It's Another "Boy"

Last week, Gord learned about an auction being held in Claresholm today - the Western Working Horse Sale. Gord and I love auctions but don't typically attend unless the weather doesn't have anything good in store. The only reason we decided to attend this one was because Ron Anderson was the announcer and we trusted that Ron Anderson wouldn't associate his name with a disreputable sale.

We invited some friends to make a day of if and my BFF, Sherri decided to come with us because her hubby Mark, had to work. Gord didn't really want to haul the trailer but I suggested it would be worthwhile to have it "just in case".

The best thing about an auction of this calibre, is that each horse is demonstrated prior to the auction so you get a chance to evaluate them prior to sale time.

There were 44 horses - it was the last horse that caught all our attention - a beautiful blood bay. 18 years old and a seasoned, money earning, reining horse.

Sherri and I had a chance to talk to his owner, Colin Brown, to learn more about his background and personality. We were both drawn to his lovely disposition, but it was when we saw his demonstration that I was really sold. Just prior to him coming on the auction block, Sherri and I discussed the possibility of co-owning him and how that might look.

We decided he would be a wonderful teacher for me to get a better feel for more advanced reining manouvers; and a wonderful first horse for Sherri to become more confident in the saddle. Because of his advanced training and the fact that he had earned good money in the show ring, we thought his price would likely go to $5,000.00. We agreed to bid to $4,000.00, or $2,000.00 each. Gord took care of bidding and managed to get us a great deal that Sherri and I were both more than happy with.

Needless to say, Gord won the bid - Sherri and I were thrilled.

After the sale, Sherri and I were greeted by many folks who congratulated us on getting the best horse in the sale. It gave us a lot of confidence that we weren't buying a horse that was being dumped. The owner even gave us his number and offered his assistance if there were any issues or if we just needed help to learn Dude's buttons.

In fact, I had a full circle moment when Ron Anderson approached me to say he knew the horse personally and that we were very lucky to have him. My first potential horse experience was a horse named Dollar who was boarded at Ron Anderson's facility in Springbank. Dollar was a former barrel horse who had a nasty case of heaves; and was owned by one of my co-workers. At the time, I was considering purchasing Dollar at a significantly reduced price. Even though Dollar's owner was Ron's client, I appreciated when Ron quietly said to me, "it costs just as much to board a healthy horse as it does a sick one". Although I wanted this horse (any horse) with every ounce of my being, Ron's advice steered me clear of buying Dollar.

I realize Ron has no idea how his small snippet of advice shaped my horse experience in such a positive direction. It wasn't long after that I was given Apache for free -the greatest first horse I could have had. Just thinking about Apache fills me with wonderful memories.

Dude will undoubtedly be a wonderful first horse for Sherri and he will help me become a better rider. In my opinion, these type of horses are worth their weight in gold but because of their more advanced age, folks won't consider them. My thinking is that they may not be around for long but their experience is invaluable to keeping us safe building our confidence.

My greatest wish for all my students is that they find their Apache, or Dude.

Many thanks to Ron Anderson, Apache, and the "Boys" for a horse experience that has exceeded all my "little girl" expectations.

p.s. The name "Dude" simply didn't feel right for Sherri and I. Dude's auction number was 44 and Gord happened to mention "44 Magnum". We both loved Magnum and so it is. I happen to be a huge Tom Seleck fan so for me it will always be Magnum PI!