Submitted by Tim Helton, Modesto PD Mounted Unit, CMOA Vice President
Administrative Assistant for CMOA , Sharon Slattery, has really done it this time. Sharon Slattery’s duties include checking the PO Box, routing emails, renewing annual memberships and returning phone calls, etcetera. To promote CMOA at the national level exceeds her duties and we will only stand for it this once.
Enough of my non-sense. Sharon had recently seen the L.A.P.D. Mounted Unit on Equestrian Nation and wrote an email to see if she could get a copy of the segment. Little did Sharon know that the email would be answered by the producer Dan Weyand. Mr. Weyand produces not only Equestrian Nation but also Cowboy Flavor. Both are broadcast on RFD TV channel 345 for Direct TV. Mr. Weyand had always been interested in police horses and especially their training. Sharon told Mr. Weyand about Trail Trials and he asked if CMOA might be interested in attending a filming of Cowboy Flavor as the audience and also doing a Trail Trials to be filmed and shown on Equestrian Nation. Sharon contacted Stacie McGrady and the CMOA Board. Almost everyone on the board had prior commitments except Katherine Comesana, Randy Bentson and myself. Mr. Weyand offered that he would like 10-12 CMOA members to attend and that he had reserved the equestrian campgrounds at Montano de Oro just outside of San Luis Obispo. Montano de Oro State Park is adjacent to the beach and also offers some 8,000 acres of wonderful trail riding.
We arrived on March 26th and began preparing for the mini Trail Trials and two days of awesome food as the Cowboy Flavor audience. The foods prepared on Cowboy Flavor were either BBQ’d Santa Maria style or cooked over coals in a Dutch oven. Not only was this a tremendous opportunity for CMOA but we were fed very well!
The trail trials course was constructed by Board member Randy Bentson and his Gilroy team. The course was just a sampling of what we expose our horses to but still a challenge. The 20 foot tube man, the carwash, a 20’ blue tarp and jump, orange smoke, the 6’ foot ball, a sims shoot and .38 Cal. Blanks composed the TT. The topper was the 50’ foot multi colored parachute. The parachute is equipped with handles and the horses walk with the parachute in a circle giving the appearance of a giant pin wheel. The parachute is eventually raised above the horses and they take turns walking under the parachute.
The crew for the filming took the time to challenge their horse’s with the TT course. Sue Ruiz the host of Cowboy Flavor, Kim Weygand (Dan’s Wife) and Kendall Quigley (Production Manager) all took their horses through the course.
The Chino Mounted Posse was gracious enough to assist with the TT by staffing the course during the filming. Chino members rode the course with their horses after the filming and did very well. We hope to see Chino in Indio at the TT in May.
Saturday night after the film shoot we had dinner with Mr. Weyand, his wife Kim and their crew. Mr. Weyand commented during the viewing of the day’s filming that this was going to be one of the best Equestrian Nation he has shot. You can check for the segments which should air in May at www.equestriannation.tv and www.cowboyflavor.com .
Many thanks to CMOA members Kevin Blaser, Chantel Paul, Lynette Sonne and Keith Morgan (San Luis Obispo S.O.),
Mike Beebe, Taryn Hathaway, Paco (Flacco) Rodriguez (Gilroy Mounted)
Jeff Roth (SFPD Mounted) and board members Katherine Comesana (Mt. View) and Randy Bentson (Gilroy) and Steve Silva (Modesto PD). All the listed members attended the event at their expense.
A big thank you to Sharon Slattery for her initiative. Thanks Sharon! |
