Mules and more

Most of you probably know the story of how Lucy came into my life.

For those of you who may not, I bought her without ever meeting her in person,

which under normal circumstances would be a batshit crazy thing to do. 

But I bonded with Lucy's owner–Estella–via phone, met Lucy via video, 

and the next thing you know, a professional hauler brought Lucy from

Colorado to the 7MSN and the rest is history. That was five and a half years ago.

On Saturday, I finally got to meet Estella in person. 

We met up at the American Mule Trainers Challenge in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

All that was missing from this happy reunion was Lucy!

Estella and I had a delightful time catching up, sharing Lucy stories,

and watching the main event: three trainers competing to
train three mules over the course of a weekend.

For the uninitiated, a mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey.

(Think Hank and Lucy's love child.)

 The three mules in the competition had never been handled, 

and the trainers had three days to take them as far as they could. 

If you're familiar with Road to the Horse, it's like that but with mules.

This trainer is Shawn Peterson. 

What's not to like about a cowboy who wears a floral shirt?

This trainer, Ty Evans, was the eventual winner of the competition.

The three trainers' methods varied greatly...

but it was good to see all of them reward their mules for the slightest try.

This mule seemed the most challenging in the group.

Her trainer, Paul Garrison, did a fine job adapting to the situation.

The slow and deliberate steps he took may not have won him the competition,
but I think they put a solid foundation on this mule that will pay off in the long run.

This yearling mule wasn't part of the official competition, but her trainer, Nate Medcalf,

snuck me into the arena to take pictures, so how could I not include them? Thanks, Nate!

I wish I could have stayed for the entire event, but ranch responsibilities beckoned me home.

The only thing that could have made the day better would have been
for Lucy to be there so that Estella could see she was in good hands.

We'll just have to pretend.