Monday, July 31, 2006

NCHA Summer Spectacular Open Finals

After the sales I moved on to the Finals of the NCHA Summer Spectacular. I decided to feature the winner and reserve for the Open. The cows were quite difficult and all had many challenges in picking out their cows and separating them from the herd. Often two would marry up making it hard to hold which ever cow was
finally chosen for the cut. Eddie Flynn rode Stylish Baby Doll (SR Instant Choice x Stylish Oak Susie by Doc's Oak) to the championship with a score of 220.5. Walton's Rocking W Ranch, Inc is the owner of this mare. She was also in the Open Top 5 of the 2006 Super Stakes.
Paul Hansma and Sister CD (CD Olena x Little Babysitter by Dual Pep) were the Reserve Champions with a score of 218.5. Sister CD (gelding) is owned by Skip Queen and was also the 2006 Super Stakes Open Co-Champion.
These photos were taken from high above the working area in the bleachers. The point of view is from the back of the working area. Typically cutting photos are taken from the front at a level even with the chest of the horse. Since the area under the judges stand is where photos are typically taken, and this area was chock full of photographers, videographers (HorseTV) and Media from nearly every magazine featuring cutting, I have decided to not even attempt to shoot from there, but rather shoot from a different point of view.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Summer Spectacular Sales was a great success

The Western Bloodstock Summer Sales held in conjunction with the NCHA Summer Spectacular Cutting Horse Show in Ft Worth was a great success. The first Day was primarily 2 and 3yo colts and fillies which had been started. Most were demonstrated on cows as they sold. The 2nd and 3rd Days were primarily yearlings and mares (some with foals. Don Green (on left) and Steve Friskup were the Auctioneers.The ring men were there to help communicate the bids from the crowd to the auctioneer. The ring man on right is using hand signals to communicate with the bidder. The auctioneer "sings" out the current price and the ringman watches the crowd for bids. When he spots a bidder he shouts to the auctioneer the price of the offer. When a sale is complete the Auctioneer will say the name of the ringman who communicated the successful bid. As a sale proceeds a handler will lead the horse around the ring setting him up so that all
potential buyers can see. An announcer and pedigree man will stop the auctioneer from time to time with updates about the family line of the horse and the performance records of the family. He will also note any information that might have bearing on the soundness of the horse for performance or breeding.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Summer Spectacular Sales

Tomorrow I am on my way to the Ft Worth for the Summer Spectacular Sale at the Watt Arena and Justin Sales Ring. This year the first day of sales will be held at the Watt Arena with horses being sold as they are shown. Included in this day of sales will be the 2nd annual Waggoner Roundup of 3 and 2yo Buyer Choice Pairs. The photo to the left is of Peppy Playgun being shown during the 2005 Summer Spectacular Western Bloodstock Sale. The following two days of sales will be held in the Justin Sales Ring with production sales of weanlings, yearlings, 2yo, broodmares, and stallions. The Saturday session will include an offering of Buyers Choice Yearlings and Select Broodmares (2065-2081) from the Double Dove Ranch. The charcoal drawing to the right is of the Futurity Breeders Select Sale in the Justin Sales Ring.

Friday, July 21, 2006

From the Sketchbook

These sketches were drawn at two different times. The foal was drawn last evening from a photograph I took during a recent client advertising project. The foal is a red roan but drawing does not show the roan characteristics. The thumbnail above is a reining slide that I just quickly sketched out for a friend the week before.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Stir Fry For Supper

This vegetable stirfry pretty much invented itself. I started by cutting a rutabaga into strips and cooking garlic and ginger root in a skillet with olive oil. I added the rutabaga and mini carrots to the skillet and cooked them til nearly soft and then added sliced yellow squash. I then remembered I had some baby spinach that was passed the salad stage, so I added that too. I continued cooking til it was ready and the served with my baked Talapia.

Ranch Photography: 2006 Foals

Yesterday morning I drove out to Texas Rock Ranch and photographed four of the 2006 foals. I have photographed foals at my brothers ranch and was wondering how it would be photographing foals who did not know me, but all foals are pretty much the same. There are some that want to get right up in your face to see what you are up to, and others that keep a good safe distance. What is most fun is when they finally get used to me and go back to playing with each other. I was afraid the heat would be oppressive and the foals would not be active, but they were quite active and playing much of the time I was there.

Monday, July 17, 2006

2006 Foals in Mid July


Sunday evening I spent about a half hour photographing the two Doc O Lena Twist foals (again). The two foals are a colt and filly. They are now hanging out together, but the colt does get to be a pest after a while. Click in this Gallery to see the best images.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Eight o'clock Charlene

I have been working at the ranch for the last 6 days, and rarely got home before 9pm, which is why I have not posted very much. After the days work I often ride my horse, or walk down the hill. During these trips over the last month or so I noticed that at about 8 o'clock every evening a skunk found hunting grounds under the trees at the bottom of the hill. This skunk never took notice of anyone, horse or man except a few times when we surprised each other during a horse ride. I backed off and the skunk made his way back to his home. Today I went down the hill with specific plans to get a photo of this skunk. I started down the hill about 7:45 and when I reached the area where I had seen the skunk yesterday, I saw no signs of her. As an alternative I went to the horse pasture and spent a while photographing the foals some more. About 8:15 I looked over the fence and saw that the skunk had arrived. I stopped my horse photography for a bit and went over the fence and photographed the skunk.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Weekend Rose Country Cutting Horse Show

The Rose Country Cutting Horse show was a success with folks coming to try out the new dirt. The weather was quite hot for man and horse. It was a bit cooler outside in the breeze than inside the arena (oven). This time I photographed all or part of the $10,000NH,Youth/Medal, $50,000,$20,000,$2500 LR, with a few other special request images in the $3,000 and 1,000 NH classes. You can view the images from Saturday's show Here. If you are ordering it is best to go through my Americascutter.com website.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Penne Pasta with Tomatoes, Mushrooms and mozzarella

This is just the spinach salad with Asiago Caesar Dressing.
Click to see a pictorial representation of the preparation of Friday Night's supper.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Sketching in the Galleries with Takako Tenabe

Thursday evening we started a new month of sketching in the galleries with Takako Tenabe. Our assignment was to draw all or part of an Indian Shrine of silver and wood. This shrine as extremely detailed and presented sensory overload. How was I to draw such a complex sculpture? I started with a one corner of the shrine, drawing the shapes of elephants and riders and the columns which they supported. There was considerable perspective to consider. Detail was added with Marks suggesting the complex patterns stamped into the silver. As I draw I noticed another sketching student on the opposite side of this shrine and added her to the drawing. At the conclusion of the class I asked Takako why she had chosen such a complex subject for us to draw. She told me that was to help us see detail. If we had chosen a more familiar and simple subject such as a bench and cushion. We might have seen the general shape and structure of the bench, but have been blinded by familiarity and unable to show the subtle texture of the cushions and wood frame. In choosing a complex subject as the shrine we would be forced to confront the detail and find a way to draw this texture.

July the 4th

I spent the 4th and 5th of July working at the ranch. Duties included sweeping the pool (in order to finish the plaster surfaces), landscaping the area around the pool. There were also ordinary ranch duties such as watering and taking care of the horses and grounds maintaining. While filling the water troughs in the lower pasture, I always enjoy visiting with the yearlings and foals in the bottom pasture. The older foal (nearly weanling) filly is like my shadow when I am in her pasture. She loves the withers and butt rubs but still prefers I not get close to her ears or legs. With time I will be able to pick both feet up.

APHA Showcase Sale 2006

It has been a bit since I have been able to post to this blog. This has been a busy week. I started the this month last Saturday at the APHA Showcase sale in Ft Worth. 83 horses were in the catalog, all but a handful went through the sale, and at the end four APHA champions were added. The final horse in the sale was a colt started before the sale as part of a horsemanship clinic by Chris Cox. This is a new venue for the APHA Showcase sale. Western Bloodstock, Inc., produced this sale in the style they use for the NCHA Cutting Horse Sales at the W.R. Watt Arena. Consignors have an opportunity to demonstrate their sale horses in the arena as they sell. The photo shows Clint Haverty demonstrating Fancy Like a Diamond and his reining slide.