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EXCA Brave Horse

The Brave Horse, Volume 2, Issue 4     

 

April 2010

Welcome to the Extreme Cowboy Association 

We are excited about 2010 and the many fun filled and exciting Extreme Cowboy Racing events that are on the schedule.  The formation of EXCA has been an thrilling and challenging adventure! Many people have worked tirelessly to create an association that you will be proud to tell your friends about.  This is the latest issue of your monthly newsletter, The Brave Horse.  

You will receive it each month electronically around the middle of the month.  The Brave Horse will be full of interesting stories, EXCA event results, point standings, human interest stories about EXCA members and Tips and Tales from our founder, Craig Cameron.  We encourage you to communicate your suggestions for stories and ideas that will make  The Brave Horse fun, better and more informative.  

The Brave Horse the best newsletter in the equine world.  Please forward your ideas and suggestions to Bill Hull at bhextremecowboy@gmail.com.

BASIC HORSEMANSHIP

Attitude Makes a Difference

When you make the decision to go out and work with your horse, go with a positive attitude.  If your attitude is negative or sour, go do something else and come back when you feel better.  Your horse has the intelligence or instinct to pick up on your frame of mind.  When you are positive, you will be more understanding and patient.  Your horse won’t have a hard time pleasing you because you are working with him in a positive manner.  When your mood is bad or you have a negative attitude, your horse probably won’t be able to please you because you will tend to be more aggressive and will be unsure of yourself.  Either way, your horse will pick up on it.

 

Successful horsemen maintain positive attitudes when working with their horses.  Remember that a positive attitude creates inspiration and a negative attitude creates an atmosphere of despair or desperation.  The simple rule of thumb is to always approach your horse with the attitude that you want when someone approaches you.  It’s really very simple; a positive attitude is what it’s all about.

 

Ride hard and always Ride Smart.

 

Craig Cameron

 

MEET EXTREME HORSEMAN

JEFF LEBBIN

by Mick A Kelpie

It has been said that behind every great man is a great story.  Today, I am going to tell you the story of Jeff Lebbin, a trainer, clinician and equine dentist from Swartz Creek, Michigan.  His family run ranch is home to 60 head of horses, up to 20 head of cattle and a pen full of Austrian Kelpies that he raises to help with the ranch work.  If you ever have the chance to meet this modern day cowboy, you’ll meet someone who loves his work and almost always has a smile on his face.  If doesn’t matter if you are a life long client or meeting Jeff for the first time, I guarantee you that he will make you laugh.

 

Growing up, Jeff’s family raised and showed Foundation Quarter Horses.  By age 10, he was training neighbor’s ponies for quarter mile driving races.  By 16, Jeff had turned professional and was hired by multiple farms to train and show their class A Morgan’s,

Arabians and Quarter Horses in a variety of disciplines including Western, Hunt Seat, Saddle Seat, Reining and Dressage, earning several World titles.  Jeff was a full time trainer by age 18, training all breeds and disciplines, including driving.  In 1990, Jeff expanded his horse operation and started a horse and carriage company that included 14 Percherons and several carriages which were used for proms, weddings and parties.  He was also featured with these horses in a movie and multiple commercials.

 

As the horse industry began to change and breed associations started allowing horses to move in a way that Jeff did not agree with, he left the western pleasure ring and began focusing on Foundation bred horses and ranch based competitions.  Although Jeff still trains all disciplines, he is best known for his ability to train reined cow horses from a young colt whose mind and body is ready to be molded to the well broke horse that is missing the finishing touches.  Jeff’s reputation for soft but firm training methods has spread nationwide.  He has several out of state clients and others that are trainers themselves.  Jeff credits a lot of his success to his friends and mentors in the horse world including PRCA Champion Robert Etbauer, NCHA World Champion Bart Nichols and NRCHA World Champions Don Murphy and Andy Adams.

 

Jeff’s success can be seen not only in the horses he has trained but also through the numerous wins he has had with his personal horses.  From 2005 – 2008, Jeff was the Michigan NRCHA Open and Limited Open Champion.  He was also the 2008 FQHR World Versatility Champion with his stallion, Smart Poco Equalizer who was also crowned the FQHR World Champion Cow Horse for his combined performances in cutting, reined cow horses and roping classes.  In 2009, Jeff was the FQHR World Versatility Champion and the Reserve World High Point Champion.  That same year, Jeff was the Michigan NRCHA Open Hackamore Reserve Champion with Freckles Irish Pride who was also the Amateur Hackamore Champion with Jeff’s daughter, Emily.

 

Although Jeff is passionate about training and showing Reined Cow Horses; when he saw Craig Cameron’s Extreme Cowboy Race on RFD-TV he knew it was a new challenge right up his alley.  In 2007, Jeff submitted a tape to Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio and was selected to compete.  Since competing in that first race where he won a saddle, Jeff has become hooked on Extreme Cowboy Racing.   He enjoys EXCA because it is an organization where the whole family can compete.  Jeff’s wife, Rhonda is a CPA who helps with the daily operations of the farm and recently competed in her first EXCA race.  In 2009, Jeff and his two youngest daughters, Emily (17) and Samantha (12) were the Mid West Regional Champions for their respective EXCA Divisions and qualified for the 2009 EXCA World Championship where Samantha was crowned EXCA World Champion in the Young Gun Division on a 23 year old Foundation Quarter Horse, Pretty Hot Dude.  Jeff’s oldest daughter, Kate (21) is a veterinary student at Michigan State University and recently competed in her first Extreme Cowboy Race at the 2010 Ohio Equine Affaire.  In addition to competing in the EXCA, Jeff and his family have hosted several EXCA races on their property, featuring an extremely challenging outdoor course.  In addition to competing and hosting EXCA events, Jeff is a National Advisory Board member for the Mid West Region, a member of the Rules Committee and helped develop the format for the new judging standards and the new Judge’s Test used by EXCA.

 

When not promoting or exhibiting in the EXCA, Jeff is busy raising and training the next generation of versatile ranch horses. Jeff is living a life that most can only dream about.

 

At the beginning of this article, I told you I was going to tell Jeff’s story.  What I didn’t tell you was that I am his best friend and youngest “child”.  My name is Mick, a 7 year old Australian Kelpie stud dog and Jeff’s ranch manager.

 

 

EXCA JUDGING / SCORING SYSTEM

The first EXCA Judging Clinic was held April 23-25 at the Double Horn Ranch in Bluff Dale, Texas.  EXCA Founder, Craig Cameron provided the leadership and instruction throughout the clinic.  We had 22 participants from 9 states plus Canada. Nine EXCA Regions were represented.  The clinic included instruction, discussion and review of still pictures, indoor courses , outdoor courses, live judging on the Extreme Cowboy course and a complete review of the 2010 EXCA Rulebook.  Questions, answers and discussions were abundant and always educational, entertaining and lively.  The clinic was a resounding success and we encourage all of you to participate in an upcoming clinic.  Keep your eye on the EXCA website and the Craig Cameron website for the date of the next EXCA Judging Clinic.

 

As you know, we changed the scoring system for 2010 to include the Approach (+ or – 1 point in ¼ point increments) the Obstacle (average score of 5) and the Departure + or – 1 point in ¼ point increments).

 

Following a review of the new system and feedback from some of the events held this year, the decision was made to judge and score each EXCA event as follows:

 

The Approach and Departure are to be judged along with the Obstacle in ¼ point increments.  The judge will give a single score that includes the 3 components (Approach, Obstacle and Departure).  The average score for the entire obstacle will be 5. 

 

 

Inside "The Brave Horse"

 

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The Brave Horse the best newsletter in the equine world.  Please forward your ideas and suggestions to Bill Hull at bhextremecowboy@gmail.com.

 

 

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