Santa stabled his reindeer and rode an Appaloosa to greet visitors at the Museum Christmas Open House last Saturday. Youngsters waited patiently in line to pose for pictures atop Patches, our reliable Appaloosa ambassador. Then they waited patiently in line to sit on Santa’s lap. Then they visited the culinary lab to decorate their very own horse cookies. Then they ate some cookies. Then they stopped by the Museum area set aside for Christmas card production. In all, it was a busy day for a very nice crowd of families. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make it a great Appaloosa Christmas!
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., opens a major exhibition this fall that explores one of the greatest sagas of human contact with the animal world — American Indians and horses. The exhibition opens Oct. 29.
Through an array of 122 historic objects, artwork, photographs, songs and personal accounts, “A Song for the Horse Nation” tells the epic story of how the return of horses to the Americas by Christopher Columbus changed everything for Indians — from the way they travelled, hunted and waged war to how they celebrated generosity, exhibited bravery and conducted ceremonies. It shows how horse trading among tribes was the conduit for the magnificent spread of mustangs in the Plains and Plateau regions of the United States, as well as how horses became the inspiration for new artistic expressions and rich traditions that continue to this day.
“When American Indians encountered horses — which some tribes call the Horse Nation — they found an ally, inspiring and useful in times of peace, and intrepid in times of war,” said Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the museum. “The exhibition shows how these splendid creatures came to represent courage and freedom to many tribes across North America.”
Life-size model horses, one pulling a 19th-century Cheyenne travois (a frame used to drag heavy loads over land), and another tacked in a dazzling display of fully beaded traditional Apsaalooke (Crow) regalia used in parades today, will also be on display. Other highlights include rifles belonging to celebrated mounted warriors Geronimo (Chiricahua Apache), Chief Joseph (Nez Perce) and Chief Rain-in-the-Face (Hunkpapa Lakota) and the famous ceremonial dance stick (ca. 1890) of No Two Horns (Hunkpapa Lakota), which he created to honor his well-loved horse that died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
The exhibition shows how Native horse traditions continue today like the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Young Horsemen’s Program, which seeks to preserve the Appaloosa horse breed made famous by their ancestors. Horse traditions thrive on the Crow Indian Reservation — their annual fair in southeastern Montana typically includes more than 2,000 horses and features elaborate parades and “giveaways” in which members of the tribe give horses to relatives and friends as a gesture of generosity and honor. A similar gesture among the Lakota is the tribe’s annual trek on horseback called the Oomaka Tokatakiya (Future Generations Ride) in South Dakota which evolved from an annual healing journey to honor those who died at Wounded Knee. During the two-week, 300-mile journey, riders experience some of the hardships their ancestors endured as a physical, spiritual and intellectual remembrance.
“A Song for the Horse Nation,” runs through Jan. 7, 2013. The exhibition’s website is at www.AmericanIndian.si.edu/exhibitions/horsenation. The exhibition’s ongoing blog is at http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/a-song-for-the-horse-nation/.
We were pleased to see a Moscow to Riggins, Idaho “Road Trip” featured in the April/May issue of American Cowboy magazine. Even better, the Appaloosa Museum and Heritage Center is spotlighted as the place to visit in Moscow. There is also mention of the Nez Perce National Historic Park Visitor Center in Spalding along with John and Rosa Yearout’s Sweetwater Appaloosa Ranch near Lapwai. Another portion of the trip includes White Bird Pass and White Bird Battlefield, sites familiar to many ApHC members who have participated in the Chief Joseph Trail Ride.
The annual holiday/Christmas open house at the Appaloosa Museum was this past Saturday. A larger-than-normal crowd of youngsters and their parents stopped by to visit with Santa, perch for a while atop the ever-patient Shadow shown here, decorate horse-shaped cookies and just play around. With the help of museum staff and board members as well as a great group of volunteers from the University of Idaho, everyone had a great time. And, the event made the front page of the local newspaper today (that’s harder to do than you might think).
There are a few more photos in the flicker album (menu at left).
In case you forgot, this is your friendly reminder that the Appaloosa Museum colt raffle drawing is October 11th. This year’s colorful star is an April weanling by Secret Admirer. He was donated by Rocky Top Appaloosas of New Salem, North Dakota.
Tickets are $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. You can order online at appaloosamuseum.org or by calling 208.882.5578 ext. 279.
This recent photo proves that he’s growing and looking good.
For those of you within reasonable driving distance from Moscow, consider joining us August 27-29 for the inaugural Horse ‘N Around (HAW) Weekend. Activities benefit the Appaloosa Museum and Latah County Sheriff’s Posse. There will be a “fun” ride with prizes, a trail challenge sanctioned by the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (visit www.actha.us and click on the “Moscow Ride”), another leisure trail ride, dinner, entertainment and all sorts of fun people to meet. Location is the Pony Club Grounds near Deary, Idaho. Camping, horse pens, showers, water, etc. are available.
To sign up for camping, reserve a spot for dinner or to just let us know you’re coming for the fun stuff, email museum@appaloosa.com or visit www.appaloosamuseum.org.
To sign up for the ACTHA ride you’ll need to pre-register at www.actha.us (Moscow Ride).
This year’s Appaloosa Museum raffle horse looks like a winner to me. He’s a 2010 colt sired by Secret Admirer, by The Secret and his dam is Awe Keloa Dreams, by Awe Striker.
A big THANK YOU to Rocky Top Appaloosas, owned and operated by Bill & Jeanette Cook of New Salem, North Dakota. With more than 26 years in the horse breeding and showing business, Rocky Top Appaloosas has a proven history of producing good minded Appaloosas and Quarter Horses with superior movement, athletic ability, and desirable conformation. We sincerely appreciate their generosity and support! You can visit their website (www.rockytopappaloosas.com) for more information about other horses — in case you don’t win the raffle.
The museum website will have more information about tickets and the timeline for giving yourself a chance to take this fancy guy home with you.
If you happen to be in the Moscow neighborhood this weekend, it’s time for the Museum’s annual Appaloosa Fest on Saturday from 11:00 – 2:00. There will be fun and games for the entire family. The little ones will have an opportunity to ride a horse. I’m guessing there will be plenty of options for everyone else.
You have until midnight February 14th to purchase a $10 ticket (or as many as you want) for a chance to win a 2010 breeding service to the Appaloosa stallion AN AWESOME SECRET. Proceeds benefit the Appaloosa Museum. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, by mail or in person. No excuses!
Visit www.appaloosamuseum.org for all the details. You can also visit www.anawesomesecret.com for additional information about this National and World champion and Top Ten sire at halter and longe line.
Thanks again to Mark and Gail Smith for their generous support!
Be sure to pop on over to www.appaloosamuseum.org for all the details about a raffle going on NOW. You could be the winner of a 2010 breeding to AN AWESOME SECRET. He’s by THE SECRET and is a National and World Champion and Top Ten sire of halter and longe line horses. This special opportunity has been made possible through a donation by owners Mark and Gail Smith of Fargo, North Dakota. You can learn more about “Awesome” at www.anawesomesecret.com.
The raffle has officially started and will close at midnight PST, February 14, 2010. Tickets are only $10, so help yourself and support the Appaloosa Museum at the same time. Good luck!
I lost count, but a whole swarm of kids and their escorts came to a Holiday Open House at the Appaloosa Museum. Santa (he’s the one in the red outfit) arrived by horseback then greeted the youngsters as they waited for their turn to “ride.” He moved indoors for a more traditional visit including the wish list and a chat about good behavior.
Museum staff and volunteers organized cookie decorating, card crafting and other activities. Refreshments were popular, as always, and the gift shop did a brisk business.
Be sure to check out the photo album for more scenes, including Smitty, the other official greeter. He’s a weanling gelding owned by Julie Thorson. They were out front meeting folks and promoting the Museum’s latest fund-raising activity, a raffle to win a breeding to Smitty’s sire, An Awesome Secret. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at the Museum’s site. A very special thanks to Mark and Gail Smith for donating a service to this outstanding stallion.
Congratulations to Linda Ellis of Jacksonville, Texas. Her ticket was drawn from the ceremonial cardboard box on Saturday and she’s the winner of this year’s Appaloosa Museum raffle horse, FBS Special Wonder. Linda is very excited to have won and is ready to come to Idaho and get Wonder as soon as possible.
Special thanks to everyone who purchased tickets and to Robin Pedersen, who donated the three-year-old filly! The raffle is an important fund-raising project for the museum and the horse is an extra attraction for visitors.
To see a photo of “Wonder” and to find more information about ways you can support the Appaloosa Museum, just click on the button at the top of the appaloosa.com home page or surf directly to appaloosamuseum.org.
This weekend’s fund-raising trail ride for the Appaloosa Museum was a great blend of pleasant diversions. The opportunity for friends of the Museum to get together is certainly a primary reason for people to make the trip to Deary, Idaho. The Palouse Hills Pony Club grounds is a beautiful spot. The trails are scenic and made better this year by recent rains to dampen the dust and boost the scent levels. Some of us, of course, simply show up for the Dutch oven dinner on Saturday evening. Whatever the motivation, the Museum benefits and Appaloosa connections are strengthened.
I got lucky and served as a judge of the Dutch oven creations. Believe me when I say that there could have been a 19-way tie for best of show! Everything I “evaluated” was delicious.
Folks who always ask about George and Iola Hatley can be reassured that the Appaloosa royalty were once again great hosts for the event. George positions himself near enough to the cooking area to give advice and monitor the progress of everything from bread to beans. Lots of friends/volunteers are involved from start to finish as well. Thanks to everyone for a memorable back-to-basics weekend.
A few photos have been posted on the album (menu at left). You’ll probably notice that I focused on the food and scenery. I didn’t intentially ignore people photos. In fact, the conversations were so good that I kinda forgot to take many pictures.
Last Saturday was the annual Appaloosa Fest here in Moscow at the Museum. Despite a chilly and breezy day, at least 100 youngsters and their parents/escorts came to ride the Appaloosas, play games, explore the Museum activity centers and help celebrate the local connection to Idaho’s State Horse. With the help of Museum staff and several dedicated volunteers, all the visitors were given special attention.
The young lady in the photo was an especially happy guest. She was anxious to go for a ride! And, when it was suggested that she should dismount and let someone else take a turn, she grabbed the saddle horn with both hands and protested loudly. Most of us thought it was very cute.
Visit the photo files for more pics from the Appaloosa Fest.
A new relationship has been formed, thanks to some creative design work on the label used by 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards, Eagle, Idaho. Each bottle of the 3 Horse Ranch estate grown, certified organic wine from the Snake River Valley American Viticultural Area features an attrative depiction of (very) early spotted horses. Owner Gary Cunningham decided the connection with Idaho’s State Horse was a natural marketing tool.
In the photo, Gary is presenting a limited-edition print of the label artwork to Jennifer Hamilton, Director of the Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center.
Exhibitors at the National Show in Jackson, Mississippi, will have the opportunity to purchase 3 Horse Ranch wines at silent auction, both during the annual awards banquet and throughout the week. The pretty label is good enough for me, but you need to know that the wine is outstanding. Gary reports that nine different wines were entered in a recent competition in Portland and all received medals. The 3 Horse Ranch signature wine, Viognier, was a double-gold winner (something like our high-point performance award).
More information about the wine and the vineyards can be found at www.ThreeHorseRanchVineyards.com.
The annual Christmas Open House at the Appaloosa Museum was a big hit again this year. I’m sure the relatively mild temperatures and a nice bit of sunshine helped boost participation, but the event has become a required part of family tradition for lots of folks in the Moscow area.
With Santa’s arrival — on an Appaloosa, of course — things really get started. Youngsters wait in long lines for the chance to sit atop Shadow, the official Museum test ride horse. Then they wait in line again to visit one-on-one with the jolly elf. The card making tables were busy, the horse cookie decorating area was as popular as ever and the refreshments put everyone in a good mood.
Besides Museum staff, board members and family connections of both, a great group of volunteers helped with all the activities.
Be sure to click on the photo album link at the left to view more pics from the open house.
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