Last Day in Tucson Just Horsin' Around

Sunday was my last day at the Pima County Fairground and by then the dogs and I had walked past the RV's in the RV show multiple times.  So on Sunday Audrey and Lark took their morning walk around both the horse shows venues and then later agreed to wait in the rig while I went back over to catch a few photos to share.

First was the Hunter Jumper show which was finishing up Sunday with their big finals. The Grand Prix class was finishing up in the afternoon. This being the West rather than the East or Midwest Guess I should not have been surprised that the entries over all were small.  The big Grand Prix class had the most with twelve entries had. 

Walking through the barns earlier in the week the visual differences in the athletes was already  apparent.  Most of the hunter/jumpers seem a good two hands taller than the quarter horses.  Then as you watch how differently they use their bodies it is self explanatory.

High

and Broad....

And the landing makes my ankles ache just watching.

Some hobbies never really change.   A pile of dirt can still keep the kids occupied while the grown ups take care of their mounts and/or watch the events.

I think this exhibitor was German or Austrian.....

And over in the practice ring.  They started with a lower jump height and then raised the poles and increased the width.

The lower initial jumps.

These people have people to help with the animals at this caliber.

Then I wandered back to the arena and the National Team Penning Competition.  Earlier in my stay I had watched a few minutes of the three member teams.  On Sunday I watch the finals of the two member teams.    The patterns and strategies were easier for me to watch.  (I thought of Martha and her late Harold.  Harold trained cutting horses.   And Martha said, back in the day, the two of them could move an entire herd by themselves.)   

There were many more horses and people watching the competitions in the arena.   The waiting area of the arena, at least on the outer rim, was lined with quiet, patient horses waiting for either their people or their next event.

Just hanging around waiting.

Each team worked 10 plus steers.  They had numbers on their back with a couple extra left at the end. The announcer called out a number between 1 and 10 and that was the steer that the team had to cut out first and send into the second pen.   From that number they had to cut out each successive  number. After reaching 9 they started back at 0 and sorted the remaining numbered steers one at a time through the opening into the second pen.  With the un-numbered steers included in the initial ring/herd, even towards the end of the exercise the contestants still had steers that had to be blocked  and by then some of the steers were really concentrating on getting with their buddies in the second pen.

Hopefully you might be able to notice how the riders and horses take turns cutting out the next steer and driving that animal toward the pen while the other horse and rider stay busy blocking the remaining cattle from running into the pen until it is their numerical  turn.

Most of the riders would turned their attention back to the next job as soon as they saw the steer they were driving commit to the second pen.

Then the "driver" becomes the gate guarder while the second member of the team has already spotted the next steer and horse and rider are off to cut them out of the herd.

Blocking

Blocking

Blocking. Blocking.

Blocking

Until it was time to switch positions and jobs.

And she looks to immediately switch up her role and

block the pen from the steers not carrying the next number.

And the family and friends just watched and waited.   The calmness and temperaments of the horses were impressive.   But once on the job they were all alert with muscles, movement and agility moves. 

Not your turn.

No really, not your turn.

Are you not paying attention. Not your turn, yet.  Look this horse in the eye and tell him you didn't see him the first time.  Now get back there and wait until your number comes next and we cut you out and drive you over.   It's your friend on the lefts turn.

And we are the lucky ones that get to take turns getting pushed around by the horses.  We get to rest so we can behave with abundant energy for the next team.

We are in Sedona as of Monday afternoon.  The camera is full of today's pictures but they might not get looked at until Thursday.  It might rain on Thursday and until then there are too many things to see and do around here.   More later.