For our first outing, Burch paired horses and riders with the skill of a practiced matchmaker and showed us how to groom our mounts as a way of fostering a bond. With its emphasis on riding and hiking, the old-time ranch camp was designed, in the words of a 1932 brochure, to teach a girl "habits of action and thought. At Frijoles , we relaxed on Mission-style furniture in the lounge before we headed into the dining room to eat at big wooden tables surrounded by Wild West murals from the...

National competition last year was a really good experience, and I wanted to go back and represent our team again, she said. Its a matter of, are your boots clean? Is your hat shaped? How does your hair look? The queen horsemanship includes a couple of mandatory patterns such as flag laps and the queen run. At this weekends rodeo, she competed in the queen contest, pole bending and barrel racing. Its how well you can handle your horse in different situations, she said, adding that she was...

The success of the event, which featured riders leading their horses and guiding them as directed by judges, was immediate and the volunteer ladies group knew the show would be back this year. For spectators, it is a chance to watch the horses perform skills and compliment riders of all ages. And for the Fillies, it is a fun way to involve horse lovers and raise funds. There are amateur classes, youth classes, open and small fry - enough to keep organizers busy all day. The top three...

Young Parkes trotting driver, Nathan Townsend has just enjoyed one of the best experiences of his short career in harness racing. After charging down the rapids at the Stadium, the drivers had an introduction to the media and a special lunch, prior to the presentation of colours. He was selected after outstanding success in the past trotting season - success he is enjoying again this year. A rising star reflects on a great experience. Each driver was provided with a special set of...

Through three days of action, just three of the 25 cowboys in the Bull Riding competition have been able to survive for point-scoring, eight-second rides. The Team Ropers got the action underway with 8 three-man teams trying to catch a horse that s never been saddled, then get a saddle on, then have one brave soul get on board and try to ride this bucking beauty across the finish line and all in two minutes or less. The majority of the thousands of people in the arena competitors,...