Ride of the Week: Cracker

This week's Ride of the Week is brought to you by Leah at Southwest Mementos.

Christmas 2006 my sister-in-law gifted her pony Cracker to our daughter. Our daughter expressed interest in showing, barrels, poles, and running for Junior Rodeo Queen and needed a reliable dependable horse. At 24 years old he came to live with us.

What you don't know is my sister-in-law is a horse trainer extraordinaire who married my husband's brother. Now he ain't to shabby one bit when it comes to horses either. Together, I'd lay money there isn't a horse out there they couldn't handle if they wanted too. When he arrived, my sister-in-law had already taken this little pony to barrel racing finals all over the state of Arizona for years and won a hefty number more than she ever lost.

County Fair Horse Show 1st in Barrels

Cracker arrived at what many would say are his senior years. I'd say a welsh pony cross hasn't got any senior years. To this day people ask how old he is and rock back on their heels shocked when we share they just lost to an almost 30 year old pony. He’s become quite notorious in our county and easily recognized on site at events we attend. In shape he still runs low 18s around the barrels.

Junior Queen Runner Up

Cracker lounges in semi-retirement. He spends his winters eating and growing fat and sassy. At almost 30 he's still an ornery bugger to catch. He darts away from everyone until you get him in a corner. He'll still pull you over at the entrance to the arena charged up and rearing to go round those barrels. If you don't get the upper hand at the first barrel, he'll jip ya the rest just to make you mad.

April 2010

Standing in the bleachers watching her run, the audience stares and speculates.
Is she riding a pony?
Is it a mustang?
Wow, did you see that time?
He sure is short.
Do we trail ride with him? Of course. Around here trail riding is as easy as turn right, then left, and head straight for the ditch banks and the Rio Grande. No surprising Cracker either as dogs nip at his heels, he jumps over small logs, and runs circles around Mouse and Diesel when racing on the sand bars. This pony loves to run. His heart is strong and just a little bit willful too. We figure he'll be around for a few more years to beat the pants off the kids in the junior division when the younger boys start riding in shows.