Younger Folks

[thecfarm]

Bibbyman,I have enjoyed watching your "Younger Folks" grow up through the years.   ;D It was good that you both was there for them.

[Ox]

Thanks, Roxie. 

Bibbyman - I just wanted you to know that your posts have always been among my very favorites, up there with Mr. Tom's.

[Josef]

Hi Guys,

I've read this topic at least twice, and with my memory it was new both times and it reminds me why I love this forum. One day I hope to meet Lynn and Bibby and Pat and many of you wonderful folks, but until then I'll try to participate and contribute as I can.

This thread is a peach, and at 62 with three wonderful kids and 6 even more wonderful grandkids I too have lots of memories I love to share when I can. I started my professional life at sea and since I spent a lot of my time away from family I started writing a journal to be able to share with my kids to one day try to tell them where they come from.

So far much of it is unshared but waits for them to discover, parts and pieces have been shared when it was pertinent to lifetime issues, and I have noticed my kids at times reading quietly some of my 40 year old journals. They chuckle when they find themselves the center of a story, and at 38, 34 and 32, they can begin to appreciate my mindset "way back in the day".

In keeping with this thread I'll share a note from about 20 years ago.

My oldest daughter was typically the "experimental" child, she tested us, and we tried to keep up. By the time she was 15 she was a handful, knew it all and wanted to be her own boss. Headstrong like her mother and pigheaded like her dad.

We bred and showed horses as a hobby then and she had a very special relationship with our senior stallion, who was also one of the most notable stallions of his breed in the world at that time. We were at a week long county fair at the end of the season that allowed the kids to take the reins instead of the adult professionals in an environment that allowed us to wind down after a season of exhibitions and competitions. All week they waited their turn to show, and my daughter was to lead the opening ceremonies for our show.

The fair starts with the 4H show, three days of their competitions, and then the second half of the week we took over the ring to do driving and pulling competitions. Our group had their own barn adjacent to the 4H barns, and we watched for three days as they went thru their paces. We never participated in 4H because we found the "politics" of their rigid competitions a bit too fast paced for our taste, the winning drive didn't appear to be worth the cost to "pay to play" so we tried to keep it fun.

A young lady in 4H, my daughters friend, stalled her horse at the end of the 4H barn closest to us and tried very hard to compete. She had a nice little QH who she was with every minute of the day when she could. We knew the family by sight because they ran a carriage horse business out of their family farm, took great care of their horses and were good folks. This young lady was the same age as my daughter and they struck up a friendship over the years at horse events.

The family wasn't very well off, struggling to make ends meet while trying to hang on to the family farm, so their budget for show gear was pretty much none existent. Almost all her show clothes her mother made, her saddle was second hand, bridle quite well worn, but it was all neat, clean and cared for. The kids she more often than not competed against had thousand dollar saddles, 10K horses, and full time trainers for their horses and always seemed to get those coveted ribbons.

This young lady, for all her effort and quite good riding ability always stayed in the back of the field, but every time she left the ring she hugged her horse and let him know that he was number one to her.

The show days for her for the week were about over and the opening ceremonies for our group were to begin that afternoon. My daughter said her friend was pretty depressed that it seemed that for all her efforts she was destined for mediocrity, so many of the stalls in the row had ribbons fluttering in the breezes but hers was conspicuously bare, and spent the morning crying about it (I have since found that girls at that age can bottle up the teasing and mocking they endure until one day it surfaces and how it's handled by the adults in the room can be critical).

That kid who I thought I knew so well, my daughter, asked me something I sometimes still can't get my head around, she asked if her friend could ride her horse (my stallion) in the opening ceremonies leading the parade carrying the American flag. It about floored me.

Understand, this stallion is one in a million, was the star of the fair, gathered more visitors than any other animal there, and had fans that scheduled their trip to the fair to see him. All this attention my daughter soaked up as she was his full time handler and rider at the fair. They were home town rock stars.

And here she was willing to give up her spotlight to a friend who needed the boost. You should have seen the crowd when her friend rode out into the arena and all her "friends" realized that she was riding the horse they all coveted to ride. My daughter was pacing her about 4 feet away out of view and stayed with them at the walk around the arena and to the center line up for pictures and she was beaming as wide as her friend was on the horse she loved so much.

My heart was in my throat, and proud was an understatement. Since that day they have gone on to do great things and one more time in their riding adventures many years later she would once again give up her seat to another because her abilities were better suited to handle the stallion of another rider in a performance troupe (night time performance in total darkness with 8 stallions wearing lights at the premier dressage competition in the country) where her own stallion could ride the performance without guidance.

But that day many years ago at 15 she showed me a side of herself I didn't know was there and I knew that she'd make it in life. She and her wonderful husband have given us two phenomenal grandkids and the adventure continues. Oh the tales I can tell.

Proud, you bet. Please keep sharing, this reminiscing reminds me of all the good in the world and judging from what you've shared you all have every right to be proud as well.

All the best to you and yours,

Joe

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Thanks for sharing your story Joe. Amazing. Blessings to your family. 

[Ox]

What a fantastic story.  It makes me realize what a better person can see and think.  Quite humbling.  Excellent story, thanks for sharing it.

[sandhills]

Thank you for sharing that, my 15 year old daughter has a 28 year old mare that taught her how to ride and now she lets the neighbor kids use her for shows so they can learn too, believe me I know the feeling of pride  ;).  She still gets mad at me when I use her for cattle work though, but I'm old and frail enough she's the only one I trust  :D.  Sadly we just lost a colt that was to be Rylie's, I truly believe he would have been one in a million.  This is Rylie and her old mare Diamond a couple years ago.


 

[Chuck White]

Looks like a nice combination, Pat.   

[Josef]

Kids and horses, matches made in heaven. What a beautiful pair they are. It's amazing the bond that develops between horsey kids and horses, old souls taking young ones under their wings.

Joe

[Roxie]

Thanks for bringing this back up, and sharing the girls stories.  "We sure could use a little good news today."   

[sandhills]

I agree Roxie, thanks Josef.  We have our first show this Sunday and unless it rains I'll probably have to miss it, I love this one too because it's in a small town out in the sandhills with nothing but a bunch of ranch kids with their ranch horses, not the 50000 dollar trailers pulling up with 20000 dollar horses inside with the trainer, then showing some kid how to ride before they load it back up so they can take it back with them.  This show really is a lot of fun for everyone and the judges spend more time helping the kids learn then they do judging them.  Makes us feel a little better when we show up with our rusty stock trailers filled with 500 dollar horses, last year they asked "are you coming back next year, you doubled our contestants!" (my daughter, nieces, and nephew, plus a neighbor or two) :D.  Absolutely, I really hope I can make it and get some pictures for you all.

[Josef]

Thanks Dave, Ox and Roxie. I agree, in the world today we should look to more "good news" when ever we can, it's all way too easy to dwell on the negative and fall into the allure of the sensational.

We hosted a youth camp for horse kids for many summers (a while ago) opened it to any kid who could get here, no cost, no fees, just 4 days of total equine immersion. The TV got shut off at the start, all computer games were restricted to "after hours" and we had a ball! Sleeping bags everywhere, adult mentors got the cots and couches, horses were donated, and everyone was exhausted at the end of the day. Had excellent trainers (professionals who donated their time) and the kids got instructed in grooming, riding, driving and even pulling logs, they practiced a routine for a ridden demo and rode for their parents at the end of the weekend. I got to cook for about 40 at each camp, and we ate well, played hard, and slept like logs. The general consensus was that the adults got way more out of the weekend than the kids, or at least we thought so.

Pat, I envy you your time with your kids and their horses, we're downsizing, the kids have moved farther away but I remember those days with fond memories. Lots of miles, lots of work and the most fun I ever had. I remember a question at one of our exhibitions from a young parent, why would we go to all this work and effort, my answer, I get to spend a long weekend with my kids doing something we all love, with horses that mean more to them than some people, where they are in the spotlight and on top of the world, why wouldn't I do this?

Enjoy these times, they pass all too quickly,

Joe

[sawguy21]

You guys are building wonderful memories for everyone involved and helping those kids fuel their passions.  8) 8)
My niece's 6 year old told her he had a bad dream, they were at a wedding and mom was standing with him near the bride. When she asked what was so bad about that he replied "KISSING" :D

[Magicman]

Thank you guys for sharing a bit of your daughter's hearts.  Enjoy them and cherish the memories.   

[Bibbyman]

I can't believe you guys are still adding to this old topic.  116 thousand plus reads. I just went back and read the first 6 pages. 

What jogged my memory was a text conversation with Brooke's new husband J D.   They have been married a little over a year and now live in  Okey, Oklahoma.  She is finishing up her senior year of high school and works part time at some ice cream place. He works at ACME making fans. I'm sure they are on a tight budget.  J D commented that they went BIG grocery shopping the other day and it made Brooke happy.

His comment brought up to memory Brooke's grocery list of years ago.



 

STRAWBERRIES
WHIP CREAM
BISCUTS
SPUGETI
SOSAGO
TOMATOSOSE
HAM
BENSE
CORNBERAD
FRID POTATO
GORLIC BRAD
PORK
EVOO
ZICENY
BOTTOR
FLEWOR
EGGS

[coxy]

WOW just read the hole 30 pages of this for the first time it was great wish I would have done it sooner how time does fly ill have to dig up some pics of my 2 girls  thanks for posting all the events that  every one went through 

[sawguy21]

My niece's 7 year old "Can you get my backpack from the quad?"
Mom (laughing) "No"
Him "What does a kid have to do to get his parent's help around here, get his leg chewed off by a grizzly or something?" So dramatic  :D

[Bibbyman]

http://youtu.be/AOchsKPLfR0

We met son Gabe, granddaughter Alex and 8 month old great-grandson Eli at Cracker barrel yesterday for breakfast.   Alex was feeding Eli yogurt.   I suggested she slip him some grits.  I didn't have my phone ready to catch his first reaction.   

[coxy]

awww poor thing making him eat grits  8) 8)

[WDH]

He likes them!   :D

[Roxie]

Alex has grown!      Eli is adorable.   

[Bibbyman]

Alex has grown!      Eli is adorable.   

After Eli was born I was exchanging text messages with Alex.   I asked if Eli was ok.  She replied, "Grandpa,  he's perfict.".  A few days later we were exchanging text messages and I asked if Eli was still perfect.  She said, "Yes, but he's started pooping.". 

[Roxie]

 :D :D

[newoodguy78]

Bibbyman that is classic  :D :D

[WDH]

Grits can keep you regular. 

[thecfarm]

Pepperoni pizza will do that too.