Gymkhana Games

Slim Pikkens · 09-16-2007, 08:42 PM

For some reason, over the past 20 years, the horse games have gotten pretty tame in my area. No one gets off a horse anymore. No more boot scramble, apple bobbing, balloon busting, sack race, musical tires, etc. Is it like this in your area? It seems everyone has gotten too serious and the fun has gone out of it.

AlbertaGirl · 09-16-2007, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slim Pikkens

It seems everyone has gotten too serious and the fun has gone out of it.

I've absolutely found this to be true! At the gymkhana club I was at least year, no one seemed to be there to just have fun and meet people, they were all snooty and super competitive. A lot of them were barrel racers who just used gymkhana for more practice time. I tried to make the best of it, but it really wasn't a lot of fun.

As for the games you mentioned, I've never even heard of any of them - lol! I am sort of a gymkhana newbie though.

cascy · 09-16-2007, 11:03 PM

Yeah, it's the same way here.... Even the little bitty kids are super competetive! There's one girl who is only 7, she does barrels and poles, but anyway... you've seen those psycho parents at sport games that scream at thier kids or officials.... Her parents are the same way!

They are on the fence yelling and screaming orders, and if she messes up... They are EXTREMLY hateful afterwards! They make her go home and practice for atleast 2 hours every night, and if she does poorly, no tv, no phone, no nothing but straight to bed!

Talk about Competitive!

I wish they had the games for fun still, my little girl will be riding soon, and I don't want her to get scared under all the "competitive eyes".

sundancer maiden · 09-17-2007, 03:49 PM

I hadn't even thought about the fun, kinda silly, events for quite awhile. But now that you mention it, I do miss them. The saddle club I belong to is pretty kid oriented, we do have the barrel racers but they are pretty low key. We have a 1-6 age group with several kids being led through the events so anybody in a big hurry probably just doesn't come here.
At our Fall Spectacular, draws a good crowd due to the bigger (usually tack) awards, we do always finish out the show with the Diaper Race. It is done in heats with teams. One person rides to the turn lane, dismounts and lays down on the diaper that the team mate has laid out, the team mate pins on the diaper and the rider, has to run to the finish line on foot. Main rule is that the diaper has to stay above the knees! Kids and adults participate and everyone has a blast! There have been one or two people, throughout the 30+ years we've been doing this, bring up not doing it. But everyone one else votes in favor!!
Maybe, us older folks, ought to suggest some of the old events to be tried out at select fun shows. Maybe a new generation could discover a little fun! Maybe many of the younger people have never even heard about the "good old" events. Never hurts to ask!!!

shayla · 09-17-2007, 10:25 PM

See, I would love to do some of the fun shows where we board at, but all they do is barrels and poles, neither of which my horse is patterned for, nor do I really want to pattern him for.

But I would LOVE to just go out and have some FUN! But, they all seem so competative out there.

I'd love to do something fun, but...well...guess we'll just stick with "trail riding" and "solo arena riding" since we don't run with the other crowds!

bunnyal · 09-18-2007, 02:44 AM

Oh the good ol' days. Egg n' spoon, cake walk, musical chairs, buddy pick up, boot race, jumpin' figure eight. I went to watch at a local show a few months back and was so disappointed. It is way to competetive now. And why so many different barrel and pole classes. We just had pee wee, junior and senior. Everybody knew everybody. We stayed for the whole show even if our classes were over just to cheer everyone on. We even stopped collecting our ribbons and trophies just to save the club some money to keep the shows going. It was for the kids. We were all one big family.

KatieMae · 09-18-2007, 05:39 AM

We actually have a place here that still occasionally does the fun shows with the buddy pick up, egg and spoon, etc.. They're usually around holidays though... Otherwise it's all barrel racing and pleasure shows...

Slim Pikkens · 09-20-2007, 06:28 PM

My memories of the craziest event was the buffalo drag, which as the name implies, used a buffalo robe. We didn't have a buffalo hide soooo....several riders would race down the arena where the pickup guys were ready with grain shovels tied to long ropes. Pickups would toss their ropes at their cowboys who would snub the rope around the horn and as they turned to race back, the pickups plunked their butts in the scoop of the shovel, crossed their legs across the shank of the shovel and hang on for dear life while the horses yanked and raced for the finish line. The fellas wouldn't let go for love nor money, even if they lost their seating. Our trail classes used to mimic what you'd find on the trail, tin cans, mattress, barrel, mail box, you name it. Each show tried to come up with a little variation on the previous one. About 10 years ago I was asked to design a trail class, where in all three gaits have to be incorporated, side pass, back. This list of what I couldn't use was huge. No wonder the judge grabs a chair to watch the ultimate in boring classes that isn't a test of a trail horse at all.

SueBee · 09-21-2007, 09:11 AM

I am sure that some of it is liability, farms are worried that some kid is going to get hurt when some horse freaks about a ballon popping or an egg dropping. And some of it probably has to do with parents who make themselves a PITA about everything, from complaining about the cost, and not helping their kid between events or when the show is over to not bringing a dish to pass for the potluck. I love seeing the moms show up in their strappy high heel sandals, that always makes it easy to help your kid with a horse. And of course, there is always the ultra competitive parent taking the fun out of it by yelling at the kid for dropping the flag or knocking over a barrel.

It is a lot of work for any farm to put on, and where I board, they rely on horse owners letting them use their horses, and even tack, for the kids show, because there are not enough barn horses (or barn tack) and also, a lot of boarders volunteer to help out to get horses ready (bathe and make pretty, as well as tack up for the kids who can't do it themselves) and also help out during the show to watch over kids between classes. They still do two full weekend shows (kids one day, adults the next) a year, and they've been really good about keeping it fun for everyone.

dustyangel24 · 09-21-2007, 12:20 PM

When I was a kid we had so many fun gymkhana classes!

We used to do the phone book race. Where there was phone book on a barrel. They would call a page # and you had to run down, dismount, get the page, get back on and run back. Best time wins.

Ribbon Race. Two riders and a crape paper streamer. Both holding the ribbon, run down, around the barrel and back without breaking the ribbon. Best time team wins.

Ride and Run. Run to the end, dismount and run back with your horse and lead rope. Best time wins.

Egg and spoon of course.

Bareback class: was a $ was put under you leg and they would ask for a w/t/c, and as your $ fell out you were DQ'd. The winner was the one with the $ the longest.

There were others, I just can't remember that long ago! I just remember how fun it was.

barrelracer03 · 09-27-2007, 08:59 AM

That is really true. Even when i was like 4 or 5 I started to go to horse shows and mini-rodeos around the area i use to live and everyone was friends and the only competition was in the arena, not outside of it... It has become dull.

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09-16-2007, 08:42 PM
Slim Pikkens Kid Safe Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 5,106	Gymkhana Games For some reason, over the past 20 years, the horse games have gotten pretty tame in my area. No one gets off a horse anymore. No more boot scramble, apple bobbing, balloon busting, sack race, musical tires, etc. Is it like this in your area? It seems everyone has gotten too serious and the fun has gone out of it.

09-16-2007, 11:03 PM
cascy Bombproof Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: arkansas Posts: 7,989	Yeah, it's the same way here.... Even the little bitty kids are super competetive! There's one girl who is only 7, she does barrels and poles, but anyway... you've seen those psycho parents at sport games that scream at thier kids or officials.... Her parents are the same way! They are on the fence yelling and screaming orders, and if she messes up... They are EXTREMLY hateful afterwards! They make her go home and practice for atleast 2 hours every night, and if she does poorly, no tv, no phone, no nothing but straight to bed! Talk about Competitive! I wish they had the games for fun still, my little girl will be riding soon, and I don't want her to get scared under all the "competitive eyes". __________________ "How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right."~Black Hawk

09-17-2007, 03:49 PM
sundancer maiden Started Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Udall, KS Posts: 2,028	I hadn't even thought about the fun, kinda silly, events for quite awhile. But now that you mention it, I do miss them. The saddle club I belong to is pretty kid oriented, we do have the barrel racers but they are pretty low key. We have a 1-6 age group with several kids being led through the events so anybody in a big hurry probably just doesn't come here. At our Fall Spectacular, draws a good crowd due to the bigger (usually tack) awards, we do always finish out the show with the Diaper Race. It is done in heats with teams. One person rides to the turn lane, dismounts and lays down on the diaper that the team mate has laid out, the team mate pins on the diaper and the rider, has to run to the finish line on foot. Main rule is that the diaper has to stay above the knees! Kids and adults participate and everyone has a blast! There have been one or two people, throughout the 30+ years we've been doing this, bring up not doing it. But everyone one else votes in favor!! Maybe, us older folks, ought to suggest some of the old events to be tried out at select fun shows. Maybe a new generation could discover a little fun! Maybe many of the younger people have never even heard about the "good old" events. Never hurts to ask!!!

09-17-2007, 10:25 PM
shayla Coming two Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 1,884	See, I would love to do some of the fun shows where we board at, but all they do is barrels and poles, neither of which my horse is patterned for, nor do I really want to pattern him for. But I would LOVE to just go out and have some FUN! But, they all seem so competative out there. I'd love to do something fun, but...well...guess we'll just stick with "trail riding" and "solo arena riding" since we don't run with the other crowds! __________________ "Oftentime, the notion of "Following one's heart" is used as an excuse to avoid doing what is best because it's to hard or to complicated." ~David Hopkins

09-18-2007, 02:44 AM
bunnyal Yearling Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Pasco County, Florida Posts: 867	Oh the good ol' days. Egg n' spoon, cake walk, musical chairs, buddy pick up, boot race, jumpin' figure eight. I went to watch at a local show a few months back and was so disappointed. It is way to competetive now. And why so many different barrel and pole classes. We just had pee wee, junior and senior. Everybody knew everybody. We stayed for the whole show even if our classes were over just to cheer everyone on. We even stopped collecting our ribbons and trophies just to save the club some money to keep the shows going. It was for the kids. We were all one big family.

09-18-2007, 05:39 AM
KatieMae Seasoned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: C.FLA Posts: 4,227	We actually have a place here that still occasionally does the fun shows with the buddy pick up, egg and spoon, etc.. They're usually around holidays though... Otherwise it's all barrel racing and pleasure shows... __________________ You can only blame your problems on the world for so long Before it all becomes the same old song.

09-20-2007, 06:28 PM
Slim Pikkens Kid Safe Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 5,106	My memories of the craziest event was the buffalo drag, which as the name implies, used a buffalo robe. We didn't have a buffalo hide soooo....several riders would race down the arena where the pickup guys were ready with grain shovels tied to long ropes. Pickups would toss their ropes at their cowboys who would snub the rope around the horn and as they turned to race back, the pickups plunked their butts in the scoop of the shovel, crossed their legs across the shank of the shovel and hang on for dear life while the horses yanked and raced for the finish line. The fellas wouldn't let go for love nor money, even if they lost their seating. Our trail classes used to mimic what you'd find on the trail, tin cans, mattress, barrel, mail box, you name it. Each show tried to come up with a little variation on the previous one. About 10 years ago I was asked to design a trail class, where in all three gaits have to be incorporated, side pass, back. This list of what I couldn't use was huge. No wonder the judge grabs a chair to watch the ultimate in boring classes that isn't a test of a trail horse at all.

09-21-2007, 09:11 AM
SueBee Weanling Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NW suburbs of Chicago Posts: 419	I am sure that some of it is liability, farms are worried that some kid is going to get hurt when some horse freaks about a ballon popping or an egg dropping. And some of it probably has to do with parents who make themselves a PITA about everything, from complaining about the cost, and not helping their kid between events or when the show is over to not bringing a dish to pass for the potluck. I love seeing the moms show up in their strappy high heel sandals, that always makes it easy to help your kid with a horse. And of course, there is always the ultra competitive parent taking the fun out of it by yelling at the kid for dropping the flag or knocking over a barrel. It is a lot of work for any farm to put on, and where I board, they rely on horse owners letting them use their horses, and even tack, for the kids show, because there are not enough barn horses (or barn tack) and also, a lot of boarders volunteer to help out to get horses ready (bathe and make pretty, as well as tack up for the kids who can't do it themselves) and also help out during the show to watch over kids between classes. They still do two full weekend shows (kids one day, adults the next) a year, and they've been really good about keeping it fun for everyone.

09-21-2007, 12:20 PM
dustyangel24 Weanling Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 461	Memories... When I was a kid we had so many fun gymkhana classes! We used to do the phone book race. Where there was phone book on a barrel. They would call a page # and you had to run down, dismount, get the page, get back on and run back. Best time wins. Ribbon Race. Two riders and a crape paper streamer. Both holding the ribbon, run down, around the barrel and back without breaking the ribbon. Best time team wins. Ride and Run. Run to the end, dismount and run back with your horse and lead rope. Best time wins. Egg and spoon of course. Bareback class: was a $ was put under you leg and they would ask for a w/t/c, and as your $ fell out you were DQ'd. The winner was the one with the $ the longest. There were others, I just can't remember that long ago! I just remember how fun it was. __________________ *Proud owner of:* *17 yr old OTTB "Pleasure for Sure" aka "Bubba"* *3 yr old AQHA "This Lady's a Dream" aka"Ginger"* *5 yr old German Shepherd "Rocky", and* *3 yr old Ragdoll "Princeton"*

09-27-2007, 08:59 AM
barrelracer03 Newborn Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Eagle Point Posts: 19	That is really true. Even when i was like 4 or 5 I started to go to horse shows and mini-rodeos around the area i use to live and everyone was friends and the only competition was in the arena, not outside of it... It has become dull.