FREE HHoorrssee RReevviieeww VOL. 27 • NO. 5 The Mid-South Equine Newsmagazine Since 1992 JANUARY 2017 2. January, 2017 • Mid-South Horse Review www.midsouthhorsereview.com oN THe C oVeR : olympia’s Horse of the Year -- Valegro and charlotte Dujardin at Valegro’s official retirement ceremony, De - HHoorrssee RReevviieeww January 2017 cember 14, 2016 at the london olympia stadium. Dujardin Equus Charta, LLC describes Valegro as “the perfect horse.” ( Photo: Liz Gregg ) Copyright 2016 contents • V ol . 27 • n o. 5 6220 greenlee #4 P.o. Box 594 arlington, tn 38002-0594 901-867-1755 PuBLiSHeR & e DiToR : Tom & Dr. Nancy Brannon STAFF : Andrea Gilbert WeBSiTe : www.midsouthhorsereview.com e- MAiLS : midsouthhorsereview@ yahoo.com [email protected] FACeBook : Saddle Bronc action at the Liberty Bowl Rodeo in Mem - Team Roping action at the Mississippi Classic, December The Mid-South Horse Review phis, TN, December 27, 2016. (Nancy Brannon photo ) 9-11, 2016 in Tunica, MS. (Nancy Brannon photo ) ARTiCLeS & PHoToS WeLCoMeD: we welcome contributions from writers and horse people, features : but cannot guarantee Valegro ’s retirement 16 publication or return of oxing ay oxhunts manuscripts or photos. B D F 18 reproduction of editorial stallion showcase 20-21 content, photographs or liBerty Bowl roDeo 28 advertising is strictly prohibited without written permission of the publisher. events • shows : hunter /J umPer 14 eDiToRiAL PoLiCY: Dressage 16 the opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect the Foxhunting 18 opinions or policy of the cowBoys & c owgirls 25 Mid-South Horse Review . DriVing 33 A young rider awaits her turn at the MAQHA Holiday Classic in Jackson, MS, expressions of differing opinions FielD trials 34 through letters or manuscript December 9-11, 2016. ( photo by Carmen Davis ) submissions are welcome. 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January, 2017 • Mid-South Horse Review www.midsouthhorsereview. com Book & art nook Ron McDaniel: Cowboy Poet By Nancy Brannon Photos by Patrick Dixon Photography ron mcDaniel claims, with his dry wit, that he’s prob - ably the least known cowboy Poet you’ve never heard of. and becoming a cowboy Poet came about as a mis - take, he also claims. it all happened when he wrote a poem one year for a christmas card about an odd predica - ment with a donkey that he was in. since then, he’s been performing cowboy Poetry for about ten or eleven years, the equine athlete. there’s so much information it’s like it’s sure not for the money, though we both keep on be - and those donkey-featured christmas cards have contin - trying to drink from a fire hydrant!” lieving ued as well. ron lives in northwest arkansas with his wife, three if we just hold on ‘til next year, we’ll be lucky to break skipping ahead… when his first daughter got married, children, horse and donkey. Following is a sampling of even. ron had a reputation/history of pranking weddings. with ron’s cowboy Poetry. the christmas gift was sent out as a stern warning, his daughter asked him to write a poem a christmas card with the photo of ron with golf club, we both share mother nature, for better or for worse. about growing up on a ranch for the rehearsal dinner – the horse, and the donkey. one day she smiles upon us, the next she sends a curse. and then disappear until the wedding! “not the Quitting kind” is a true story “without much six months later, he went to a cowboy Poetry gather - embellishment,” ron says about his experience at golden unleashing all her fury, like she will now and then, ing as a spectator. as a joke, his buddy put him into an hills riding resort. the resort has 1500 acres in the mis - she shows no favoritism to cowboys or fishermen. open mic session. ron had 20 minutes to fill in the open souri ozarks where folks spend a week or so to go trail mic! since the poem he had written for his first daugh - riding. curt in the poem is curt Pate, one of the experts, we both sure are afflicted, this addiction we can’t ter’s wedding was the only one he had memorized, that’s along with Buck Brannaman, whom robert redford hired shake; the poem he recited in the open mic. the poem talked for the movie “the horse whisperer.” ron and curt were like tobacco and whiskey habits, this life is hard to about cowboy life, but in the audience was a group of friends and both at the resort, where curt was giving a break. commercial fishermen! they were bewildered by cow - colt starting clinic and ron was there to entertain folks. boy culture, so ron became their ambassador, explaining the poem tells the rest of the story. “admit you’ve got a problem,” to us they would sug - the cowboy life to them. read more about ron and his cowboy poetry at: gest, one month later, the fishermen were having their tenth http://www.inthetote.com/ron-mcdaniel.html “who us?” we’ve got no problem; our life it is the best. anniversary Fisher Poets gathering. ron was invited to *note: tote is a large container used to hold fish or attend and read poetry. ron said he was flattered, but he shellfish. Fresh seafood is iced and held in plastic totes whether sitting in the saddle, or rolling with a wave, would either have to write more poems or tell stories until processing. this is the life we chose, this is the life we crave. about cowboy life. they sent him books about commer - cial fishing, and after reading them, ron found that fish - Not Too Far Apart and just like you, most cowboys often gather at a bar. ermen and cowboys have a lot in common. as a result, he the distance in between us is really not that far. wrote the poem, “we’re not too Far apart.” now, ron is you prefer the ocean, the freedom of the sea their adopted cowboy, and this February, he’s going back i prefer to always have dry land under me. you might expect this cowboy’d make some hairy- to the Fisher Poets gathering for the 11th year. he’s the chested boast only cowboy Poet they allow on stage! For you it is so natural, riding waves that roll and pitch, But to the Fisher Poets, i offer up this toast: lest you might think he’s a full time poet, ron actually But only a caballo can satisfy my itch. works full time in the equine division for merck animal we’re not too far apart. it’s finally dawned on me health. ron was an animal science major in college. “i our diets are quite different: you eat fish with saltines; thanks to moe & Joanna, the ladies of the sea. own just enough cattle to be in constant debt to the bank me, i often get by on cold biscuits and beans. and not enough to put food on the table. i have been for - so order some beef liver, or a steak which is more mild. tunate to make a living in animal agriculture. i worked in our clothes are also different, you might predict as and i will order salmon, but only if it’s wild! the beef division [at merck] and for the last 12 years i well; have worked in the equine division. i manage a group their function to protect us both from different kinds Not the Quitting kind who call on equine veterinarians on behalf of merck an - of hell. imal health,” ron explained. my sense of cowboy chivalry usually causes me some most of the poetry he writes is for charity events or for you wear boots of rubber, good for any kind of trouble, groups who don’t know about the cowboy life. in 2015 weather, often, resulting in my ego popping like a bubble. and 2016, he entered the national cowboy Poetry rodeo. i prefer my boots be made entirely from leather. a woman’s horse was bothered, lathered in a sweat, he won first in the humor division both years, and he won 120 days of training, but not a finished horse just yet.