2019 Women's 5K Classic

Well, the annual Women’s 5K Classic was again the most uplifting, exciting and all volunteer running event in the Lehigh Valley. In its 26th year total contributions to Lehigh Valley’s women’s cancer causes have exceeded 3,000,000 dollars.

The looks on all these wonder faces throughout the morning is incredible. The laughs and smiles abound like nowhere else and yes, tears for those no longer present. I look forward each year to witnessing the happiness of 4,000 women on a bright Saturday morning in October at Little Lehigh Parkway in Allentown PA.

All of this is made possible through the sponsorship of Lehigh Valley companies and individual contributions to this great cause. I hope you will join us next year and be part of this memorable occasion.

Images are available to download free for personal, non commercial use. Click on the link, a blue circle with two dots in it. This will take you to the Flickr site.

CT Fuller Memorial Reining

A wonderful time was had by all at Keystone Reining Association's CT Fuller Memorial Reining held Sept 1st and 2nd.  Also featured was the dedication of the arena in CT "Tom" Fuller's  name.

The weather was perfect for the event.  There were so many of the "old" crew from Willow Brook that had not seen each other for many years.  It was like old home week.  The hillside overlooking the arena was the meeting place all weekend for old stories and new friends.  Present for the dedication was speaker Brian Dykert, former Willow Brook employee, first president of EPHRA and former NRHA president.  Katie Navarra writing for AQHA was also in attendance.

The reining on Saturday ended at 5:00 PM and 6:00 the open bar started up and 6:30 began the dedication with Alexandra Fuller, CT's wife, and Peter Fuller were in attendance.  Following the dedication was an informal catered cookout and LOTS and LOTS of stories and memories shared and new friends made.

Anyone interested in my images of both reining and dedication may purchase them by clicking on the black box titled Purchase Prints.  Low res copies suitable for posting online are available for free download by clicking on the link to my Flickr account.  The link can be found by clicking on the small blue circle with the two dots in it found this page.

Keystone Reining June 9/10 2018 Willowbrook Farms, Northampton PA

Images are now available for the Keystone Reining Association's event held June 9th and 10th at Willowbrook Farms in Northampton PA.  It was a great show and derby all held in the outdoor arena.  A great time was had by all.  Should anyone be interested in seeing or purchasing images from this event just click on the box to the right.

Mustang Adoption Comes to Next Level Horsemanship, Port Matilda PA

Suzanne Meyers, owner of Next Level Horsemanship just completed her annual Wild Mustang Adoption on Saturday May 12th.  Next Level acts as a, BLM Term, "Store Front" each year for this program.  She received 20 Mustangs and 17 were adopted on Saturday.  There are special requirements for adoption and, should you be interested, Suzanne can explain them.  Think a Mustang might be too much for you to handle, Suzanne can "gentle" him or her before you take them home. 

Suzanne is a "TIP" Trainer.  The Mustang Heritage Foundation created the Trainer Incentive Program, which is better known as TIP, to bridge the gap between the public and excess wild horses held in off-range corrals. TIP supports a network of hundreds of horse trainers who gentle, train and find homes for wild horses and burros.  To read more about this click HERE .

Mustang adoptions are down the past few years and that is why this program is so important.  If you are interested in adopting please check in with Suzanne for one of the three remaining at her facility.

Click here for a 3 minute slideshow of the Mustang's arrival at Next Level Horsemanship

---

Excerpt from author Ben Masters published Feb 6th 2017 in National Geographic:

"As of March 1, 2016, there were 67,000 horses and burros on public lands and 45,000 in government holding pens. Computer models show that the current population, including foals born in 2016, is approximately 75,000 wild horses and burros. The controversial nationwide Appropriate Management Level (AML), defined as “the number of horses to have thriving ecological balance with the vegetation, wildlife, and livestock usage,” is 27,000.

As of March 1, 2016, there were nearly 13,500 wild horses and burros living in feedlot-type short-term holding pens and another 31,500 living in long-term pastures. Take a minute and let those numbers sink in. All 45,000 of these wild animals were gathered off the range, segregated by sex, castrated, branded, given shots, and doomed to sit in a feedlot for about five years. They have been or will be released onto a foreign pasture in the Midwest bearing no resemblance of their former wild lifestyle. Each horse will live on that long-term pasture until he gets old, or has organ failure or an injury. Then he will be destroyed in as humane a manner as possible.

The cost for all 45,000 of these horses is approximately $50,000 per horse over its lifetime. That’s more than twice what I paid to go to college. Although the Wild Horse and Burro Act specifically states that “The Secretary shall cause additional excess wild free-roaming horses and burros for which an adoption demand by qualified individuals does not exist to be destroyed in the most humane and cost-efficient manner possible,” this option hasn’t been utilized due to lawsuits, public outcry, and congressional riders. The expense of holding all these horses has crippled the BLM’s wild horse budget to the point where it’s spending two- thirds of its entire budget, nearly $50 million in 2016, warehousing horses in short-term and long-term pastures".

Longmire Days 2018

Very much looking forward to Longmire Days 2018 coming Aug 10 to 12 in Buffalo WY.  Last year was a hoot and this year looks to be even better. 

I will be staying at the  TA Guest Ranch again.  This is a most incredible place.  I will have images to follow later on. 

Tentative Schedule for Longmire Days 2018:

7th Annual Longmire Days: August 10-12, 2018
Tentative Schedule (Subject to Change)

Friday:
9am-11a 5K Run/3K walk – Prosinski Park (registration required)
10am-1p Autograph Session at Bomber Mountain Civic Center (ticket required) 300 people max
11am-3p Poker School at Occidental Saloon (ticket required)
3pm-5p Become a Best Seller, Craig Johnson & Penguin (Gail Hochman) at the Occidental Hotel
3pm-5pm A Conversation with (celebrities)…@ Buffalo High School (ticket required)
6p Tea with Ruby @ TA Guest Ranch
6pm Home Run Derby – Prosinski Park
7pm-9p Cowboys vs Indians Softball Game– Prosinski Park
8p Bob Barnes Pub Crawl registration starts at 7 pm at Cowboy Carousel Center
9pm-10:30p Occidental Jam with Actors/Wyoming Whiskey Auction

Saturday:
7am-10a Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast – Adams street behind court house
9-10a Longmire Parade- Main Street
10am-1p Autograph Session at Bomber Mountain Civic Center (ticket required) 300 people max
10am-2p Native American Performances @ Crazy Woman Square
2pm-4p Longmire Fan Talent Show Auditions at Buffalo High School
2pm-6p The Ferg’s Motorcycle Poker Run (registration from 1-2pm @ Century Club)
2p Longmire Days Rodeo at Johnson County Fairgrounds
3p Poker Tournament at Cowboy Carousel Center (registration required through CCC)
3pm-5p A Conversation with (celebrities)…@ Buffalo High School (ticket required)
3:30pm-5pm. Spiritual Gangsta Q&A with Bailey Chase in the Occidental Hotel Garden (ticket required) 
4pm-8pm Inflatables & Face Painting for the kids near Crazy Woman Square
6pm-11p Street Dance -downtown Main street/Crazy Woman Square (Trucker Radio band)
6pm. Tea with Ruby – Occidental Hotel (ticket required)

Sunday:
10am-2p Horseback Ride at Paradise Ranch – includes lunch (ticket required)
10am-2pm Native American Performances in CWS
11am-1p A Conversation with (celebrities)…at Occidental Hotel (ticket required)
2pm-3p Talent Show at Buffalo High School
3pm-5pm Book Talk/Autograph Session at Johnson County Library (ticket required)
4pm-9p Closing Concert at Prosinski Park (ticket required)

All registrations and ticket sales prior to the dates are handled online and will be opened for registration in early May.

Actors attending: Robert Taylor, Adam Bartley, Louanne Stevens, A. Martinez, Zahn McClarnon, John Bishop and Bailey Chase