NEWS at 3Drum

8/1/09

   The summer is already here and it is evident with the triple digit numbers.  With the heat bring long mornings, short afternoons, and long nights of riding here at 3drum.  I have always been a person to set benchmarks relative to my short and long term goals rather it is with our personal horses or outside training horses.  Due to there only being 24 hours in the day and the onset of high temperatures I have had to be selective on the outside training horses that I agree to take on. I enjoy winning on my personal horses but I am passionate and probably get a greater fulfillment when our colts or training horses put others at the pay window!    With that being said I am excited to say our exhibition team aka futurity colts are clocking about .7 to second off the toughs! Stay blogged in for future futurity results on our 3 year olds!

 As far as Little Monkey Boss is concerned I am taking it easy this year due to my hectic schedule.   Every year I give Monkey about a 3-4 month break during the winter.  My goal has been each year to typically start bringing him back to running shape about April.  As a barrel racer anytime you turn your horse out or give him a break you always wonder if this year is going to be as good as or better than last.  Monkey has yet to disappoint me with his returns from his annual grazing vacation.  Monkey has come back stronger and better than ever.  I feel so blessed and fortunate to have Monkey; to me he is my Million Dollar Baby! 

   Last but not least 3drum has been honored to team up with Pac West and I have been appointed the Regional Director.  I have to admit I was hesitant when Will approached me about joining the Pac West family due to lack of time.  Will stayed at the 3drum ranch back in the spring while he was orchestrating his Ardmore barrel race.  During the first few days of his stay I was blowing and going as usual training and riding.   I hadn’t thought anything more about the Pac West Ardmore barrel race with the exception of entering it.  After a few days of observing Will diligently planning the barrel race and completing all the check and balances necessary it became more obvious that this was going to be an excellent production.  I was very impressed with the care and thoroughness that Pac West takes when planning for their barrel races.  After juggling the thought of less sleep or being a part of a great association I decided I can always sleep but the opportunity is slim to be able to join such an elite group that produces, in my mind, some of the best barrel races.  I have been to numerous shows, big and small, and know what my quirks and pet peeves are of barrel races that aren’t run the best.  Therefore I wanted to ensure that everything and anything that a barrel racer looks for in a big race was incorporated into ours!  Pac West has had good turn outs and has delivered successful barrel races in the California area and decided to move into Oklahoma to spread the wealth!  Rumor has it that Pac West will be doing a little two stepping into Texas with their next barrel race at the wonderful Alvarado pen.

 That’s it for now my afternoon air condition hibernation alarm has just rung.  See you down the road and hope to see everyone at the upcoming Pac West Barrel Race.

4/14/09

3Drum clinic Date is May 2nd at the Choctaw RUC

We would like to extend our prayers to everyone that lost their home in the Oklahoma wildfires. It seemed to be a rough week. Between the fires, tornados, and thunderstorms we were on our toes for several days. On 4/9 at 11pm we started to evacuate our Northern ranch. The winds shifted and the family went into overdrive. The fires were less than a mile from the house and firefighters were having a hard time containing it due to 60 MPH winds. We moved 20 horses and ALL of our tack. We had trailers rolling up as fast as we could load them. It’s pretty scary to think about something as viscous as a wildfire raging toward you. Watching the smoke bellowing toward us all day as we rode was humbling. Thankfully the fires were contained before they reached our farm. As if that was not scary enough I was awoke the next morning by a stranger telling me there was a horse 1/8 of a mile from my home that was struck by a car. My heart wanted to jump out of my chest as she drove me to the horse. As we got closer I realized it was not one of mine but a neighbors. A horse I fed treats to and pet on a regular basis. He would wait for me to feed my horses hoping I would have a little extra (which he would get) RIP George.

The first wave of Acu-Search’s have been shipped out. We are excited to see what kind of reviews it receives.  I never leave home without mine.

Clinic Date: May 2nd at the Choctaw RUC. Our first clinic will be free and limited to 10 people. I would like to keep it small so everyone will get equal attention and help.  It will be a 1 day event held on a Saturday May 2nd.    If you are interested in being on the list send us an email or give a call.  I am excited about the new clinics as they have been in the works since December. The hard part is picking a date.

Myself and close friend Kim Booth decided to host a Lynn McKenzie clinic a few weeks ago. This was the first clinic I have ever attended and it was a learning experience. It went off without a hitch and I met so many wonderful people. Lynn and Murray are wonderful teachers. I want to extend my thanks to everyone that attended.

As far as the colts are concerned everything is A+. I don’t want to jinx myself but I am fortunate to have such a wonderful group. I started with one 3yr old and now have four. I recently purchased Honors Sharp Star from my parents. That makes three colts sired by BJS Special Honor in my 2010 training program.

Thanks to a great farrier (Thanks Kevin) and vet Monkey’s foot is almost 100% healed. He is in shape and we are ready to hit some races.

My brother, Sev has moved into his new training facility in Purcell, Oklahoma. He is staying busy with outside horses and hitting a few jackpots here and there. He has a large indoor arena to work out of and plenty of land to mow.  Sev breaks and trains horses holding a high standard. Check out his website www.barrelsandbulls.com to see some of the horses he has trained. I hope to have some pictures to upload soon. With everyone’s hectic schedule it’s hard to get away. This is such a wonderful facility in a booming area.

2/21/09

Not too much to report but there is some exciting news below. Right now we have (7) 3yr olds in training. It's an all day process but well worth the effort. The goal is to have a consistent futurity colt and hopefully one that can be competitive in the Super Stakes race in December. I think we may have a few top notch colts for 2010.  I feel more focused and determined than ever and like a kid in a candy shop every day when I head to the barn. My 3yr olds are so talented but I know you should never count your chickens before their hatched. 

Monkey is just about ready to make his comeback. I have been riding him several times a week and were almost there.  He’s ready to get back into action. He wants to go, go.  I'm hoping to make a few runs in April but if I don't feel he's ready we will push that date back. My main concern is for monkey to be comfortable and feel no pain.  This year I plan to hit the bigger barrel races and some rodeos close to home. With 17 head you can't get too far away.

The most exciting news is the upcoming release of  the new Acu-Search. The unit is for equine use, and aids in finding acupuncture points. You can click here for more information.  It looks like we will start shipping around April 1st.

We have also started using a thermal imager on the horses. Look for a new page on our website dedicated to the upcoming findings.

Along with all the exciting news comes long hours and what seems like endless work.  Most likely the reason I can’t keep my website updated anymore. 

1/10/09

2009 is in full swing and we are already working on the 2010 futurity line up.  Mr. Can Chaser, my 4yr old is a little behind due to not being broke until Feb. but he is gaining ground. We currently have 3 runs under our belt and he has already moved into the 2D. I am so proud of my little colt. Monkey has fully recovered from his incident with the fence and I have started to pony him a little each week. He is strong, full of life and ready to compete again. I have never seen a horse so eager to get back to work. He is one happy horse and it shows on a daily basis. Monkey will see competition again in March or April. On another note, Rasa is the new horse I have been competing on. She is a consignment horse that I would love to own. She is already placing in the 1D and we are thrilled to have her at the farm.

My 3yr olds are all over the board. Some that are yet to be broke, others green started on barrels and a few already loping a beautiful patterns. I feel like we have a strong group this year.  January will be filled with barrel races and breaking the incoming  herd of 2010 hopefuls.

 I have always concentrated on buying and selling quality, well bred horses. Never keeping one for myself and putting a price tag on everything. Spending hours locating and training colts to put the 3Drum mark on. while I love watching other take home success on horses trained at 3Drum I think it's time to keep one. At least for a little while (hopefully).  These will be hand picked 3yr olds that we will break, train and campaign. I will still offer them for sale but plan to have one long enough to make a name in the futurity arena. Every year my colts sell right before they are eligible to run. I will be taking in horses for training,  a few quality consignment horses and selling some older horses but my 2010 goal is to promote my training program. My success or failure will rest solely in my hands.