Arla Hall
Memories from Rod Hiatt (69): Bottineau, ND
Gary
I’ve been doing some more thinking on Vickie’s comment about Roy and Dale, and it was just a few weeks ago that Neola had a picture of her and Arla Hall, a former teacher. Arla Hall is what I would consider North Dakota’s version of Dale Evans. Arla Hall was no doubt the Queen of horse shows across the state. When Arla entered the arena in Parade class it was known that she would come out with a ribbon and more times than not she was going home with the first place trophy. I wish I had a picture of Arla in her younger horse showing days, as you could see the resemblance of her and Dale Evans, probably the biggest difference was that Arla rode palominos while Dale Evans rode Buttermilk, a buckskin.
Arla, again like Dale, always had a smile on her face. I never had the opportunity of having her for a teacher, but she was a good one, in fact she was one of a very few teachers that liked my brother Rick at that stage of his schooling(mainly because both of them being horse crazy).
The only time I can remember Arla being somewhat mad, was when the Bottineau Trail Riders came over to Dunseith and we took them on a cross country trail ride to Mineral Springs. . The trail that we had made was somewhat rugged, with crossing creeks, mud and hills that were almost straight up and down. I think it was my brothers Laurel and Earl, Garrett Myer and Dwight Lang that actually found the most difficult trail they could, I was quite young and innocent at the time. I can still remember Wilbur, Arla’s husband, backing her beautiful palomino out of the trailer. The tail was combed and almost touching the ground and the horse shined like a chunk of gold. There was a fairly large number of trail riders that showed up for the day, but the two that I remember clearly were Gary McNea and Larry Lawrence, who kind of fit in with the style of riding we liked. We crossed the creeks on the run, splattering anyone that was going through slow, rode down the steep banks that most led their horses down, and came shooting out of the trees on a dead run, hootin and hollerin like a bunch of wild renegades(I believe that was the term Arla had used on Gary and Larry at their next meeting) but most of us had a great time. They never did ask us to plan another trail ride, I wonder why.
Still today if I see a beautiful palomino or a picture of a pretty gal on a palomino horse I think of Arla Hall, because in my eyes, Arla is still the Queen of the Cowgirls in North Dakota.
Rod, I am sure Neola sent pictures of Arla on her horse, but at the moment I can not locate them among the 1,515 Pictures that I have in my Dunseith picture album that have been posted by all you folks too. Future genealogy buffs will have a hay day with all of our stuff. Gary
Audition for “America’s Favorite Trail Horse”.
From Trish Larson Wild (73): FORT COLLINS, CO
| Hi Gary,
I’m attaching a couple of photos from a ride I took here in Pasadena California, near Los Angeles. My mare Maggie and I are training hard for our audition on April 9 in California for “America’s Favorite Trail Horse”. If we make the cut at the audition (held on Monty Roberts’ ranch in Solvang) we will move to the finals on a big ranch in Texas, where a bunch of famous clinicians will work with 100 horse and rider pairs selected from auditions held all over the US. (None in North Dakota or Montana though – I guess it’s just too cold!)
The competitor work in Texas will be filmed for a reality TV show that will be aired in 10 segments over the summer. Like the show, American Idol, the American Public will be voting for their “Favorite Trail Horse”. Winners will be chosen based on the number of votes (via text message?) counted. There are purses to be won, and fun to be had. Anyone can audition, but you have to be willing to join ACTHA (American Competitive Trail Horse Association) and travel to the audition site.
Maggie and I have been training a minimum of four hours/day. We think we have a good chance of making the finals and invite you all to stay tuned for updates, and vote for Maggie if we make the show!
If we don’t get to do the show, we’ll just keep up with the plan to ride 200 miles in every state. So far, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had! I’m trying to keep my blog updated, which can be a challenge. I really admire your tenacity in getting a blog out every morning.
Well that’s the update from the Equine Nomad. Thanks to everyone who drops by my blog and all the supportive comments and emails. Keep em coming!
And don’t forget to vote for Maggie if we make the show!
Trish Wild (Larson ’73)
The Equine Nomad
trishwild.blogspot.com
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Joke of the day from my good Irish friend, Michael (Barbara) Kenny, from right here in Cebu:
One afternoon a lawyer was riding in his limousine when he saw two men along the roadside eating grass. Disturbed, he ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate.
He asked one man, “Why are you eating grass? “”We don’t have any money for food,” the poor
man replied. “We have to eat grass.
“”Well, then, you can come with me to my house and I’ll feed you,” the lawyer said.”But sir, I have a wife and two children with me. They are over there, under that tree.
“”Bring them along,” the lawyer replied.
Turning to the other poor man he stated, “You come with us also.”The second man, in a pitiful voice, then said, “But sir, I also have a wife and SIX children with me!” “Bring them all, as well,” the lawyer answered.
They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine was. Once underway, one of the poor fellows turned to the lawyer and said, “Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us
with you. ”
The lawyer replied, “Glad to do it. You’ll really love my place. The grass is almost a foot high.“