This is kind of a long story...
For the past three Junes I've come home to Boston from our little horse farm in Aiken, SC to have a surgical procedure. First the back, next total knee & back again, then this past June for shoulder rotator cuff/spur. I haven't hunted deer or hogs for the past three seasons. So with recuperating over the summer my life style/activity had become rather sedentary. Normally I'm an early riser and quite active.
One of our nightly routines is to watch a couple of movies a week. "Wild Horse Wild Ride" a documentary about horse trainers taming wild mustangs in a hundred days and then those horses are put up for public auction really perked my interest. So much that I looked up a couple of young men in the movie that live in NH. I ended up taking a 5 day clinic working with wild mustangs with my arm 50% back from surgery. My wife & daughter are horse nuts but I never was. I loved working with the mustangs!
In August to my surprise this was the first year that Extreme Mustang Makeover came to Massachusetts. I decided I'd see how & what 40 some trainers had done with mustangs that were untouched by human hands as of last April. To sum it all up...I purchased the winning mustang the last night at auction!
Now I'm getting up @6:30 feeding & cleaning the paddocks every morning, noon, and night feeding. I'm energized and enjoying the activity of my little cow pony mustang...Sweet Annie.
When Molly & I picked Annie up. The trainer Nate, Amy, and Dillon had her ready to go. Dillon is 8 years old and was a little sad to see Annie leaving. I brought some knives to show Nate one of my passions...but it was Dillon who fell in love with my knives. Molly and I kept the family informed about every new thing Annie had accomplished as she only had 120 days of training...though her base is training is great.
OK now back to the knife...
I decided to purchase a sweatshirt from Nate. That's when he asked if he could buy a knife for Dillon. Well my knives start @ $300 maybe a little much for an 8 year old and they are plenty sharp. I decided a TRADE was Needed...knife for sweatshirt. Annie & I got together to come up with something nice for Dillon to remember Sweet Annie!
Knife is hand forged from 1084 with a splendid piece of Splated Oak and memorable sheath. The edge has not been rolled so it is like a butter knife. When Nate & Amy figure Dillon is ready for a sharp knife, I'll finish the edge...tippit
Nate, Dillon, & Annie....
The Extreme Mustang Makeover Competition Nate & Annie....
Nate, Annie, and Me....
The Knife....
The Sweatshirt....