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Admission: $5 |
Travis County Expo Center
7311 Decker Lane Austin, Texas |
Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge
| About the Rescue Horse Training challenge | Adopt One of the Horses | Apply to Compete | The Horses | The Judges | The Participants | The Schedule |
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Thank you to our 2009 Bluebonnet Rescue Training Challenge Judge Becky Strassner. You can visit her website at www.naturalhorseway.com. Thanks also to Kathy and Kaylon Sullens who also served as judges. We're looking for judges for the 2010 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge. email Jenn for more information.
About the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge
Entries for the 2010 contest have officially closed. However if you would like to participate and don't mind having less time than other contestants, you can still enter the Challenge.
2010 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge Prizes sponsored by One Sleeve Robe Pet Sitting of San Marcos, TX - 512.393.4891. Thank you, Heather, for your support!
The Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge is a competition in which volunteer foster homes and professional trainers work with a Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society foster horse for three months (starting in early July 2010) and will compete in the Challenge at the 2010 Bluebonnet Horse Expo on October 16, 2010.
The goals of the Challenge are to:
- Introduce the public to talented rescue horses
- Showcase the training abilities of Bluebonnet foster homes
- Produce horses who are ready to go to work for their adopters
The competition is open to any BEHS member who applies to foster and is approved, as well as professional trainers whose property is inspected and approved. If you are not currently an approved foster home or BEHS member, join the rescue and download a fostering application and we’ll get you set up to go.
The Bluebonnet Fostering Coordinator and the Challenge organizers will select a pool of eligible horses. Participants will apply to compete in the Challenge by July 10, 2010 and will be able to list their top three choices of a horse to work with. BEHS foster homes may compete with a foster already in their possession as long as no professional trainers have handled the horse in the six months preceding the Challenge Competition (held on October 16 at the Bluebonnet Horse Expo in Austin, Texas). If you wish to compete with a foster horse already in your possession, note that on your application.
Horses will be assigned on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Each participant will be responsible for picking up his or her horse from its foster home between July 1 and July 15, 2010.
Each eligible horse will come with a current, negative Coggins and have current vaccinations. His/her previous foster home will also complete an evaluation sheet assessing the horse’s abilities and training to the best of the foster home’s ability.
When the participant picks up his/her horse, he/she will have one week to turn in an evaluation worksheet to the Challenge organizers. He/she will have up until the competition on October 16, 2010 to work with the horse.
The Challenge will include the following divisions:
- Professional trainer - anyone who is paid for their training services
- Experienced foster home – someone who has been a foster home for at least two years
- Novice foster home – someone who has fostered less than two years
- Youth – participants 17 and under as of January 1, 2010.
If a foster home chooses, he/she may pay training fees to a professional trainer for a Challenge-eligible horse. That horse and trainer will then compete in the professional trainer category.
Horses in the professional trainer division will compete under saddle. All other divisions will compete in either an under saddle subcategory or an in-hand subcategory.
At the Challenge, all horses will compete over an obstacle course and will be allowed an additional 10 minutes for a freestyle presentation. This may include tricks, presentation of “before and after” history, etc.
The contest will be judged by a panel of equine professionals. Each horse/trainer combination will be scored on:
- Improvement from initial assessment
- Condition of horse
- Obstacle course
- Presentation/freestyle
Scores will be tabulated. The highest two scoring horse/trainer combinations in each division will be named Champion and Reserve Champion for their division.
The division Champions and Reserve Champions will then do another 10 minute presentation, after which the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion will be chosen.
The horses who participate in the Challenge will not be available for adoption until the end of the Challenge. All horses will go up for Adoption the day of the contest. Horses who are not broke to ride will be offered for adoption for $300. Horses who are broke to ride will be offered for adoption for $750. Pre-approved adopters may adopt and take home the horse after the Challenge. If more than one pre-approved adopter wishes to adopt the same horse, they may bid up the adoption fee and the highest bidder will adopt the horse. Adoption applications will also be accepted the day of the Challenge but those adopters will not be allowed to adopt until their property is inspected and approved.
Additional rules:
- All participants must be professional trainers or current members of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society in good standing.
- Foster horses may not be handled/trained by any other individual or trainer from July 1 – October 16, 2010
- All foster homes who compete must sign a contract stating that they agree to foster the horse for three months after the Challenge is complete (unless he/she is adopted beforehand) or forfeit their winnings. This rule does not apply to professional trainers. If you prefer, we will make arrangements to transfer your horse into a foster home after the Challenge is completed if he/she is not adopted.
- Competitors will be responsible for the cost of feeding their horse, shavings/bedding, and farrier work during the Challenge and the foster period after the Challenge. Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society will reimburse $10 of every farrier visit, paste de-wormers, pre-approved veterinary care, and pre-approved corrective farrier work and medications.
- There must be at least two people signed up per division in order for that division to be offered.
Prizes sponsored by One Sleeve Robe Pet Sitting of San Marcos, Texas. Thank you, Heather! Prizes:
- Professional Trainer Category: $250 to the Champion (as long as there are at least 3 entries)
- Experienced Foster Home Category: $100 to the Champion (as long as there are at least 3 entries)
- Novice Foster Home: $100 to the Champion (as long as there are at least 3 entries)
- Youth: $50 to the Champion
- Reserve Grand Champion: $250
- Grand Champion: $500
Apply to Compete in the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge
We are accepting entries for the 2010 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge officially through July 10, 2010.
Horses Competing in the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge:
Horses Eligible to Compete in the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge:
Abigail
Adiva
Angelfire
Aspen
Chetty
Cricket
Elliot
Faith
Granite
Hickory
Hondo
Hope
Hopeful
Lamaya
Link
Midget
Mika
Milo
Mozart
Mulder
Murphy
Nashobe
Opie
Pixie
Pretty Boy
Punzi
Rajaleel
Sabine
Savannah
Sheza Mystery
Shirley
Stardust
Tessy
The Judges
We send out a huge Thank you to our 2010 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge Judges!
Rita Andrews
When the natural horsemanship methods became available to the general public in the
1990's, Rita Andrews experimented with the methods on her own horses. After much
success, friends started asking her to train their horses. This was the beginning of
almost 20 years of training young horses, usually the initial saddle training, but
also including retraining of problem horses. The breeds of horses that have come to
Horsefly Farm are all inclusive. The trainees have gone on to excel in both English
and Western disciplines. They all left Horsefly Farm with a strong foundation of
basic training, including confidence building, respect and a willingness to
respond to the handler, whether on the ground or in the saddle. Patience and
tenacity are the qualities Rita uses to make a difference in these horse's lives.
She always tells her horse trainees, "It's not my fault God made you a beast of
burden, but it's my job to make it easier for you!!"
Horsefly Farm is located in Bastrop, Texas. Rita Andrews breeds, raises and sells registered Paint horses with reining and Thoroughbred bloodlines. QT Doc Bar stands at stud. He is a homozygous (for the tobiano pattern) bay/white stallion, reining bred. Horsefly Farm is also a public boarding facility.
Jere Johnson was raised in Colorado and has many years of horse experience, His parents ran a boarding stable near Denver and Jere learned to ride when he was very young. He started training horses when he was a teenager. While he was going to college, he worked in sale barns and on ranches on horseback to pay his tuition. After he was married, he worked on ranches in Colorado, Nebraska, and Texas.
During the time he was working for other people he used the "normal" way of breaking and training. Finally, in the 70's he saw a Ray Hunt clinic and his eyes were opened to another, better way of training.
He started going to clinics put on by other "natural" trainers and incorporated some of their methods. In May of 2005, he went to one of Pat and Linda Parelli's Tour Stops and was inspired to learn their methods.
Since retiring from ranch work, Jere has opened Natural Remuda Equine Learning Center at Utopia, TX. He gives clinics, lessons, trains horses and people in natural methods of horse training. Jere also shows in Trail and Western Pleasure. He competes in Competitive Trail Rides and has taught many clinics in the Central Texas area.
Jere's philosophy now follows the natural teachings of Ray Hunt, the Dorrance Brothers, Dennis Reis, and Pat Parelli. His approach is to look at the horse's point of view and then teach the rider how to build a relationship with the horse. He is known for his upbeat and emphatic way of teaching
Natural Remuda Equine Learning Center
Erin Pilosi was born in 1984 in San Angelo, TX. She grew up in the city, but Erin
always found a way to work with livestock. She showed lambs and horses for 4-H as a
youth. When Erin was in high school she rode in speed events for the NBHA and she also
participated in high school rodeo.
Erin has always been horse crazy. When she was 9 she bought her first horses with money she had earned with her show lambs. Erin bought a one month old orphaned mustang filly and a wild dun yearling. Through endless patience, persistence, and direct observation she began to learn to communicate with horses. Erin saddle broke her first horse at the age of twelve. She continued to work horses based on their own communication cues and has now trained hundreds of horses that compete in many different disciplines.
Erin says her favorite part of training is starting colts with extensive emphasis placed on foundation. Don Dodge said, “Foundation isn’t anything, it’s everything.” With a solid foundation built into a horse during the early stages of training you will always have an ingrained place to start from when either teaching something new or when returning to basics to fix a problem. She also loves Reining, Team Penning and Sorting, Trail, and Speed events. She has competed in National Team Penning and Sorting Championships and trained horses for the event. Erin has also worked horses in Team Roping.
Some of the major influences in Erin's style of training are Monty Roberts, Al Dunning, and Clinton Anderson. Each of these trainers put a strong emphasis on starting horses the right way to ensure their cooperation and enjoyment. Erin also thinks Clinton Anderson is a wonderful clinician and she really values his re-training of people. Erin has worked with many problem horses and their owners to build willing partnerships. That is why with each training package Ein includes lessons with the horse’s owner to ensure that the horse’s training will continue when he/she leaves.
Erin loves working with horses and their owners as well. She provides lessons, training, and boarding. She thinks the colt challenges are a wonderful way to introduce the public to the amazing things a horse is capable of. The rescue challenge is especially important because it shows people that even troubled horses can make great partners. Erin adds, "Thank you to Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society for the opportunity to be a part of this event."
Becky Strassner is an Accredited Frank Bell Instructor in the Austin, Texas
area. She has owned, trained and competed with horses for over 30 years. Becky’s
experiences began as a child with English and Western riding lessons, riding troubled
horses for others, colt starting, rehabilitating horses, exercising racehorses,
loping/turn back in NCHA, team penning, riding wilderness areas, and barrel racing in
NBHA and local rodeos.
In 2000, an interest in natural horsemanship led her to search for a deeper connection and better communication with horses. Some of her first teachers were Monty Roberts and Pat Parelli. Later teachers included Mark Rashid, Leslie Desmond, Chris Cox, Stacy Westfall, Buck Brannaman and Frank Bell. Becky finds value in what these clinicians and other less well known, yet gifted trainers have to offer. Always, the horse has the most to teach us if we are willing to listen.
As a former teacher and instructional coach for 20 years, Becky favors Frank Bell's approach for foundation training. Beginning with first giving before asking anything of the horse, a logical sequence of exercises is presented to heighten horse and rider confidence and safety. Frank Bell's 7-Step Safety System builds the foundation for a partnership between owner and horse using a gentle natural horsemanship approach. Each step is explained, demonstrated and practiced using your horse or mine. You will gain a new level of awareness after just one lesson and will see the difference reflected in your horse. For more information on Frank Bell, visit www.horsewhisperer.com
Flexibility is integrated into Becky's training approach, meeting the needs of each horse and owner. A lifelong teacher and learner, Becky mentors others, giving horsemanship and riding lessons bringing to her clients a multitude of ways to communicate with their horse.
Becky is an EAGALA Certified Horse Specialist in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine Assisted Learning. She co-designed a parenting program for "spirited children" based on natural horsemanship principles. Japanese mothers visited her facility in 2008 to learn how to utilize this approach with their own children. The mothers had rave reviews for the program and were excited to apply what they learned when they returned home. Equine Assisted Therapy workshops are available at Becky’s Elgin location with her horses as teachers.
The Extreme Mustang Makeover held in 2008 in Ft Worth was a gratifying experience. Becky participated with 2 yearlings and made it to the finals in her division, placing 3rd in a field of nearly 50 horses.
Participants Competing in the 2010 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge
Professional Category:
Travis Aaron
Cyd Birns
Joey Epler
Mary K. Kitzmiller
Experienced Foster Home (fostered at least two years)
Courtney Anderson
Elizabeth Beverly
Jane Blasberg
Julie Bradley
Tracy Cann
Novice Foster Home (fostered less than two years)
Sandra Hunt
Leslie Sawyer
Maureen Spruill
Youth (fostered less than two years)
Kayden Frazier
Adopt One of the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge Horses
All horses will go up for Adoption the day of the contest. Horses who are not broke to ride will be offered for adoption for $300. Horses who are broke to ride will be offered for adoption for $750. Pre-approved adopters may adopt and take home the horse after the Challenge. If more than one pre-approved adopter wishes to adopt the same horse, they may bid up the adoption fee and the highest bidder will adopt the horse. Adoption applications will also be accepted the day of the Challenge but those adopters will not be allowed to adopt until their property is inspected and approved.
If you would like to be pre-approved to adopt a horse from the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge, please ">download an application. Complete it and send it in by October 1, 2010 to be approved in time to adopt the day of the Challenge.
Schedule for the 2010 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge
The scheduled will be posted closer to the date of the 2010 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge.