Farewell 2022

By Patty Wilber

Last year has packed up and is heading away,
The next won’t be cold-backed, we fervently pray.
Here’s a review of a few adventures we had
Many were lovely and some were quite sad.

(and I left a lot out, too…like all the BCH trips we actually did.)

2022

The highlight of Jan. was the arrival of two,
yearlings from Canada, a fun loving duo.
Gino, so flashy with spots all over his body,
And Gette “just a bay” who will roan into gaudy!

In the next month of winter, I had a full house,*
Apple got manners and Jude learned not to grouse,
Gette stayed at Gino’s with Lamont as their mentor.
At the season’s first show, Lucy took out my car’s front fender!
*LT, Lucy, Cometa, Sombra, Breeze, Deets, Apple, Jude and Leo

Lucy, February, 2022.

In March, NMApHC ran a clinic that was cool,
It was for ranch trail, and folks came to our school.
It ran in small groups and every one got attention.
We might run another one, I’d just like to mention!

In April, it was time to start thinking about trails,
But the wind and the fires ran BCH off the rails.
Here on our local paths, all the horses got wind training.
It could have been worse…it might have been raining.*

We showed, too! Go Heidi and Penny!

* Young Frankenstein reference, as rain would actually have been better…

In May, we lost our friend Lloyd who we’d known for three decades,
And to Delaware we went, so our support was conveyed.
On Oahu we saw the grand girls, our kids and their spouses,
We found out the expenses of Hawaiian horse houses! (OUCH!)
And last but not least was our roots trip to Chicago,
Where Marie and Jim charmed the cemetery manager into show….
ing them an old plot book.  They were ecstatic.

June allowed us to get back to “normal”, but
Lucy went lame and LT (Paranormal Activity) was called up.
She camped and she showed and proved she’s so cowy,
but put her in Trail, which she hates, and oh… OWIE.

In July, my sis, her clan and my parents came out for a week!
We loaded our gear, grand adventures to seek.
We saw: mining museum, Canyon de Chelly, and a cave with an ice floe.
Then Gette and Gino were good at their very first together show!

Me and Gette (Left); Gino and Christy (right). They are still happy and bright eyed! hehehe. Under saddle training comes in 2023!

12 feet of ice (the “floe”) in the cave and 31 F, even in the middle of summer!

In August, just in time, we recovered from COVID.
We then we jetted to Canada, that’s what we did.
Heidi won tons on Penny at the Santa Fe County Fair.
I drove up to help and ’twas a pleasure to be there.

In September, we went to Mankwe, South Africa and helped dehorn eight rhino,
Deterring the poachers is the gift we bestowed.
The Council of Contributors organized the whole trip.
Then came breast cancer treatment, a bit of a life blip.

Both horns are trimmed and a red antibiotic solution is applied. Trimming is not painful and there is no bleeding. The horns are made of hard keratin, the same molecule in hooves and finger nails, so horn trimming is akin to hoof trimming. Horns need to be trimmed regularly–Mankwe does it yearly.

By October, cancer treatment was slowing me down,
Like a gift from the heavens, my boarders moved on and my colt starts (Surupa and Sonora) were done.
Deets, flying changes accomplished, went home for a break.
I kept up at the college, but with less on the horse front, a nap I could take!

Haha! I look a lot more like my Dad now! (I am balder right now but my hair is making a try at coming back.)

In November, I accepted that my high gear was really broken.
I missed posting one blog, too tired, to be plainspoken,
But friends gathered round, I rode on most days*, and didn’t skip any school,
And the world showed me so many things that were cool.**

* Usually only one horse per day instead of three or four.
** Heidi riding LT well in the Working Ranch Cowboys Championship show  in Amarillo was very cool. And Jessica riding her young mustang.  And Gette’s goofball self.  And Lucy’s amazing demeanor with the grand girls.  And all the support I have from Jim. Colleen and Luna! And getting to go to California for Thanksgiving and seeing my whole family even if I did nap a lot.

And here we are in December, the last month of the year,
We went to Knoxville for Christmas with Mark and Erika, CHEER,
We did not fly on Southwest and our United planes flew their flights,
We visited our wedding’s best man and his family, delight!
My new treatment is easier by miles, though I have gained 10 pounds!
I hope it comes off as I have two horses coming in to ride round!*

Mark, Erika and Jim at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville.

*Deets, and a three year old cow horse prospect, Rip, from Whispering Spirit Ranch (unless someone buys him first!).

Christy’s Deets (2021) playing with the Jolly Ball. Then he came over and threw it at me! I was laughing too hard to get that picture! I will be happy to have him back after his vacation!

Rip (Montana Street Smarts). Coming three. Photo by Rachel Pozzi, Free Bird Design.

Happy New Year!!