I know a few on here have followed my daughter (Bailey) over the years with some of her horses/projects (Faline :) So I thought I'd post an update. Last summer at Calgary stampede she was offered an apprenticeship with one of the drivers. She went out west last month and is having a blast, they are teaching her to drive and they have 27 horses to ride and drive conditioning them up for the upcoming race season starting late May. She finally sent a couple photos I could share here online :) If all goes well she'll take an outrider test at one of the first couple races and get her race permit.
here she is with her boss exercising a team that they're conditioning. He has her riding but wasnt sure she was big/strong enough to handle the teams as they are all thoroughbreds that they run, but she said she surprised him and is doing well handling the twos, they'll let her try the fours that they race with once the track dries out enough to hook 4 at a time.



in the barn unharnessing

I still have her mare Faline, we bred her last week to Poco Docs Bandit, for a March foal next year (hopefully :)
I'm planning on showing her at the Paint show this summer and riding her till she's too heavy to keep riding.
Come summer I'll post some photos of her outriding, I'm hoping to get out west to see her race this summer.

looks like fun. now don't get me wrong but isn't chuckwagon racing really dangerous and has alot of fatalities? or is that just rumor

Any sport involving horses (or just owning a horse) is dangerous. In comparison to other equine events, Show jumping, barrel racing, harness racing, endurance, ... etc there are probably equal numbers of fatalities for horses and or riders in each venue, Since Show Jumping and things like Chuckwagon racing are nationally broadcast they get more media coverage making them more noticable and more contraversial being in the public eye. Since there are multiple horses when one breaks down or something happens there are alot more chances of things going "bad" but they do their best to make if exciting but as safe for horses/drivers and outriders as possible. Heavy fines and penalties for anyone being unsafe or reckless. They do wear protective vests and outriders have helmets, the horses are doctored and well cared for since a sick or uncared for horse wont help you win. As a parent I do hold my breath every day waiting for her updates but It's what she was born to do :) Horses are more than in her blood, she's actually probably safer riding than she is on her own two feet walking across the yard.

What a great experience something she will remember her whole life,does she miss home?Bet mom misses her :cry:

thanks for the info I don't know anything about chuckwagon racing never even seen it really. I'm glad that she's doing what she loves which I could have done that when I was younger.

I love watching chuck wagon racing... it is really fun to watch the mini ones too....

looks like she is having a ball! I wish I had been so brave!

Oh Awesome LB thanks for the pictures and looking forward to more very exciting for her...
Can't wait to see you the foal will look like I hope she took congrats!!!!

Great Pics........yep you gotta be young and fit to go off and do that job......an experience of a lifetime though..........good for her.......sure hope your heart can take it when you go watch her race!!!!!!!!!! woooooooo hoooooooooo

Yahoo :) Thanks for posting pictures...


I havn't really watched chuckwagon races any amount and I kind of looked twice when I saw the collar and hames... I don't know why I thought they'd use breastplate - I guess because of all the STB racing around these parts.... makes sense though collar and hames is so much more rugged.

Way to go Bailey on driving the teams :D Driving is so much fun.... LOL especially since she gets to ask them to REALLY step out!!

One question... how do they match their teams? Do they go by stride? height? the way they move? disposition? similar bloodlines?

Are the out horses TBs too? Do they just use snaffle bits or something a little firmer? I imagine it varies from horse to horse but just curious if they start the majority of them them with something plain...

Sorry for all the questions - I don't know much about chuckwagon racing so find this all very interesting :D

What a great experience for Bailey to get to try something totally different that we don't have around these parts :)

I'm glad Dominica is asking all the questions...........I'm enjoying this.......I didnt even know questions to ask never mind have any answers....thanks girls for the education.

here's 2 new photos of her using an outriding horse to round up some calves that escaped their pasture.


they im'd me yesterday and asked if they can get her a barrel horse to go to the local rodeos as they'd like to see her
get a chance to run barrels this summer too. Bailey doesnt know this yet, they want to surprise her. Good thing she's a great pickup rider (can jump up on most any strange horse and still get a good ride out of it) as they want to surprise her at a rodeo and have her pre entered without her knowing. She's getting alot of opportunities that she couldnt get here, but I still miss her badly.