After reading an e-mail that my daughter Serenity, who is doing the trainer’s challenge, received from Jill McDermott, and reading Serenity’s reply, I decided to contact Jill myself and let her know that I was interested in doing the challenge. Jill was thrilled to hear that I was interested in participating, and competing against Serenity. This took place on the evening of April 30, 2010, without Serenity having any knowledge of what I was up to.
After a couple more e-mails the arrangements were made for me to go see the few horses she had left to place with a trainer to decide which one I would like to train. This is all taking place on May 1, 2010. In the afternoon, I informed Serenity of my plans, and that we were going to Bark River, MI to select a horse for me to train.
Sunday morning, May 2, 2010, Serenity, Lisa (my wife), and I left early for Bark River. On our trip, discussions took place of how I didn’t have time to train a horse from start to finish, and especially by the end of the training challenge. Also part of the conversations taking place, were about the probability of my getting hurt. That if I would get hurt, that one or both were going to kill me. Also, that neither one would take me to the hospital.
Upon arrival at Jill’s barn, Jill showed us a gelding that she had just brought back from lower MI due to the place where he was, they were not doing anything with him.
For some strange reason, I felt I didn’t have to look at any others. This is how I met "Encore". Jill offered to get grain so that we would be able to get Encore close enough to be able to get a hold of the short rope fastened to his halter. Before Jill made it to the barn, I was able to get close to Encore and grab the rope. This seemed fairly easy.
Jill decided to get the grain any way, saying we would probably need it to get him in the trailer.
After a short time, and some refusals on Encore’s part, some how he decided to literally jump into the trailer. Again, the grain was not a factor. Encore did however, get a couple of mouth fulls of grain once tied in the trailer as his reward.
Encore is a 12 year old purebred Arabian gelding, with a little bit of an attitude problem. Basically, he lacks respect for those around him. But things will change, attitude will change, and he will end up being a well mannered, respecting horse that will love to have attention, and look at his future job as play, instead of work.
This is how this story begins to unfold. So from here on out, from our road trip home, until the final day, follow Encore, and myself to the finale, to take place on August 14, 2010, on our daily blogs.
Encore will be available for adoption in a silent auction on August 14th. Check out the Trainer's Challenge page for more details.
You can contact me, the trainer, at atouchofklasspaints@hotmail.com. Otherwise, there is a comment area on the bottom of every web page. Feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions.
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