Rodeo and County Fair - "Wow, what an experience!"

That’s about all I could say during the entire evening. Neither JP nor I had ever been to a county fair let alone a rodeo, and boy - we were in for a treat. The first Wow! I uttered when I realized how huge the fair was. Calhoun County Fair is the oldest in Michigan, it was established in 1848 and happens once a year in August. I expected a small venue somewhere out in the boonies, not huge crowds, trucks, trailers, vendors, games, rides, barns with 4H* animals, and sold out grandstands for the Lost Nations Rodeo.

Brandt rode up on Remy next to the grandstand when we got there, and I was relieved to see that Remy hadn’t freaked out (yet) at all the commotion. Brandt rode him right in between the chutes with the bulls, and we learned that bulls are not Remy’s problem, only other horses.  I was a nervous wreck well before the start (what if… he freaks out, throws off Brandt/breaks a leg/colics… you name it – I thought of it!). Into the arena they went. The stands were packed. Brandt rode in front of the crowd and introduced Remy “Give a hand to Remy, he is is Morgan Horse and new to this”. The crowd complied and Remy seemed to enjoy it. He continued to stand calmly during prayer and the National Anthem.

Then it was time for the rodeo. For a qualifying round a rider has to stay on a bull for eight seconds. I thought Brandt would leave the arena with Remy – but no, they stayed right in there with the action! I always had the notion that rodeos are cruel but these bulls clearly had no problem. They know their jobs: Get rid of the rider as quickly as possible, look threatening, and then go back into the chute (it reminded me of sending our dogs to their beds). Some bulls just quietly walked back onto their trailer on their own.

Remy’s issue came on the surface when it was time for the barrel racers to warm up. Remy was right in the middle, and he was clearly bothered by the crowding and energy of the other horses. Especially Paints seem scary to him. But Brandt stayed calm and all was well.

This was just such an unique experience, I could go on and on. I feel like a teenager gushing, really. After the rodeo JP and I strolled around the fairgrounds and it was like taking a step back in time: An old fashioned ‘Kirmes’ (German) or ‘Fete Foraine’ (French), and I was thrilled seeing a Riesenrad, Boxautos, Kettenkarussell, and a lot of other things from my childhood. We also went into the 4H barns where we were immediately smitten by very personable goats. Luckily, we did get a grip on ourselves before loading a couple of goats into our truck.

Around midnight I got a text from Brandt saying Remy made it back safely back and all was well. Whew!!

They say horses come into our lives for specific reasons – Remy obviously wanted us to experience a fair and rodeo. Thank you, Remy, we had a blast!

Speaking of being thankful: We feel very fortunate that Brandt is taking Remy on this amazing journey and helping him getting all the confidence he needs in the most kind and professional way. Thank you, Brandt!

 

(*The 4-H name represents four personal development areas of focus for the organization: head, heart, hands, and health. 4H animals are raised by children and then shown at fairs for competition).