I wanted to write this post to let you know where to keep up to date with all the Futurity action.  Everyone must bookmark http://cowhorse.com.au because this is the place to go for news and webcasts.

I suggest looking at

http://community.cowhorse.com.au for photos and blog posts

http://www.cowhorse.com.au/videos/webcasts for the webcast

 Good luck to all the competitors

Check back later for more details

Helen and I arrived at AELEC last Tuesday, in the mid afternoon.  We were pleased to see the gates open and the smiling faces of the AQHA staff. 

After unpacking and catching up with everyone we settled down to watch the first of two preworks being held at Q11.  This gave trainers a valuable opportunity and us clients another opportunity to see our futurity horses in action.

Preworks are just that – preworks.  You don’t expect to see flash moves or the spectacular event that is the futurity, although you sort of hope for a little more organisation.  It made for a long night – 7pm to 6am.  (There were some tired and grumpy people the next morning)

Wednesday was the first day of competition.  The campdrafting was under way and the cutting started with the youth.  You can see the results at AQHA by clicking on the Q11 logo.  You can also visit Cowhorse to see the webcast and you tube link.

The winners from Wednesday were:

Youth:  Courtney Mulcahy on Stylish Argyle Acres with a 73

Junior Horse:  Heath Sinclair on Way Too Smart with a 74

Senior Horse:  Scott Johnston on Hoorey Little Dreamer with a 73

Open Non Pro:  Allan Hunter on Oaks Unchained Melody with 148

Wednesday night was Round 2 of the Preworks.  The trainers started at 8pm and finished around 7am Thursday.  This time a lot of common sense prevailed with a timer and many trainers working in blocks.  Just a little bit of planning goes a long way.

Thursday started in the camp drafting ring.  The open cutting was the first event.  One of my highlights was seeing both the drafters and cutters supporting each other during these events.  Phil Dawson won on Dara Flectchin Time after a ride off with Dean Holden and SOS Radar.

Then it was time for the All Age Cowhorse Event.  This was won by Jason Leitch and Oaks and Ashes, owned by Ray Porter.  Oaks and Ashes is the iron horse of cutting, now a serious contender in cowhorse events.

Thursday night was a free night enabling an early night of a little R + R.

Friday night saw the Koolparoo Invitational Cutting Horse event.  This year the event included both professional and non pro riders.  It was 10 horse shoot out for a trophy saddle.  The invitational cutting was won by Corek Holden on Amaroo Sheoak. 

Q11 is a great concept bringing the best of all disciplines together to showcase all that is good about the sport of cowhorse in Australia.

Congratulations to AQHA and bring on Q12

Last week Elders Rural Services made the decision to shift the Annual Rockhampton Quarter Horse Sale to Paradise Lagoos for the benefit of the sale.  This decision will also benefit both Vendors and Purchasers.  The sale is being conducted on the 26th and 27th April 2011.  Catalogues will be available in the first week of April.  Elders are also holding events preceding the sale.  These are as follows:

Monday 25th April

• Rhondhu Stud Novice Campdraft
• Horseland Elite Incentive Barrel Race
• Droughtmaster Australia Dry Work Reining
• Dow Agro Sciences Two Handed Cutting

26th April

• Elders Open and Open NP Cutting (to be held after the sale)

For more details or any questions in regards to the sale please contact Elders Rockhampton on 07 4927 6122

The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre advises that the 2011 “Horse Expo” in Longreach from Thursday 28 July to Sunday 31 July 2011 has been postponed until further notice.

Due to the current seasonal conditions and the impact upon the business community, the Horse Expo event will be held at a later date and will coincide with the launch of the Outback Entertainment Centre project. The project, supported by the Longreach Regional Council and the local user groups, plans to fund and build a multi-purpose, entertainment/equestrian precinct.

The APRA Queensland State Championship Rodeo being held that same weekend, will go ahead as planned on Saturday 30 July 2011.

Acton Land & Cattle Director and Hall of Fame Deputy Chairman Graeme Acton said, “we are very much looking forward to holding the event at a future date. The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame Horse Expo is an exciting project and I believe it will attract people from all over”.

The Horse Expo will showcase the three uniquely Australian Horse Sports of Campdraft (heritage and modern day), Polocrosse & Bronco Branding. All sponsorship and event enquiries for the Expo, please forward to:
Sonya Cullen Events Manager
m.0407 882 114
e. sonya.cullen@stockmanshalloffame.com.au

Landmark uploaded their Agent Sale Report and you can find it here.  This is our summary based on the information provided.

Out of the 565 lots, 421 horses were sold via the auction.  71 lots were passed in, with 73 horses withdrawn. 

The 2011 Landmark Sale grossed $4,409,000 with an average sale price of $10,472. 68.  The Clearance Rate for the sale was 74.5%.

 Top Gelding was Lot 88:  Dynamic Dove, owned by William and Tracey Tapp and sold to M & C Jones

Top Stallion was Lot 279:  Glen Lee Mosses Mecury, owned by S.G. Wilson and sold to Blackwaters Stockhorses

Top Mare was 438:  Yulgilbar Wild Cat, owned by J & S Inglis and sold to Warren Dellow

Good, bad or otherwise the results were above industry expectations.  They were slightly ahead of 2009 and 2010 and just below the 2008 results as you can see from the table below.

What are your thoughts on the Landmark Sale Results?  Do you think the prices will continue at the Rocky or NCHA sales?

 Several different horse disciplines were represented;  cutters Jamie Inglis on his older horses, John Peel on his Acres Destiny  Non Pro Futurity colt, Jim MacCallum with his snaffle bit mare, Lynda MacCallum on her Non Pro Futurity gelding by One Moore Playboy; Polo player Doug Munro with his two young mares; Snaffle Bit Futurity entrant Trevor Nash’s Teles Again filly; Drafters Jamie Edmonds on his Acres Destiny colt and other young horses; Drafters  Bob McKittrick with his mare bought at 2010 Landmark Sale by Bank Fulo Cdees and son Simon, Jason’s mother (now we know where he learnt to ride!) Trish Leitch with her young Bon Jovi filly; Vessa Playfair, a drafter from Macksville riding the Inglis’s Dara Ima Gunna; Henry White on a young Acres Destiny colt; Suzanne Campion with her Bank Fulo Cdees mare and Shaun Meyer with her Peptos Stylish Oak gelding.

The first two days concentrated on horsemanship.  Jason told us that riding was all about FEELING – picking up a soft feel , maintaining it through transitions, TIMING – be aware of your horse’s foot placements, ask the horse to turn around when it is about to lift its inside front leg  & BALANCE  - ride a horse balanced – all four feet equal and smooth.

The horse/ rider relationship should be 51% rider and 49% horse; he stressed to us that the need for DISCIPLINE rather than PUNISHMENT when training horses.  Training a horse was all about PRESSURE (when the horse is doing the wrong thing) and RELEASE (when he gets it right). Jason asked us to REWARD THE SMALLEST CHANGE AND SLIGHTEST TRY. He asked us to learn to be aware of where our horses’ feet are at all times starting at a walk. He taught us how to pick a soft feel on the horse whilst doing several exercises. He told us to use our feet as a boundary for the horse’s body and that it was an illusion the reins are attached to the mouth, THE REINS ARE ATTACHED TO THE HORSE’S FEET.  We all had a chuckle when he said “Ask your horse, GIVE ME YOUR BODY AND LET ME GO USE IT!”  He said we must RIDE THE LIFE DOWN THROUGH THE LEGS TO THE FEET and showed us that as soon as we ask for more collection there was more air in the horse’s stride. He stressed we must keep our hands LOW AND APART.

Quite some time was spent going through the basics of horsemanship because as Jason said THE ADVANCED STUFF IS JUST THE BASICS FINE-TUNED.

 We worked the flag and cattle; Jason asked us to travel straight across, brake, stop straight (shoulder & hip in line), draw back (quickly) and then slow through the turn, get the hip just out of the way, ask the horse for its nose as the cow turns, ride the horse to the stop, be positive and never create pressure outside the cow are just some of the things we learnt.  Jason worked with all of us individually so that we could better communicate with our horses and we all learnt so much watching each other work especially as the horses and riders varied greatly in ability and experience.  He gave us some thoughts on how to be a successful competitor.

 The Mid Western Working Horse Association , newly formed, helped run the school and several of their members were keen fence sitters. On Saturday afternoon Jason gave a great display of cutting to an enthralled audience, most of whom had never seen cutting before. He explained the origins of the sport and talked us all through the preparation of his horse, Present a Playboy, for competition. He then cut a couple of cows (we scored him 76!); we are sure he gave Mudgee an interest in cutting.

Everyone who attended thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and we all learnt so much.  Jason is not only an exceptional horse trainer, the weekend also showed us he is a communicator and teacher. Jason said at one stage he wants THE YES SIR MENTALITY from his horses, well I think on that weekend he managed to get THE YES SIR MENTALITY from his us, his pupils. We are all looking forward to the next clinic.

An added bonus: the clinic made a profit of $1000 which was donated to the MWWHA; they will use the  money to conduct more clinics and attract new members to their fledgling organization. Already, the President, Leah Cuthbertson, tells us membership has already risen as a result of the clinic.

 Sarah Inglis

Here at CHL we think it is great that a Pro Trainer is giving back to a local club.

We wish NRCHC all the best for the upcoming year and hopefully we can make it to a few more local shows this year

If you would like to purchase the 4 disc set for $165 please go to Ian’s website or Facebook page. 

See below for a preview from the DVDs.

1.  What does your two year old need to know

2.  What does your 3 .4 year old need to know

3.  Following a Cow

4.  Starting your 3 year old in the camp