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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.
HORSEMANSHIP FUNDAMENTALS
Pay
Attention or Pay Consequences
By Craig
Cameron
Horses will always tell you the truth - they are not
deceptive and they won’t lie to you. On the other hand, how
many times have you seen someone quietly approach their
horse with a treat, with the true purpose of the treat being
to catch the horse and put him to work? It doesn’t take too
many times before the horse figures out the deception and
won’t come to the treat. The horse owner then gets
frustrated because he can’t catch his horse and blames the
horse rather than taking responsibility for using deception
with his horse.
Horses always give us clear, precise messages. It is up to
us to understand and respect the messages being given to
us. When horses are relaxed and happy, they will keep
their heads low, their ears wiggle and they will lick their
lips. When they are nervous, unhappy or scared, they will
keep their heads high, ears stiff and usually pinned. They
are telling us how the really feel – no deceit – just the
truth. The good horseman always pays attention to his
horses’ body language to recognize how his horse is feeling
at any given moment. When we fail to pay attention, that is
when problems start and we get hurt. It is our decision to
make; pay attention or pay the consequences.
Ride
Hard and always Ride Smart.
Craig Cameron
BUILDING EXCA ON THE EAST COAST
By Joyce Lewis
Mid Atlantic National Advisory Board Member
 It
was early that morning in October, 2008 as I sat in the
Valero Gas Station in Bluff Dale, Texas nursing my bruised
ego, as I sipped my coffee.
It was the afternoon before that I had raced in Craig
Cameron’s Extreme Cowboy Race, All Girl Challenge at the
Double Horn Ranch. It was a respectable finish in the top
eight, making it to the second round, against some of the
toughest cowgirls in the country.
As I sat there at the gas station café, I noticed a couple
of folks that I recognized from the proceeding day’s events.
“Excuse me” Bill Hull, President of the Extreme Cowboy
Association, leaned over from across the aisle. “Didn’t you
ride that grey Arabian yesterday at Craig’s ranch?”
Oh gosh, I thought to myself, this guy is going to point out
to me how terribly wrong my ride went in the second round.
“You looked really good out there with that Arabian in a
crowd of Quarter Horses,” he shared. “You know, Craig and I
are working on forming an association to showcase all breeds
in Extreme Cowboy Racing.”
“Really, tell me more, I love this sport!” I explained to
Bill. I had been hooked on Extreme Cowboy Racing since
watching Craig’s show on RFD-TV. In spring of 2007, I had
submitted a DVD demonstrating my Quarter Horse gelding’s
extreme capabilities, in the hopes of being chosen to ride
in season six, filmed in Augusta, Georgia. What a rush when
I received the acceptance letter from HorseCity.com that I
was scheduled to race.
A former Dressage rider, that race at the Hippodrome in
Augusta, Georgia was the beginning of the end of my breeches
and tall boots, I was hooked.
Bill and I stayed in touch that fall and when the Official
Extreme Cowboy Association was launched in 2009, I was quick
to become a member. Okay, where are all the races? I’m
ready to compete. I quickly became aware that cowboy racing
was not popular on the East Coast.
After a few confidence building conversations with Bill, I
agreed to join the EXCA National Advisory Board,
representing the Mid Atlantic Region. My first task was to
get a sanctioned EXCA event scheduled for our region, North
Carolina, Virginia, W. Virginia and Maryland. With the
assistance of Jeff and Amy Wylie at Why Not An American Ark,
in Monroe, NC the Mid Atlantic Racer’s Club launched its
first sanctioned event in March, 2009.
The new sport of Extreme Cowboy Racing on the East Coast
drew lots of curious spectators and 24 competitors. We were
all excited to see a large crowd turn out to watch the
event. The payout for that race exceeded $1,000, so I was
certain that our next race would be double in size.
As I prepared for the second sanctioned EXCA event, May
2009, at Gambler’s Ridge, Gold Hill, NC, I was slowly
becoming disillusioned with the number of participants. What
happened? Spectator numbers were big, but participant
numbers were half the first event. As races came and went in
the 2009 Mid Atlantic Region, we never grew past 12 to 14
racers per event.
Not one to shrink from a challenge, I started teaching
“Cowboy Clinics” the day before the races, in an effort to
dispel the scary word “extreme” and encourage the word
“race” in the title of our association. All disciplines are
welcome at these clinics and the judges for the race are
never present.
There has been some honest camaraderie formed from these
clinics, I’ve actually seen western riders sharing their
tack with the English riders, so that they could compete in
the race the following day!
Trail riders are also exploring Cowboy Clinics as a new way
to develop a brave horse and increasing their confidence in
this exhilarating sport.
Our last race in the Mid Atlantic Region boasted 20
participants in the Cowboy Clinic and 30 racers! We have now
surpassed our original participant numbers from 2009.
Of course, the Mid Atlantic Region’s success has not been
built on Cowboy Clinics alone. Loyal EXCA members, racers
and spectators attending Mid Atlantic events have been key
to getting the word out about Extreme Cowboy Racing. At
every event I attend, host or teach, I have flyers to pass
out to folks to post in feed and tack stores for the
upcoming race. I will shamelessly ask anyone, if they will
please post a flyer for me in their area. Heck, if I just
get 50% of those people to actually tack that flyer up on a
bulletin board, I’m ahead of the marketing curve!
Another great way I have found to advertise for events is
through equestrian themed internet calendars, bulletin
boards and yahoo groups.
The east coast has come a long way since our first race in
2009. On September 11th, The Mid Atlantic Region will hold
the second Regional Championship at Green River Farm, South
Carolina and we’re expecting record numbers!
Joyce Lewis
2010
EXCA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2010 EXCA World Championship is scheduled for November
12-14 at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Kansas. With the
growth of EXCA across the country and Canada, the 2010 World
Championship promises to be bigger and better in all
aspects. Invitations will be extended to all of the EXCA
Regions immediately following the respective Regional
Championships. The top 60% from each Division in each
Region will be invited to compete for cash, prizes and the
title of EXCA World Champion!
Cash payback and prizes will be awarded to the top 5 in each
Division, with 100% of the entry fees be paid back to the
winners. In addition to the cash and prizes, the World
Champion and Reserve World Champion from each Division will
receive a beautiful EXCA World Championship buckle.
Entry forms will be available on the EXCA Website within the
next 2 weeks. Be sure to keep track of your points on the
Regional point page on the EXCA website.
There will be two host hotels this year. The Capital Plaza
Hotel located next to the Expocentre will be available at a
cost of $69 per night plus tax. The phone number is
785-431-7200. The Ramada Hotel and Convention Center,
located at 420 SE 6th St. will be available at $69 per night
plus tax and will offer a free hot breakfast each morning
plus two free drinks each night of your stay. The phone
number is 785-234-5400. The Ramada is approximately 10
minutes from the Expocentre. When you make your
reservations at either hotel, be sure to ask for the Extreme
Cowboy Association room rate.
Tickets are available on the EXCA website. Each contestant
will receive one free companion pass that will be valid for
the entire weekend.
We look forward to seeing you in Topeka!!
EXCA HALL OF FAME
The
EXCA World Championship is only 3 months away. As most of
you know, EXCA honors Hall of Fame inductees during the
World Championship. The time has come to begin thinking
about someone that you feel is deserving of this honor. The
criteria for Hall of Fame consideration is considered in 4
different ways:
*
Best Ambassador / Promoter of the Sport
*
World Champion
*
Number of Races Attended
*
Length of EXCA Membership
We
ask that you give some thought to this process and nominate
any individual(s) that you feel are deserving of this
honor. Please submit their name and the reason(s) you are
nominating them to be considered for induction into the EXCA
Hall of Fame. Please submit your nominations to
bhextremecowboy@gmail.com.
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