Carmel Valley Trail & Saddle Club Members Cattle Nights!

Students in action

Learning the ropes

Spectators enjoy the view

Tuesday Night Fun!

Fun for members and instructed by Sarah Clifford, these evening romps are for members of the Carmel Valley Trail & Saddle Club to interact with cattle and receive some great training by a real professional.  

These great evenings commence at 5:30 pm and give some of us an opportunity to get involved in a group setting.  For folks who are not members of the CVT&SC, you can learn more about this historic riding facility in the heart of the Valley at: http://www.cvtsc.org/ .  If you are interested in getting some training for yourself and your steed, you can learn more about Sarah Clifford at: http://sarahclifford.posterous.com/ .

Thank you, Sarah and the CVT&SC!

Horsemen's Re-Union

Natural Horsemanship lovers and Cow Folk of every type, Rejoice!

The First-Ever Horsemen's Re-Union is here in Paso Robles, CA!

Visit http://www.horsemensreunion.com for full details of this one-of-a-kind event.

April 2-7, 2012 marks an unprecedented occurrence! An assembly of the top world-class horsemen, clinicians and ranch cowboys in one place.

If you follow any of the most exciting trends in horsemanship and ranching (or watch RFD-TV), you will be familiar with many of the names of the skilled horseman attending this unique event. Chris Cox, Craig Cameron, and Pat Parelli are a few of the biggies. Also, in an exciting move, local and skilled-but-not-tv-star horsemen will also be competing to show their talents and strengths in training 40 head of 2 and 3 year olds over 5 days for an ultimate sale preview and auction to follow on the 6th day.

These great horses have been bred in Southern California by Rowly and Cathie Twisselman of Madonna Inn Quarter Horses. The fine bloodlines of these steeds can be seen in depth on the horsemensreunion.com website and include the sires: Athenolena, Barrossob, RF Doolin Leo, Twisselena, and Texas Playgun.

Over 5 days, these fine horseman will train 40 head of well bred ranch horses and each day will be an education in ultimate horsemanship carried out in real time! Imagine the benefit of watching these valuable days. The horses will be able to display a great array of training by day 5, including roping and working of cattle.

The nights are also chock full of heavenly action, with a dinner benefitting the Western Wishes charity (http://www.westernwishes.org). This charity benefits children and adults facing adversity in life who are greatly benefitted from invitation to and participation in western lifestyle--such as rodeos, horse shows and country music events.

In addition to great food and dancing, there are entertainers of great popularity among the western and country set. Dave Stamey (a personal favorite), J. Parson, Baxter Black and Red Steagall are all part of this fantastic lineup!

All this leads up to a grand finale and auction on day 6--imagine the lucky bidders on these horses. Additionally, there will be other horses offered for sale, who have even more extensive training from some of the attending horsemen.

The event is being produced by Martin Black, Chris Cox and Rowly & Cathie Twisselman. It is being presented by Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment, and is additionally supported by great sponsors such as Western Horseman magazine, Priefert Ranch Equipment, Renew Gold and PlasVacc.

So, if watching this type of event is up your alley, or if you are looking for a rock-solid young horse with an excellent foundation, this event should not be missed! And, if you found out about it a bit later than planning allowed (like me), you'll be sure I catch it next time around!

It's like a gathering of horse-superheroes!

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Paso Robles, CA

Another Great Meal at Cafe Rustica!

Cafe Rustica has long been known as a restaurant with really great food all the time.

We had another fine meal there Friday night, and thought we should mention this establishment and report in on a tasty meal.

For a full menu and wine list, visit www.caferusticacarmel.com. You'll find something to suit everyone in your party.

If you like salads, just order any on this menu and your expectations of size and quality will be met and exceeded. And, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing the ingredients are sourced as locally as possible.

I had the Butter Lettuce salad, which was a deviation from my routine of the pear and gorgonzola-style salad. When we walked in, I spotted a Butter Lettuce salad ready on the counter, and it looked like an immaculate pile of perfectly dressed heaven--and I was not disappointed. My dad had one, too and my mom had the pear and gorgonzola salad. My husband ordered the BLT salad and that was a winner, too! Huge piles of tasty salad for all.

If you've never had the cream of mushroom soup-you most definitely should! You'll receive a generous terrine of rich, buttery, flavorful cream of mushroom soup, and it is a favorite of ours.

In our group, we had the following items as entrees: Rib Eye Steak, Special Short Ribs, and the steamed clams appetizer. As usual, each dish was cooked well, seasoned nicely and came with very complimentary sides / garnishes.

The real delight was the Lemon Pudding for dessert. What an amazing flavor! Tart, sweet, and intensely lemon--paired with ripe, sweet strawberries. Although my dad was hesitant to veer from the Bittersweet Chocolate Torte, he was so surprised and grateful for the unique lemony finish to our meal.

Truly enjoyable!

-- Post From My iPhone

Introducing. . .

Hello, and thank you for viewing this community site committed to covering horse-friendly topics and activities as well as connecting with local businesses and establishments!

As a lifetime native of Carmel Valley and the surrounding areas, I feel Carmel Valley is the finest place to pursue a rural lifestyle while enjoying beautiful scenery and being close to the Monterey Peninsula. Carmel Valley is a local's delight, making it famous for wines, food, art, olive oil and agriculture.

Carmel Valley residents are well-rounded and find life here is a unique and rewarding retreat from the typical Californian pace.

For those of us who have lived here forever, this is no surprise, and we are just thrilled to see the quality of our lives improve with each season.

The Carmel Valley Horse. . .

I feel the area has an amazing history in how horsemanship has developed and so much of what is popular in riding today has deep roots here in our very own Carmel Valley! From working cattle, to dressage, to pleasure riding in the hills, Carmel Valley is home to horse lovers of all disciplines.

As a small child, I lived across Carmel Valley Road from Ray Hackworth's ranch, and maybe it's those early memories that stamped the love of horses onto my subconscious. Horses have been a lifetime passion, and now I would like to share lots of horsey experience, research and activities with others who are interested in horses or even just businesses and local flavor.

Please contact me with your horse stories, or local events and businesses! I'd like to go on a quest to discover and rediscover my home stomping grounds making it fun for all who come along for the ride.

-- Post From My iPhone