AstroGypsies

I was pretty pumped yesterday, Perth Fair. In our day when we ran the Hunter Horse Show there it was the highlight for the local kids and adults who participated, a chance to show off the skills they had learned at the barn, on their favourite steed and for surrounding barns it was close by, easy to trailer to, you could go back and forth to get all the kids and horses there, and the entry fees were low! It took weeks of planning and a few 5 am morning starts to get things organized. Getting the jumps, begging and borrowing what we didn’t have at Ranyhyn Farm. A visit to the local florist/nursery for dozens of mums to put in and around the jumps. Corn stalks from the neighbour to cover up the less than pretty jumps. Making up the courses, then Saturday, setting up, measuring the lines, filling the gift bags…work, yes, but the looks on those kids faces when they got a ribbon and a bag full of prizes from the many generous sponsors! Priceless:)

Kylie and Phoenix-these were awesome prizes these coolers!

The busy trailer!

Esther and Dusty:)

I usually got a chance on Saturday during setting up to catch the breed show going on the ring next door. Always a beautiful parade of Arabians and American Saddlebreds, Hackney ponies and roadsters so to get to spend a few hours there was going to be a treat.

I was shocked, classes with only one or two horses. It seemed empty, and it was an incredible sunny day. What happened? I know the Arabs and Saddlebreds are not easy rides but there were no kids almost at all. A lead line class with…two kids. I was really disappointed to say the least. I knew Sunday and the heavy horses was going to be in the rain so this was it:(

American Saddlebred entering the ring

Like a brides train, that is how they keep these tails long. They are braided and only let down for shows!

Arab Costume class

Gaited Horse class

Lead line cutie

I can not profess to be at all knowledgable about these classes but it had an air of sadness about them, faded glory, no kids or teenagers participating. After showing for many years, in the hunter classes and then dressage, having your horse go around the ring with its mouth wide open fighting the bit landed you in last place…something tells me at the upper echelons of these Breed Shows this doesn’t go on but it was a bit alarming for me. I saw one horse willingly go around listening to his rider but he lost out to the fancy tailed horse that had its mouth wide open the entire time. These are big bits they are using, not exactly snaffles here. Maybe I need to learn more but not really sure I want to.

Roadster class

Hackney Class

Show your pony!

These horses actually do quite well if can imagine the ruckus going on. Fair rides and music, the Tractor Pull was going on and the Lawnmowers racers were warming and revving up their engines, it is amazing any of these horses aren’t having nervous breakdowns;)

At the lunch break we headed over to the rides and agricultural tent…loved the play with your food exhibit;) my mother always told me I wasn’t allowed to;) There were the standard bored carnies, too early on Saturday to waste your breath yelling ” step right up!”…”everyone’s a winner”. I can always figure out the latest animated movie craze by the stuffed animals being given away. Koalas and unicorns seemed big this year;)

I was never allowed to play with MY food!:)

Not much air in the balloons, that is the trick, the dart bounces off;)

Is he trying to emulate the pig I want to know;)

Waiting for the crowds

What these Fairs are all about!

They must have been containing their enthusiasm for the Saturday night crowds;) We wandered through the Agricultural tent and the chicken and bird exhibits by the petting zoo, hard to resist miniature baby foals and donkeys, always a favourite:) we could have stayed for the demolition derby and eaten some bad fair food but a day such as it was, sunny, no wind, was begging for a canoe ride on the lake so we left early and headed out for a paddle.

Beautiful lily pads and changing colours

Groot is getting bold;)

Now what a way to end a beautiful day! Groot was getting a bit bold, sitting on the front of the canoe as we were paddling. Usually he waits until we pull up beside the dock to carefully climb out but not this time, he decided a few feet out that, well, he’s a strong strapping cat, why not gracefully JUMP to the dock. He had not been taught Newton’s third law sadly,  for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If you push off as you are jumping, the canoe will move away from you, therefore extending the span you have to jump…yup…kerplunk…into the lake he landed, I didn’t laugh, at first, just grabbed him by his harness as he swam towards the dock and hefted him up, he is a two armed kitty now folks, big boy. He looked extremely dejected especially after a toweling off but half an hour later was playing with a feather we’d found floating as we were paddling. Hopefully the swim will be forgotten, we’ll see at the next canoe ride!

Enjoy these last days of summer folks and see you soon. We may try to get to the Renfrew Fair this week to see the heavy horse show after all!