Stick horses used in cowgirls contest (this is NOT an Onion story)

Stick horses used in contest amid equine outbreak

:spray:



SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A deadly strain of a fast-spreading horse virus that's shown up in nine Western states — where cases have doubled in the last week — has forced contestants vying for the title of "posse junior queen" in one Utah county to ride stick horses to demonstrate their cowgirl skills.

Use of the pretend horses, made of straight sticks and fabric horse heads, comes as some other horse events scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend in Utah have been cancelled. The outbreak of the equine herpes virus, which is highly contagious among horses, started at an Ogden, Utah, horse show earlier this month.
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"With a stick horse it's a lot different because you have to do all the work, and I think it's going to be a lot more tiring than with a real horse," contestant Kylie Felter told KSL-TV.

Potential posse junior queens were asked to trot around with the stick horses as a test of whether they knew the routine, which is usually performed by the show horse, former queen Savanna Steed told the Salt Lake City television station.
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggpvzHz7yGBGLP1_rCNPOx22Ulhg?docId=8c841d6cb2694f18b7c9d034d2df1a3a

http://kowb1290.com/outbreak-of-horse-herpes-forces-utah-rodeo-to-use-stick-ponies-video/

This is hilarious! :rofl:

I saw the video now and am still laughing...I dunno whats funnier...the notion that they actually decided to have these fake ponies ...or that the participants talk about it as if its normal...with a poker face!

Thank you for posting this..this made my day.lol

:rofl:

Whateve it is, I want to SEE it!

....while being doped on ritalin and dancing on electrified floor.

(ETA....sorta like how I dance)

I saw this a few days ago. Cute idea. I read another article a couple of days ago and I have to agree with this woman:



Equine herpes is a deadly disease. I have friends, CA, AZ, NV, UT who are extremely concerned for their horses. It's highly contagious and can be deadly. A lot of shows and competitions have been cancelled.

It was fun the girls would go along with this.

edit to add "can be" deadly...fortunately, not always deadly.

:rofl:

The pic looks like it could be right out of a Monty Python skit!

They may not understand the concept of cancelling, but they're sure going to learn the meaning of "international laughingstock" and "losing sponsors!"

x(
rocktivity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzcLQRXW6B0

GUARD #1: You're using coconuts!
ARTHUR: What?
GUARD #1: You've got two empty halves of coconut and you're bangin'
'em together.
ARTHUR: So? We have ridden since the snows of winter covered this
land, through the kingdom of Mercea, through--
GUARD #1: Where'd you get the coconut?
ARTHUR: We found them.
GUARD #1: Found them? In Mercea? The coconut's tropical!
ARTHUR: What do you mean?
GUARD #1: Well, this is a temperate zone.
ARTHUR: The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin
or the plumber may seek warmer climes in winter yet these are not
strangers to our land.
GUARD #1: Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
ARTHUR: Not at all, they could be carried.
GUARD #1: What -- a swallow carrying a coconut?

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/mphg/mphg.htm

do they not understand? The "refund" part, I suppose...next time, get insurance!

:rofl:
rocktivity

I believe one of them was even riding a stick BULL! Now THAT'S impressive!:thumbsup:

Poor horses, but good to see some good 'ol Yankee Ingenuity!

first and not worrying about how they themselves look. :applause:

i felt this was the superior headline on the topic

The video at the link makes me so embarrassed for those girls.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=15716018

I don't think they were forced to ride stick ponies due to the horse herpes. It was some idiot who thought that would be a good idea who forced that indignation upon them.

about this and to keep a eye out.