Yesterday was the Fall Steeplechase here in Aiken, SC.  My nephew Rick who is in graduate school in Columbia SC came down for the fun.  We had a fantastic time!  It is always great to take someone that has never been.  I certainly will never forget the first time I attended!  Not only did he get to see the horses up close and personal, hear the loud sound of the galloping hooves, meet people from all over the U.S., eat, drink, and DANCE!  But, the best part was he even possibly has a job offer for when he graduates!  What a day!  Well, are you ready for some football?  Oops, sorry, I mean horse racing?  People watching?  Guaranteed to make you smile at some of these photographs!  These are not my "artistic" kind of photographs, but more of an event photo style.  Some may be a bit blurry, but it just gets you into the dancing mode.  

Let's go!  Remember to click on the photograph below, then click one more time for the full gallery of over 160 photographs!  After you are in the gallery, look for the word "slideshow" at the top right of your screen for a tremendous rail side seat!  Enjoy! :)  

Laurie

:)

conniption fit
A conniption fit is a spontaneous outburst of anger or frustration, usually precipitated by an act of stupidity or neglect. Wild animation, gesticulations, and flailing of limbs often accompanies said outburst, adding visual flavor to the experience.
"If your mother gets home before you clean this up, she'll have a conniption fit!"

I was talking with my Mom tonight and out of the blue I said, "Mom, if you don't stop, I just may have a "conniption fit!"  She laughed so heartedly.  I stopped in my tracks and thought, where in the heck did that come from!  So, I asked her.  "Mom, what in the heck did I just say?"  "I'm going to have a conniption fit?"  "What in the heck is a conniption fit, and where in my brain did I get those two words?"  She laughed again and said, "from Maw, of course!"  Maw was her Mother.  My Grandmother.  She then said that when her Mother would get upset, she would tell the children, "do you want me to have a conniption?"

I said, "are you serious?"  "Wow!"  "I guess, Maw intervened here in our conversation!"  My Mom again laughed really hard and said, "you know what?"  "She's with me all of the time."  I said, "well, I guess she wanted to intervene.  Maybe, you had conversations like this with your Mother, and she wanted you to remember.

She said, "oh yes!"  Then laughed.  

A Mother and daughter.  Very glad we can laugh at having a "conniption fit!" :) 

Great two new galleries to share with you that I was lucky enough to be a part of this last few days.

Don Jessop, a Parelli 3 star licensed professional http://www.donandrachel.com/aboutus.html
came here in Aiken for a three day clinic at Julie Robin's Dragon Fly Farm.  I was able to attend the first day as an observer and take in all that he taught.  He was truly amazing and I learned so much.  I am also a Parelli student.

I took many photographs of the afternoon session.  I will post a link below.

Huge congratulations to Julie Robins,  Julierobins.com  for her adventure over the last six months of training an untrained 3 year old horse and competing in the http://horsewomanschallenge.com the FIRST of its kind.  She was amazing with her horse Moonshine.  You can read all about it at her website, www.JulieRobins.com  The photographs I am sharing of her demonstration of how far you can come with a 3 year old horse.  From bucking her off, to riding him bridle less.  Amazing.

So, below, I will share two galleries of both of these amazing horse people.  I hope you like them! 

Link to the gallery for The Horsewoman's Challenge!

The link to Don Jessop Parelli clinic is here:


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