Kenda Lenseigne breaks another record

Champion cowboy mounted shooter Kenda Lenseigne won the Reserve Overall Cowgirl spot at the Eastern US Championship. Despite that she missed one target in the first round, she fought hard and came back to win her division along with this title. She also broke her own world record that she and champion horse, Justin, set last year. She broke the record by 1/100 of a second! Way to go Kenda!

Check out the Circle Y 2401 Flex2 mounted shooter saddle she rides made specifically for this event.

Hotter Than Hallettsville

Last weekend there was a Cowboy Mounted Shooting event in Hallettsville, which is about 15 miles from here, put on by the Gulf Coast Mounted Shooters. Friday night they had a beginner mounted shooting clinic so Amy and I decided to take our horses and go. She took her gray mare Fancy and I took Copper. My husband joined us and he actually rode Copper and I rode a great, well-broke gelding of Tina's. We were the only 3 there with horses so we got to ride through some patterns-without guns of course-and get a feel for it. The main person who worked with us was John Guido, a level 5 champion shooter. He explained the class divisions, how to approach the patterns, how to get your horse used to gunfire, and a lot of other topics. We never shot off our horses, but being able to ride through the patterns really helped with what he was telling us. There are 53 patterns that can be chosen so I don't think this will ever get boring. Once we finished the under saddle portion, we tied our horses and went to the other end of the arena where we got a lesson on the guns. Lisa, of the Gulf Coast Mounted Shooters, explained this portion. Shooters use .45 revolver pistols and there are specific rules of gun requirements. They shoot five black powder blanks that are similar to a shot gun shell effect. Once fired, the blank spreads so the optimum range to be from the balloons is 5-6 feet. We got conflicting info from Chris and Lisa about this, so I guess when we start practicing we'll see what works. Lisa strapped on the holsters, after a thorough gun safety lesson, and we got to fire 5 shots walking shooting the balloons and pretending to hold reins with the other hand. This is why it's so critical your horse neck reins and listens really well because you have to fire the gun, do a gun change, and steer your horse. It was a lot to take in but we got a great introduction to the sport. What's really cool about the whole experience is even my husband was talking about doing this when we left. He isn't a horse nut like myself, but by the end of this evening, he was wanting to get into it. The next morning he was scouting the internet for guns and holsters! Then on Sunday we had to go try a new horse for him which is monumental to say the least! Didn't work out with the horse so the search continues. I can say we have definitely found a new sport to get into. They encourage family participation and safety is always the first and foremost priority. For the children, who are called little Wranglers, they get to walk the pattern on foot and dry fire to begin with. Then when they are older they ride the pattern but still dry fire. Then, when they are a certain age (not sure of the exact rules) they can ride and shoot off their horses. So, it really is a sport the whole family will enjoy.

First Time Saddling Tip

Here's a Julie Goodnight tip on how to properly saddle a horse for the first time.
Tip for First Saddling - When saddling a young horse for the first few times, it pays to be extra careful so as to prevent needless mistakes that can cause problems for a long time. If in the process of saddling, the saddle should slip and fall off the horse or slip underneath his belly from too loose a cinch, it could scare your young horse badly—a fright that he’ll remember for some time to come. As you saddle, never leave the saddle sitting unsecured on the horse—even for a moment. Always keep one hand on the saddle with a good grip on it so that if something were to happen, you could pull the saddle off without frightening the horse. Make sure the girth or cinch is tightened adequately to prevent the saddle from rolling. Often young horses withers are not fully developed and pronounced and their youthful figure can make it easy for the saddle to slip. Take all precautions to prevent saddle slippage, even tightening the girth several times during the session.

Julie Goodnight: ID your Horse

Julie Goodnight explains a quick tip to identify your horse in case of an unscheduled dismount on a long trail ride. This way if a good samaritan comes across your horse, he/she will have your information to return him.

Angled Rear Dee Rigging Explained with Julie Goodnight

On certain trail saddles, Circle Y has an angled rear dee with the in-skirt front rigging. Not all of the trail saddles have this rigging, but for this type it's imperative that the saddle is rigged correctly for you and your horse's safety. It's a great option for trail riders that frequently ride through rough and varied terrain. Our Team of Champions member, Julie Goodnight, explains how to use this rigging correctly. Be sure to rig your horse the same on both sides!

Sunday Trail Ride

Several of us here in the office went on the annual church trail ride/picnic Sunday. We ride in the ditches for those 7 miles so it's not a real scenic experience but fun nonetheless. In my previous post you got to meet some of our horses and these are the ones we took on the trail ride. An addition to our group is Donna, our Tack Production Supervisor, and she rode Buddy; Tina rode a cute little gray Quarter horse she is training; I rode Copper; and Amy rode Fancy. Amy also had her favorite horse of all time, Boomerang, which she ponied so her young daughter could ride. Boomerang will be 25 in September and is now teaching the second generation of children to ride. What a guy…

I am pleased to say Copper was a perfect gentleman not spooking at anything! He walked along, looked alert, and paid no attention to trucks whizzing by, flags flying, the teams of mules, or anything else except me. It was fantastic being able to visit with the girls and trust my horse too. He is mischievous and among several of the breaks during the ride he would pull the end of the rein into his mouth, hold it for a minute, and then turn around and look at me like-c’mon let’s get going! This is a habit I do not want escalating! He gets bored easily and is quick to entertain himself.

Several of the husbands would drive along slowly with their hazards on to keep an eye on us and get us cold drinks. They also had some fun driving up the trucks and trailers to the church. One older truck they drove up had to be started with a screwdriver! I appreciate this very much since my husband is not horse crazed like myself. This was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning riding and visiting in the hot summer sun.

Horses of Circle Y

I thought I would showcase some of the horses that are owned and loved by several of us at Circle Y. Some of us ladies got together the other night to ride, which we try to do about once a week, and I snapped some pics of our faithful companions. These are also a few of the horses we try trees on, test new saddle designs, or try new tack.

The bay Quarter horse belongs to Tina, our Purchasing Agent, and is only 3. He is the calmest, most laid back baby horse I think I have ever been around. Tina aspires to make a barrel horse out of him, but he has many other talents such as being a cowhorse, baby sitter, and teacher for novice riders. Normally young horses are never a match for children or new riders, but this guy's a wonderful exception. Plus, he's pretty and a versatile athlete!

The lovely gray Quarter horse mare is Fancy. She belongs to Amy, our Design and Marketing Manager. She is a real cowhorse and will rope and chase cows all day long. She is a big girl at 15.2 hands and stout. Her name suits her because she has this gorgeous refined face. When we ride, this mare covers some ground with her long strided walk and is always alert. She is also our tack catalog cover model.

Last is my chestnut Tennessee Walker, Copper. He is my continual project of becoming a bomb-proof trail horse. I set this goal for myself at the beginning of the year and am progressing-even though we have a lot of work to do before he achieves this title. He is gentle but mischievous and has lots of personality. He gets thoroughly bored with arena work and loves to see new things and be on the go. All of us girls are going to a beginner Cowboy Mounted Shooting clinic in August so I've been working on getting a better handle on him.