Posse Pursuit

Last Saturday was the first local "poker" (prize) ride since the EHV-1 scare.

The Ellensburg Rodeo Posse has sponsored it for years, to raise funds for the youth show, and the Ellensburg Rodeo Royal Court.

This was Kate's first outing into the big wide world three years ago!  Today, it was oh so very ho-hum.

Because the day dawned cold and rainy, there were considerably less riders than usual.  (Some may still be cautious of the EHV-1, as well.)  Only three KVTR riders made it, Pat, on Rambler, John, on his slightly hyper Tennessee Walker, Durango,, and I, on Kate.  But by the time we got there it had stopped raining, and the sun started peeking out from time to time as we made the two-hour loop.  It did NOT, however, feel like the middle of June!

Heading out across the face of the ridge.

Leaving the third check point.

A view of the snow-covered Stuart Range through the trees. (As long as it stays in the mountains!)

 

Kate, Rambler, and Durango in front of the lilacs at the old homestead (4th check point).

Back at the trailhead. 

It wasn't a particularly challenging trail, but Kate was very cooperative, other than giving the fire-breathing Tennessee dragon the stink eye when he crowded her (she's got one ear on him in the last photo).  She stood well at the trailer, too, while we had lunch, visited, and waited for the awards.  Neither Pat nor I were very high up in the rankings (she won the $500 grand prize three years ago!).  With our higher "hands" Pat got a bottle of fly spray and I picked up a nice Professionals Choice corner feeder for the trailer.  We were hoping our second hands would get us up there before all the Dairy Queen certificates ran out--we would have stopped for the "good" type of blizzard on the way home--but no, things got pretty well picked clean and they never called our names again.

Oh well!  Still a good excuse for a nice ride.