News
2010 Wyoming Riding Vacation Sweepstakes Winner
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Dixie Lee West of Arkansas: I was raised in southern California, got my first pony when I was four and rode in my first gymkhana when I was 7. When I was a kid I basically lived on my horse! I was a member of the California Gymkhana Association for 14 years before moving to Arkansas shortly before my 22nd birthday. Mostly what they had here then were rodeos so I ran barrels for a few years. I even learned to breakaway rope! I'm not the best at it but it sure is fun when I get to do it! A few years later I got involved with the National Barrel Horse Association and have been doing that ever since. We raise a few Quarter Horses, and I ride what I raise. I start and train them myself and occasionally ride horses for other people. The horse I compete on (my favorite) is a 10-year-old black Quarter Horse mare named Wicked Falina. She’s silly, temperamental, moody, pushy and spoiled! My husband says I’m the only one who likes her but that suits me fine because she and I get along great! |
October 2009
Since the last news entry, we have been on the fly with getting the camp back to the ranch and stored for the winter, wrangling the horses onto fresh grass for well-deserved rest and relaxation, and thinking about the marketing and advertising campaign for the 2010 season. And in between all that, Bobbi attended a weekend horsemanship clinic in Torrington, Wyoming which was conducted by Bruce Laird and wonderfully hosted by his wife Joan. Bruce rode and worked with Ray Hunt for many years, so his philosophy and style are what we are always trying to attain. It was a great weekend and the breakthroughs that Bobbi had were monumental for her; and Bruce used Willow as one of the demonstration horses both days, which was an extra benefit that lead to some real progress for our pretty little flaxen mare. Thanks so much, Bruce and Joan!
Mike headed back to the wilderness for a few days of elk hunting, and though he did not bag any winter meat, he reported a great few days of riding in the Bridger-Teton National Forest with only Mouse and Outlaw for companionship, and the solitude of the mountains for his retreat.
The 2010 schedule is finalized and you will note that we went ahead and determined the itinerary for each ride week, a change from the notes in the September news. Two rides are already booked full for 2010, the very first and the very last of the season, so the middle is wide open. And, please note that there is a new pricing/rate structure for each of the ride products, so there is a great horseback adventure offering for just about anyone!
The fall newsletter is in production and will go out to the subscriber list around the middle of November, just in time for everyone to gather around the holiday table and start making plans for a summer horseback riding adventure vacation. While there will be news bits and links to the latest at Blue Sky Sage, one big feature will be the lead-in to register to win one of two FREE HORSEBACK ADVENTURES TO BE AWARDED FOR THE 2010 SEASON! All that and more are in the works, so visit often and keep checking for more new photos, stories, testimonials and more.
September 2009
We are ahead of the game for the 2010 season, as we have the schedule worked out and posted throughout this website. This is in response to several inquiries who are ready to book their horseback riding vacations well in advance with Blue Sky Sage.
Please note that we have built in some flexibility into the choice of itinerary for any given week on most ride weeks. For 2010, whoever books first on a particular week will get to determine what type of ride it will be; for instance, if three ladies want to have August 17-23 be a Girls Ride Out! All-Women week, upon receipt of their deposits we will designate that week as Girls Ride Out! Mustang Horse Adventures are only available on three dates, however any of those can also be designated as Girls Ride Out! or Three Dimensional Horsesmanship, which adds a fabulous learning opportunity to the Clinic week. The itineraries will be determined by the first reservations in, so to get the date and type of ride you want, we encourage you to book early!
September is starting off warm and beautiful; we've had some down time to let the horses have some R&R back on the ranch pasture and the crew has been able to clean camp, rest up and work on "office stuff", which is really not the place we want to be when it's so nice outside and we could be horseback! However, the time has been used as a working retreat to gear up for the 2010 season and has allowed us to get the schedule up, which is usually not available until well into October. We have a couple rides left this season and we will be without our number one staff member, daughter Emily; she and the sled dogs have moved home to get back into full-time school and begin light training for all the athletes of Powderhounds Sled Dog Racing. We'll sure miss her, but she's very happy to be home and it's sure easier to care for the team!
Bobbi turns 50 on September 24 and her "gift to self" is a trip to Torrington, Wyoming to join a 2-day Horsemanship Clinic with horseman Bruce Laird. Bruce was raised in Torrington and both of us had known him a bit many, many years ago when we still lived in that area where we were both raised. Bruce and his wife Joan have been hosting a few clinics in recent years and because Bruce is a long-time protoge of Ray Hunt, he was the obvious choice for my first clinic experience. I'll head to Torrington on September 25 with two horses, Mouse and Molly I think, for the clinic on September 26 & 27. I'm very excited!
August 2009
August has been very busy with back-to-back rides! Due to some guests having to cancel their trip for various reasons, the Three-Dimensional Horsemanship Clinic has been cancelled for this season and will be available again in 2010, so keep checking the website later this fall after we get the 2010 schedule up.
The Girls Ride Out! ride scheduled for September 8-14 still is open for bookings up until September 1, so if you are considering a trip with Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures in 2009, you only have a few days left to book or you can start planning for next season. Call or email if you have any questions or book easily right here on the website, securely online and we'll be ready with good horses, great country and plenty of saddle time when you arrive!
July 2009
NEW DATE for Girls Ride Out! All Women Week
As of July 27, we have opened up the week of September 8-14 as a Girls Ride Out! All Women week, since there were no bookings made yet for a Mustang Horse Adventure as this date was originally slated for. So all you ladies who thought you were out of luck for this year, go ahead and make your plans to come right the Blue Sky Sage country in September in Wyoming! It's one of the best times of year out here, with temperate days, no bugs and the feel of early autumn in the air. There are currently 6 openings for this week, so call or email, or better yet book directly online on the secure page. There's a good horse ready and waiting for you to catch a stirrup and ride!
THREE DIMENSIONAL HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC WEEK, only 3 openings left for anyone who is a 'student of the horse' interested in a hands-on experience. Our experienced Blue Sky Sage saddle horses are your teachers and Mike Wade is your leader for this unique and dynamic learning week. August 26-September 1 is the date, book online or call and reserve your spot, limited to only 6 participants.
What's New, June 2009
It's a very hectic time of year in June, as we are setting up camp, which fortunately we had almost completed before the rainiest June we've had in Wyoming in many years started. Everything is in place except Emily's trailer and one more load of horses for the first trip starting June 22. As I write this, it's raining here at the home ranch along the Green River and while Mike is in camp, we have daily phone talks, in which he reported that yesterday it rained steadily for three hours, then quit, and drizzled again most of the night. So it's green, lush and soggy from the Little Sandy to the Kickin' Back Ranch where we base from.
As a side note, Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures will be featured in the August issue of Horse and Rider Magazine in an article entitled "Share the Life" by Jenny Meyer. Check it out when it goes on sale and when it goes online, we'll have link or a PDF file of it right here!
What's New - May 2009
Welcome to Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures website! We are a long established Wyoming horseback adventure vacation company that up until now has been known as High Wild & Lonesome Horseback Adventures. Mike and Bobbi Wade, owners and operators decided that it was time for a new look and a new name that better articulates the genuine wide open spaces and ride experiences that they offer here in Wyoming.
As part of this new look and feel, the new website is optimized to give you all the information you need for planning your horseback riding vacation out here; you can choose your ride package, specify which week, securely book your trip online by credit card or automatic check withdrawal, purchase travel insurance, and contact any of the recommended hotels in Jackson, Wyoming for accommodations both before and after your horse riding week with Blue Sky Sage. There is much information related to horsemanship, physical fitness and health as it relates to riding; recommended reading lists both horse related and from "campfire chats" with our guests in camp; many of the recipes we use in preparing the wonderful meals from the camp cookhouse; and many other features you will discover as you browse through the site. A website is always a "work in progress" so you will see new articles, opinions and other features coming online in the future, one of which will be a Blue Sky Sage blog that we'll be able to keep updated a couple times a week throughout the camp season and hopefully more regularly during the off-field season.
We thank you for finding your way to Blue Sky Sage Horseback Adventures and encourage you to call or email us if we can answer any questions you may have. Keep checking here and throughout the site for new additions regularly!
Bobbi & Mike Wade
