Draft Horse show, our 2nd visit P-1

Last Saturday/Sunday, Stacy and I went to the Draft and Mule show in Sandpoint for the second year. We both really enjoy it and I like all the memories it brings back of our summer of 2000 as me, Stacy and Laura were the 'crew' for our late farrier and his wife that had a team of 6 Percheron draft horses. We traveled with them in our 5th wheel trailer to the 4 big shows he did that year. They always slept in the barn with their horses, we slept in our trailer in a whole lot more comfort!
I only took photos on Sundays performance because it was so windy on Saturdays with blowing dust and dirt everywhere. It was still better than last years rain though!

So what's with the top photo? Early on in the 12:30 PM performance this wagon had a team of Mules and was going through the course for points in the "Gamblers Choice" obstacle course. When the team was coming to a set of cones and the driver was slowing them down, the mules had slowed abruptly and the driver went from seated to thrown off and down onto his two mules. With the blinders on they couldn't see behind them and were startled by the hit on their rears by the fall and started to runaway. The driver was kicked then run over by his own wagon here in the photo. The guy on the wagon was actually the judge who ran after and caught the wagon as the mules ran the arena. They weren't stopped for a trip and a half around the arena.

Above was scene as the driver/owner was tended to. The wagon and mules are still going in the background. After he was taken to the hospital by ambulance, the crowd was later told he was pretty scuffed up but no broken bones which I found amazing because those wagons are very heavy (I know from experience!!) and he was run over by by both front and back wheels on the right side of the wagon.

Above was the 1 year old Clydesdale raffled off. A dollar a ticket, Stacy bought five. If you couldn't take the horse you got $400.00. The winner was a lady in Spokane. Stacy was sad.

Below is one of the draft horse 'Barrel Racers'. You may have seen this type of competition in regular Rodeos. Three barrels gone around with a fast straight away and fastest times win. Usually much lighter faster horses are used for barrel racing, but an almost 2,000 pound horse can run too!

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