The Good Ole Happy Holidays

This year, I feel I've actually had time to get into the Christmas spirit. I don't know how or why, I just feel it more than I have in the past few years. It may have to do with things seemingly getting better with the economy so there is less stress in the world. It may have to do with my state of mind, which has been a bit more relaxed than usual. It may have something to do with the trip we made to our local mall last week......yes, that must be it. I still can't get it off my mind.
This past Thursday we made our journey to see Santa. Last year my kids decided they didn't need to let him in on what they wanted because he knew anyway and that white beard and red suit made him a bit scary. This year they felt they needed to go and see him for themselves, and with lists as long as theirs were, they had to be sure he knew what they wanted. So off we went, heading to the crowds and mayhem. I had spoken to a friend of mine that works at the mall to get the scoop on the best time to arrive and the best place to park. Crowds aren't a favorite of mine and Thursday was probably the coldest night we've seen this year in New Hampshire. I always like to plan ahead!
When we arrived, husband in tow, Santa was on dinner break so we walked around a bit to get more into the spirit of things. It was great to see all the decorations and the kids excitement, especially when they saw a man with a white beard and red exercise suit walking around looking suspiciously like the big man himself! As we made our way back to "Santa's station" to get in line, Liberty & Lexington kept an eye out for elves, Santa or anything else resembling the spirit of the holiday. About 20 minutes after arriving in line (we were second, yeah!) along came Santa. One of those moments forever embedded in your mind happened to me just then. As he approached, my son Lexington saw him, got wide eyes and hollered "He IS real!" I don't think the smile came off of any of our faces for the rest of the night.
This Holiday season, remember all the "real" things that happen in life. Things change but some things, somehow, stay the same and are with us forever. Merry Christmas!

Cowboy Mounted Shooters!

So what they say is correct, owners of a business do not have the time to blog. I love writing, so I'm going to do the best to keep up now that the weather has turned. Less riding, more time - right?

I'm happy to say things have been busy. The store is thriving, my kids have been playing soccer and attending scouting meetings, and we're readying the house for winter. And, oh yeah, we've started another business! Crazy right? Not really. This has been something I've been working on for two years now and actually doing for free to help promote other associations. It's time to go big and make some money for my time and effort. What I'm talking about is CowboyMountedShooters.com. This is the end result (or should I say just the beginning?) of the High Point Quarter Horse Cowboy Mounted Shooter award I started first in my home state of New Hampshire and then took Regionally in New England. The original purpose of the program in NH was to promote Quarter Horses within the Mounted Shooting community. It worked well and I expanded the program out to include all of AQHA Region 6. The program was a success. I not only increased the awareness of the competitiveness of the Quarter Horse in the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting, but I also increased the membership in the local affiliates. Finally the Mounted Shooters had a reason to join their local AQHA affiliate as they needed to be a member to sign up for the program. I did get a lot of grief however. The other breeds felt left out. They also wanted to be recognized and compete within their breed division. As soon as I was able to secure the web domain cowboymountedshooters.com I knew it was time to take things further and include all breeds.

I am thrilled to announce the creation of the first Cowboy Mounted Shooting Team recognition program, Cowboy Mounted Shooters.com. I say team because all points are tallied based on a horse and rider team. We don't point just the horse or just point the rider, you are recognized as a team. Cowboy Mounted Shooting has many elements, however the most important is the relationship and communication between horse and rider. You want to shoot the course as best you can and not have to worry about your horse getting confused or not taking a cue. Navigating a course at a high speed while shooting a .45 takes skill and lots of trust between the horse and rider. There is a lot of work done one on one before competing. Imagine going through all of that training and when the winners are announced they announce your horse and leave you out! Hummm. Now I know horses can't understand "human talk", but I know many "humans" who are so proud of their horse that they want them recognized! Without your horse, your teammate, would you be as good? Some Mounted Shooters have a few different horses they compete on. They're all different teams as no two horses are the same. They all take one on one work and from that you get the end result in competition. Teams will compete against other horses within their breed or in the grade horse division on a national, regional and state level. We're starting with recognizing 7 different breeds and will add more as necessary.

So here we go! I've enlisted one of the best known names in the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting to help out, Frank Turben. Frank was with the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association since it's creation and just moved on this year to start some new ventures. He will be creating our website, including registration and point tracking, through his website company frankturben.com. Working with Frank has been a joy. He is a seasoned professional and I would recommend him to anyone looking for a great website. I've also consulted with Andra Olsen from A.J. Horses and representative of Colt Firearms. Aside from being one of the top Cowboy Mounted Shooters in the country, Andra is a smart businesswoman. She has been very gracious and never hesitates to let me bounce ideas off her. With Frank, Andra, and of course, my husband Patrick, I've assembled fabulous a team to take CowboyMountedShooters.com national.

Stay tuned.......

Houston, We Have a Little Stinker

This morning I was down at the barn mucking stalls during what New Hampshire gets from a close call with a tropical storm - Heavy Rain and Wind. I do enjoy mucking, as many horse owner do, for some strange reason. For me it has a lot to do with being able to get some alone time, being able to listen (and sometimes even sing) to good country music, and getting an outlet for some good old physical work. This morning was extra special though because with every breeze that came through the barn door and down the aisle I got a reminder of the joy I would have when I re-entered our home. I would have the opportunity to announce to the family that "we caught a little stinker"! Yes, this year the Page family has had the opportunity to relocate probably half of the skunk population in the town of Webster!
It started in the Spring. We noticed that either our two barn cats had grown an obsessive appetite for kibbles or we had an invader helping themselves to the dinner bowl. After my husband walked in one night to see a skunk huddled in the back corner of the barn aisle we knew what the "issue" was. After consulting with his brother, the owner of Advanced Wildlife Services, we began setting up live animal traps in the barn aisle. For those of you think we'd just get "skunked", the trick is to cover them with a tarp (or in this case an old towel) and the skunk will keep his (or her) smell to themselves. Also, apparently they can't lift their tail to spray from a trap even if they wanted to. So when you catch one, the only smell you can smell is a faint odor left on their fur from the last animal (or person) they sprayed. ah ha!
This has become an exciting event for our family. My husband usually is the one who heads down to the barn to "check things out". If the trap is sprung, he'll call up to the house on his cell phone and announce, in the tone of the astronauts to mission control, "We've caught a little stinker"! I relay the message and the kids spring up, arms stretched up in the air and make kids noises (yeah, alright, good job). They quickly look for their shoes and head down to the barn to view the prisoner. I wait, with a big smile on my face from the excitement of the kids (and joy of the capture) to get all the details; size, how much black vs. white, etc. When my husband is ready, they load the trap (towel still in place) in the truck and head a few miles away, across the river, where the skunk is sure not to find his way "home". I enjoy this time of quiet, now looking forward to the details of the release; how fast did he leave the trap, did he run or waddle, and most importantly, did he try to spray?? After the process is complete the trap is reset and we wait for the next catch.
The other night my husband called up to announce another catch when all of a sudden I heard a squeal (from my husband) the phone sounded like it was dropped and there was a bit of confusion happening on the other end of the line. When Patrick got back on the phone he said, a bit out of breath, that there was another skunk in the barn aside from the one that was captured and it had just run right by him and into an empty stall. Feeling I needed to speak quietly so the skunk wouldn't be disturbed and spray, I whispered, "Ok, I'll let you go now". He whispered back "Ok". When he made his way up to the house he said he had another trap that he set and was hoping to get a double catch for the night! In the morning, sure enough the call came, "We have a double, two little stinkers!" Talk about excitement!
As exciting as the entire event is, the goal is to NOT have any more captures, but to have a skunk free barn. Well, here it is the end of Summer and as I mucked stalls this morning I was anxious to get up to the house and make the announcement. We have a little stinker! Hopefully, eventually, the fun will end!

Are you passionate about a cause?

I try not to get political when blogging. I like to throw out things to think about yet not be controversial. However, this time I'm breaking my own blogging rules and living on the wild side. For this I am passionate about, so I'll give you my views on the subject, tell a story that STILL makes me queasy to think about and send you off with not just my opinion but some good food for thought.

This Friday night I'm attending my first NRA Banquet. It is put on by the local Friends of the NRA Chapter in Concord, NH and the person who chairs the chapter is a good customer and someone I have great respect for. I'm quite excited because my husband loves events like this and we usually go with a fat checkbook and he's ready to spend. Just my type of night out!! We will know many people there and are even bringing another couple with us for the fun.
I've been around guns my entire life. As a child my father went hunting often and I enjoyed tagging along. We learned to respect guns from the beginning. My children have also been around guns their entire life. We have spent time with them reviewing gun safety since they could walk and they understand that guns are for hunting and protection, not toys. There is no mystery there. They have held them, watched Mom & Dad handle, shoot and clean them. When they are a bit older (I'll leave the exact timing up to my husband) they will learn to shoot them, properly. We keep our guns locked up and provide a safe, responsible environment.

There are idiots in the world. This is a known fact. I don't like using such a strong word, but I don't know how else to classify these people, I'm sure you know the type I'm talking about. Right now there is a lot of talk about guns being permitted in bars. There are some States that ban guns from being taken into bars. Let's face it, ban or not there are guns in bars. If there is a ban you will only have idiots with guns in bars, a responsible citizen will respect the law, right or wrong. By not banning guns the responsible gun owner who carries will be able to carry and protect themselves and their families all the time. If there is a shooting in a bar or just about anywhere these days it makes the news. We hear about these "irresponsible gun handlers" all the time. There are also knife attacks, beatings with pipes, home-made bombs, etc. If someone wants to cause injury to others they're going to cause injury. Unfortunately, there are bad people in this world and they're going to be bad no matter what you tell them they can or can't do. I believe the right to carry a gun is important. Let me share a story......
When my kids were young I was a stay-at-home Mom. I think it's the most difficult job I've ever had but also the most rewarding and enjoyable. When my daughter was almost 3 we took her to a private preschool part-time which gave her a chance to socialize with more kids her age and gave my son some Mommy time. We live on a small family farm with plenty to do outside so that's where we spent much of our time enjoying our animals, garden, toys, etc. One sunny day I was outside with my son and one of our hunting dags, Jake. We were working with the bumpers (rubber tubes you throw so the dog can retrieve) and both Jake and my son, Lexington, were enjoying the training event. I heard a car pull into our driveway so I quickly put Jake in the house as he is the type of dog to greet by licking and drive you crazy! After putting Jake in I went around to the front of the house with Lexington close behind looking to now ride his tricycle with the change of locations. I rounded the corner and there was a man standing outside of his pick-up truck. I said hi and asked how I could help him. He said that he was driving past my house and noticed the color of my house. He said he wanted to find out the name of the color as he had just purchased a building that had been that color a long time ago and he wanted to restore the building to the same color it had been. During this, and as he continued to explain, I began to get a bad feeling. First of all I live on a dirt, class 6 road which means it's basically a dirt road that dead ends at the end unless you are into 4 wheeling. No one goes pleasure riding around here. The only neighbor whose house I can see is rarely at her home as it is her second (or third) home. It was the middle of the day and his truck was blocking us from any view of the road had anyone by chance driven by. Something didn't quite seem right. I quickly started thinking of how to get away should he try something but this was complicated. It wasn't about getting away it was about protecting my son. I glanced over at Lex who was riding his trike around with a big smile on his face, loving life. I started feeling queasy. I am very good under pressure and can handle stressful situations better than most, however I realized there were NO options. I had no way to protect my son. I've never felt so helpless. My mind started trying to plan. Running into the house wouldn't work, I wouldn't have the time to grab Lex & run without being caught. The woods wouldn't work as he'd really have us trapped. Screaming would be in vain. The best I could do was sacrifice myself and beg for my son's safety. As all of this went through my head I realized he kept glancing down at my right hand, the hand that still had the dog's training collar control in it. If you've never trained a hunting dog you wouldn't know what this black box with an antenna and numerous buttons is. He obviously didn't have hunting dogs. This device made him nervous and I quickly picked up on that. Normally I would have put the control in the house with the dog but in my rush I forgot to put it down and forgot it was still in my hand. I began holding the control like it had purpose, casually yet firm. The man continued to watch my right hand. I mentioned that as soon as my husband got home, which would be very soon, he might know the name of the color of our house. The man explained that he had to keep going on his drive and got in his car and drove away.
After he left I picked up my son and gave him a big hug. A few tears ran from my eyes as the stress let loose. Lex gave me a quick hug back and quickly wanted to resume pedaling his trike. As I watched him I felt weak. As a Mother I had put us both in a situation where I couldn't have protected him if I needed to. I'm not sure what the purpose of the man's visit was. Maybe he had just been interested in the color of my house, maybe not. At that point it didn't really matter. I had felt one of the worst feelings a parent could ever feel and that is not being able to protect your family. I promised myself I would never again feel that way. I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and I needed to exercise that right. In New Hampshire you can walk down Main Street with a loaded .45 on your hip, exposed, and be within your legal rights. Of course, not many people do that. To carry concealed you must have a permit and I do. What had just happened is a perfect example of why it's important to have the ability to carry a gun.

So I ask, would you feel safe and in control if confronted with a potentially dangerous situation? How about if your kids were also at risk? Could you protect them? Danger can be anywhere; your home, your office or store, your car or even a restaurant or bar. Get rid of the idiots in the world and I'll feel better about not carrying a gun.

Time to Mix Things up a Bit

This Saturday is my birthday. For the record, I'll be a mere 44 years old. They say these are supposed to be the best years, so far so good. To spice things up a bit, when my husband asked what I wanted to do for my birthday I said I wanted to attend the "know and go clinic" at Riverfare Farm in Webster. The clinic runs through all of the classes in a stock horse show according to the S.H.O.T. rulebook. I've dabbled with team penning before and even entered the trail and pleasure classes in one of Riverfare's shows a few month back. But on Saturday, Kitt and I get to play with the cows and try out the other classes involved in Stock Horse Shows including working cow and reining. In the Spring, Patrick attended the clinic and it gave him things to work on at home. Now he can spin Tucker around like he's been riding for years. He does lead changes like I've never been able to and both he and Tucker enjoy their time in our arena at home. They've "mixed things up". Of course, Cowboy Mounted Shooting is still our passion, but without having other activities to keep both you and your horse entertained things can get a bit "dry". I would know, that's how Kitt and I are feeling. Dry...even bored at times. I don't see the twinkle in Kitt's eye when we're riding around in our arena. Sure, when we go to competitions she's "all that", but otherwise she's bored and so am I. The other night when I was riding I picked up a rope and started playing with it while in the saddle and swinging it above my head to see how Kitt felt about it. She was fine, un-threatened. I, however, felt clumsy and thought I might get tangled and topple off the top of my horse in total embarrassment. Obviously I need to work on my rope handling techniques. So I'm looking forward to the clinic this weekend. Mixing things up will not only teach Kitt and I something new, it will give us some things to work on which in turn will make us a better team.

Vacation

It's that time again. Time for the annual Page Family summer vacation. This year we are heading up to Canada for two weeks. The cabins we stay at I've been going to since I was about 6 yrs. old, minus a 10 year absence, which is a whole other story in itself. Last year was the first time I took my family, first time I had been back in 10 years and it was a very emotional journey for me. The same families have been going for the same time we have, so I grew up with many of the people there. Because while growing up we moved so much (once every 2-3 years) I consider these people the ones I grew up with. The only constant in my life. So the 10 year absence was painful, but I've put that anger behind me and have managed to move on.
Aside from the excitement I feel about having two weeks to spend with my family and friends, I also feel a lot of anxiety about going away for an entire 2 weeks. I'm what people would refer to as a "work-a-holic". I work when I'm at work, I work when I'm at home (like now). I enjoy work. Being away from a computer, TV and telephone will be difficult but just what I probably need. I'll also miss my horses, dogs, cats, guinea pig and rabbits, but again, probably what I need. Having nothing to do but spend quality time with my kids and husband is just what we all need!
So as for the computer, TV and telephone, I'm sure all messages will still be waiting for me when I come back. As for the horses, dogs, cats, etc, I have one of my employees, who is great with animals and very responsible, taking care of things for me. As for spending quality time with my kids and husband, I'm sure as soon as I start doing that this anxiety I feel will leave my body. I will relax, something everyone needs to do occasionally.

Game Face

Do you have a game face? You know, the expression your face automatically contorts to when you participate in a particular sport. I do. When I'm out on the course competing in mounted shooting I smile. Yes, smile. I wasn't aware of this until last year when a woman and her young daughter came up to me after a shoot at the Hillsboro County Fair to tell me they referred to me as the smily rider. They were thrilled to see me smiling out there and said I looked like I was having so much fun. They felt this strong enough to actually come up and tell me this. I, of course, smiled at them and said thanks. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. I did feel honored that they seeked me out amoung the riders to share their thoughts. I could tell the young lady was thrilled to come up and talk to me like I was some superstar. (My husband has actually been asked for his autograph before at the fair shoots.) I guess that's why the fair shoots are so much fun. But smiling on the course? I was supposed to be a tough cowgirl! hummm. You can't always help what your game face is. For those of you who know me you can probably understand why I naturally do this. I'm a very theatrical person, very expressive. My body emulates my feelings. Hence, the smile. The other part of all this is I'm squinting. I have blue eyes which are very sensitive to light so I squint a bit when I'm out there so I can see. I'm not the type of rider to wear sunglasses on the course as I know old west cowboys didn't have on their Maui Jims when mounting trigger. So I guess the smile is half joy and half squint. Either way, smiling is a good thing.
This past Sunday we had a shoot with some new riders. Having not previously seen my "game face", one of the new riders said to me after my first run that she enjoyed how I smiled during my run like I was having the time of my life. She said she was always so nervous. With the May flies being as bad as they were that day, I quickly asked her if I had any in my teeth and commented I'd better keep my lips shut or I'd be eating a bug lunch. She chuckled and told me she loved watching me ride because I looked so relaxed and she wished she could be as relaxed. Tough cowgirl cover blown again. Oh well, I guess I just be the smiley cowgirl. I could be called worse!

Our First Stock Horse Show!

We did it! We ventured outside our norm and entered our first Stock Horse Show. My husband has been training for this since last Fall. I haven't, but that's ok. I didn't really plan on entering due to my horse just getting shoes on for the first time the night before the event and because of my lack of training when it comes to working cows. This was something my husband needed to mix things up for him and have something else to strive towards. Patrick is very competitive and thrives when challenged with something new. This was to be his "new". I'm just fine competing in Mounted Shooting and just kicking around on Kitt. I'm not near as competitive as my "other half". However, after he crushed me at our last mounted shooting competition I just had to enter the pleasure class in the stock horse show. It was here I could redeem myself, I knew I could take him, easily. And I did. Whew, chalk one up to the wife. When it comes to pleasure or equitation classes, I can take it, hands down. With my riding experience compared to his I would expect nothing less. This isn't to take away from Patrick's riding accomplishments, he does quite well. He's just not always as polished. In mounted shooting that's ok. In the pleasure class on Saturday, it wasn't.
For fun I also entered the trail class and didn't fair as well but made a good showing having not practiced for trail at all!!! I believe I'm getting the stock horse bug, but my work will keep me out of the running for any more competitions this year. I work every other weekend at the store and my other Saturday employee I rotate with likes the stock horse competitions (and is competitive in them), so I'll be sure to work the schedule so she can compete there. I'll stick to mounted shooting and just kicking around.
It was good to get the horses out to another event aside from mounted shooting. It's always a good idea to mix things up for them as well as us. In the past it's been difficult for Patrick & I to do much other than train for the shoots. With two little kids our riding time has always been limited, therefore we have focused on our sport only. This year has been a bit different. Liberty & Lexington have reached an age where they don't need us constantly. Patrick & I can actually ride together in the arena, which has doubled our riding time! Before, we would alternate nights to ride because of the kids. Now, the kids can play themselves, where we can keep an eye on them. Our arena is in the backyard, so Liberty & Lex can play in the backyard or in the house and not get into trouble. I'm proud to say we have good kids. They know what they can and can't do and respect the limits. Not that there isn't the occasional squabble we need to help work our from atop our horse, but all in all it works well. The kids have even started riding more this year, so that also helps. We're actually becoming more of a "riding family".
So after taking the pleasure class at the Stock Horse Show and trying the trail class, I watched everyone else and let Kitt just nibble on hay and take it all in. It was great to see all different levels of riders and horses run through the reining patterns and work the cows. The show was at Riverfare Farm in Webster, right down the road from where we live (bonus!). They have a great series for those looking to get into stock horse shows. They use the rules of the S.H.O.T. program, which is now an affiliate of the American Stock Horse Association. The shows are laid back and a perfect place to start out. Everyone is quite helpful and cheers everyone else on. You can ask anyone anything. It really is a good crowd of people. There are competitors from Novice (us) to experienced. It really is a good mix.
Ok, so it's also here that I did my stupid move of the year (we're each allowed one per year, right?). I'll tell you about it because I'm blogging, therefore I don't have to see your "yeah, that was pretty stupid" facial reaction. There became a time that I wanted to jump on Kitt, bareback, and just kick around a little. She had been nibbling on hay for a while and I wanted to move around a little. I put on her headstall and tried to figure out how to get on her. There was a mounting block out on the trail course but that would be too easy. I wanted to be more creative (and was feeling a bit too lazy to venture out that far). That's when I spotted the cooler. A little blue cooler I had won at a shooting event that would work perfectly. I pulled up the cooler and got on top. Kitt stood still as usual. I felt I was high enough to swing a leg over her and pull myself up instead of throwing my body over her and having to right myself. As I threw my right leg up the cooler tipped over and down I went, under Kitt. She backed out from over me and pulled back, obviously nervous about what had just happened. I had good hold of the reins and was determined not to let her go but she was just as determined to get away from whatever had just happened. I made a few loud "whoa" sounds to get the attention of others who could help me catch her if she chose to run and let go of the reins. Just as most horses would do, she put down her head and began to graze on the nice green grass. I picked up myself and my pride and slowly walked up to Kitt who quickly grabbed a few final bites of grass before I again had her reins. Glancing over my shoulder I saw my loud "whoa's" worked as there were a few people, including Riverfare Farm owner Kim, there and ready to help if needed. I assured them I was fine. Kim came over and offered a leg up which I gladly accepted. After a few minutes of walking Kitt around the area, I dismounted in a much less eventful way than I had mounted. I put Kitt back at her haybag on the trailer and returned to my folding chair beside the arena to watch the event and take pictures. Stupid move of the year complete.
What I think we'll get the most out of trying something new like stock horse shows is the adventure of trying something new. While our love continues to be mounted shooting, it's good for both horse and rider to mix things up a bit and continue to challenge ourselves and our horses.

No family braggin rights here!

I know my husband's been checking this blog, waiting for me to admit defeat at the first shoot of the year. So admit I will, however, all in all, I didn't do too shabby. I did win my division, have some great runs and am now officially an L3. Not bad for a first time out for the year. I did, however, lose to my greatest and most favorite opponent, my husband. Patrick ripped through the stages, even beating out some of New England's known best. I am quite proud, which in reality also gives me bragging rights as his wife to tell everyone how well my husband is doing.
So things went well for the Pages, but not for everyone. There were 32 riders total, many competing for the first time. Before the shoot starts any new riders or riders on new horses must complete a new rider/horse stage. It basically is to show the Rangemaster and Match Director that they can ride safely through a course and that their horse accepts the gunfire. Many times people will attend a clinic, not practice at home then come to their first shoot without a trained horse. This can be very dangerous. A few years ago a new horse almost went through a fence during a shoot at a fair packed with spectators. This horse had no business being in the arena and by the look on the horses face I'm sure he'd agree. It was not only dangerous but gives the sport a bad name. We now require riders who are new or have new horses to complete a run successfully before being allowed to enter the competition. The problem is different people have different definitions of what "successfully" means. ......... On Sunday we had quite a few "young guns" as I call them. Young guns are new shooters who are experienced riders but not experienced mounted shooters. They try to tear through the new rider/horse stage to prove that they know what they're doing. One of these young guns did a face plant in the sand at the end of the rundown and another almost went through the fence before also meeting with the sand. Things are a bit different when you're alone out in the arena with people watching. The horses know the difference, experience or not, people need to take it a bit easy at their first shoot. I've seen horses rear before each shot, I've seen people go out and lead a horse and rider through part of the course until they were at the back end of the arena and only had the rundown to complete, so of course the horse completed the rundown to get the heck out of the arena!!! In most cases, these horses and riders were allowed to compete. We had a few of these situations on Sunday which made for an entertaining yet scary shoot at times.
We also had a slippery spot right around a barrel turn on stage 2. There were 3 horses that went down around the barrel, feet slipping out beneath them. This was the same spot someone went down during warm-ups yet neither the rangemaster or match director made an effort to correct the problem. As a CMSA Certified Rangemaster, I said something to the match director that I had been told it was clay underneath the sand in that spot. He replied that it couldn't be as the area was an old river bed and is gravel. I would have shifted the course so the barrel wasn't over clay and in a dangerous place but nothing was done. The horses continued going down. Many riders decided to take the turn extra wide and slow down. I decided to trot going into, around and away from the barrel as I tend to be overly cautious being responsible for two young souls. It killed my time on that stage but at least I was safe as was my horse. Stage 2 was tense, luckily no one was hurt other than a few bruises.
So other than a few issues things went great. The weather was good except a bit windy which added some challenge to shooting the targets. It was wonderful to see all my friends I hadn't seen all winter. I'm looking forward to the next shoot we'll attend in 3 weeks. Until then, I have some things to work on to improve my times. I'm also going to try and mix things up a bit and get out on trail more. Both Kitt & I get bored just riding in the arena. It's always fun to trail ride with 2 .45's on my waist and see the reaction from people we meet along the way. It opens the door to talk about my sport, which I love doing.
So at the end of the day at my first shoot of the year, I had respectable times and felt good about my performance and Kitt's. I have yet to get the smug look off Patrick's face.

Let the Games Begin !!

Well, it's time. Time to see just how far we've come (or not) this spring with getting ourselves and our horses ready for the first shoot of the year. Yes, it's time for the annual Mothers Day shoot. I alway find it difficult to have a shoot on Mothers Day. Not that I mind not being able to be waited on hand and foot for the entire day(yeah, right) because I'm too busy dressing, grooming and competing. My issue is alway finding a babysitter. Yup, that's my issue. A babysitter. No youth who appreciates mom's good cooking would dare to bug out on dear old mom on her day of pampering. Fortunately, due to the economy (there is a good side to everything!), after exhaughsting my long list of babysitters, I found Brooke. She is the best friend of one of my regular sitters (one who dares to not bug out!) and Brooke's Mom felt it best she take the opportunity to make some money while an opportunity presents itself. Now that's my kind of Mom!!
So Kitt and I are ready. At least as ready as we ever are for the first shoot of the season. Actually, I feel more ready than I have in the past at first shoots. I'm not too sure about how ready Kitt is though. She's been a bit off on her canter to the left. I started giving her some Vitamin E thinking it may be a bit of hind end weakness due to the lack of lush, green grass available. Ok, give credit to the vet for that suggestion. She's also still coming off of a few months winter rest and I find it does take a while to get back into the swing of things. I have a feeling as soon as she hears the gunfire she'll get a bit more kick in her step.
My husband, on the other hand, is more than ready. He's been consumed with bettering himself and the connection he has with his horse, Tucker. Last summer it took until mid July for Patrick to get in the mood. My how things change. This past fall he took a stock horse clinic at River Fare Farms in Webster with a clinician named Tom Neel. Well, my husband hasn't been the same rider since. There is more cowboy than I ever thought I'd see in my cyclist husband. He gets Tucker moving out, rolling back, changing leads like nothing I've ever seen him do with that horse. To say Patrick is ready for this first shoot is an understatement. He's not just ready, he's looking forward to whipping my butt! I can see it in his eyes. The Page family contest is much more important and competitive than any state, regional or even national competition we could ever compete in. It's a matter of family bragging rights. And we take every opportunity we get to brag to other family members and friends about who is on top at the moment. It's fun, especially when you get to be the bragger!
So this Mothers Day I'll get out and enjoy my horse and husband. That evening I'll enjoy my children and thank God for allowing me to be a Mother for there is nothing more important and special than that. I'll enjoy the day with a smile on my face, thinking about my Mother, Marie Woody, who watches me from heaven every day.
So let the games begin........

Spring has Sprung!

There comes a time up here in New Hampshire when most horsepeople people sort of retreat and start the waiting game. We wait for Spring. This waiting game usually starts sometime mid January, when Winter starts feeling real long, and ends when we actually know Spring is here to stay. You see, the weather likes to play games with us in the early months of the year by tempting us with warm weather for a few days or even a week, then it quickly changes back to very cold, rainy weather. I can't tell you how many times I tell Kitt that Social Security is over and it's time to get back to work, only to get in one, maybe two good workouts before she's back to rest again for a week or so. It's real hard to get both myself and my horses in shape for the upcoming shooting season when the weather plays games like this. However, I'm happy to announce that Spring has sprung around here, the spring is back in my step and I'm truly able to start getting ready for the upcoming season. Not that there aren't other obstacles to overcome, such as painting the house (this weekend), mending fence posts, planting the garden (my children WILL know how to grow food for themselves)and other such spring tasks. It is obvious that spring is here. Even the horses realize it. Last night we had a beautiful rainbow off in the distance and a Tom Turkey with his harem gallivanting around. The horses were quite interested in the turkeys and when the Tom started strutting Kitt kicked up her heels and ran around the pasture to let him know this was HER territory. I don't think it much affected him. With 7 hens he was obviously having a great day.
So tonight I'll leave the store to head home to pick up my paint brush and thank goodness Spring is here. Hopefully, at some point this weekend, I'll actually ride my horse too!

What Defines You?

My view on life is that it is a Journey. My life and the way I live my life changes as I go through my journey. I don't let anything "define" me except the fact that I am married to my husband and I have two children that I am a Mother to. The husband part will never change. I guess I'm from the old school that marriage really means a lifetime commitment and he will be my husband forever. Knowing that my husband feels the same is what made marrying him an extra bonus. I don't think I would have ever been married unless I fell in love with someone of the same mind. As for the kid part, I hear in the early teens they may feel like they don't need a mother anymore, however they can't shake me that easily. I am forever their mother and I will remind them of that throughout their teen years and beyond if necessary! For now, at the ripe old ages of 4 & 6 they tell me they'll live with me forever and that's just fine with me! Other than that, my journey keeps me constantly on my toes and I like that!
Too many times I meet people who hold positions in an organization, club or business and you can tell they'd be lost without being in that position. They let their position define them. I've seen it happen all too many times. Some plan it and want to be defined by their position because they want the power it brings, others have just been involved for so long they don't know how to not be involved. Either way, it's unhealthy. It's unhealthy for both the individual and the business, club or organization.
I'm involved in lots of different positions, committees and jobs. I am 1st Vice-President of the NH Quarter Horse Association, Youth Advisor, By-Law Committee co-chair, Versatile Horse Committee co-chair, Membership Committee co-chair, Nomination Committee co-chair, AQHA Region 6 Director, AQHA Region 6 Versatile Horse Committee Chair a member of the AQHA Leadership 2008 Team and a Daisy Girl Scout Co-Leader ! Whew! Hope I didn't forget anything. I am involved in all of the above for different reasons but it all comes back to this - I'm in the position to work it and make it better so the next person who steps in can work it more and continue to grow the organization, business or club from their accomplishments - and so on. It is the people who enter into a commitment and have no foresight into their future journey except still holding on to that position who let the wrong things define them. When they eventually leave or are "dismissed" from their position, it can be so wrenching because they haven't looked past being "that person". They don't know what to do. It's destructive to them personally and professionally and disrupts many more than just themselves.
Today we saw a President leave office. He held office for 2 terms, 8 years and it was his time to go. Now the Country has a new beginning. If we leave ourselves open to our journey who knows where we'll end up. I'm looking forward to passing along some of my positions to others and feel excited to see what a new view will bring. By leaving myself open to many opportunities my Journey is and has been an exciting one. My job and volunteer positions will never define me, I have too much to do yet in my life. So what defines you?

How it is.....REALLY

This past Christmas season has brought many new faces into my store and many familiar faces too. One of the most popular questions from all of my customers is "how is business". Now you see, the question isn't just asked. There is always a negative sound in the voice of those asking. I guess because these days we're all filled with doom and gloom from the radio and television, so it's easy to pick up on that mantra. I really enjoy my customers and many come here because they enjoy me, I'd hope anyway! So when the question is asked I can tell they're ready to chime in with some cheer even though they ask with a bit of hesitation. Many are rendered speechless when I answer, "It's fine actually. Yes, we've had to make some changes. I'm in more and some employee hours have been cut, but by doing so we're in ok shape and expect to remain in ok shape until things turn around a bit and become fantastic!" Once the customer loosens up and realizes a bit of cheering up isn't necessary we chat and catch up. One of the bonuses about my store is I not only carry western tack but also western clothing and boots. Clothing and boots sell all year long and the winter is no exception. If I had to rely on tack sales alone my customers would have quite a cheering up job to do when they walked in, if there was even a place to still walk into. I'm one of the fortunate ones, or maybe even one of the smart ones (ok hubby, you get credit for this one too!). By having both tack and clothes I'm able to make sales year round. There is no "down time" so even though sales aren't what they were a year ago, they're still there and more than enough for us to weather this storm. I look forward to Spring when tack sales will increase again and we're back in the thick of it.
But for now things are fine.......REALLY!

Yes, I am High Point NH !

In 2008, I won the title of NH High Point Cowgirl in Cowboy Mounted Shooting. This is very exciting for me and quite a nice title to hold. I wasn't even going for a High Point win. With two young children, my husband and I don't travel far to many shoots and therefore aren't as competitive as many other shooters. There are some who will travel to all the shoots in New England and even further "chasing points". For now, the only things we chase are named Lexington and Liberty, age 4 & 6. That's fine with us. This is the family time in our lives and there is absolutely nothing more important than our children. For now we try to make every NH shoot and some in Mass. We love winning the State Championships and Regional's in our levels, which both my husband and I have done numerous times, and proudly wear the buckles we win. So when I realized I was heading toward a High Point Cowgirl win I started to get excited. Unfortunately, there were ladies "chasing points" in NH and my win sort of took them by surprise. There have been no congratulations, no "good job"s, only disappointed riders who are explaining away why they didn't win this year, but should have. There were jammed guns, cancelled matches, bad weather, off days. Actually, people are doing exactly what my husband does after each shoot. He will pick through the results of each stage, his time, how many misses, and quickly point out that his time was better than so and so's and he would have beat him in that stage if he hadn't missed the balloon, which would have put him ahead of him so in REALITY... he would have won!! There! Now he feels better. Until I gently remind him that he DIDN'T ride clean and "what if's" don't count in Mounted Shooting. Once I've lovingly burst his bubble I remind him that the results should show him how he can improve so the next time he will actually beat so and so and not have to "excuse it to happen".
The reason I took High Point this year is simple. I was consistent. Not always the fastest, not always the cleanest shot, but consistent. One of the things I love about Mounted Shooting (aside from the cool clothes) is that it's not always the fastest or the best shot that wins, it's the one who combines all their skills the best. And this year I did just that. There are many that ride faster than I do. There are many that are better shots or have more experience. But this year, in 2008,I had the most overall points of the Cowgirls in NH. It was my year, no excuses.
My theory behind improving is to go at the speed in which you can get all the shots and build your speed from there. In my third year of competing I'm getting faster and I've always been a good shot because I go the speed in which I can shoot, usually clean. Therefore I'm consistent and consistently getting faster. That's why I won. And to all you nay sayers, I deserved it!! It get's tiring hearing why people didn't win and getting the feeling that many believe I didn't deserve it. It takes away from those of us who did win and deserve feeling proud of their title. So for the entire year of 2009, I will proudly bear the title of High Point New Hampshire Cowgirl in 2008 and this year, I'll work on defending my title!!!