Ashley Whyland
Ashley Whyland checks in….It is that time of year.. FOOD!!
It’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter, the horses are fuzzing up and grilling out is no longer an option. I love a one pot meal and especially, my trusty crock pot. On a day that I can throw a meal in the crock pot and come back to a wonderful smelling home…..everything is right in the world!
I’m going to share a few of my favorite recipes over the next few weeks that are very easy and perfect for those nights that you have way more on your agenda than cooking.
And here’s another idea…tired of the greasy concession stands or carnival food at the rodeos? This past winter, I attended a winter barrel racing series where a friend and I took turns making dessert and dinner. Saved money, made for great times and definitely a divine meal.
Crock pot Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
A great all in one meal that is PERFECT to pack up and make in the horse trailer.
1 ½ lbs of cubed ham
8 large russet potatoes
1 small onion
2 cups cheddar cheese
Can of Cream of Mushroom soup
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
Peel and slice the potatoes. Dice the onion. Put half of the ham in the bottom of the crock pot. Layer with half of the potatoes then half of the cheese. Next layer all of the onion. Now repeat with the rest of the ham, potatoes and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Now cover this with the can of Cream of Mushroom soup. Cook on low for 8 hours.
I made this for dinner tonight and I have to say, it took much restraint to not dish me up a plate instead of going out to ride when I got home.
Crock pot Apple Crisp
I actually packed this up for our last 3 day horse show to accompany my friend’s crock pot barbeque. I mixed all of the dry topping ingredients together at home and put them in a plastic container. Grabbed my butter and cans of pie filling and we were out the door!
2 cans Apple pie filling (you can make the filling yourself, but I wasn’t about to. J )1 cup oats
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ sticks of butter
Pour the pie filling into the bottom of the crock pot. Mix the rest of the ingredients together, cutting in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter if you’re fancy. Pour mixture over the filling. Cook on low all day or high for a few hours, if you’re in a hurry like I was.
I never said this was a healthy meal did I? Don’t worry, if you’re at a barrel race or rodeo, you’ll work it off by days end. Oh, don’t forget to pack the ice cream.
Next time, the best soup I have ever put in my mouth……
Posted in After The Dust Settles, Ashley Whyland
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Ashley Whyland… More Money Saving Tips..
If you missed part one of Ashley’s tips.. click here.
- If you have trouble with your horses feet growing or being tough, dump one packet of Jello into their feed a day. Again, Dollar General is a great place to buy the generic brand for cheap.
- Instead of buying a huge bag of ice (that wont last all day in the hot sun), freeze 2-liter bottles or 20oz bottles with water and put them in the cooler with the ice. Stays cold longer!
- We started “pot luck jackpots” this winter. Three of us will chip in together, one brings the main meal (usually something in the crock pot), the other brings something snacky and the last person brings a dessert. Then we rotate at the next show. We have saved a ton of money doing this and you don’t have to deal with feeling crummy from eating the junk food at the concession stands.
- Sign up on Groupon.com for daily specials. Normally half off restaurants or fun things to do. You can also go under different cities. Say if you plan on going to Memphis, TN for a barrel race, you can go to that particular Groupon site and get half off deals to use while you’re there.
- Save your condiment packs from fast food restaurants to put in your trailer. It’s a pain in the butt packing a whole bottle of ketchup, mustard, mayo into the trailer. So I keep a little plastic container filled with condiments (which by the way, most you can leave out and not refrigerate).
Posted in After The Dust Settles, Ashley Whyland
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Ashley Whyland….The Joys of Seasoning a Colt
Boy do I miss the rodeo road….seems like just yesterday during this time of year all of the girls were getting ready for the World Toughest Rodeos. The things I don’t miss about rodeoing in the winter: a 5 hour trip taking 12 hours to get home due to a freak blizzard in St. Charles, MO…..sleeping in the horse trailer with no living quarters and a ceramic heater duct taped to the blanket bar in Rockford, IL…… and having to say things like “yes this truck has 4wd, but NO I don’t have chains for it.”
However, there is nothing like the thrill of an indoor rodeo. You can almost feel the thunder in your chest as the crowd screams inside a coliseum. Behind the scenes all of the girls would have their horses brought inside to keep warm, all huddled in the one spot that was covered in dirt outside the arena. Each of us praying that they let us into the arena to ride during intermission because there was no where else to ride! Oh the days….
But here I sit, waiting on the next jackpot. The joys of seasoning a colt! Atticus has been consistently running in the 4D with mistakes here and there but for as little as he’s been hauled, I’ve been tickled with that. However he really pulled one out of the hat last weekend, running the 13th fastest time out of 104 entries and winning a 2nd place check in the 2D! Knowing that a horse has it and seeing it shine through is the best feeling in the world. One thing I know about Atticus is he has the most consistent and fluid first barrel, which I think is very important for a great rodeo horse, especially in our circuit of short pens.
My plan for Atticus is to keep him consistent, because I think that is another key factor in a great rodeo horse. I’m hoping that next year I can take him to a few local rodeos and see how he handles the atmosphere and ground, then go from there.
Until next time….make sure you wear your ear thingys before you go outside, brrrr it’s cold!
Posted in Ashley Whyland, Rodeo Updates
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OTRR Talks to Ashley Whyland about Seasoning her Young Horse, Honorabull
Ashley Whyland and Honorabull
Ashley, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with OTRR again. It has been a while since we talked but I know that you have a young horse now and you have been seasoning him this year. Let’s talk a little bit about that process:
First tell us a little bit about Atticus:
His registered name is Honorabull and he is quite the character. Atticus is one of those horses that are always in your pocket. He LOVES attention. He is a very laid back horse, but very codependent. He either wants to be around a person or another horse at all times. He is an own son of Bully Bullion out of a Jet of Honor mare. I bought him from Laura Jane and Jeffrey Durfee.
How long have you had him?
I have owned him for almost a year. We bought him around Thanksgiving last year.
How old is he?
5
How far along was he when you got him?
Atticus had been hauled some when I got him, but was still green. He has some great handle on him and they really had him broke the way I like one, so that has made it easy for me.
Is this your first summer hauling him?
Yes, I have taken him to a few shows this spring/summer and now that it has started to cool down, we plan on going some more this fall/winter!
I know that we all set goals for ourselves and our horses at the beginning of the year. Going in to a new year with a new horse, what are some things you want to accomplish?
I plan on taking things real slow with Atticus. I want a horse to be sound and sane for the next 20 years. He’s past his futurity year and sealing up his Derby year, so there is no reason for me to be in any hurry. My goals are for him to be nice and solid going into summer of next year. I plan to take him to some local rodeos to season him next summer.
Take me through a day at a one day barrel race with Atticus? Tell our fans about exhibitions, your warm up routine, etc..
The past couple of times I’ve run Atticus, I haven’t been able to get an exhibition in so we have run cold turkey. It’s all about timing with us right now so my second run is always better than my first. If I’m able to get there in time for exhibitions, I like to trot him through the pattern and let him see what all is in the arena. Then I cruise him through, basically high loping the pattern not asking for any speed. His warm up routine is basically like any other horse I have. Walking for about 5 minutes, long trotting for about 5 minutes and loping for about 5-7 minutes. After I get him warmed up, I work on his stop and pivoting off his hind end. Atticus can get a little front-endy, so this helps him really concentrate on using his butt when I ask him. What I look for is him to really plant his butt in the ground and when I ask him to roll back for him to be really snappy. When I take Atticus in the alley, I make sure I come in from the right side so that he always catches his right lead going into the barrel. His first barrel is pretty darn automatic which I think will be a huge plus in the rodeo pen. He still needs a little help on his second and third barrels, but all in all Atticus knows his job really well. I think the most important thing with young horses is knowing them. Spending lots of time around them and knowing how they think, react, what calms them down, what hypes them up, etc.
Do you run Atticus in different headgear? Did you go through some trials in finding the right headgear? I know that finding the perfect bit/combo/hack can be hard on a new/young horse?
Atticus will pretty much ride in anything. He’s a light mouthed horse and doesn’t need a whole lot of bit. However, I have found that a Reinsman Little S hackamore is the best to run him in. It really helps keep him flatter in his turns. I try to ride him in a different bit each time I ride at home. If I need some work on collection, I’ll put him in a draw gag.
Tell me some things that worry you when seasoning a young one as opposed to getting on a horse you have been rodeoing on and knows the ropes?
Atticus takes a lot of the worry out of most situations. He’s a horse that may get spooked by something or get upset, but he’s not going to have a total meltdown over it. With young horses, the things you take for granted to walk past at a barrel race or rodeo may be a BIG deal to these colts. One thing that I have found to work on the younger horses is if they’re acting cautious or spooky of something, I’ll just act like I don’t even notice it and go on. Nine times out of ten, they’ll walk right on also. It’s when the rider makes a big deal and tightens their reins/seat that the horses feel they have something to worry about.
Of course, ground condition is something that comes into play also with the younger ones. I have yet to take Atticus to any rodeos and he hasn’t been to any horse shows where there has been bad ground, so I have yet to see how he’ll handle.
We are going in to the Fall, will you continue to haul Atticus this winter or give him a break?
My plan is to go to one or two shows each month during the winter, weather permitting. I normally try to keep the horses in shape the best I can without hauling them several times a week, but if the weather doesn’t allow that this year they may get a break until early spring.
Stay tuned for more with Ashley and Atticus as they continue the seasoning process and start getting out on the rodeo road.
Posted in Ashley Whyland, Rodeo Interviews
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Checking in on Ashley's Favorites….
Luther running in my favorite bit!!
OTRR had a chance to chat with Ashley Whyland about what you will find in her barn! Check out what Ashley uses!
Saddle: Cactus Saddlery – Charmayne James. This saddle seems to fit a lot of different horses and it keeps me square in my seat with my feet forward. It also has the bigger leather horn that I like.
Pad: I have used many different types, but I feel like certain horses need certain pads. I’m currently using a Professionals Choice Heavy Duty SMX Air Ride pad. Luther was very high withered and I found that either an Impact Gel or a Todd Sloan fit him well.
Bit: My all time favorite bit has to be the draw gag. I have one in about every different mouth piece made. I think these bits help horses that don’t have a lot of natural collection. But it’s not something I would use on a horse that doesn’t have any rate. I also like to use these bits to bit one back in the round pen.
Headgear: All of my horses get a draw rein tune up every once in a while. I feel that they help a horse get their butt up under them and round their back. I generally go with the “less is more” concept. If they don’t need a tie down or any type of fancy headgear, then I don’t put it on them.
Boots: I have always used Classic Equine Legacy boots with Dyno Turn Bell boots on the front and polo wraps on the back. I have recently switched to polo wraps on all four legs. My favorite brand of polos are Classic Equine. I feel like they have a little stretch, but not too much and they hold up very well. I think it’s VERY important that you learn how to wrap before you start using polo wraps. A lot of damage can be done by wrapping the wrong way, too tight, etc.
Feed & Hay: Most of our horses are on a sweet mix from a local mill, except for my newest addition, Atticus. He is eating SafeChoice by Nutrena. All horses get 2 flakes of Alfalfa/Orchard grass hay twice a day and a loose mineral.
Therapy: I love my PHT Magnetic products. I also use Sore No More liniment under my magnets. I recently bought a tub of Sore No More poultice that I LOVE! I even used it on myself! I like to wrap their legs after a run and when hauling.
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Ashley Whyland chats with OTRR
Ashley Whyland on Luther
It’s been a long while since I’ve update on OTRR, but to be quite honest barrel racing hasn’t been on the agenda a whole lot this winter! I sold BLY Valiance Hooker last fall and I look for her to have a successful career with her new owner. Here is the reality and truth of it, when your first barrel horse is such a great horse, a winner, a pleaser….it’s hard to jump on the next one and be happy with it. Hooker is a very nice mare, but she just wasn’t the horse for me. So I decided to move on…I vowed that I would take my time finding my next horse and get EXACTLY what fits me. It didn’t take long for the right horse to fall into my lap. A good friend of mine’s daughter was starting her career and had a 4 year old gelding that she had to part with. So “Atticus” made the long trek from Texas to Indiana. He is an own son of Bully Bullion out of a Jet of Honor daughter. So far, Atticus is proving that he is exactly what I want to send down the alleyway. Although I don’t think rodeos will be in our immediate future, I plan to haul him to jackpots this year and get him nice and solid. Then we will see what the future holds for him! I am VERY excited to start the year off fresh with a new horse and see what is in store for us!
Posted in Ashley Whyland, Rodeo Updates
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Ashley Whyland is back on the road!!!
Ashley Whyland on Luther
We loaded up and headed out to my first rodeo back in a LOOONNGGG time! This was a bulls and barrels at a local county fair. No big deal, but it was my horse’s first rodeo. I was running Freckles, my boyfriend’s horse. I have made a handful of runs on him, but he’s a lot different than what I’m used to running.
They opened the arena about 30 minutes before the rodeo was going to start and let us ride. I could tell that Freckles was taking it all in, but was a little jazzed up about the atmosphere. They had very loud music playing and it was a very small arena. Behind the arena were the fair rides. Directly behind the 3rd barrel was a HUGE Ferris Wheel (and I’m not exaggerating.) Every spoke on that sucker was lit up like a slot machine! It was a lot for a horse to take in and I knew it would only be worse when it started to get dark.
I was up in the slack, which I thought would be a good plan for my horse. However, that put me to running in the dark. I decided to let my horse rest up by the arena after I warmed him up. I wanted him to get a GOOD look at that monstrous wheel that he was probably thinking was going to come unbolted and chase him.
After watching the performance I discovered the ground was VERY hard and not many horses were standing up on it. Freckles is a big horse and I really wasn’t for sure how he was going to handle the ground. It was also a small pattern. Freckles has a very long stride, so I knew I could clock if I just got 3 clean barrels. I let him cruise in and he nailed the first barrel, had a pretty good second and I had him lined up for the 3rd and then all of the sudden, he bolted right! I decided to lope him out.
I wasn’t upset with Freckles, I felt like he handled it very well, considering! I was also told that there was a bull barrel setting to the right of the 3rd barrel and that could have been what made him pick up and dart right! There were a couple of other horses that did the exact same thing.
It is definitely challenging to go back to the rodeos and not be on a rodeo seasoned horse. I guess things like the Ferris Wheel and things sitting in the arena are things that I took for granted before and I didn’t have to worry about them.
I would normally say “Off to the next one…”, but I’m not sure when the next one will be. We haven’t bought any cards for this year, but I am contemplating buying my card back for next year!
Posted in Ashley Whyland, Rodeo Updates
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OTRR talks to Ashely Whyland..
Ashley Whyland on Luther
When your horse starts giving you problems, is there one person in particular that you may call on to bounce ideas off of or help you fix the issue? Tell us about them! Me and my friend Lindsey Hostetler talk to each other a lot about our runs. We critique each other and give ideas to help each other. Of course, my boyfriend, John Brown, even if I don’t ask, he’ll tell me what I’m doing wrong! Haha!
What type of saddle do you prefer to ride in? All girls have their preference! I love my Cactus! It’s the Charmayne James saddle and it fits me great and fits most of my horses!
We asked about your most memorable run, not tell us about your most embarrassing. That would probably be when my ex-horse Chris turned the 3rd barrel and I gave him his head and he just kept on turning. Then ran to the fence and the barrel setters where all standing there. They all jumped up and scaled the fence and the whole crowd was laughing…
Do you get nervous before each rodeo run? If you aren’t nervous, you aren’t human. No seriously, I think it isn’t fun anymore when you’re not nervous. Of course, the more comfortable you are with your horse, the less nervous you are.
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Ashley Shares about Mental Toughness……
Ashley Whyland on Luther
Mental toughness is a big part of barrel racing. Everybody has down days and bad runs. How do you keep yourself mentally tough? Some athletes have a phrase or a saying that they continually say in their head that keeps them focused, what is your secret?
I think one of the biggest things is KNOWING you’ve done your homework at home before you head to a rodeo. If you know you’ve done everything you can do at home to prepare for the run, then you will be confident. One of my favorite quotes is “Live each day like there will never be a tomorrow”. I think it’s important to live each day like it will be your last. It will make you put your all into things!
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On The Rodeo Road Wanted to Know…..
Ashley Whyland on Luther
Ashley, how early do you like to get to a rodeo?
I like to get there at least 2 hours early, sometimes earlier. I think it’s very important for my horse to get out and stretch his legs, maybe take a nap, have a bite to eat and get used to the surroundings. Depending on where I’m going, I may spend the weekend there and get there a day early. I love going out and seeing new places, different towns, restaurants and all that. Every town/city has something they’re special for!
Thanks so much Ashley! Stay tuned for more of your questions answered from the OTRR Team!
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