Birds of a Feather Ride Through Thick & Thin Together
about it
13
A Behind the Scenes Look at My Sport of Kings and Cowboys Show at BreyerFest 2016
Everyone needs that special friend. You know the one. They have that camera and four foot lens that you’d never be able to afford nor figure out, and they always want to take pictures of you and your horses. My BFF is my photographer. You want to know why a photographer is so important to have around?
Performing at two prestigious events located at the Kentucky Horse Park came as a result of images of me and my horses! I’m not kidding. It’s because “a picture is worth a thousand words” — such an overused cliche, and yet it holds the truth. But let me backup and tell you from the beginning ‘cuz the story's longer than a wagon track.
Valiant and I were pleasantly invited last November to a photo shoot for a “photographer's workshop.” (Workshop? Hello, they’re pushing a button, get real!) We were to be part of something unique to be photographed, which happened to be with birds of prey, something I had never done before. I debated; I had two other events with my horses scheduled for that weekend, but fate gave me that kick in the britches I needed, and we went. That weekend I met Laurie Shumacker of Talons: A Bird Of Prey Experience and her line-up of feathered friends. Four worlds collided right there, SMACK!—Her falconry world and her birds, my horse training world and my horses.
Relationships all get tested and here came the test, all signed, sealed, and delivered. My greeting with Laurie’s Saker Falcon, Prince Ravi, started right out with a push into that proverbial purifying fire that day—sink or swim, or just burn up. This brave bird agreed to ride with me (well, sort of agreed, about like a kindergartener getting on the school bus for the first day of school) on top of the mountain showcased by autumn leaves with Valiant the Morgan horse in his regal parade saddle. It all went beautifully…at first. Riding one handed, while holding Ravi, who was tethered to my arm, and managing Valiant in the other, we cantered across the top of the knoll.
“Clickity, clickity, click,” went everyone’s cameras as we rode in front
of them. (My tongue DID want to photo bomb). As the hillside began descending downward, Ravi decided to do what birds do when they have had enough—fly away. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do that as I had him tethered to me by his jesses. All he could do was flap pretty hard, which spooked Valiant and unfortunately for me my reins were too long and I had no way to gather them up as Valiant said, “I’m outta here, too.”