Gettin' hitched

Not me, silly! The horses!

All the cows at the Bar W ranch had been rounded up, and the next event at the Carrizozo Cowboy Days celebration was the parade.  I was wandering around town with an hour to kill before it started and happened upon this scene.

  

My first thought was, "Wow...this isn't your average small-town New Mexico parade."  My next thought was, "Photo op!"  I asked the teamster if he would mind if I took a few pictures, and he gave me carte blanche. 

Then he mentioned that Wells Fargo didn't have a photographer for its New Mexico events and would I be interested and could I send him one of those round things with the pictures I took and he would send it to those banker folks in San Francisco, and the next thing I knew I was taking a bazillion pictures of the Wells Fargo hitch. If those banker folks in San Francisco like them, this could turn into a regular gig.


Mr. Hatch, the teamster, explained that there are 20 such Wells Fargo teams across the country, and each has a territory where they make appearances in parades and events. He and his wife own the four white geldings that comprise this team, and they are based in Mesa, Arizona.


Fitting the harnesses and getting the horses hitched up was a carefully choreographed dance. I probably should have been taking notes instead of pictures, in preparation for the day when George and Alan are ready to pull a wagon.


Hmm...do you think Wells Fargo would hire a two-burro team to pull one of their stagecoaches? We can dream, can't we?


The four white horses were a striking contrast against the colorful buildings of downtown Carrizozo.

The burro atop the fuscia wall is part of Carrizozo's public art project.  There are 30 painted burros located throughout town.  They will be auctioned off in the fall, with the proceeds going to local animal rescue efforts.  As if this town weren't cool enough already.

Tomorrow, steer clear, the longhorns are coming.