‘Horseman’s dream weekend’ brings back a little history
Part of the Old West returns next weekend to the Spokane fairgrounds.
The annual “Ride the West Horse and Ranch Expo” features three days of magnificent horses, clinics and demonstrations by nationally known trainers, and more than 125 vendors will hawk the latest products to enhance “your horse’s lifestyle.”
Adding a 19th-century touch to the show will be demonstrations by the Northwest Mounted Shooters and a historical encampment by members of the 14th Virginia Cavalry from the Washington Civil War Association.
“It’s the horseman’s dream weekend,” says Ride the West organizer Susan Rae. The family event begins Friday at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.
Be ready for plenty of thundering hoof beats, loud bursts of gunfire, clouds of black smoke and lots of whooping and hollering when the mounted shooters take to the arena on both Friday and Saturday nights.
Riders, all decked out in wild Western regalia, will gallop through a staged course, shooting at balloon targets with .45-caliber single-action revolvers loaded with black powder blank rounds.
“We have a lot of fun,” says Rusty Palmer of Post Falls.
Palmer, born near Potlatch, Idaho, in 1930, has been around horses all his life.
“This riding and shooting gets into your blood,” says Palmer, “and you just can’t quit.”
Living quarter trailers
About half the members of the NWMS have some type of recreational vehicle, says the group’s president, Terry Irwin of Newman Lake.
Members travel hundreds of miles to competitions to acquire points to qualify for the World Championships in Scottsdale, Ariz. Last year Irwin won the World’s Senior Men’s Limited Class.
“I would guess that those of us who travel the most,” says Irwin, “travel somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 miles a season in the pursuit of points and, of course, meeting friends and seeing new country.”
One of those heavy travelers is John Bunch of Mead, who recently picked up his new 2006 Platinum Coach.
The living quarter trailer offers modern cowpokes all that is required for “roughing it smoothly.”
Accommodations vary, but in addition to a traditional two-to-six horse trailer, living quarters contain a separate compartment for kitchen, bathroom and sleeping.
“My previous rig was a two-horse unit,” says Bunch. “I wanted a little more width in the living area and room for three horses.”
The “horse-end” of these trailers includes options for a saddle rack, tack room, hay rack, loading ramp, mangers and rear video system to monitor the horses during transport.
Bunch’s horse compartment is rubber-lined with padded walls. The slant bulkhead makes for more comfortable riding for the horses.
“The horse rides better at an angle,” says Bunch. “When you have a sudden stop the horse’s whole body will go up against the padded stall instead of just the chest.”
Empty, the trailer weighs 7,780 pounds and the tongue weighs 2,300 pounds. Each horse adds another 1,000 pounds, plus weight for several bales of hay, 25 gallons of water for the horses and 35 gallons for the shower.
Bunch says his 2006 one-ton Dodge pulls his trailer “perfectly.”
“Towing it isn’t the problem; it’s the stopping,” says Bunch. “My truck has 11-inch brakes, and the trailer has electric brakes, so it stops just fine.”
Mounted shooters
The Northwest Mounted Shooters is having a “World Point Qualifying” competition today beginning at 9 a.m. at the Fairview Stables, 10102 N. Fairview Road, near Mead. The free event features shooters from throughout the Inland Northwest.
“For more information contact Irwin at (509) 226-0008 or by e-mail at hillrover@msn.com; or call Bunch at (509) 467-2956.
“The national Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association can be reached at (480) 683-0485; www.cowboymountedshooting.com.
Re-enactments
In addition to the encampment at the Ride the West show, members of the Washington Civil War Association will re-enact the Battle of Spokane Falls over Memorial Day weekend in Riverside State Park, according to Bob Davisson, first lieutenant with the 14th Virginia Cavalry.
To reach the battleground follow Government Way north past its intersection with Fort George Wright Drive and then to the Aubrey L. White Parkway. There will be signs. A small admission fee will be charged for adults; children 14 and under are free.
Other events are held throughout the Northwest during the year. For local information, call Davisson at (509) 995-8619.
Camping at the expo
The Spokane County Fair and Expo Center provides RV parking at the fairgrounds during special events, including the Ride the West Expo.
According to marketing coordinator Erin Gurtel, there are 43 spaces with electricity and water hookups at $25 night; “a lot” of spaces with only electricity, at $18 night; and many additional spots for dry camping at $8 a night. There are restrooms, showers and a dump station nearby.
“No additional fee is charged for the dump station,” says Gurtel.
Reservations are definitely encouraged, especially for the sites with utilities. Call expo receptionist Katy Bassen at (509) 477-2770 or e-mail kbassen@spokanecounty.org. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.