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Outside Circle by Jan Swan Wood: Dadblamed SB 541 passes, horse and buggy fun, clinics and schools, horse sales, chicken roping

The weather has sure warmed up. It’s 90 degrees as I write this. The last time it was this warm was the Monday before the Atlas blizzard in October and it was 92 degrees. It has been a long winter and spring was sure welcome. Summer could have held off a little longer, as I was sure enjoying spring. We’re needing a little rain right here, but understand others have had more than enough. I think the “weird weather” is the new normal, don’t you?

The bill S 541 to ban the inspection of horse slaughter facilities passed in committee on an 18 -12 vote, despite Senator Mike Johannns’ (R-Neb.) bitter opposition to it. My guess is that Johanns is from the only state that this really has an impact on that is on the committee. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) is the sponsor of the bill and says that slaughter is wrong because most of the horses sent to slaughter are young and perfectly useful. She is obviously an expert on equine behavior and would know. She probably also believes in unicorns. So, keep the pressure on by calling any and all Senators about this terrible bill and encourage them firmly but politely to oppose the ban on inspectors.

Sunday Drivers, a Black Hills area equine driving group, will be hosting some drives/rides this summer. The schedule is – June 6-8: Fairburn Agate Beds; June 21: Custer area; July 12: Pringle; and August 6: Good Ol’ Days Driving Event at the fairgrounds at Hermosa. You can contact Rob Hunsaker to learn times and exact locations at 605-255-4740 or 605-431-1643.



Bill Hackett and Company are holding a clinic called “Ancient Wisdom Meets Common Sense Horsemanship” on June 11-12. It will feature Dr. Ragan Golob, veterinarian, chiropractor (human and horse), acupuncturist, and bio-energy specialist. The clinic will cover applied kinesiology techniques, nutritional and organ evaluation, reflex points, parasite and ulcer detection and remedies, how to move energy blockages, feeding practices and more. It will be held outside of Billings, Mont., at the Gary Crowder arena and will run from 8-4 each day. The cost is only $125. Call Bill Hackett at 307-682-3959 or send your check to him to hold your spot in the clinic to: 1048 Bittercreek Rd, Recluse, WY 82725.

The Cowgirl Style Barrel Race will be at Gollihers Arena June 14-15. Pre-entries are due June 7, Call 605-642-5363 for info.



If barrels aren’t your thing, there will be a Chicken Roping June 14 at Dewey’s Place, Moorcroft, WY. You can enter at 3, rope at 4, and can enter up to 20 times. It’s only $5/person to enter, no mention of a stock charge, and the winner will score a beautiful Maynard buckle. Should be a hoot to watch!

The 5th Annual Full House Elite Performance Horse Sale will be held at the Weston County fairgrounds in Newcastle, WY. The event kicks off with a Tyler Magnus team roping clinic June 16-18, then on Friday, June 20 there will be a Brent Lewis calf roping demonstration, a Tyler Magnus team roping demonstration, a ranch horse competition, a BBQ and a preview of the sale horses at 5 pm. On Saturday, June 21, the preview of the sale horse will be at 9 a.m. and the sale at 1 p.m. Looks like a poppin’ good set of real using horses are being offered as usual. For info call Craig Devereaux at 307-746-2317, Jill Pischke at 307-746-9477 or Frank Thompson at 307-421-1528. You can also go to the website at http://www.fullhousehorsesale.com.

On July 7-11 there will be an Equine Sports Therapy Certification school at Top Performance Equine Sports Therapy Center at Piedmont, S.D. For more info, call 605-484-2288.

On a slightly grim note, having viewed the obituaries of several young people with young families in the past few weeks, I encourage everyone to get some sort of life insurance lined up, if only enough for the cost of a funeral. The financial burden of paying for a funeral added on to the emotional trauma of losing a loved one, is just about more than a family can bear. I’m not selling insurance, mind you, but am trying to help you help your family. Both men and women should be addressing this. A $10,000 policy doesn’t cost very much and most can be added to as finances allow. For the sake of your loved ones, just do it.

Don’t forget to watch the Belmont Stakes for the chance to see California Chrome take the Triple Crown on June 7! You know I’ll be watching!