BLACKJACK LAND & CATTLE COMPANY: February 2009

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY~or not so!



When hubby saw this picture he said I had to post it and put~ Only missing Wranglers! LOL!

Friday, February 20, 2009

RIDING AND ROPING TIME...................

On Thursday we took "Willis" over to our good friend Jim Fuller's house for him to look at. Wanted to get his opinion on how his was coming along and want I needed to work on. He is a calf horse trainer and a NFR Qualifier and I love picking his brain! Him and his family are such blessings to us. He had me just ride him around and warm him up and then track the donkey. I then got to track a few steers around and do some slow box work. Overall he thinks he is coming along fine and gave me some things to work on. Need to work on his speed (walking out of the box and then making him get to the steer~drive him to the steer, working on his rate before you turn left, tweaking his handle. Everything else he said I had been doing was positive and he is looking good for his age. He thinks in a couple of years he is going to be a great head horse. I truly value his opinion and all his years of knowledge.

Today we loaded up "Roo", "Willis", "Angel" & "Pedro" and went down to the pen to get in some practice. It was a great day! Hubby on "Roo" going after "Pedro" I just missed Pedro kicking out and taking off!

Me riding "Roo". I also rode "Willis" and "Angel" as well. Hubby always has me to rope off all the horses. He says it'll help you rope better. Don't get used to just one horse. It makes alot of sense, as each horse is different.

We came and home and re saddled "Angel" with Savannah's saddle, I went and picked her up and then we got in some practice with her. I rode "Roo" and we did barrels, poles and just riding in the pasture. This is the first time she has ridden her in awhile. She went through a spell for about 6 months when she didn't want to ride. We didn't push her and she has decided she wants to do her rodeos again this year. Our church is starting a series March~June and then her RCRA rodeo series will start in August~December. We are excited she is wanting to start riding again. Our rule is we'll haul you, but you have to keep your horse exercised and practice. She started off walking and then she was trotting the patterns! Way to go Savannah!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Hi~

Nothing exciting to report going on here! Just been busy! I did get some saddle time in this morning on Willis and Angel. Gotta get Angel ready to go as little cowgirl's rodeos start up in March. You could definitely tell I had been off her for almost 2 months! It was a great morning for it too~ya right! Drizzle off and on and just yuck! But I was bound and determined! It all worked out and we had very productive rides! I was going to take pictures, but couldn't find the camera! Gotta run to town and do some errands before picking up little one! Hope you all are having a great Tuesday! Love ya!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY "ANGEL"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY "ANGEL!" Ima Little Angel~Born February 10, 2000. Sire~Seeking Our Star. Dam~ Josh's Princess. We bought her from Burke Quarter Horses in Frankston, Texas. Stoney and Leah have done a extraordinary job with there breeding! I can't say enough about there horses and just them in general. The above picture was taken in McKinney, Texas this past year at the Cowgirls of Faith Extreme Cowgirl Challenge and conference. Me and Leah, and 8 other girls were invited to participate in the ECC at the conference. There was a qualifying round and they took the top 2 and then there was a ECC showdown Saturday afternoon. I qualified 1st and Leah 2nd and then in the showdown Leah took 1st and I 2nd. It was a close race and the extraordinary thing about it was, our horses are related! She is riding "Sunny Man" who is Angels' half brother. Stoney was elated he had not 1 but 2 horses in the finals!! I felt honored to have such a horse and have Stoney there to see his horses working. What a day it was! Anyone who is a regular knows how I feel about her! We have that special bond, I trust her and respect her! She takes care of me and my little cowgirl, that is priceless! I have done all sorts of events on her~roping, rodeos, day worked, sortings, play days, post colors, Extreme races, barrels and Savannah rides her in her rodeos. I don't think there is anything I can't do on her! I thank God everyday for such a horse and having a hubby that loves me enough to buy such a extraordinary horse! Love ya girl, too many more years and times together!

**The top picture is of me and "Angel", Stoney, Leah and "Sunny Man" in McKinney, Texas**

Monday, February 9, 2009

FABULOUS AWARD



I received this award from Ezra at World of Ezra! Thanks girl, I think your blog is fabulous as well! If you haven't checked her out do so! The rules are to list 5 things you are addicted too and then pass along to 5 other deserving bloggers!
  1. Horses~horse crazy and loving it! ** betcha ya didn't see that coming! :O

  2. chocolate~love it!

  3. my family~love spending time with them

  4. trying new things with my cooking and baking

  5. raising a respectful, God loving daughter

Here are the blogs that I think deserve this award!

* Mrs. Mom at Oh Horse Feathers

*BECG-Brown Eyed Cowgirls

*Mikey at Horseshoeing Housewife

*Rachel at Ranch Diva

*Broken Y

*Cow Pies and Mud Pies

*Gizzards & Calf Fries

Oh goodness I think I went over the 5 already! OOPS durn rules! I really hate only picking a certain few, because I enjoy each of your blogs so much! I have meet some great friends in blogger ville! We all are FABULOUS!!


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

""PESKY'S" STORY (aka Old Man)

Here is "Pesky" (aka Old Man)! Name "Pesky Red Sonny" born on April 6, 1982. Sire~Red Sonny Dee, Dam~Pesky Lou. Hubby bought him for $1,200 when he was a 8 year old to use as a heading horse.

He team roped off him and used him for day working off of. Here is his story, which will overlap with how hubby and I started dating. I meet hubby for the first time when him and his cousin brought in his cousin's horse to the clinic where I worked. A few weeks later I went with a friend to a roping practice and saw hubby there roping. My friend was having trouble with his roping horse and hubby was going to ride the horse for him. He asked me to cool down "Pesky" for him. I climbed on and he whispered something in his ear. Later I found out he told the "Old Man to take care of me." How sweet!

When I left there I didn't think I would ever see him again. But the next week he brought in his old mare to have her wolf teeth out and her teeth floated. Said Hi and went about our business. We kept the mare for a couple of days and then he came back to pick her up. We just hit it off and started talking. I'll never forget when he left that today, my boss, came to me and said he is a great guy and I would give you my blessing to date him! That was how Grady was, such a caring man. He has since last his battle with cancer. He is greatly missed by all the cattle people, there isn't another cow vet like him around.

So anyway, that weekend was the Jacksonville rodeo and who do you think was there roping in it? Hubby and the "Old Man!" He told me that I came up to him and asked if I could ride his horse! I didn't remember that! :O We started dating and eventually married and I would warm up and cool down his horse at roping's! ( that was the extent of my riding~until the last four years!) Some of them things were marathon roping's!

Skip forward to when little cowgirl was born. She has been riding since she was born. And he was her first horse and such a great babysitter. As you can see in the picture above, she loved her "Old Man!" And he loved her! There is one time in particular that he and my mare saved her life. We were working some calves and she was in the pen with us, she was sitting on him and he and Angel were tied to the fence. We were dragging calves to the fire and me and hubby both were taking our turns on the ground. A guy roped a calf and drug it out and for some reason he stepped off his horse, which comes to find out is a green roping horse, and when that calf put pressure on the horse off he went. He was running around the pen dragging the calf. He hit the side of Pesky and knocked Savannah off between the two of them. They both looked down and saw her and moved over the top of her to protect her from the horse and calf.
We both got there and she was okay, thank goodness! If they hadn't covered her up, who knows what could of happened. One of our good friends looked at hubby and said you know that horse is priceless. Yes we do, he has taken care of her through her learning and her first couple of years of play days and rodeos. He is a bomb proof horse! One thing I wished I could of done on him is roped off him. I would love to back him in the box and head one with him! He was awesome in the box and such power. He is diffidently a one of a kind and there will never be another one like him. He has been fully retired for the last 2 years and will continue to live out his retirement here. I know I don't even want to thank about losing him, it will be a bad day around here. I do know he will be taken care off until he passes on, he deserves that. I won't let him suffer, we owe him that. I'm having a hard time finishing this with out crying. I do know we are blessed to have such a special horse and I thank God for him everyday. He just means so much to hubby, me and little cowgirl. Thanks "Pesky" for all the years with you and too many, many more together. We love you!


**About the pictures: I had tons of pictures of him and tried to go through and pick just a few! Here is alittle bit about each one:

  • The top one is just a head shot I took one day in our pasture
  • The next one is one of my favorites, it is framed in our den~it was at a roping
  • Roping at a friends house New Years day
  • The next one is framed as well in our den it is the last time hubby roped with his dear friend Steve Douglas before he was killed in a truck wreck.
  • Savannah hugging him, she has always done this and walked around him, under him, etc. etc.
  • Savannah at her rodeo pushing cattle on him~she was always noticed for being so little on such a big horse! He is all of 16" 1!
  • Savannah riding him after a sorting at the church.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

I'm still here!


Okay so I know it's not Wednesday, but here is my WW picture! I'm still alive and well, just been crazy!
First off I've missed you guys, but without a computer I've been in cleaning/organizing mode!
Updates: "Pesky's" (aka Old Man) his blood work came back great for his age! Woo hoo!
We sold our S & H 4 horse slant trailer to a great couple for them to haul there grand kids and children around. I think we also made some new friends.
Hubby's been sick with the coughing, headache crud! I think his is on the way to recovery!
Hubby actually had a few days off in a row, and we didn't have plans and just stayed home and vegged out! So nice to do that sometimes!
I just knew today I was going to able to get caught up with everyone, but I didn't!
Here is my day:
  • took Little cowgirl to school and helped for a few minutes
  • came home and feed
  • come in start laundry, straighten up house
  • turn out horses
  • move poles in pasture
  • put out hay
  • saddle "Willis" and ride
  • guy calls to come pick up trailer today within the hour (they were going to pick up on Saturday)~of course I'm riding!!
  • Meet him to pick up trailer
  • come back unsaddle horse
  • start hubby's lunch (he is working nights)
  • get a phone call about horses out down the road
  • get in to truck and head down the road to help, almost get run over! Really people if you see horses running down the road~don't you think you can slow down! Jeez!
  • come back just in time to get hubby up for work
  • finish lunch
  • eat with hubby before he leaves for work and I head out to get little cowgirl from school!

WHEW I'm tired! I'm sure I left something out, I don't think I sat down today! Fixing to turn out horses and start homework and our nightly routine. I hope I can get to check in with everyone and see what you have been up to! Missed you all!

BTW~several have asked to hear the story about "Pesky", I'm working on that, so keep a look out for it!