On this Sweet November Sunday I find my thoughts drifting back to a year ago. A year ago I was sitting in the stands, & enjoying the sights & sounds of Harvest Showdown in Yorkton. It occurs at the end of the harvest season, & is a place where everyone can come to show off their talents of the past year. It's one of the only times in a year I sit down to enjoy a horse pull competition.The big beautiful horses at work is a sight to behold. It is amazing how much power can be found in the gentle giants. After I enjoyed taking in the horse pull competition I got to take in a couple more demonstrations of the unique teamwork that horses & humans can have. First it began with a beautiful display of unqiue horse work with the equally unique Gypsy Vanner horses. The horses are absolutely beautiful, & it is always a pleasure to be able to watch them work. Then it was onto the team spirit portion of the night! The local 4H club puts together a drill team that has preformed at both years I have been able to attend of the Harvest Showdown. It is awesome to see all age groups work well together, & to watch the hard work of the team come together as they maneuvered beautifully through their routine. After that the local Football team decided to show their muscles & challenge the winning horse pullers to a tug of war. The football team put up a good fight, but the horse team took home first place on that challenge... even after the rodeo clown jumped in to help! As always the harvest showdown showcases the agricultural world from all aspects, & so they always have room to show off their "western" roots. Each year at the showdown there is a roping competition, & last year they brought in a mounted shooting demonstration. It was time to put the cowboy hat on straight, & get serious in that saddle. Like everything else at the showdown it was top notch entertainment! The night ended with one of the greatest shows. It was awesome to watch as "wild" mustangs were worked by the "One Armed Bandit". Yes, the gentleman in fact truly has only one arm. This, however, did not stop him from working off his trusty mule to maneuver the three free horses around the area at the crack of his whip. I have to say it was neat thing to watch him ride his mule without a touch of the reins (as his working hand was busy with the whip, which only cracked loudly & never touched a horse). It takes quite the riding abilities, & core strength, to be able to manage that.
photographs of (link to them in the green button). I don't know when I will back for the Showdown, but as I sit here knowing I have missed it... there is a large part of myself telling me this will not be often reoccurring thing. I will be back for as soon as life lets me! If you find yourself in Yorkton during the Harvest Showdown I highly suggest stopping by to check it out!
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