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7/4/09 - Odon, IN - With Horse Progress Days (HPD) drawing to a close, I can say that the past two days have been among the best I’ve had. The days were exciting, interesting, full of great people, lots of friends and really good company.
Friday was the day of the biggest crowds. Dozens of people stopped by all day to say hi and wish us well. I had to stay fairly close to the wagon to greet everyone and sell some T-shirts. Both my friends Barry and Maria showed up Friday morning. They were great company and a lot of help during HPD.
It didn’t take long for the wagon to be a favorite place to stop and chat for the Amish boys from the community. They helped out a lot hauling water for the horses and talked a lot about life on the farm. Most decided that when they grew up they wanted to do something that involved working with horses.
Friday afternoon, I had a seminar to give at 2:30. I hitched up the team and drove the wagon into the main arena for the event. Bill was full of it and doing his best to be a brat while I was talking. Every once in a while he would show his impatience by rearing up a foot or two. This would earn him a rein slap, but rarely interrupted the conversation with that audience. The session went very well and was attended by about 100 people.
At 6:30 pm we went for a few spins around the arena as part of the “Parade of breeds”. For a couple of farm horses, the lads looked pretty good, but not quite as spiffy as the fancy 6 horse hitches brought in for the event. All in all, Friday was a really great day.
Saturday morning I awoke to a light, on and off drizzle. I wasn’t even going to try and sell any T-shirts, so I spent most of the day enjoying HPD. I met a lot of good friends, enjoyed watching the tillage demonstrations, buying a few things I needed and seeing the sights.
If you ever get a chance to attend a Horse Progress Days - do it. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had at a horse based event.
Tomorrow, we begin the second leg of Trip #2. With the hot weather, I’ve decided to head north. Michigan seemed like a nice place, so that’s where were headed. I’ve got a lot of family left in my old home state, so we’re off to do some visiting, see some countryside and meet a lot of good folks on the way!
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