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Good morning Oregon and everyone everywhere else. Up to 68.2 now under clear and sunny skies. Just dispatched a Sage Rat in the back yard. He popped up out of a hole I had hit with the gasser smoke day before yesterday which means they blocked the tunnels, and the gas didn't get to all of them. They are undermining the sidewalk and the driveway there, so I really need to get them out of there.
Made it to the Fair in Redmond. Got to the Budweiser Barn and was very impressed with the crew of folks there. Very approachable and friendly. When I told them about my family's past history with horses and draft horses (Several Oregon State Fair Championships dating back to 1903) they seemed to open up even more. Anyway, spent a lot of time there and learned a lot about the operations they have now. All of the Hitch Team perform multiple functions from driving the trucks to braiding manes and tails to cleaning stalls to harness hitch etc. One of the gals I was talking with was one of the people polishing the brass on the wagon along with another hitch member and the Hitch Crew Supervisor. Later they were braiding manes and tails, getting the harnesses prepped and, on the horses, and hitching them up. Laura was hitching the teams to the wagon and then doing a quick change into her Drivers outfit and was still getting the tie on, buttons buttoned after she climbed into the driver's seat. Quite an operation with each member pitching in doing multiple jobs. One of the requirements for being on the traveling Hitch Team (West Team in this case) is that they have a CDL as they also drive the 3 very large Semi's from Hitch event to Hitch event. One truck carries 6 horses with feed and supplies, one carries 4 horses with more feed and supplies and the 3rd Semi carries the wagon, harnesses, yokes, spreaders and hitches. All hay comes from one place and is shipped ahead to the events as well as to Grant Farm and The Warm Springs (MO) ranch. It's the only hay any of the Budweiser Clydesdales get fed. It's 100% Timothy Hay from a hay farm in Washington State. They also have a Purina Horse feed mix grain, special screened sawdust, portable stalls, essentially a completely self-contained, self-supporting road show.
Anyway, great people in a well oiled, well trained crew. From grooming to pooper scooper to driving the Wagons and the Trucks.
The gal polishing brass "top side" is also a driver....as is the 'supervisor" polishing brass on the far side of the Wagon. BTW, they use pretreated Brasso Cotton wads to polish the brass.
After polishing brass, he braids and tucks the tails.
She braids flowers and ribbon into the manes. Then harnesses, then hitches the teams and then changes clothes to be a co-driver on the Wagon. Yep, the TStorms moved in and everyone, including horses and wagon dove for cover. Fair and DCSO issued Shelter in Place orders. So, the Warden and I were stuck with the Budweiser Crew for over an hours we hadn't planned on. My feelers were not hurt one little bit. Felt like a kid in the barn watching grandpa and the folks again.
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