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Cross Training

How to Stay Fit and Inspired by Catherine Madera   Outside of riding horses, I’ve never been very interested in sports. This is why my husband worked extra hard convincing me to join him on a 30-and-over soccer team last June. When the day of our first game rolled around—like, …

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Bulls, Barrels, and the Spirit of Pendleton

The Little Eastern Oregon Town with a Big Western Heart by Catherine Madera     Few places are more appropriate to celebrate the birth of the unlikely nation that became a super power than Pendleton, Oregon. Augmenting its annual mega-rodeo, Pendleton ‘let ‘er buck’ early this year with a special …

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How to Get Smart

A Cell Phone Education by Catherine Madera   Even the name was intimidating: Smart Phone. It’s only logical to assume that such a phone requires an intelligent operator. What if I wasn’t smart enough? “Less is more,” I told myself. Eventually I broke down and bought an iPhone (yes, even …

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When Performance Comes Naturally

Finding a Horse for the Job by Catherine Madera   When I was a girl, the most annoying comment I heard about my physical appearance was this: “You’re tall—you must play basketball!” Apparently, the genes which determined my above average stature automatically gave me talent and a desire for the game, …

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The Great Alaska Horse Expo 2012

Celebrating Equine Community in The Last Frontier by Catherine Madera   The state of Alaska is easily described in superlatives: It is the largest state in the nation—twice the size of Texas, contains the highest mountain peak (Mt. McKinley), and has the largest national forest (Tongass), and that’s just for …

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Treasure in the Tack Room

My Best Training Tool by Catherine Madera   Last month a halter worn by equine superstar Zenyatta sold at auction for over $6,000. Dubbed “The Queen of Racing,” Zenyatta soared to popularity after breaking numerous records on the track. She failed to win the 2010 Breeder’s Cup Classic (placing second), …

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La Estancia Alegre Peruvian Horses

Happiness on Horseback by Catherine Madera   Visitors to Barbara Windom’s ranch, La Estancia Alegre—“The Happy Ranch”—find a new definition for happiness on horseback once they swing a leg over one of her Peruvian Horses. “There’s this smile that spreads across their face when the horse begins to gait,” says …

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Goals Versus Recreation

Don’t Forget to Enjoy Your Horse By Catherine Madera   I have a dream…to do flying lead changes (on purpose). I’m no Martin Luther King Jr., but dreams are for horses, too. My first attempts to teach flying changes occurred in a neighbor’s field when I was about 15. I …

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The Western States Horse Expo

Discover the “Gold Standard” in Equine Expos by Catherine Madera   “Let’s ride—really ride!” Horseman Wendell T. Robie’s words inspired the creation of the ultimate in distance riding—the famous 100 mile Tevis Cup. Endurance riders from all over the world descend on the small town of Auburn, California each year …

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The Best of the West

Equine Events for Everyone by Catherine Madera   I started my year of equine event attendance early, and with a bang, by attending the National Finals Rodeo in December. The shopping and action are similar, in some ways, to an Expo experience—pumped up on steroids! I saw things in Vegas …

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