In the Spring of 2017, Mom and I flew down to Las Vegas for the AMHA Annual General Meeting. It was an exciting trip, because it was our first AGM with AMHA. We participate in our local WCMHC meetings, but have never seen a meeting like this where the industry is literally affected and moved by the decisions made at those meeting room tables. The AGM would have needed a week of time if they scheduled the meetings all in the same room, so in order to be efficient, there would be 2-5 rooms with smaller meetings going on at all times with scheduled big blocks of time for BIG meetings that everyone was interested in attending. Everything from the Local Officials Committee to the Membership Committee. I got to sit in on a very exciting Promotions Committee meeting where we chatted about how to keep people involved and inspired with AMHA.
We also attended the awards banquet, where we were announced as the 2016 Honor Roll Buckle Recipients for the 32-34" Country Pleasure Driving and 4 Year Old Country Pleasure Driving awards. These were Mom & I's first buckles that we have dreamed about achieving for YEARS! And to get 2!! We are blown away and so grateful to Marvel for everything he has brought into our lives.
While we were down in Las Vegas I had a wild idea to meet McCarthy's Jesse James of Rivenburgh at Painted H Ranch. I knew that Painted H Ranch was in Chino Hills (Los Angeles) the southern part of California, and I brought up Las Vegas -> Chino Hills on my iPhone map. It was going to be a 4.5 hour drive through the desert, but Mom and I were up to the journey and made plans with Aimee to visit!! Jesse is a big part of my breeding program, being the sire of Marvel, Rosita, the sire of Impress who is the sire of our Impress fillies Scarlett, Lavish and Sweet Pea. At the time, we had purchased a Sweepstakes breeding to Jesse (which we used for our mare Rumour, who later gave us our chestnut filly Rosita).
On our way to the ranch We grabbed lunch for all of us from Panera Bread (Mom and I's favourite) to bring to the farm for us all to eat together. Then I got to hug and meet Jesse and tour the Davis' stunning Painted H Ranch. It was fun to meet Jesse and spot all the similarities between Jesse and Marvel, and see where Marvel gets his incredible neck, tight barrel and length of leg from! Jesse is a sweet quiet stallion, ink black with a blaze. Thank you so much to Aimee & Dustin for touring us around the farm and getting to finally meet Jesse!!! It was a wonderful little vacation within a vacation!
Kaycee
