horse show

Patriotic Horse Stole My Heart

The social event of the year in many rural communities is the county fair and in Cass County Nebraska this is no exception. Saturday night at the horse arena is the 4-H Horse fun event which includes a costume contest, ribbon ride, egg and spoon, and sit-a-buck. This painted patriotic horse was my favorite horse of the night and I had to get more of their story.

So meet Willy, the Red, White, and Blue horse and his little owner, Courtney. This is what 4-H, friends, family, and the fair is all about: fun, smiles and horsing around, literally. According to her Mom, Micki, Courtney couldn’t decide how to decorate Willy for the costume contest. Pegasus was the first idea, but the thought of trying to create wings and attach them to the horse was just too challenging.

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Courtney’s Dad was in the Air Force, and still works at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, so when her Mom saw this idea online Courtney was very excited. Her friend didn’t have a horse to decorate so they went together as a team, one painted the stars and the other the red and white stripes.

They decided the opposite side should say “God Bless America” and tie red, white, and blue ribbons in Willy’s mane and tail.  The red leg wraps gave the whole presentation a patriotic “pop” and although they didn’t win, they turned some heads and made more than a few people smile.

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These girls have quite a number of years showing ahead, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next year. A fun night is held on the last night of the fair after all the “serious” show competitions and events. It’s time to unwind and have some fun. Thank you, Micki for texting me pictures from earlier in the evening. By the time I got to the arena, Willy’s paint was starting to rub off from the saddle and reins. I love watching the 4-H horse kids. I was horse crazy when I was a kid and rode my bike into the country just to look at horses. Even though I didn’t own a horse, I joined 4-H and “borrowed” horses from club members; my first was a Quarter horse mare, Wimpy’s Kelly. I entered a few shows, but never really learned to “ride” and get a “seat” until college, when a friend and I exercised roping horses at the local stable one summer.

The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the HerdRiding Lessons: Everything That Matters in Life I Learned from Horses

Riding 3-4 horses a day taught you more in one day than a months worth of lessons. We even borrowed a cowboys horses and brought them to school one semester. When I became an adult and bought an acreage buying a horse was the first thing I did, her name was Tomcat Pat, and she was a feisty, energetic barrel and poles horse that loved to go trail riding. I was lucky enough to have her until she died at age 32, I wish she were still around.

How I Spend My Time at the Cass County Fair Now

In the past three years, I have set up a tea tent with my Tea n More tea toad. I am set up by the open-air auditorium and sell iced tea, boba tea, and iced chai lattes. It’s so much fun to watch the 4-Hers grow each year. Sometimes they even bring their show animals to show off.

Patriotic Horse Costume Ideas and Resources