2012 Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium

Just made it back from our annual trip to the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium held in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Reining competition, horse training demonstrations from Craig Cameron, Chuck Wagon cookoffs, brisket and green chile burritos, and Mule demonstrations as well as live music headlined by the Gatlin Brothers and Asleep At The Wheel all made this a welcome get away for a weekend.

Josh Armstrong, from Armstrong Equine Services, highlighted the Reining Horse competition, called "Ride and Slide" hosted by the Zia Paint Horse Club where riders demonstrated flying lead changes and sliding stops among the reining patterns.

We go every year primarily to see Craig Cameron put on several one hour demonstrations. The bleachers around his round pen were again over flowing this year as Craig demonstrated putting a handle on a young horse in one session and in another session he took a two year old that had never been ridden and within an hour he had this two year old giving to pressure and accepting a saddle and rider. Perhaps the best thing Craig Cameron does is demonstrate what is possible with a horse when you approach the relationship from the horse's point of view, and he always explains the why and not just the how.  Picture at right is Craig Cameron working a green tow year old horse from the back of a horse he had previous worked to put a little more handle on.