Happy Holidays!

Just checking in to wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season! We are preparing for a Fun Filled New Year so we will be in touch in January to let you know when the first meeting will be!
Cheers,
From Rick, Nancy & Cris
Turquoise Trail Wranglers

December 7th Holiday Meeting...

Hey Wranglers,
I hope you all had as much fun as I did at our November Meeting/Train Ride. For our December/ Holiday meeting we are going to the movies for FREE! "Christmas Miracle At Sage Creek" starring David Carradine, Wes Studi, Irene Behdard and Turquoise Trail Elementary student Wyatt Turner, will be playing as part of the Santa Fe Film Festival and I've received complimentary tickets for all our club members!! This 95 minute family friendly Western was produced by a friend of mine and he will be meeting with us after the show to discuss the making of this Western Spur Award winning film.
The movie will be shown at the historic Scottish Rite Temple, 463 Paseo de Peralta. The film begins at 1:00 PM, but I need you Wranglers to be there by 12:30 PM so I can give you your tickets and get us all to our reserved seating section. Parents and adult tickets can also be purchased for $10 bucks. I also have a limited number of the adult tickets for sale on a first come basis or you can purchase them in advance from the Film Festival Box Office, 519 Cerrillos Road, 505 989 1495 or at the door the day of the show.
Please let us know either way if you will be attending by Monday, December 1, so we can be sure to hold your tickets or pass them on to someone on the wait list.
Thanks,
Rick

All Aboard the Santa Fe Southern Train Ride

A photo-journal of our trip to the Galisteo Basin...








Kenny Tomlinson serves Diane Clare's yummy homemade pumpkin bread. Thanks for sharing!






Our resident journaling artist and her thousand watt smile!














Wranglers present a big thanks to Kowboyz with a handmade thank you card signed by all for sponsoring our trip!

All Aboard!

4-H Fall Fun Days continue with a train ride on the Santa Fe Southern Railway Sunday November 9th, departing 2p.m. sharp - 4-Hers must be there by 1:30 p.m. The Hot Shot Train leaves from the Historic Depot in the heart of Santa Fe and travels down to the rim of the Galisteo Basin for a wide view from this interesting geologic uplift. After a brief stop to soak up the scenery, the train returns to Santa Fe. Snacks, hot and cold drinks are available onboard - or you can even pack your own brown bag lunch! Train Arrives back to Santa Fe depot approximately 4:30 p.m.

This trip is being hosted by the Turquoise Trail Wranglers 4-H club and sponsored by Suzanne Grais & Brad Hammond owners of Kowboyz Western Wear on 345 W. Manhattan at Guadalupe, diagonally across from the Train Depot.

Due to Kowboyz generous donation tickets for us 4-Hers, family & friends are only $5 for kids & $10 for adults (by the way tickets are normally $14 for children & $28 for adults - thank you KOWBOYZ!).

This is a great deal! Seats will go fast! Right now we are scheduled to have our own rail car, and can take up to 48 passengers. So please mark your calendar and RSVP ASAP. We have to give a final count & money to book our train by Tuesday, November 4th.

So don't delay, reserve your seats today!

Mr. McKinley and our kids... Front Page News!

Captions read: Henry McKinley of Lone Bute helps Ian Czmyrid, 10, of Santa Fe with his roping skills Sunday afternoon at the opening day of a roping clinic in the newly built arena for the Turquoise Trail Wranglers 4-H Club. The arena was built to give the children of Santa Fe and surrounding counties a place to practice and learn rodeo skills.

Inset photo: Jack Cameron, 7, prepares for a lesson on rodeo roping.

Roping Clinic a Huge Success!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day! Under sun-filled skies, forty 4-H kids from clubs throughout Santa Fe County, along with their parents and siblings graced Crossed Arrows Ranch home of the Turquoise Trail Wranglers arena for a day of 4-H fun, friendship, and food. Thank you kids for your enthusiasm - you guys are awesome!

Thank you to everyone who helped us put on this event - we couldn't have done it without you!!! A Very special thank you to Clint Mortenson of Mortenson Silver & Saddles for donating his whole day to teach us all about roping. To Master roper Mr. Henry McKinley - we can't thank you enough for providing the livestock for this event and for lending your mastery of archery too. To Super Looper and wonderful instructors Ronnie and Shelley Milliore. To Carl Hawkins who "put on the hog" cookin' out of his authentic 1890s chuckwagon, and to his helpers of the day, Steve Price, Jacinda Witt and Diane Clare. To our singing cowboy Jasper McCoy - thanks for lending your voice. Thank you to our Turquoise Trail Wrangler parents/leaders: Mark Hermeling, Greg Cummings, Jim Vidamour, and Angela Flores for their all their help. Thank you to San Marcos Feed Store for the buckets, scoopers, roping and ranch books - thanks Tom! A very special thanks to Western Horseman columnist and author Bill Manns and Judy Benson of Zon Publishing who made sure every kid went home with one of their calendars, Cowboy & Cowgirl coffee table books or postcard books. To Frank Romero, Linda and the gang at L&L, Chris Czymarid, Bobby & Debbie Borrego, and Eaves Ranch manager Thomas Wingate - thank you.
As a final note... This event couldn't have been possible without Kenny Tomlinson who not only spearheaded the initial construction of our arena, but to all the other things he made happen and the time it took to do it all. Thank you, you are THE MAN!




All eyes are on Clint Mortenson as he begins the roping class at the Crossed Arrows Ranch, home of the Turquoise Trail Wranglers.


Practice makes perfect.


View from atop the bucking chutes of our kids hard at work and having fun.


Girls Ranch Mustangs impressed all with their new roping skills.


Cloverbuds rule!


While on his lunch break Mr. McKinley taught archery to our Cloverbuds - where does he get his energy?!


Chuckwagon master Carl Hawkins and Bonanza Creek manager Steve Price.


Come and get it!!!


Cowboy crooner Jasper McCoy.


Swinging into the saddle.


Running the chutes for our ropers.


Cochiti Trail Blazer tracking his steer.


One of our cowgirls in action.


Watching the action!

Roping Clinic Tomorrow, Oct. 12 Wind or Shine!

Hey everybody its Cris!! Just wanted to let everyone know that WE WILL STILL BE HAVING THE CLINIC TOMORROW OCTOBER 12, NO MATTER THE WIND!!! The only reason we would have a cancelation would be due to rain or flying pigs.

Thanks sunshine and sparkles,
Cris

4-H Council Meeting & Carnival, Friday October 10th

Good luck to our club's new 4-H County Council Representatives: Cade Hermeling, Blaze Cummings, and Wyatt Vidamour.

Looking forward to seeing you on Friday October 10th at County Extension Building for the council meeting and carnival afterwards.

October 1st Organizational Meeting

Wranglers, parents, and leaders.


Wranglers club leader and SF County 4-H AG agent guest speaker .


No job is finished until the paperwork is done - way to go Wranglers!

Roping Clinic Sunday, October 12th

Our club, the Turquoise Trail Wranglers will be hosting a Roping Clinic by Clint Mortenson on Sunday, October 12th, 1:00 PM here at our arena. All Santa Fe County 4-H'ers from all the clubs have been invited and many will be attending in what is going to be a really fun day. This clinic is being offered to us by Mr. Mortenson FREE of charge and is for all kids with or without horses for kids who can rope a bit or those that have never swung a rope too! We are also lucky to have rancher and roping legend, Mr. Henry McKinley who will be lending his expertise. Mr. Carl Hawkins will also be setting up his authentic 1890 Chuckwagon and will be cooking in his dutch ovens. This will be the first of our 4- H FALL FUN Days. I will fill you in on other upcoming events at the meeting.

Arena Building 101

On a warm day last November I began clearing a section of land on our ranch that would become the home arena for the Turquoise Trail Wranglers 4-H Club. Following stump removal and dirt work by Monty Fasnaught, Tom Faulkner, local contractor, horseman and all around good friend Kenny Tomlinson as well as our welder, roper, and master of disaster our brother Chad Winter and his assistant Danny Saiz jumped in to drill holes and weld three semi loads of steel pipe to create what is now a 150' X 260' regulation PRCA Rodeo Arena complete with bucking chutes, roping chute and boxes along with cattle return and trap. This will now be the only dedicated arena of its kind for the exclusive use of Santa Fe County 4-H clubs.

Following are some photos showing our progress along the way...


Three semi loads of pipe await us on cleared land. March 2008


Kenny, Rick and Chad drilling the holes for the uprights.


First uprights in and ready to go.


Danny and 4-H'er fabricating the bucking chutes.


Danny welding the gateway for the stripping chute and cattle trap.


Backing into the box for a roping chute test run. April 2008


Chad and Kenny assembling our rustic "powder rooms".


Our delux outhouses open for business.


Cattle moooving in - Thanks Mr. Henry McKinley!!!





Hanging out our shingle. Our new sign courtesy of local wrangler Nancy D.

Very special thanks also to: Henry & Peg McKinley, Bonanza Creek Ranch owners Imogene & Richard Hughes, Ranch Manager and my padner' Steve Price, Clint Mortenson of Mortinson Silver & Saddles, and Richard Slaughter.

Thanks all!
Rick