A Very Good Day

 

So many facets of a long-held dream came together yesterday. 

I grew up in a horse family, and I have loved beautiful horses, especially when they perform, for as long as I can remember. 

My mother owned a Saddlebred Morgan mare named Largo, while my stepfather Harold is world famous in Appaloosa circles because he owned Toby I and rode him to a number of national championships in the first-ever National Appaloosa Show.  

Toby's bloodlines are all over the world, and I even stayed once in New Zealand with some people who had Toby descendants. 

My parents were very strict about our activities around the horses, always stressing that we needed to be supervised if we rode them.  That didn't exactly work all the time cuz there were a few unsupervised rides along the way. 

My riding was pretty much limited to around the place or maybe even an occasional trip to town when Mother would ride her horse and lead mine on a mission to pick up meat at Jack's Lockers in North Sandpoint. 

I also took 4-H horse for several years and learned horse basics and how to groom and show horses at halter.  In those days, there were no riding opportunities in 4-H. 

When my sisters, Barbara and Laurie, came along more than a dozen years after me, things had changed.  Parents were more willing to extend some freedom with the horses, and the 4-H program had added equitation to the horse project offerings. 

Barbara and Laurie had the opportunity to learn all that stuff and apply it, while I always felt a little deprived when it came to refined riding ability.

No regrets there, however, because the horse program also offered judging competitions.  It was a discipline which I loved anyway from my experience of competing in the beef judging programs. 

Lots of fun stuff happened because of horse judging opportunities.  One day some 4-H'ers came to the house and asked me if I would be their coach as they had won a trip to compete in the National Youth Horse Congress in Dallas, Tex.  

What an amazing and life-changing opportunity that experience was!  I came back and told my sisters that some day I'd like to see them to compete in judging.  

The opportunity came a few years later when we put together a team to go to the Arabian Nationals in Albuquerque, N. Mex. 

The rest is history for Barbara and Laurie who, through their lifetime, have taken on every opportunity available to further their horse knowledge through judging contests, attending clinics and competing AND winning in local, regional, state and national horse shows. 

I've always thought of myself as the cheerleader when it comes to horses. There's still nothing I love better than to see a beautiful horse and to marvel as it performs well and willingly at whatever it's asked to do.

Let me add one more factoid to this story.  

During their years of competing in local and state and national judging contests, another contemporary joined Barbara, Laurie and others in high-level judging and riding competitions and, as always, just loving all things horse. 

His name is Monty Collison, and, after his 4-H years, Monty pursued his horse passion by learning from some of the greats in the Arabian horse circles. 

He went on to become a highly successful trainer, and to this day, fifty-plus years later, he still comes to the Tibbs ranch to share his knowledge with my sisters and others who want to improve their horsemanship. 

Well, let's blend this all together, and you can imagine what it was like yesterday for this old gal to go to the stable where Monty is working with my beloved CB. 

Monty rode. 

Laurie rode. 

Marianne rode. 

CB did not disappoint.  

He has been learning fine points of his gaits and other riding basics.  Even though only halfway through his month's worth of supplemental training, he performed willingly and beautifully for two expert riders and one old lady.

To say I was over the top after seeing him and riding him and thinking about how far he has come over the years with help from another fine trainer Mary Marienau, my sisters and now Monty, I could not be happier. 

CB is a special horse for me, and I've been fortunate to have a few over the years while hanging on the horse sidelines. 

After yesterday's session, I'll should put that word "special" in all caps. 

It's an exciting moment for me, and to have the opportunity to watch him progress through the wise hands and legs of people I love means the world. 

Thanks to all who have come along and added their expertise to CB's rides. 

One last note:  horses cost a lot of money and demand a lot of work and care. 

But moments like yesterday make it worth every penny spent and every bit of labor and time invested. 

As Bill observed last night after I shared highlights of the day with him, "Your mother would be very happy."

I'm sure she is.  

It was, indeed, one fine day. 

Happy Friday.