Baby Palooza Event Series

09/06/2025

Baby Palooza September 6, 2025 Event Results

Yearling division
1st place: Rooster handled by Kim Smith, owned by Brandy Little (score 108)

2-3 year old division
1st Place: Micah handled by Marj Smith, owned by Lorah Wax (score 124.5)
2nd Place: Baby Huey handled by Marj Smith, owned by Dr. Essie Rodgers (score 122.5)
3rd Place: Mick handled and owned by Denise Parsons (score 98)
4th Place: Cisco handled and owned by Melissa Brehm (score 89)
5th place: Thor CAL handled and owned by Heather Buchanan (score 78)

4-5 year old division
1st Place: Lexi handled by Marj Smith, Owned by Vicki Coleman (score 122.5)
2nd Place: Shade handled and owned by Tayla Cover (score 105)
3rd Place: Rocky handled by Tori Young, owned by Melissa Brehm. (Score 95)

6+ division
1st Place: Jet handled and owned by Vicki Eastridge (score 124.5)
2nd Place: Z handled and owned by Heather Young (score 118.5)
3rd Place: Rein handled and owned by Martha Wade (score 111, tied but won on tie breaker obstacle (6 pts)
4th Place: Dunny handled and owned by Valerie Downes ( score 111 , tied but had a (5) on tie breaker obstacle)
5th Place: Jamie the King Slayer handled and owned by David Barnard (score 108)
6th Place: Lace handled and owned by Brenda Howell (score 107)
7th Place: Harley handled and owned by Destiny Cusick (score 106)
8th Place: Katniss handled and owned by Tori Young (score 105.5)
9th Place: Sterling handled and owned by Megan Myers (score 103)
10th place: Toby handled and owned by Kelly Huffer (score 102)

08/28/2025

*Here it is*
The story line and course layout for Baby Palooza Event #4 “The cattle heist”

The Cattle Heist :

You’ve woken up at the Dude Ranch only to find out something’s gone wrong — cattle have been stolen in the night! It’s up to you and your trusty horse to track the outlaws, recover the herd, and make it back to camp before dark. Each obstacle represents part of your long day’s journey.

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1. Breaking Camp – Roll up the Sleeping Bag

You wake in your tent to the sound of distant hoofbeats. Something’s wrong. Quickly, step into your tent while your horse waits patiently outside. Roll up your sleeping bag — you’ll need it for later. The horse must stay calm while you work inside.

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2. Stoke the Campfire

Before heading out, you stir the coals of the campfire to heat up your morning coffee. Grab the fire poker, move the wood, and make some noise on the fire ring. Your horse should approach calmly and wait while you do your work.

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3. Check Your Horse’s Vitals

Before chasing cattle thieves, you make sure your partner is ready for the long day. Using a stethoscope from the barrel, listen to your horse’s lungs and heartbeat on both sides. A good rancher always checks his mount before a big job.

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4. Gate Out of Camp

You head out. At the rope gate, carefully open it, walk through, and close it behind you. Smooth, steady horsemanship is the mark of a real hand.

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5. Tack Your Horse’s Shoe Back On

Trouble strikes early — your horse has sprung a shoe on the rocky trail. Pick up a hoof, steady it, and tap on the shoe to show you’ve secured it back in place. No ranch hand leaves a horse lame on a cattle heist.

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6. Bridge to the Cattle

The trail leads you to a wooden bridge spanning a deep wash. You and your horse must cross it with confidence — you’re getting close to the stolen herd.

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7. Cattle Drive – Recover the Herd

You find the stolen cattle hidden in a pen. Lead your horse inside, settle the herd, and push them calmly around the pen. Once they’re moving steady, drive them away from the gate — you’ve reclaimed the ranch’s cattle!

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8. Rainy Water Crossing

Storm clouds roll in as you drive the cattle home. The trail is slick, and you come upon a rushing water obstacle. Your horse must cross through, from both directions, showing confidence even when things get stormy.

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9. Cross-Buck Poles

The trail out of the canyon is rough. Fallen timber blocks the way. Your horse must step carefully over the cross-buck poles, staying straight and steady.

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10. Shoot Your Dinner

At last, the cattle are safe — but you and your horse are hungry. Take aim at the wooden bull hiding in the flowers. Use the BB gun or the A Salt gun, and make your shot. Dinner’s on the way!

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11. Gate Back to Camp

With the herd recovered, you ride back through the gate into camp. As always, open and close it with quiet skill.

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12. Ring the Dinner Bell

You’ve made it home. Ring the dinner chimes loud to let the ranch know that supper’s ready and the cattle are safe. Your horse should stand steady at the sound.

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13. Un-Roll the Sleeping Bag

At the end of a long day, you return to your tent. Toss your bedroll back inside — tomorrow will be another adventure. Your horse should remain calm as you finish the job.

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Bonus Task – The Saloon Stumble

Celebrate your victory the cowboy way — demonstrate your best drunken stagger around camp! Flop, stumble, sing, then end with a hug around your horse’s neck. This is a true test of the horse’s trust: can he handle his cowboy getting rowdy

You can find my form "Baby Palooza entry form" at:

Please click the link to complete this form.

08/28/2025

Join the next group for a fun little adventure we are calling the cattle heist. Sept 6 at 10 am is the next baby palooza event. Remember all ages and levels welcome! We have different age groups for youngsters to retirees! Test you horsemanship and enjoy time with friends and horses.

08/26/2025

Sept. 6 is coming up! As this course required a little more preparation with setting panels for the cattle and gathering all the extras (some still coming) we decided to get it going a little earlier then normal to work out any of the kinks. Here is a quick preview of most of the obstacles. The scenario will be set in videos coming this week.

08/09/2025

Sept 6, 2025 will be our next baby palooza event. Start time is 10 am.
Our judge will be Mike Feister.
The theme will be the “Dude Ranch Experience “

Campfire, obstacles, camp set up, cows, and as always practical vet and farrier tasks you may encounter with horses.

Not sure what this is all about?

Everything is done in-hand , all ages and levels are welcome ( horse and handlers). Its part mini clinic , part fun competition, its designed get your horses out to gain exposure and experience. Our Judges are there to help support or advise you if you have a struggle with something.
This event we will have cows for you to follow and allow your horse to see and gain confidence around.

As always if something is to much for your horse to handle just say pass. You are always welcome to stay and work on things after to event. Ask for advice and assistance to help improve your horses understanding.

06/10/2025

Great pictures from our June 7 event. Peter Watts did a great job capturing the essence of the day.

Poe Country,Baby Palooza,

06/04/2025

Participants play the part of Wild Bill or Jill navigating through the series of challenges based on the story. Each obstacle represents a key scene.
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COURSE MAP / OBSTACLE SEQUENCE:

1. Rope Your Horse
• Task: Use a lariat to rope your horse’s head and hips.
Build a small loop in the lariat and lay it over your horse’s head from the left to right and Houlihan style from the right to left. Also demonstrate you can lay the loop over the hindquarters without the horse being bothered.

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2. Saloon Shot Stop / Whiskey Widow Saloon
• Task: Walk to the Whiskey Widow Saloon and buy your horse a shot from the headless barkeep.
Take one of the molasses filled syringes and demonstrate how you would administer an oral paste like a dewormer or any type of oral medication.

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3. Tie ‘n’ Rob: The Bank Robbers’ Knot
• Task: Tie One of the fake bulls up to the panels using a quick-release knot (slip knot or bank robbers’ knot).
• Walk up to the green panels where the bulls are and take the rope lead and demonstrate how you would tie a quick release knot. Your horse should stand quietly while you perform this task.

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4. The Bank Heist (horse trailer bank)
• Task: Pick up a money bag from the “bank” and carry it to the Lookout obstacle.
• The horse needs to not show great concern while you step inside the trailer to retrieve the money bag. You do not need to load your horse just have them stand quietly outside while you get the bag.
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5. The Lookout / Stand on the Pedestal
• Task: Walk to the pedestal inside the circle. Have your horse stand on the pedestal to have a better vantage point. You can set your money bag down while performing this task. Once your horse stands and is settled back your horse off and out of the circle. Take your money bag back to the trailer and toss it inside.
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6.. Shootout with the Law
• Task: Walk to the Table where you will find a BB gun rifle. Pick up the gun and c**k it. Point in a safe direction at the blue barrel where the sheriff is hiding, aim and fire.
• Task: Pick up the bow and an arrow. Aim and fire at the deputy hiding in the other blue barrel.
• Make sure your horse is standing quietly and at a safe distance while you perform this task.
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6. Bandage & Disguise your horse
• Task: Stop at the two barrels station to apply a leg wrap, or vet wrap, or splint boot to any leg of choice.
• Task: Braid a small section of the horse’s mane or tail or forelock to demonstrate your fancy braiding skills. Your horse should stand while you attempt to braid.
• Task: Take the clippers and turn them on. You do not need to clip your horse, just demonstrate your horse’s level of confidence with clippers. Bare minimum is turn on turn off. If you can run them around your horse’s neck or head or legs even better.
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7. The Bridge Outta Town
• Task: Cross the overgrown abandoned bridge.
• You can walk with your horse or send him through the vines and over the bridge with you on the side. No penalty either way. Confidence and safety are key.
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8. Drag the Body / save your buddy crow eye Joe
• Task: Drag a dummy body a short distance using a rope. Show you can move the body either with your horse following it or more advanced dragging behind the horse around the marker and back to the original marker.
• Task: pick the body up and lay over your hoses back. Have your horse walk around the marker and back. If your horse isn’t ready for all this, just see if they could stand while you place the body over them.
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9. Road to Redemption
• Task: Walk your horse through the narrow zig zag path. The horse needs to look at where they are going and not knock the walls over. No snack attack either.
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10. The Gallows
• Task: Walk up to the hanging body (rope on the jump standard) take the rope off the standard and extend your arm one step and drop the body down about 2 -3 feet. Then raise the body back up and re-secure the rope over the standard.
• Your hose should stand quietly while the body drops. You may do this up to 3 times to help your horse be more confident with something fall in front of them.
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06/02/2025

Meet some of our props for the Next Baby Palooza Event This Saturday June 7. This will be the greatest bank robbery heist for you and your partner in crime, or will it? Shoot out with the law, dragging your buddy to safety, only to witness crime doesn’t pay in the old west. Test your skills with ropes, dragging, vet skills, braiding and disguising your horse, obstacles and knots… we are incorporating a plethora of skills for you. Two judges this event. One judge will be watching the horses ability and one judge will be watching your horsemanship skills.

05/16/2025

Some exciting news for our baby palooza #3 event!
We will have Peter Watts back as our photographer. This event will be taking some of the original tasks and adding a fun cowboy/cowgirl theme. Not sure what that means? Heres an example: walk into the saloon and give / buy your horse a molasses or apple sauce syringe shot.
Then head over to the trailer bank tie a bank robbers knot, “rob the bank” grab the money bag and make a quick getaway, get into a shoot out with the sheriffs and ditch your money on the run…

The whole course will have you winning or losing the Wild West. Hopefully you and your law braking partner don’t get caught by the law.

Come join us for a fun learning adventure!
We will have two judges at this event. We will be welcoming Long time horsemans David Barnard and Louise Barnard to help you along.

05/03/2025

Baby palooza results for May 3, 2025

Yearling division
1. Tilly handled by Katelyn Duda (174)

2-3 year old division
1. Cisco handled by Heather Young-Cover (169)
2. Pe**te handled by Debra English (145)
3. Shade handled by Tayla
cover (141)

4-5 year old division
1. Rocky handled by Missy Brehm (155.5)

6+ division
1. Bruce handled by Charlotte Banfield (170.5)
2. Tobey (Wanna Talk About Me) handled by Tiffany Hicks (169)
3. Jet handled by Vicki Eastridge (167)
4. Lace handled by Brenda Howell (166)

This was a tight division yet again! Only one point or so separated the placings. Whew that was a close class.

As always a huge thanks to our judge, Holly Linz
The show secretaries Dorothy Hampton and Danielle K.
Ring crew and gate steward Dorothy McMillen
And of course all the participants and their wonderful horses.
We had Alison Lang, a lovely photographer capturing the essence of the day. Her photos will be uploaded to the page when she has the ready. Stay tuned!

04/30/2025

Micah standing and accepting a leg wrap for the first time.

04/30/2025

Charlie has never had any wraps on him so practice makes perfect. I started in a comfortable environment for him and made it a non event. Next time i may wrap both fronts. Standing is a responsibility, dont wait until you have to do something only to find out something in the foundation is missing.