Our second Black Hills Horse Expo was a great success! We had 11 horses participate, 20 plus humans! The only problem, it went by so quickly! Expo Story
Photo left to right Zorra, Dave, Oasis, Marissa, Buckaroo, Cowboy, Mike, Thunderhawk, Ludy, Gillian, Yuma, Edwin, Sherman, Katrena Expo Participants
"Many Ponies"  Humans - Mike Pittman, Melanie Pittman, Marissa Pittman Horses - Choctaw Cowboy, MP Oasis, MP Buckaroo - Raffle Colt "Dunsmoke"  Humans - Lucia Roda, Matthew Roda, Wyatt Roda, Gillian Roda, Shelby Roda, Tiffany Fishe,r James Davis, Leila Davis, Aspen Stover, Key & Al Stover, Katrena Carter Horses - Reno, Yuma, Thunderhawk, Rebel Wind, MP Sherman "Caballos de Destino"  Humans - Dave Reynolds Sharron Scheikofsky Horse - Zorra "Walkers Way" Humans - Donale Walker, Present in Spirit Larry Walker, deployed to Afghanistan Colton Johnson, Courtney Johnson, Cedar and Edwin Around Him Horse - Mustang Cody, will have to add his human's name later as it escapes me right now Buffalo Runner and his humans, the Suncatcher Therapeutic Riding Academy Also attending: Eddie & Aileen Glonek, Jim Wahlstrom, Neil & Kitty U'breslain

(Click on small photo for larger version) In the arena
We met an old friend at Expo, Buffalo Runner! He used to participate in parades with us, ridden by his former owner, Pam Wylie. Pam donated him to the Suncatcher Therapeutic Riders in 2004. Buffalo Runner participated in the Breed Demo, and was a member of a class of 4 aged Spanish Mustang geldings presented for judging in the Youth Horse Bowl competition.
Cedar was the hair stylist, here she gets Shelby ready to go. She also braided horse manes.
Mustang Cody and owner. They were a great addition to our group.
Courtney, Sherman, and Tiffany before Sunday's Breed Demo.
Dave and Zorra Zorra did not have extensive under saddle experience, she handled the commotion well
Thunderhawk, Gillian, Yuma, Edwin, Sherman and Katrena
Reno and Katrena Reno participated in the Breed Demo as well as Stallion Row. He was very well behaved and a credit to his owners, Lucy Roda and her mom Leila Davis. Katrina is a great horse handler
Always a crowd favorite, Lucy, Gillian, Thunderhawk
MP Oasis belonging to Marissa Pittman Sis did a great job with her colt. He was foaled July 9, 2007, he was hers from day 1. Petted and played with all summer, his halter training never started until a week before Expo. A mostly white horse is a challenge to clean up, but the paint job sure shows up well!
Reno Lots of comments on his "presence", pretty color and good manners
Reno and Katrena heading in for Sunday's Breed Demo
Shelby and Yuma get some last minute help from Dad Matt
Marissa and BHSMR Raffle Colt MP Buckaroo Buckaroo handled Expo like an old pro.
Marissa and Oasis
Mike, Cowboy and MP Buckaroo.
Heading back to barn after Breed Demo MP Buckaroo, Choctaw Cowboy, Oasis

Expo Story - by M Pittman
Expo participants - If you have comments you would like to ad, send them to me

Friday March 23
Well, after weeks of preparation, especially busy the past week, numerous phone calls to Lucy, it's Show Time! We head out for Rapid City. Weather is beautiful, much different than last year when a spring blizzard left snow and mud. Arrive in Rapid, early for once. Present horse health papers, get horses unloaded and stalled. Sis enters her art work in contest. Meet up with Matt Roda, Lucy and crew are running behind schedule, will let her tell that tale! Work on setting up inside booths. First of many trips between Expo building and horse barn! Finally Lucy arrives! She presents us with stall drapes, designed and embroidered by she and her mom, They are great! Hours of work, very professional looking! Vests for everyone too, embroidered on the backs with our Black Hills Spanish Mustang Riders Logo. We are an up town group. Finally horses are settled in for the night, we head for home, the rest to their motel rooms. We can't stay in Rapid, calving heifers requires we check in at home.

Saturday March 24
Up early and head out for Rapid City. We reach the horse barn, helper elves already have checked and cared for our horses. Finish setting up stall decorations and breed booth. Time to start cleaning on horses for first Breed Demo at 2:00. Lucy is scurrying around, she has extra duty with 5 horses, including a stallion on exhibit. But we have good help, Donale mans the inside booth much of the time, kids help everywhere (thanks to color coordinated bright yellow shirts we can all keep track of the younger ones). Cedar braids hair, horse and human. Off to stall to paint Oasis. Went pretty well for a first effort, used kids finger paint. Mike and Sis also got painted a little. Time for first Demo and they enter the arena. Everyone is nervous. But all goes well, no one falls off or gets run over! Sis is excited, she wins first place in the Youth Division of the Art Contest. Mike, Cowboy, Lucy, Thunderhawk, Katrena, Yuma, Jerry and Buffalo Pony participate in a horse judging class for the Youth Horse Bowl. Later in the day, many attend the evening presentation of Cavallo Equestrian Arts. We are heading out for home when Murphy's law showed up, a call from son Matt, bred heifers made a jail break and mixed with milking cows, made for a long evening by the time we got home, got them all corralled, sorted, and fence fixed, not a fun project in the dark! But finally made bedtime at 11:30.

Sunday March 25
How did it get to be Sunday so quickly! A beautiful spring day in SD, and for once no wind. Looks like we are all a little tired and not so spry of step, but holding up well. Breed demo gets moved up to 11:55, everyone is in place and lined up on time. Demo went very well, better idea of what its all about this second day, not so nervous both kids and horses. Lucy had another quick change of tack as Reno was presented right after. She led Reno off Thunderhawk in the stallion presentations. Reno reflected all the hours Lucy spent in getting him prepared, he behaved very well in all his activities and was a gentleman in his stall. All too soon its over and the work of taking down stall decorations and dismantling the booth begins. Horses are loaded, we say our good bys and head home, already plans for next year's Expo are in the making, well maybe after a few days recovery time!

Our heartfelt thanks to all who participated, it is hard to describe the fun we have as a group. Now on to the 50th Celebration of the SMR, our Playday activities, and a summer of fun and camaraderie riding in parades and heading down the trail.