Equine
A Horse for Every Hero- Part 2
By contributing writer Martin Aldridge
Over the years Morgan helped out any way she could, helping start the Peer 2 Peer support group at SpiritHorse and with special events at the Ballpark in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium, numerous barbeques, and face paintings and piñatas for any event involving kids, says Wayne. But veterans sometimes need to help themselves, so when Morgan called and said, “I need to ride” after having a particularly bad day, Wayne went and asked the owner if she could.
Usually a volunteer is not allowed to ride until they receive proper training, but all the owner said when Wayne explained the situation to him was, “Go saddle up Zen.”
The big Friesian was the horse Merissa had bonded with most. “Zen would just drop his head and pull you in,” says Wayne. “(Horses) can sense your feelings and they just have such a wonderful way of calming you down.”
SpiritHorse was founded in Corinth over a decade ago by Charles Fletcher with the goal to provide therapeutic riding for individuals with special needs, all at no cost. Fletcher, a lifelong horseman who has over 50-years’ experience in training and showing a variety of horses in a variety of events, is a big believer in the ability of horses to change people’s lives. There are now about 80 SpiritHorse facilities located in North America, Europe, South America, and Africa.
Fletcher, who founded the Center after he retired, also specializes in rehabilitating abused horses. Such was the case with two Hanoverians from Germany, the aforementioned Rossini and a mare called Zoe. Both horses would have a profound impact on Wayne. To read more pick up the July 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
By Krista Lucas Wynn
The annual Windy Ryon roping was held on Memorial weekend, May 24-26, 2024. The bucket list event, in Saginaw, Texas, featured exciting competition in team roping, breakaway roping, tie down roping, steer roping, and team tying. Miraculously, the weather did not play much of a factor in the arena conditions, and it was a fun time had by all.
The three days of competition was the 50th year for the Windy Ryon, named after the cowboy businessman who founded Ryon’s Saddle Shop and Western Store, located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. The arena is conveniently just 10 minutes from the Stockyards, giving fans a full day of western activities. The weekend kicked off Friday, May 24, with an open breakaway roping, women’s team roping and open team roping.
To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Savannah Magoteaux
In April, reining horse enthusiasts from across the country and around the globe traveled to Tulsa, Okla., for the National Reining Breeders Classic. The event, one of the largest in the reining industry, made its move to Tulsa in 2023, after more than two decades in Katy, Texas. The move was lucrative, and the event set multiple records, prompting the NRBC Board of Directors to expand the event to 12 days.
When the spin was spun and the final slide slid, the event had awarded more than $1.7 million in prize money alone, plus countless prizes that would fill two rooms – that’s not including the two trophy trailers presented to the Open and Non Pro Champions. The NRBC will return to Tulsa April 15-26, 2025.
Weatherford’s Casey Deary Wins Open Championship on Down Right Amazing
Scores started out high in the NRBC Open Finals and continued to build through the evening, along with the anticipation of the crowd, all waiting for that big run to topple all the previous scores. That ride came to rapturous applause as Casey Deary and Down Right Amazing rode out of the arena to the sound of “The Circle of Life,” the song denoting a new high score at the NRBC.
To read more, pick up a copy of the June issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Krista Lucas Wynn
As female sports come under fire in 2024, the same can not be said for the sport of rodeo. The western industry is not short of talented, strong cowgirls. The Women’s Rodeo World Championship, presented by the World Champions Rodeo Alliance and the Professional Bull Riders, is the world’s richest women’s rodeo with a guaranteed payout of $750,000.
The week-long event showcases women competing in barrel racing, breakaway roping and team roping. The WRWC is the culmination of professionals and challengers alike who have qualified by a point system, held May 13-18 at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, and the championship round is at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Competitors are nominated at any event throughout the year to earn points leading up to the WRWC.
To read more, pick up a copy of the June issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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