Outside Circle by Jan Swan Wood: Congrats Stirrup Ranch and Kellems, American Pharoa news, Trick riding, cutting and doggin’ clinics

January is sure marching along. As I get older, it seems that time passes much faster. When I was a kid in school I was absolutely sure that the day of my graduation and freedom would never come. Alas, it did and time has sped along at warp speed ever since. I was warned about the increasing speed of time passing by my uncle years ago. He sure was right.

The Black Hills Stock Show is peeking over the horizon at all of us. I am looking forward to many of the events, weather permitting. I’m not too keen on driving on bad roads anymore. It’s not that I can’t. I’m actually a good driver on ice. It’s all those people who can’t drive on ice and speed up to get it over with quickly that worry me. Hopefully the weather cooperates and the roads are clear and weather balmy.

First of all, congratulations to Stirrup Ranch Quarter Horses, Vale, S.D., on winning the South Dakota Quarter Horse Association’s first ever Producers of the Year award for 2015. Stirrup Ranch consists of LeRoy and Shirley Wetz, their son Dale, daughter June and her children Rowdy and Sorley. It’s a real family operation too, with the home grown horses being put to work on the ranch daily. Their broodmare band consists of mares who have proven their worth as saddle horses and their stallion battery is built of horses that can also do a day’s work on the ranch. The award was presented to them at the recent SDQHA Awards Banquet. You can find out about their program at http://www.stirrupranchqh.com.

Congratulations are also sent out to Dick and Carole Kellem, Spearfish, S.D., co-owners with Casey Humphrey, Wichita Falls, Texas, on Paleface Cartel being named APHA’s (regular registry) World Champion Two Year Old Gelding. The flashy gelding is a stakes winner and placed fourth in the Graham Paint and Appaloosa Futurity at Remington Park. He’s on track to run in the Derby in 2016. He’s by Cartel Success (QH) and out of the Suchanimage mare Mightywhite Juno (APHA). Dick and Carole are pretty tickled and it couldn’t have happened to nicer folks. They’ve been in the running horse business most of their lives and have had Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and now running Paints.

There will be a Sure Shot Acts Beginning Trick Riding clinic on Feb. 13-14 at Agar, S.D. Roz Beaton is the instructor and she is a P.R.C.A. contract act with exciting trick riding routines and daring horsemanship. Horse and saddle rental will be available, lunch served both days, and students are trained individually according to their level of experience. Horse and rider safety is stressed, plus they will cover presentation and polishing the tricks. There will also be videos and handouts available. The clinic is $400 with a $200 deposit to hold your spot. You can call for more info at 940-255-9490.

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was named the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities Longines World’s Best Racehorse Jan. 19. That was only three days after winning the Eclipse Awards as U.S. Horse of the Year and Champion Three Year Old male. I’m not surprised. He is all that a Thoroughbred can possibly be! Fast, sound, gorgeous and nice to be around describes him to a T.

There will be a SDRC cutting clinic with J.P. Bell, top 10 cutter in the world, national director and judge, at the Bar T Arena, Hartford, S.D. on April 2 – 3. Call or text Tami at 605-731-9904.

Also at the Bar T Arena, April 23-24, will be the Rope Myers Steer Wrestling clinic. Myers is the 2001 NFR Champion and nine times NFR qualifier. You can get info on this clinic from Tami too. Those clinics are sure a good way for a young person to get off on the right foot in an event and I recommend them highly.

I was driving down the road the other day and saw some very nice horses out in the pasture wearing their sturdy nylon halters. It makes me want to scream when I see that. In that pasture, besides wire and posts, were trees and some round bale feeders. Gosh, what could go wrong? I hope those nice horses and the nice people who own them never have to experience the trauma of a halter getting caught on something. A horse will usually panic and hurt or kill themselves when they get caught like that. It’s never pretty. Just take the halter off. It belongs in the barn when not in use.

Well, that’s it for this week. Be sure and send me any items you have for me to share and I’ll be happy to do it. Stay warm!